by Bernadette Gee. Published by Allen & Unwin, 2019. Reviewed by Mary Betz

Magnolia Kitchen offers recipes like brioche, cakes, macarons, cookies and doughnuts, many of which are allergy-free. There are also instructions for cake assembly and tips on kitchen tools.

My daughter Kerry (in Canada) and I shared recipe testing. We both baked a Lemon Poppyseed Loaf which had a lovely taste and beautiful glaze, but we would add more lemon. Kerry’s loaf was quite dense, and when she checked the conversions given for baking in Fahrenheit instead of Celsius, she found the book had miscalculated by 13°F.

The Signature Rich Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache lived up to its name — my theology group was delighted. Kerry’s Carrot Cake was moist and flavourful with an airy Cream Cheese Icing — her fiancé’s workmates were lucky beneficiaries. The Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies bettered my usual recipe for "crispy outside and chewy inside", but I would use less sugar next time. My husband’s teacher colleagues gave them the "thumbs-up".

Strangely, every other page in the book seems to use f--- and s--- words. If you can overlook the questionable language, the book is beautifully illustrated, clearly laid-out, and may offer just the right treat for a special occasion.

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 255 December 2020: 27