Williams-Sonoma Collection: Muffins

Williams Sonoma: nostalgic and elegant (oh, yes, and the recipes are wonderful) Content: In a time of microwave cooking and instant pots, it was really nice to find this gem of a book, a book that transported me back to the bygone days of my youth (as my granny used to say, “Yes, I was born in the age of the Pharaohs” ) and to my grandmother’s elaborate dinner parties and elegant meals where the dining room was lit with candles and decorated with flowers , where the utensils were laid out in perfect order, where the napkins were folded into flower shapes…you get the idea. Okay, okay, okay…so I don’t actually entertain the way my grandmother did very often (where would I get the time or the money-people, lavish entertaining isn’t cheap!!!), I reserve that type of formal elegance and fine dining for special occasions and holidays, but it is really heart-warming to have a book that shows me exactly how to prepare special dishes for special occasions, how the set the table, how to serve my guest, and how to be a great hostess in general. And the recipes…oh, the recipes!!! Every recipe I tried turned out perfectly delicious. I am salivating right now while typing this review! I even went as far as to emulate the food presentation in the pictures (with the platters and decors I already owned, of course). I thought the recipes were rather well written, were not overly complicated, and did not require the reader to have extensive cooking experience cooking (although some cooking experience does make the recipes more accessible). With that being said, I do think that the absolute novice cook may struggle with some of the recipes in WS CB. (By novice, I mean a newbie to the kitchen who does not know what the difference between roasting braising is or know how to steam, boil, or blanch). For the absolute novice cook, I recommend the ATK series. Ingredients: Granted, some of the ingredients are not always present in a home pantry, but they are easily procured from most local grocers, butchers, and organic markets (Walmart even has a reasonable collection of the ingredients necessary for the realization of the recipes in this book). Presentation: ***Almost ALL of my muffin cookbooks have less than 20 pictures, but this book has a picture for each muffin! Every recipe has a picture! Normally, that would not matter to me as I have over a hundred “picture-less” cookbooks, but for a “vintage cookbook” (from the 80s-early 00s) such as this, pictures are rather important as they show images of recipes with which we may no longer be familiar; to me, an image of a final product, especially if the last time I saw said product was when my grandmother made it in the 80s, is essential. The pictures themselves are breathtaking works of art, elegant, romantic (yes, romantic), and inspiring! The book itself is easy to handle (not too heavy, bulky, or big, but also not too small) and easy to read. The paper is thick and glossy. The font is dark enough and large enough to read, but I do use reading glasses (I am of an age where I simply cannot read ANYTHING without reading glasses. I have to have 16 point font on my computer to read without glasses). Simply put, the book is elegantly compiled and presented. Repetition: Yes, some of the recipes may be found in other editions of WS CBs, but to me that is of no concern as I am collecting ALL the WS CBs published in the 80s and 90s (well, anything prior to 2010 really). Delivery: arrived three days earlier than anticipated. Price: bought the used edition; copy cost me less than $5; pretty good deal! Condition: although I purchased the used edition, I got a copy in excellent condition. Conclusion: It is a product from WS. What is not to like? Is this cookbook worth the money? Should you buy it? For me, the answer to both questions is a resounding, unequivocal YES! As with all WS CBs, this is a beautiful book with elegant and tasty recipes, with lovely photographs of each described dish, and with side ideas and suggestions for improvement. Recommendation: Highly recommend! I cannot recommend this book enough even if I tired! I love it. Note: 1. If you found this review helpful in some way, please click the helpful button. Thank you. 2. If you want to read more reviews submitted by this reviewer, please follow. Thank you.

We prefer to cook our food, selecting organic flour and ingredients from reputable stores. When we decided to stop eating bread that tastes and looks like plastic due to the chemicals added ( check out the ingredients when you buy)we started baking our own bread...there are bread recipes included in this cook book ...and add to that, muffins from this set of recipes were king for that healthy fresh taste. This cook book does it for us.It allows the use of wonderful fresh fruits or nuts vegetables or just plain. Cheese we use sometimes if we can get organic. It takes no more than 40 minutes once you get started from making to baking to table. We recommend it for its easy steps. Cook with baking paper /cups and store in a glass dome stand. Looks great and perfect for breakfast with tea or coffee. The bread recipes are easy to follow and cut thick the slices toast to perfection.. Avoid processed from the shelf foods and try these muffins and bread from Williams Sonma collection. I even leave the book on a stand because as you can see it is a beautiful decorative piece for the kitchen and inspires you with memories that keep you at it. Finally it is possible to bake once a week and store in ziplock freezer bags. Remove overnight for next day. Avoid microwave...turn oven on for slow heat for muffins and cut bread in thick slices for toasting. Enjoy...from Barn Owl

Coworker made some muffins from this cookbook and they were so delicious, I had to buy it and make my own!

I've tried about half the muffin recipes in this book, and they've all been good to very good. The lemon poppy-seed alone is worth the price of the book, but you'll find the cranberry-orange, dried fig, cinnamon-crunch sweet potato and bacon Gruyere muffins, and in the bread section, the pumpkin bread with dates, are all a cut about average. I've some other muffin cookbooks, but this one is by far my favorite because there is nothing wimpy about these muffins, both the sweet and the savory are flavorful and tasty. Other books I've got seem afraid to make their muffins really taste like something; the W-S people don't have that problem.

Beautiful and well thought out layout and compilation of recipes. I've used the blueberry muffin recipe multiple times now with different types of berries and add-ins and it's perfect every time. The goal is to bake my way through the book but the first recipe I tried has worked out so well and is so versatile that it's deterred me a bit from trying the rest.

When you open this book, you will want to make everything in it! Just about every recipe is accompanied by a photograph. The instructions are clear and concise, the recipes are clearly well-tested. Everything I have made has been a success, including the Blackberry Muffins, Apple coffee cake, goat cheese and tomato muffins, and macadamia coffee cake. A wonderful little book that the home cook will actually use.

Muffins are a staple at our house - every variety. I didn't think I'd find new recipes but this book is full of new ideas. Recipes are easy to follow, results are great. I have given it as a gift on many occasions - (makes a great gift along with a basket of muffins from one of the outstanding recipes). Highly recommend.

I bought this book to make muffin tops. I've only tried the blueberry muffins so far, and they came out wonderfully! They were tender and moist, and certainly the muffin top is the best part of the muffin. The pictures are lovely and the directions very straightforward. I can't wait to make more. FYI, I made them in the Fat Daddio muffin top tins. Just delicious!