Book Review: How to Cheat at Baking by Sarah Rainey

We've been trying out recipes from How to Cheat at Baking by Sarah Rainey, and honestly? It does exactly what it says on the tin.

Seventy quick and easy recipes for busy bakers, with zero faff and maximum flavour, this is a cookbook built for real life, not just for people with a free Sunday afternoon and a stand mixer collection to match.

First Up: Gooey Nutella Chocolate Cookies

We started with the gooey chocolate cookies loaded with melted Nutella, and they did not disappoint. Rich, fudgy, and ready in no time, this is exactly the kind of bake the whole family ends up fighting over. Crisp at the edges, molten in the middle, with pools of Nutella running through every bite. No stand mixer, no chilling overnight, no drama.

Who This Book Is For

If you love baking but don't always have the hours to spare, this one's a genuine must-have for the shelf. Sarah Rainey has clearly built this book around the way people actually bake squeezed in after work, between school runs, or on a whim because someone mentioned biscuits and now you can't stop thinking about them.

Every recipe is designed to shortcut the faff without shortcutting the flavour, which is exactly the kind of cheat we can get behind.

The Verdict

How to Cheat at Baking earns its place as one of our favourite recent additions, proof that brilliant bakes don't need to eat up your whole day. We'll be working our way through more of the 70 recipes and reporting back, so watch this space.

Rating: 🍪🍪🍪🍪 (4/5 fudgy cookies)