Don't buy, bake for the food lovers on your holiday gift list

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - Instead of buying a holiday gift, why not bake something? If you're looking for inspiration, guidance and suggestions, consider these four cookbooks.

_Food scientist Shirley O. Corriher explains the hows and whys of baking with "BakeWise" (Scribner, $40), featuring more than 200 foolproof recipes. As she did in her James Beard award winner, "CookWise," Corriher succinctly explains the science of baking.

Each recipe is accompanied by a fact box that explains the ingredients and techniques. For example, the addition of cream of tartar in Mimi's Magnificent Angel Food Cake increases volume, makes a finer texture and results in an angel food cake that shrinks less.

Other fail-proof recipes include the Great American Pound Cake, All-Time Favorite E-Z, Dee-licious Sour Cream Cornbread, Heavenly Mocha Hazelnut-Almond Meringue Cake and the Best-Ever Chess Tarts.

_"The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book," by America's Test Kitchen (America's Test Kitchen, $34.95), is a comprehensive baking cookbook with more than 700 recipes, from "Quick Breads and Muffins," "Breakfast and Brunch," "Drop Cookies," "Bundt, Tube and Pound Cakes," "Fruit Desserts" and "Custards, Puddings, and Souffles."

The recipes range from the simple _ Simple Drop Biscuits, Cheddar Cheese Bread, Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies and Stromboli, all marked with a "Great for Beginners" logo _ to the more complex _ Brioche, French Macaroon Sandwich Cookies, Boston Cream Pie and Palmiers.

The cookbook also lists emergency substitutions, a pantry basics lists and baking tips, including creaming butter and sugar, whipping egg whites and how to soften brown sugar, and lots of step-by-step color photographs.

_And then there is "The Art & Soul of Baking," by Cindy Mushet (Andrews McMeel, $40), a hefty how-to chock-a-block with tips, shortcuts and sumptuous photographs.

The basics are covered _ Easy Morning Muffins with Raspberries, All-American Apple Pie, Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp with Amaretti Topping and Classic Lemon Bars. But interspersed are some lovely sounding recipes that whet the whistle like Feta, Roasted Pepper, and Basil Muffins, Dulce de Leche Banana Cream Pie, Retro Ringers with Silver Leaf, Corn Souffles with Red Pepper Sauce.

One nice touch: Many of the recipes offer variations. The Easy Morning muffins recipe, for example, offers four alternatives: Streusel-topped, Rhubarb, Orange and Ginger, Plum-Cardamom Upside-Down and Blueberry Upside-Down.

_Finally, "Field Guide to Cookies," by Anita Chu (Quirk, $15.95), promises to help you "identify and bake virtually every cookie imaginable." The pocket-sized reference book/cookbook has more than 100 recipes, including drop, bar, molded and rolled cookies. Among the lineup: Banana Chocolate Chip, Maple, Chocolate Espresso, Fig Bars, Turtle Bars, Russian Tea Cakes, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Gingerbread, Rugelach, Shortbread and Sugar Cookies. Lots of facts and trivia, too.

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© 2008, The Kansas City Star.