Three Quarters of a Baker's Dozen

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The Best Quick Breads : 150 Recipes for Muffins, Scones, Shortcakes, Gingerbreads, Cornbreads, Coffeecakes, and More

by Beth Hensperger

Harvard Common Press, 382 pp., $17.95

I have to admit, Hensperger's recipe for an Avocado Bread With Pecans and Lime Glaze got me into the test kitchen faster than just about any recipe I read all year. I was fascinated to see how it would turn out and it rendered a beautifully colored loaf with a delicate and subtle flavor. After that, I was hooked. It was Pear Bread With Vanilla and Ginger, Peach Upside-Down Ginger Cake with some of my precious frozen High Rock Ranch peaches, a Peach and Almond Torte from the chapter on Coffeecakes. I spent several days on Popovers -- sweet tangerine, savory cornmeal ones with smoke-dried tomatoes and basil, roasted garlic and cheddar. Hensperger is a baker after my own heart. I love this book.