500 to 700 recipes revised and updated from out of print books and new recipes created for this book, plus 300 line illustrations by the author.

    ™ Though I'm not a professional baker, I am absolutely a passionate one. That passion has led to some extraordinary recipes, a few deliciously simple techniques, and a lifetime of baking experiences that are as satisfying as the finished products. I'm excited to share some of them with you in my first cookbook! Aside from my first high school job cooking in a restaurant, I bake in my home kitchen for the benefit of family (including my four pugs) and friends. And since 2007, I've enjoyed sharing recipes through my blog, Baked Chicago. What got me started on this baking path? It may be destiny: my mother's maiden name is Baker. And like a lot of kids, I remember helping mom in the kitchen. One of my earliest baking memories is brownies from scratch, using the cooking bible of its day - the Better Homes & Garden Cookbook with the iconic red-and-white plaid binding. I quickly learned to experiment by throwing in my own variations like chocolate and butterscotch chips, toffee, and peanut M&Ms - all in the same dish. These early baked "masterpieces" got a warm reception at school parties. Fellow high school students dubbed my rich and unusually dense brownies "ton cake." Over the course of high school, I made a ton of "ton cake." I still love tinkering with recipes and the challenge of breaking them down to the simplest terms, changing up ingredients and textures to create unique, truly flavorful treats. Here are a few truths I've discovered along the way that make my baking simple and successful:Focus on fewer, high-quality ingredients in your recipes.Baking from scratch is almost always easier (and cheaper) than from a box.A recipe should be easy to follow and execute. [There's nothing I hate more than a kitchen sink full of dirty pots, pans and utensils.]Brownies are among the most decadent of baked deliciousness, yet deceptively easy to make and a great canvas for culinary expression. In this cookbook, you'll find 33 of my best brownie and brownie-inspired recipes. All are easy to follow with instructions fitting on a single page. I hope they inspire you to express your simply decadent baking creativity. Baking success in the kitchen doesn't have to be hard work. Simply, bake like you mean it. ~ Harvey Morris

    In addition to the recipes, each chapter begins with entertaining stories, legends and lore about Celtic peoples, their traditions and customs, and the history of their foods. Chapters include: Starters; Soups; Egg and Cheese Dishes; Barley, Oats and Cornmeal; Seafood; Poultry and Game; Meats; Vegetables and Salads; Breads; Cookies and Cakes; Desserts; and Drinks. All of these easy-to-follow, step-by-step recipes are adapted for the North American kitchen.

    It’s a chance to spend time with your family and friends, to laugh really hard, to let things get a little chaotic, and to eat lots of delicious baked goods. In Butter Celebrates! Rosie provides more than 100 recipes for every celebration, holiday, special event, and milestone in your life. The holidays celebrated in this book are EASTER  CHRISTMAS HALLOWEEN MOTHER’S DAY  THANKSGIVINGVALENTINE’S DAYHANUKKAHST. PATRICK’S DAYNEW YEAR’S DAYAnd there are plenty more treats for almost every other occasion you can think of, includingTHE ARRIVAL OF A NEW BABY WELCOMING A NEW NEIGHBOR A SUMMER PARTY IN YOUR BACKYARD THE BELOVED FAMILY DOG’S BIRTHDAY             Whether you’re an experienced baker or just starting out, Rosie’s straightforward recipes are easy to follow and will produce irresistible results. Butter Celebrates! takes you into Butter’s pink-and-pistachio slice-of-heaven world, where every day is worth celebrating. It will inspire you to celebrate life and to create new traditions and memories along the way.From the Hardcover edition.