Baking Illustrated: A Best Recipe Classic (The Best Recipe Series) 
There's cooking and there's baking, and the two should never be confused. Good cooks are ever commendable. Good bakers, on the other hand, have something about them bigger than skill or imagination, something that reaches back to the beginning of agriculture and the first inklings of civilization. Good bakers are their own mystic society. So hats off to Cook's Illustrated for throwing open the doors and sharing the mysteries with the rest of us. Baking Illustrated absolutely has it all. You'll find chapters devoted to "Quick Breads, Muffins, Biscuits, and Scones"; "Yeast Breads and Rolls"; "Pizza, Focaccia, and Flatbread"; "Pies and Tarts"; "Pastry"; "Crisps, Cobblers, and Other Fruit Desserts"; "Cakes"; and "Cookies, Brownies, and Bar Cookies". No mean undertaking, all that. Tools are tested and names are named. Techniques are stripped back then rebuilt. Cook's Illustrated carries all this off with a style and relish for inquiry and detail that sets a standard. Nothing is taken for granted because there's no fudge room with baking. It works or it doesn't. So trust is a big issue. And the end result of all the mighty labors of the Cook's Illustrated staff is text you can trust. This is a baking book that works.
And those blackening bananas? Simply keep adding them to a Ziplock bag you store in the freezer, then use them when you wish and as you like. --Schuyler Ingle
Reviews
To people who complain about the pie crust error. These are the same people who has not have concept in making pastry. You DO NEED MORE FAT to make a classic pie crust. A typical crust require 3:2:1 ratio (fat: flour: cold water) construction.
People who complained about lack of "WOW" factor, simply because they are lack of imagination and creativity. JUST DON'T BLAME THE BOOK. There are enough basic recipes and explanation to strengten an individual' baking knowledge building block. With these fundamental understanding in baking, it is impossible for a person to add or substrate ingredient(s) to create new recipes. IF THIS SOUNDS LIKE YOU, maybe you SHOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION to how the book comes out with the recipes and explore more with your ingredient options to create more recipes on your own.
Picturesless? It is a COOKBOOK, NOT A PHOTO ALBUM. Many great cook-books consist of very little pictures and it is nothing wrong with it.
Final words, this is a really fantastic book for people who really want to learn of bakinng and the chemical reactions of ingredients. If you are an analytical, enthuist, and a full of creativity and imagination person, THIS WILL BE A MUST HAVE BOOK.
Second, every recipe comes with two or three pages (!) of in-depth explanation of how they perfected the recipe. This is a excellent learning tool - they tell you what's important in the nitty-gritties for turning out great results, and it's definitely great if you like to improvise in the kitchen.
All in all, fantastic cookbook! Sometimes the writing's a little snarky, but it doesn't matter, not with all the information laid out accessibly and, best of all, the really excellent recipes. I love this book and use it all the time, and it has yet to disappoint me. Highly recommended!