Baking With Duncan Hines By ohthethinksyouwillthink on Apr 16, 2009 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

I received this cook book as a wedding gift. More accurately, I should say I received this baking book as a wedding gift.

This book is full of sweet confections: squares, cakes, cookies, and more. There are sections for chocolate treats, fruity desserts, and children's party food and birthday cakes. Most recipes have a full-colour picture, and all have clear, easy to follow instructions. At the base of each and every recipe is a Duncan Hines mix--cookie, brownie, or otherwise.

I think this book would be good for a beginner baker, or for someone who only bakes from a mix, and is looking to add some variety. Recipes combine many different ingredients to make some really tasty-looking desserts, while still keeping everything very simple, and utilizing familiar cake mixes. It shows you how to take a plain, straight from the box dessert, and turn it into something special.

While it's a neat idea, I have been baking since I was four years old, and really wasn't interested in purchasing cake mixes, when I already knew how to do the same things from scratch. I think it's a decent book, but it just isn't the one for me.