Jim Fobel’s Old Fashioned Baking Book – Review

I absolutely love old fashioned recipes and you know they are tried and tested and have probably been passed down many generations. What I particularly love about this recipe book are the notes which go along with recipes explaining the history. So not only is this a recipe book but it is also a reference book. It means so much to know the origins or something you are going to bake.

I have already reviewed a book of great British recipes. This is the American equivalent. A lot of these recipes I had never heard of in the UK before reading this.

The one downside to this book is there are no pictures at all, yep you read right…..none. Some people might find this a major down side from buying this book however even though I am a major fan of pictures in recipe books I don’t believe it is always essential. The same cakes made by 10 different people will most probably always produce 10 slightly different results anyhow so pictures are only ever a rough guide.

Now the next point is a bit of a pet hate for me I’m afraid. The recipes in this book are mostly in ‘cups’ and not what we in UK are use to in grams. Some people find baking in ‘cups’ simpler. I guess I have just grown up measuring things on scales instead. But to make these recipes you will need to buy yourself a set of measuring cups like seen here:

Being referenced to many times by Nigella Lawson herself, I can truly understand why as Jim Fobel is an inspiration to all bakers.

The book is available from Amazon UK at:

Or Amazon US at: