This is the book that made me fall in love with Dorie Greenspan! I’ve literally made almost every single one in here–I’m probably only missing 6 or 7 of the hundreds of recipes. This is the book I would recommend for anyone searching for a baking primer. Dorie covers tons of ground and has a chapter for basically any type of dessert you want to make, from muffins to pies to ice creams. She does a great job of providing basic recipes and introducing classic techniques, but she also has more creative and original twists on old favorites. I’ve given this as a gift countless times, and cannot recommend it enough.