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Baking for All Occasions

Nigella Lawson christened her "the Baking Queen." Food and Wine calls her "a master of classic American desserts." And for nearly 20 years, San Francisco Chronicle readers who follow her column have known her simply as: "The Baker."

In Baking for All Occasions, veteran cookbook author Flo Braker rises to the occasion with more than 200 celebration-worthy recipes for baked goods. Whether it's an impressive Dark Chocolate Custard Tart to wish someone a happy birthday, a blue ribbon-worthy batch of Fresh Mint Brownies for the annual family reunion, or an Old World Braided Coffee Cake to impress the bridge club, each recipe is custom-crafted to commemorate life's special events.

Braker fills her book with plenty of introductory information on techniques and ingredients to ensure that each treat will be baked to perfection, making this a fabulous reference for any cookbook library. Tempt your taste buds with these yummy recipes from the book, or pay a visit to Flo's kitchen in the video interview with the author. You never need a reason to whip up a delicious dessert: Baking for All Occasions makes each day something to celebrate.

Chocolate-Chip Cookie Cake

Here's a recipe you will use again and again. It's a standard in our family. I selected a dough from my repertoire of chocolate-chip cookie recipes, placed it in a rectangular pan (which most people have on hand), and baked it as though it were a cake. The result is a super-easy informal indulgence that can be whipped up at the last minute. It makes an ideal birthday cake for someone who lives for chocolate chip cookies: simply pop a candle in the center and serve it straight from the pan. If you can resist eating it immediately, wrap it securely and freeze for later enjoyment.

A speedy way to soften butter is to set the unwrapped butter on a plate, and cut it into 1/4-inch slices. The butter softens in 30 to 60 minutes (depending on the temperature of the room). The key to this recipe is not to incorporate a lot of air, or the dough will expand too much during baking. You want to create a texture similar to a cookie, rather than a cake.

For an illusive flavor, substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom for half of the ground cinnamon in the recipe. And if you wish, omit the nuts and mix in an additional 1 cup (6 ounces/170 grams) chocolate chips.

2 1/3 cups (10 1/2 ounces/300 grams) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (4 1/2 ounces/130 grams) granulated sugar
2/3 cup firmly packed (4 1/2 ounces/130 grams) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces (2 sticks/225 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup (4 ounces/115 grams) chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts, or a combination

Before baking: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan (quarter sheet pan).

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugars, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda and mix on the lowest speed just until blended. Add the butter and continue to mix on low speed just until small, moist crumbs form (they are larger than crumbs that don't clump together) that look similar to streusel, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until the mixture begins to form a cohesive dough. Increase the speed to medium just as you add the chocolate chips and nuts and beat just until they are incorporated into the dough, 20 to 30 seconds.

Spoon dollops of the thick dough evenly over the bottom of the baking pan, and then spread the dough over the pan with a rubber spatula. To distribute the dough evenly, lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the dough and pat it evenly with your fingertips.

Bake the cake until golden brown and it feels more solid than soft when pressed in the center, 37 to 40 minutes. Be careful not to overbake; it will firm as it cools. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 30 to 35 minutes.

Slip a thin metal spatula between the still-warm cake and the pan and run the spatula carefully along the entire perimeter of the pan. Lift the pan, tilt it slightly, and tap it on a counter to help release the cake. Invert a large wire rack on top of the cake, invert the cake onto it, and carefully lift off the pan. Invert another large wire rack on top, invert the cake so it is right side up, and remove the original rack. Let cool completely.

If serving within 2 days, wrap the cake tightly in aluminum foil and store at room temperature. For longer storage, label with the contents and date and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the wrapping at room temperature for about 3 hours.

To serve, cut the cake into squares, rectangles, or sticks with a sharp knife.

Yield: one 13 x 9-inch cake, 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 dozen pieces, depending on size

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