cover image Baking at République

Baking at République

Margarita Manzke, with Betty Hallock. Jones, $30 (272p) ISBN 978-0-399-58059-8

In the introduction to this charming cookbook, Manzke writes of creating her well-stocked pastry case, which “looks magical,” at her all-day L.A. café, République. Manzke has worked in kitchens since the age of seven, starting in her mother’s small restaurant in Manila, and alongside her tantalizing recipes she provides photos and detailed baking advice, such as how long to cream butter and sugar depending on the desired finished product. Most chapters provide a master recipe, then riff on it: a simple brioche dough transforms into apricot bread pudding piled high in a cast-iron pan, individual chocolate babkas, and, in a nod to s’mores, cream-filled Italian doughnuts topped with cinnamon streusel and homemade marshmallows. Presentation is stunning: diced peaches are baked in ramekins with pâte brisée domes on top, and ribbons of croissant dough are twisted into rectangular braids that form recesses for fillings of cream cheese, blood oranges, and kumquats. Though the emphasis is on sweet treats, clever savory options include parmesan churros. Manzke and her husband also co-own a chain of six cafés in Manila, and several recipes incorporate flavors from the Philippines: bibingka—glutinous rice cake—stands shoulder to shoulder with madeleines perfumed with orange blossom water. These aspirational recipes will be welcomed by home bakers looking for a challenge. (Apr.)