One of the best books I have bought recently is SIFT by Nicola Lamb. It's a fantastic combination of explaining the what and how of baking and some great recipes. If you want to know more about why things rise, what the effect of sugar is or cream, then this is a great read. It will help you understand a lot about the complex processes that take place when baking a bread or a cake.

There are some great recipes in the book. Some easy, some more elaborate. Below a few pictures of dishes I made. The tomato and fennel tarte tatin is so delicious. And everybody loves the brie brioches with grapes. Both were finished before I could make a picture. And I really enjoyed making the canelés. But most proud I was of my "Tarte aux Fruites"