Some of baking's top flour slingers have written cookbooks this year, but some newbies also portend long and happy careers in the kitchen. To wit:

"Chocolate: 90 Sinful and Sumptuous Indulgences," by Elisabeth Johansson (Sterling Epicure, 256 pages, $24.95), offers a detailed tutorial on cacao, especially raw chocolate, which is dried, not roasted. This Swedish baker's debut ranges from mousse cake to rye bread to a sauce with toasted sesame seed oil.

"Ovenly: Sweet and Salty Recipes From New York's Most Creative Bakery," by Agatha Kulaga and Erin Patinkin (Harlequin, 217 pages, $29.95), is notable for its step-by-step photos for many recipes, from Bloody Mary Scones to Vanilla Bean Cake with Pomegranate Buttercream. They make the ambitious seem possible.

"The Baking Bible," by Rose Levy Beranbaum (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 560 pages, $40), is a "best of" of her three previous "bibles." The recipes can seem overpowering in their detail, but it's like having her alongside you. Beranbaum's "golden rules" alone may justify its price. A classic.

Bread also gets its due. "Bread Revolution," by Peter Reinhart (Ten Speed, 256 pages, $30), explores baking with sprouted and whole grains, heirloom flours, seed and nut flours, moving into gluten-free territory. For Reinhart devotees, it's a deeper, complex journey.

Looking for solid recipes from an iconic source? Consider "The Baker's Book of Essential Recipes," by the editors of Good Housekeeping (Hearst, 372 pages, $35). Along with the expected trove of tips and background info, a new feature offers a "healthy update" for many recipes.

“The Baker’s Book of Essential Recipes,” by the editors of Good Housekeeping (Hearst, 372 pages, $35)

"Nick Malgieri's Pastry," by Nick Malgieri (Kyle, 204 pages, $29.95), encourages anyone who regards pastry as intimidating, even showing how to make paper-thin sheets for baklava. Most bakers likely will veer toward his recipes for cream puffs, pie crusts and empanadas, all with delectable fillings, and feel well-served.

"Baking Chez Moi," by Dorie Greenspan (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 496 pages, $40), brings her Paris home "to your home anywhere." French is the theme, and with no tutorials for tools or ingredients or techniques, this is for experienced bakers who dream of serving cheesecake in an Alsatian château.

Speaking of dreams:  "Dominique Ansel: The Secret Recipes" (Simon & Schuster, 258 pages, $35) brings us the recipe for the famous Cronuts. It takes three days; makes 12. There are marshmallow "peeps" in hollow eggshells. A Gingerbread Pinecone asks you to cut 250 chocolate petals in two to three minutes "before the chocolate is fully set." While some recipes are possible — colleague Rick Nelson made the luscious Chocolate Pecan Cookies — the book's true purpose may be to let bakers marvel at a master's brain.

Kim Ode • 612-673-7185