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I have had good success with recipes from the folks at King Arthur Flour. The recipes come with step-by-step photos -- with a modest dose of CI-style comparing thrown in every once in a while (paper liners for muffins vs not). Even better, you can live chat a baker (or ask a question in the comments section of the recipe) and get truly helpful responses right away. They are especially helpful if you need to substitute ingredients or have a technique question. Tone-wise, it's definitely Midwestern Folksy, which can be a nice contrast to some of the foodie preciousness that's out there.
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For the sheer level of experimentation and fun (but not 100% all desserts) I'd recommend checking out http://the-dogs-breakfast.com/
Their cigar, bourbon ice cream became a separate thread but that's just the tip of their well deserved blog iceberg....very creative.
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re: blue room
In addition to David Lebovitz, I like Tartelette: http://www.tarteletteblog.com/
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I like Sugar Plum http://www.visionsofsugarplum.com/ Great writing and fun desserts.
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I really like http://dessertfirst.typepad.com/ and, for more complicated desserts, http://blog.lemonpi.net/. I also like http://www.joythebaker.com/ occasionally. Smitten Kitchen is also good for desserts but its not a dessert blog.
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Is it the best . . . who knows but the one I'm reading/following right now for a while is Joe Pastry . .


