Product Description
Many of Nancy's finds have never been published, or even written down, before. Some of the local treasures include * an irresistibly easy blueberry buckle from a Vermont bed-and-breakfast * a tender peach cobbler from a home cook in the Ozarks who learned it from her mother * a lusciously thick chocolate-banana malted from a celebrated soda fountain in St. Louis * a supremely moist chiffon cake with a zingy orange glaze from Nancy's grandmother's "receipt" box * big, soft, glazed gingerbread cookies that were a huge favorite at a former diner in Washington, D.C.
* creamy chocolate-dipped caramels, the proprietary secret of the guild members of a New Mexico Episcopal church "Although I've been baking and writing about sweets for more than three decades, time and time again I found myself thinking, 'What a great idea! I'd never have thought of that," Nancy writes in the introduction.
Nancy has tested and retested each recipe in her own kitchen, so that you're assured of a flaky, easy-to-roll pie crust, a brownie with a perfect fudgy center and a deep chocolate aroma, and a silky-smooth cheesecake every time -- even if you've never baked before. Since the most memorable desserts are often the ones you make with your children, this book features plenty of projects for the whole family: rock crystal swizzle sticks, caramel apples, graham cracker "gingerbread" houses, and gifts such as brownie bars in a jar and quick heavenly hash fudge. The All-American Dessert Book tells the intriguing story of America's fascination with sweets, complete with regional legends, behind-the-scenes recipe stories, fascinating snippets of baking history, and words of kitchen wisdom from cooks of the past.
Product Details
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
| ISBN | 0618240004 |
| Features |
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| Format | Hardcover |
| Author | Nancy Baggett |
| EAN | 9780618240005 |
| Label | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
| Edition | 1ST |
| Dewey Decimal Number | 641.860973 |
| Studio | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
| Number Of Pages | 416 |
| Title | The All-American Dessert Book |
| Publication Date | 2005-10-03 |
| Manufacturer | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
Customer Reviews
Perfect!Review by A. V. Richards, 2010-02-11
I love this book because everything I make turns out perfectly. My grandfather is very critical of recipes and declared the apple pie the best he's had. I love it!
Great Book
Review by LA Baker, 2010-01-03
Wonderful book. Have tried several recipes in this book and they have come out really well. Received many compliments on the desserts.
Great book but lacks pictures
Review by Nicolas DAHAN, 2009-07-14
I agree with all the other reviewers: this cookbook is thorough, comprehensive, even fascinating as it goes over and beyond a usual recipe book by providing a bit of history and cultural background, which is great.
However, I cannot understand authors and publishers who offer cookbooks without a picture for each recipe. This is how readers know what to expect: how it should look like in the end, whether they are likely to try preparing and enjoy it. This book has one picture for every 3 to 4 recipes, which is not enough for me. This is why I knocked off one star. And if you are going to be stingy about pictures because they are expensive, may I suggest cramming two or three products in each picture?
The Most Important Attribute of a Cookbook
Review by D. Fox, 2006-01-29
Sure, the pictures are beautiful and the recipes sound delicious, but the true mark of a cookbook is how the final products taste.
Having made many of these recipes- some several times- I can vouch for the quality of the food. Chocolate chip cookies, blueberry buckle, apple pie. Simply put, everything I have made has been wonderful!
I wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone who wants to delight a crowd. But you'd better double the recipe.
A must have for dessert
Review by Dennis R. Mitton, 2005-12-10
Now this is the good stuff. I love Italian cooking and have yet to pass up anything French but, for me, it all comes down to dessert. This is a truly excellent dessert book. As well as the stock and standard dessert items we all love there is a multitude of specialty recipes from across the nation. Included are recipes for pies, cakes, tarts, and even puddings and custards. My favorite is Maple syrup on snow.
Since many of us aren't very versed with dessert cooking Baggett spends time with each recipe going over any special technique needed. I found that I learned quite a bit just trying new recipes. I also enjoyed the historical asides that highlight many of the recipes.
This is really an excellent cookbook that deserves to be on every shelf.
Williams-Sonoma Collection: Dessert (Williams-Sonoma Collection (New York, N.Y.).)
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