New Baking Books

Wed, 04/20/2016 - 5:33pm by Eahagen

There are a handful of new baking books at AADL. They are all sweet, mouth-watering, and ultimately perfect for your summer potluck recipe needs.

Sweet Envy: Deceptively Easy Desserts, Designed to Steal the Show is a wide-ranging book that includes laid back and kid-friendly recipes, but also some elaborate statement makers. The book offers a lot of playful and imaginative decorating ideas for cupcakes and cakes. Some ideas are a little far-fetched though, such as the “Succulent Cupcakes”, which are modeled in fondant to resemble little potted succulent plants. They are the show-stoppers promised by the book’s title, but seem terribly time consuming. I preferred the section on boozy treats, which pairs classic dessert recipes with cocktails. There are unique flavor pairings, such as the “Old-fashioned Mini Pies,” which incorporates bourbon into a classic cherry pie filling. Imagine sharing those at a holiday picnic. Yum!

The Cookies and Cups Cookbook: 125+ Sweet and Savory Recipes Reminding You to Always Eat Dessert First is a fun book, brimming with new family favorites. It’s a great book for busy bakers who appreciate short-cuts and swaps that produce treats appropriate for special occasions without so much labor. Some recipes are loaded with sugar (I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, just saying…) including the “Fruity Pebbles Cake,” which tops a layer cake with a dusting of the brightly-colored boxed cereal. Fun, festive, and worth looking through – even if your palette is more, shall I say, refined.

Sweeter Off the Vine: Fruit Desserts for Every Season offers a breadth of recipes featuring fresh fruit, and is helpfully organized by season. The Spring and Summer recipes utilize rhubarb, berries and stone fruits in their prime. Recipes such as “Blueberry Skillet Cobbler with Whole Wheat Biscuits” and “Raspberry Sorbet with Pink Peppercorns” elevate simple fruits into lovely, share-worthy desserts. The book is rustic, and very stylish, with beautiful photographs accompanying each recipe. Each turn of the page is more tempting than the last, really.

Happy Baking!