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Southern Living Classic Southern Desserts: All-time Favorite Recipes For Cakes, Cookies, Pies, Pudding, Cobblers, Ice Cream & More (Southern Living
The food experts at Southern Living put a lot of love into thisvalue-packed, softcover version of their first-ever cookbook of the South's favorite desserts. A must-have for any kitchen, Classic Southern Desserts is as much a look-book as it is a cookbook, with gorgeous, full-color photos accompanying every mouthwatering dish. Over 200 of the Southern Living Test Kitchens' highest-rated recipes for luscious cakes, pies, cupcakes, cookies, and much more, as submitted by generations of home cooks, were handpicked for this book-the kinds of old-fashioned recipes that everyone remembers from childhood, updated to fit today's trends and ingredients. From a chapter on Luscious Layers & Other Cakes all the way through Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts, there's something for every sweet tooth. Special banners throughout, such as "Sweets to Share," "Kids Love It," "Bake & Freeze," and more, offer unique recipe ideas. Updated classics like Four-Layer Coconut Cake, Million-Dollar Pound Cake, and Fresh Georgia Peach Pie, are just a taste of what will keep readers coming back for more. Plus, helpful advice from the Southern Living Test Kitchens Professionals is included, with tips on topics ranging from beating egg whites to perfecting crumb crusts to frosting a cake.
539 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 13, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 4, 2020
It is a rare thing for me to give a full 5 stars to a cookbook. Not only will every single recipe I made from this go into my regular rotation (some I've already made twice), but I look forward to eventually making every recipe contained in this gem. Each recipe is easy to make (some using pre-made ingredients to speed along the process), uses easy to find ingredients, has clear instructions even for more inexperienced bakers, and has beautiful photography to accompany each recipe.
I have no idea how to pick a favorite recipe of the ones I made. The Peanut Butter Squares - sort of homemade peanut butter cup - are phenomenal. The Lemon Basil Butter Cookies...wow! The Strawberry Buttermilk Sherbert sounds weird, but there's a reason it's among Southern Living's most requested and highly reviewed recipes ever. The Toffee Oatmeal Cookies, the Triple Decker Strawberry Cake, Tiramisu Toffee Trifle Pie, Lemon Bars....just wow! The only slight, and I do mean slight, stumble was the Sweet Potato Pie. I like my family's recipe for it better, although the one in this cookbook is competent.
A fair criticism is that many of the recipe instructions don't give detailed information such as "cream the butter" or "prepare the pan for baking". However, there is a detailed section in the back, including step by step photograph instructions titled Test Kitchen's Guide to Successful Baking. Any information you need, such as a detailed description of equipment or baking techniques, are included along with some information even I, a more experienced baker, found helpful on freezing cakes. Also, there are many recipes in this one that use pre-packaged ingredients, such as cake mixes or pre-made crusts. I LOVE that. If I can make something awesome but also save time doing it, then I'm all in. However, I realize that there are those who prefer to make everything from scratch.
I'll be making more recipes from this one for a long time to come. I'm going to be gifting it all over the place. Definite keeper!
I have no idea how to pick a favorite recipe of the ones I made. The Peanut Butter Squares - sort of homemade peanut butter cup - are phenomenal. The Lemon Basil Butter Cookies...wow! The Strawberry Buttermilk Sherbert sounds weird, but there's a reason it's among Southern Living's most requested and highly reviewed recipes ever. The Toffee Oatmeal Cookies, the Triple Decker Strawberry Cake, Tiramisu Toffee Trifle Pie, Lemon Bars....just wow! The only slight, and I do mean slight, stumble was the Sweet Potato Pie. I like my family's recipe for it better, although the one in this cookbook is competent.
A fair criticism is that many of the recipe instructions don't give detailed information such as "cream the butter" or "prepare the pan for baking". However, there is a detailed section in the back, including step by step photograph instructions titled Test Kitchen's Guide to Successful Baking. Any information you need, such as a detailed description of equipment or baking techniques, are included along with some information even I, a more experienced baker, found helpful on freezing cakes. Also, there are many recipes in this one that use pre-packaged ingredients, such as cake mixes or pre-made crusts. I LOVE that. If I can make something awesome but also save time doing it, then I'm all in. However, I realize that there are those who prefer to make everything from scratch.
I'll be making more recipes from this one for a long time to come. I'm going to be gifting it all over the place. Definite keeper!
August 24, 2019
More things than not turned out alright. There's not much else in here that I'd want to make.
Please click here to see images of things I've baked.
February 7, 2019
Some good recipe ideas, but it always bums me out when cookbooks call for store bought cake mixes.
September 13, 2021
So many yummy looking recipes, many I saved for later, the pictures were gorgeous!
November 30, 2015
Southern Living always classes it up while
keeping it accessible. This book is no exception. Yes I can nitpick. The original recipe for Hummingbird cake was omitted in favor of a lighter version. The decoration of the cakes is not covered in detail nor is the proper creaming of butter. Overall the recipes are worth more than the paper they are printed on and the ideas including the toffee tiramisu pie all take classics to a new level.
keeping it accessible. This book is no exception. Yes I can nitpick. The original recipe for Hummingbird cake was omitted in favor of a lighter version. The decoration of the cakes is not covered in detail nor is the proper creaming of butter. Overall the recipes are worth more than the paper they are printed on and the ideas including the toffee tiramisu pie all take classics to a new level.
July 12, 2011
Gorgeous!! Every recipe comes with a beautiful photograph and every recipe is completely (almost universally) delicious (neither compliment is true of most recipe books - even great ones). Although, since it's a collection from the editors of a magazine, you don't get the great personal stories behind the recipes.
July 14, 2017
There are so many recipes in this one and they are made from scratch. There wasn't a bunch of store bought things. If it listed icing it would give you the recipe for the one described. The cakes are all in credits and not store bought items as are the crust and sauces. So many to try. Loving this one.
June 5, 2010
This book had me hooked from the first second I looked at it. Awesome recipies and lots of them. Rum raisin oatmeal cookies.
September 17, 2012
read my review on my blog: http://www.potlikkery.com/2012/09/sou...
May 15, 2013
Loved this Cookbook! Beautiful pictures and great recipes, as well as stories about where these cakes, desserts, etc got their names and their origins.
February 24, 2014
What a beautiful book! The recipes all look amazing. The best baking book I have picked up in a long time.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews