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Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland
A Love Letter to America's Heartland, the Great Midwest
When it comes to defining what we know as all-American baking, everything from Bundt cakes to brownies have roots that can be traced to the great Midwest. German, Scandinavian, Polish, French, and Italian immigrant families baked their way to the American Midwest, instilling in it pies, breads, cookies, and pastries that manage to feel distinctly home-grown.
After more than a decade of living in California, author Shauna Sever rediscovered the storied, simple pleasures of home baking in her Midwestern kitchen. This unique collection of more than 125 recipes includes refreshed favorites and new
. . . and more, which will make any kitchen feel like a Midwestern home.
When it comes to defining what we know as all-American baking, everything from Bundt cakes to brownies have roots that can be traced to the great Midwest. German, Scandinavian, Polish, French, and Italian immigrant families baked their way to the American Midwest, instilling in it pies, breads, cookies, and pastries that manage to feel distinctly home-grown.
After more than a decade of living in California, author Shauna Sever rediscovered the storied, simple pleasures of home baking in her Midwestern kitchen. This unique collection of more than 125 recipes includes refreshed favorites and new
. . . and more, which will make any kitchen feel like a Midwestern home.
328 pages, Hardcover
First published October 22, 2019
126 people are currently reading
548 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
November 24, 2019
So, I believe the recipes in this book are delicious. I actually contemplating buying the book but am now happy I checked it out from the library first.
My review is completely dependent on the formatting of the book. The recipes start in the middle of a page or carry over between two pages when they could have fit on one page. Also, there are photos of about half of the finished recipes but the photo does not specify what recipe it is. I found this confusing as like recipes were grouped together. I couldn't tell what recipe was what photo. I think the book would have been better appealing over all had the photos aligned with the recipes and the recipes all began on their own page.
My review is completely dependent on the formatting of the book. The recipes start in the middle of a page or carry over between two pages when they could have fit on one page. Also, there are photos of about half of the finished recipes but the photo does not specify what recipe it is. I found this confusing as like recipes were grouped together. I couldn't tell what recipe was what photo. I think the book would have been better appealing over all had the photos aligned with the recipes and the recipes all began on their own page.
June 29, 2020
Pretty good
I am from Iowa and grew up baking. I also lived for almost 20 years in Chicago. Midwest baking is so broad it is hard to write one book on it, but this author does a good job of it. I have many recipes to try, especially some redos of classics I am curious about. The recipe write ups are excellent and the author’s love of her heritage glows throughout the book. Well done.
I am from Iowa and grew up baking. I also lived for almost 20 years in Chicago. Midwest baking is so broad it is hard to write one book on it, but this author does a good job of it. I have many recipes to try, especially some redos of classics I am curious about. The recipe write ups are excellent and the author’s love of her heritage glows throughout the book. Well done.
February 26, 2020
A whole lot of great and interesting recipes. Will need to refer back to this often...
April 20, 2021
Don't even open this book unless you're prepared to rush to the kitchen to bake-it's that inspiring. With Sever's new book, we enter a world where home baking is treasured, where recipes are passed down through generations, where bakers, new and seasoned, revel in the bounty of the region, and where there's always something sweet on the kitchen counter. Midwest Made is as warm, generous, and inviting as an Ozark Skillet Cake.
Dorie Greenspan
Dorie Greenspan
April 5, 2020
There is nothing fancy about the food in this cookbook, which is a year long selection for the Food 52 Baking Club, but everything is really very good. The recipes are straightforward, and the ones that I have made have worked out. The Donut Cake tastes just like a cake donut (I recommend making it in a 12" tea loaf pan which is not what I did, but others in the group did, and I think it would benefit from slimmer slices, more like what you would eat with a donut. I did order such a pan. The banana bread is fantastic, the chocolate chip cookies are divine, and the savory things that others have made, photographed and reviewed look exceptional.
August 14, 2020
Fabulous cookbook.
Because of the unique immigration Hx of the Midwest and who arrived first, I absolutely love the Central European stories and recipes in here.
Clearly the author is a very able baker. Think I may have read through this thrice. This is the best cookbook I’ve read in 2020. Want to make everything on every page
Because of the unique immigration Hx of the Midwest and who arrived first, I absolutely love the Central European stories and recipes in here.
Clearly the author is a very able baker. Think I may have read through this thrice. This is the best cookbook I’ve read in 2020. Want to make everything on every page
June 9, 2022
I have mixed opinions about this. The recipes aren't at all what I think of when I think "Midwest cooking." However, there was a sense of nostalgia to me because it did remind me of some of the dishes well-known in my hometown of South Bend, IN, and where my paternal grandparents lived in WI. But it didn't remind me at all of the common dishes in the Ft Wayne/Ohio area, where the other side of my family came from. So maybe the northwestern portion of the Midwest rings true, but not the eastern/southern areas. Also, I felt like 80% of the recipes were desserts. Which is fine I guess, but I was hoping for some more variety in the savory genre. It was fine, but I wouldn't buy the book personally.
April 23, 2020
Baked up the Donut Loaf immediately, and it was so worth it. A nutmeg bomb every time I opened the Ziploc to steal a slice. Soft, satisfying cake doughnuttiness with breakfast coffee, afternoon snack, post-dinner snack.
What's next? Heavenly Hash Ice Cream? (a lost flavor from childhood!) Watermelon Sherbet (hmm. intriguing). Possibly another, yes. Donut Loaf. It really is tasty.
What's next? Heavenly Hash Ice Cream? (a lost flavor from childhood!) Watermelon Sherbet (hmm. intriguing). Possibly another, yes. Donut Loaf. It really is tasty.
April 9, 2020
This is a great baking book, including a recipe entitled "The Only Banana Bread Recipe You Will Ever Need," which was no exaggeration. I look forward to trying more of the recipes!
December 7, 2020
Absolutely gorgeous cookbook.
5 stars alone for including a recipe for paczki.
5 stars alone for including a recipe for paczki.
January 10, 2021
My heritage! Good stories, but the recipes are sometimes a bit involved and/or over explained.
January 15, 2020
You have to love any cookbook about baking that starts with the Slovenian sweet bread potica, Shauna Sever is talking my language. Later she shows off Cleveland's version of Cassata Cake and explains how it came to be along withe recipe. She also explains cookie tables at weddings and their are some charming stories about her Gram and the neighborhood where she grew up. Be warned these recipes are detailed and demanding, they are not in my opinion for the novice baker.
But I like her five rules for being a Midwest baker and I've been an unknowing follower. The cookie and bars (which always reminds me of the movie "Drop Dead Gorgeous") are stellar.
But I like her five rules for being a Midwest baker and I've been an unknowing follower. The cookie and bars (which always reminds me of the movie "Drop Dead Gorgeous") are stellar.
December 19, 2020
Interesting additions of spices and liqueurs to many classic recipes that add so much depth!
I loved the regional notes and stories. A wonderful compendium of recipes.
Ohio Shaker Lemon Pie
Secret-Ingredient Sweet Cherry Slab Pie
Dutch Letters
Golden Raisin Sour Cream Pie with Oatmeal Cookie Crust
Bluebarb and Lime Crumble Pie
White Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish
Swedish Flop
Honeyed Raspberry and White Chocolate Cream Pie
Carrot Cake for a Crowd
Caramel Canvas Brownies
Donut Loaf
State Street Brownies
Chocolate-Espresso Revel Bars
Ginger Molasses Softies
Crispy Iced Oatmeal Flats
Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle
Layered Rhubarb Cobbler Pie
Big Bold Blueberry Pie
Kransake
Ermine Frosting
I loved the regional notes and stories. A wonderful compendium of recipes.
Ohio Shaker Lemon Pie
Secret-Ingredient Sweet Cherry Slab Pie
Dutch Letters
Golden Raisin Sour Cream Pie with Oatmeal Cookie Crust
Bluebarb and Lime Crumble Pie
White Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish
Swedish Flop
Honeyed Raspberry and White Chocolate Cream Pie
Carrot Cake for a Crowd
Caramel Canvas Brownies
Donut Loaf
State Street Brownies
Chocolate-Espresso Revel Bars
Ginger Molasses Softies
Crispy Iced Oatmeal Flats
Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle
Layered Rhubarb Cobbler Pie
Big Bold Blueberry Pie
Kransake
Ermine Frosting
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2020
This had lots of recipes and nice pictures. Being from the Midwest there was not a lot that was new & many recipes I already have my family's version so I don't need another. I wish recipes were separated more cleanly. Many took two pages when one would do. I also wish there were more pictures or that the pictures were labeled. Not the easiest to tell which recipe went with which picture.
October 6, 2023
I've never reviewed a cookbook before, but let's try.
As someone from the Midwest with a mix of European ancestors, I was really interested to see what kind of recipes this would include. It seemed to say it was going to include recipes that A) were popular in the Midwest because they came from Europeans originally (most specifically from Scandinavia and Germany, I think) and B) recipes that were just straight up popular with Midwesterners, regardless of origin.
This was...kind of weird though. I appreciated some of the storytelling that went along with every recipe, but some of them are ridiculously fancy ways of making pretty simple desserts. Take for example the Poke Cake. Super common around here. Sever seemed to act like it was offensive to her senses and then created a more complicated version of it. I haven't tried her recipe--I'm sure it's tasty--but like, what's with the condescension?
Some of the recipes are completely foreign to me, which is expected. Where I grew up, it's mostly French/German roots, not Scandinavian or Polish, so most of the recipes from farther north (Minnesota, the Dakotas, even the Chicago area) aren't really things I've ever seen or experienced before. That's not a bad thing (a few of the recipes looked really good), but I felt like most of the recipes were tilted toward this Scandinavian background and I just had no interest in making those.
But there are definitely a few winning recipes in there. I'm going to make the After-School Special cookies this weekend, which look delicious. And her take on some classic recipes looks really interesting. She has a recipe for Coffee Caramel Monkey Rolls that looks really interesting.
Overall, this is a book that might be worth checking out, but it wasn't one I would buy and have sitting around. There weren't enough recipes I liked to warrant that.
As someone from the Midwest with a mix of European ancestors, I was really interested to see what kind of recipes this would include. It seemed to say it was going to include recipes that A) were popular in the Midwest because they came from Europeans originally (most specifically from Scandinavia and Germany, I think) and B) recipes that were just straight up popular with Midwesterners, regardless of origin.
This was...kind of weird though. I appreciated some of the storytelling that went along with every recipe, but some of them are ridiculously fancy ways of making pretty simple desserts. Take for example the Poke Cake. Super common around here. Sever seemed to act like it was offensive to her senses and then created a more complicated version of it. I haven't tried her recipe--I'm sure it's tasty--but like, what's with the condescension?
Some of the recipes are completely foreign to me, which is expected. Where I grew up, it's mostly French/German roots, not Scandinavian or Polish, so most of the recipes from farther north (Minnesota, the Dakotas, even the Chicago area) aren't really things I've ever seen or experienced before. That's not a bad thing (a few of the recipes looked really good), but I felt like most of the recipes were tilted toward this Scandinavian background and I just had no interest in making those.
But there are definitely a few winning recipes in there. I'm going to make the After-School Special cookies this weekend, which look delicious. And her take on some classic recipes looks really interesting. She has a recipe for Coffee Caramel Monkey Rolls that looks really interesting.
Overall, this is a book that might be worth checking out, but it wasn't one I would buy and have sitting around. There weren't enough recipes I liked to warrant that.
April 17, 2020
Joni says:
Do you love to bake? I do, and it’s coming in handy right now since my family seems to be in a race to see who can gain the COVID-19 the quickest. These people are always hungry and are requiring a constant flow of carby treats.
A cookbook that’s going to help me get through this quarantine is “Midwest Made” by Shauna Sever. It’s a wonderful collection of 125 homey, comforting recipes from the heartland. Some of the recipes that are catching my eye are Mom’s Cherry Shortcake Squares, Buckeye Bars, Peaches and Cream Schaum Torte, and Lemon Angel Pie. Actually, every recipe in this book is something I want to make. This is rare, as oftentimes I find that a cookbook falls short with having only a recipe or two that’s good. This is clearly not the case with “Midwest Made.”
It’s a beautifully executed book. The photography is gorgeous; there’s a picture for almost every single recipe. I find this very helpful because I want to know what the finished product is supposed to look like. Additionally, Ms. Sever’s witty, down-to-earth writing makes it a pleasure to read – from the well-researched background information at the beginning of each chapter to the recipe notes. Her directions are straightforward and easy to follow as well. I have no doubt that if you’re a novice baker, you’ll be able to whip up any one of these delicious recipes with flying colors.
So far, I have made the donut loaf, chocolate chip marble bundt cake, and most recently, banana bread. They have all turned out exceptionally well. My family devoured them. I am looking forward to working my way through this book. I’m sure my family is too. This is a cookbook that I will return to time after time and will become stained and dog-eared from so much use.
Do you love to bake? I do, and it’s coming in handy right now since my family seems to be in a race to see who can gain the COVID-19 the quickest. These people are always hungry and are requiring a constant flow of carby treats.
A cookbook that’s going to help me get through this quarantine is “Midwest Made” by Shauna Sever. It’s a wonderful collection of 125 homey, comforting recipes from the heartland. Some of the recipes that are catching my eye are Mom’s Cherry Shortcake Squares, Buckeye Bars, Peaches and Cream Schaum Torte, and Lemon Angel Pie. Actually, every recipe in this book is something I want to make. This is rare, as oftentimes I find that a cookbook falls short with having only a recipe or two that’s good. This is clearly not the case with “Midwest Made.”
It’s a beautifully executed book. The photography is gorgeous; there’s a picture for almost every single recipe. I find this very helpful because I want to know what the finished product is supposed to look like. Additionally, Ms. Sever’s witty, down-to-earth writing makes it a pleasure to read – from the well-researched background information at the beginning of each chapter to the recipe notes. Her directions are straightforward and easy to follow as well. I have no doubt that if you’re a novice baker, you’ll be able to whip up any one of these delicious recipes with flying colors.
So far, I have made the donut loaf, chocolate chip marble bundt cake, and most recently, banana bread. They have all turned out exceptionally well. My family devoured them. I am looking forward to working my way through this book. I’m sure my family is too. This is a cookbook that I will return to time after time and will become stained and dog-eared from so much use.
June 11, 2020
I like baking more than cooking so a cookbook focused on baking also catches my eye. I also know that the Midwest is known for delicious bakes that aren’t pretentious or complicated; I was sold.
Another draw to the book, but also problematic, was the Eurocentric nature of the recipes. I’m not from the Midwest, but my grandparents were part of the Volga Germans who settled the Great Plains. Some of their recipes have been handed down and actually showed up in this book. Baking a recipe with tradition makes me feel like I’m touching history, making it come alive. At the same time, since the cookbook is supposed to represent the 12 Midwestern states, I was surprised there was no mention of any recipes from the Native American,
Black, or Hispanic communities that are also a part of the Midwest. So really what this cookbook represents is the White Midwest.
The recipes are arranged in typical categories like cookies, cakes, pies, and tray bakes. I liked that there was a section on savory bakes. As someone who’s a fan of pretzels, I’m looking forward to this no-lye recipe. Finally, there’s a section just for Christmas bakes. So if that’s when you do most of your baking, then there’s a section just for you.
The recipes that are included sound delicious while not to difficult to prepare. And while some do come from odd food crazes of the past (I’m looking at you dessert salads) she does update them for a 21st century palate.
Another draw to the book, but also problematic, was the Eurocentric nature of the recipes. I’m not from the Midwest, but my grandparents were part of the Volga Germans who settled the Great Plains. Some of their recipes have been handed down and actually showed up in this book. Baking a recipe with tradition makes me feel like I’m touching history, making it come alive. At the same time, since the cookbook is supposed to represent the 12 Midwestern states, I was surprised there was no mention of any recipes from the Native American,
Black, or Hispanic communities that are also a part of the Midwest. So really what this cookbook represents is the White Midwest.
The recipes are arranged in typical categories like cookies, cakes, pies, and tray bakes. I liked that there was a section on savory bakes. As someone who’s a fan of pretzels, I’m looking forward to this no-lye recipe. Finally, there’s a section just for Christmas bakes. So if that’s when you do most of your baking, then there’s a section just for you.
The recipes that are included sound delicious while not to difficult to prepare. And while some do come from odd food crazes of the past (I’m looking at you dessert salads) she does update them for a 21st century palate.
January 24, 2020
This is an incredible baking book! The recipes are delicious; there are the perfect amount of backstories and essays. The instructions are clear and most of the ingredients are easy to find. Last, but not least, the author has a great sense of humor and baking with her was like baking with a friend. The summer salad. Savory and pie chapters were amazing.
The organization of the book is by type of food. While it’s a beautiful book, the photos aren’t always useful. There isn’t a photo for every recipe. Also, there are random photos sprinkled throughout - I know what sunset looks like over a barn, but don’t have a clear picture of most of the summer salads! And short recipes were jumped - it would have been easier for the reader had they been on one page.
If you enjoy baking, you’ve got to check this out.
The organization of the book is by type of food. While it’s a beautiful book, the photos aren’t always useful. There isn’t a photo for every recipe. Also, there are random photos sprinkled throughout - I know what sunset looks like over a barn, but don’t have a clear picture of most of the summer salads! And short recipes were jumped - it would have been easier for the reader had they been on one page.
If you enjoy baking, you’ve got to check this out.
March 15, 2020
This is a great cookbook for any Midwesterner who enjoys baking (or enjoys eating baked goods and has a friend or loved one who likes to bake. . .). There are a lot of classics in here with some recipes I'd never heard of but sound intriguing. I like how Shauna Sever introduces each recipe with some historical and cultural background. It was very enlightening and gave insight into the culture of the Midwest. I also appreciate how Sever is committed to made-from scratch recipes and stresses that these recipes are worth the effort; for example, why spend time on a fabulous pie filling and then ruin it with a store-bought pie crust? Some things really do make all the difference. There are many recipes I would like try, but it might take me a while, after all I don't want to make our family gain a lot of weight! Reading this cookbook definitely gave me the desire to go bake something!
October 19, 2021
I really liked the broad range of baked goods in this book. The pictures were great, but too few of them. The recipes mostly looked simple and straightforward, but a few had a long list of steps. But each recipe starts with an intro paragraph or two explaining how the author created this recipe, why it's important to her, how to utilize the recipe, or other info. Between that and the list of ingredients which is very spaced out between lines, that normally takes up an entire page. Then the cooking steps are listed on the next page, perhaps trailing onto a third page. I really don't want to buy any more cookbooks. I only want to copy one or two recipes here or there rather than buy an entire book which will rarely be opened again once it gets home. And I don't want to copy a recipe that takes 3 pages to cover! Sigh.... But the recipes in this book are quite tempting....
February 7, 2020
Well, this was pretty, and I loved the idea of spotlighting Midwestern baking . . . but if you read this you'd think the Midwest consisted of Chicago. And Chicago. And maybe one recipe each from several other states. And Kansas is no longer the Sunflower State apparently. Does this really matter? Probably not, but as a lifelong Midwesterner who has lived in Kansas, Missouri and Iowa, bunches of recipes just like recipes in fancy Chicago baking establishment, didn't make me feel very "repped."
February 21, 2020
Sever has delivered a baker’s dream. Filled with well researched recipes that seem to come straight from your grandmother’s recipe box. It’s so good you will want to read it cover-to-cover but the stunning photography halts you and sends you straight to the kitchen to start baking. Readers will be enchanted by this truly masterful collection of recipes. Attempting to decide what to make first is a challenge but try My Go-To Chocolate Chip Cookies.
2020 CODES List Winners Announced
2020 CODES List Winners Announced
July 22, 2020
I rarely put cookbooks on my reading list although I do read them a lot! But I usually only read bits and pieces of them as I look through the recipes. But these recipes look so good and the stories and background of these irresistible recipes had me reading this book cover to cover. I have such a large collection of cookbooks and especially baking books that I try to get cookbooks from the library rather than buying more. However, I am buying this one immediately. I have at least 25 recipes marked that I want to try. Bad for my waistline but they are irresistible.
January 10, 2021
I have made relatively few misses from this book, and a great deal of hits. Her authorial voice kinda makes me want to scream, but that is truly an authentically midwestern thing, so whatever.
The peanut butter blossoms are great, with two alterations: make a 1 1/2 recipe of the ganache, and sprinkle salt over them as soon as they come out of the oven.
The glazed apple slices can easily be made vegan with a flax egg in the crust, and a glaze of maple syrup and oat milk instead of an egg wash.
The peanut butter blossoms are great, with two alterations: make a 1 1/2 recipe of the ganache, and sprinkle salt over them as soon as they come out of the oven.
The glazed apple slices can easily be made vegan with a flax egg in the crust, and a glaze of maple syrup and oat milk instead of an egg wash.
February 2, 2023
Quite the harrowing read. The traditional foods aren't traditional (girl, if you provide a recipe for rye bread and leave out the caraway, why even have the recipe) and the Americanized recipes are distilled diabetes. No wonder there's an obesity crisis, looking at most of them.
Maybe this is not the author's fault and that's just what the cuisine is - but from reading the summary and introduction about what traditions and immigration mean to food I got the 100% wrong expectation, especially compared to books like Classic German Baking.
Maybe this is not the author's fault and that's just what the cuisine is - but from reading the summary and introduction about what traditions and immigration mean to food I got the 100% wrong expectation, especially compared to books like Classic German Baking.
July 20, 2020
What a wonderful cookbook, and a gift from my penpal. This is an excellent introduction to all sorts of baking (quick loaves, kringles, barks), and it has some great photography and introductions to regional food traditions such as Youngstown cookie tables, Milwaukee custards, and Chicago cheesecake. This book that Sever seems built to write, and it works wonderfully here. I baked the zucchini bread, Wednesday night brownies, carrot cake, Ohio shaker lemon pie, and more.
October 26, 2020
Giving this a three star as I only briefly read the recipes twice. On the second quick go through, I did see a recipe for Nebraskan Runzas, a regional version of a handheld meat pie. This recipe I will come back to some time in the future. Seems as if every state has one of these meat pie recipes.
This title was recommended to me by a young woman who enjoys baking and her interest opinion the title were the savory recipes.
This title was recommended to me by a young woman who enjoys baking and her interest opinion the title were the savory recipes.
January 23, 2021
Heard of Shauna Sever originally through The Splendid Table podcast. I'm not from the Midwest, so I can not speak to the authentic feel of the recipes, but will confirm they are approachable and yummy. Since most everything was something I had never tried before it was a lot of fun to work my way through the book. The narrative sections of the book are personal and informative and worthy of adding to your nightstand pile.
February 28, 2020
This is a wonderful cookbook, full of interesting recipes made with readily accessible ingredients and for the most part, uncomplicated techniques. Unlike most of the new cookbooks which feature trendy and sometimes odd, usually expensive, ingredients and equipment not found in most everyday kitchens, Shauna Sever gives you straight forward delicious treats that even novice bakers could make.
April 26, 2020
I do not typically give myself "credit" for reading a cookbook, but each chapter of this book has a nice introduction, and I did read the book cover-to-cover. I read an electronic library copy, but I am definitely going to buy a copy of the book to add to my collection. There are a lot of recipes I would like to try, and I like how she traces the lineage of each recipe to its geographic origin.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews