Reviews (5)

The world of gourmet ice cream desserts
Author Emily Luchetti combines her passion for ice cream with the vivid photos of Sheri Giblin to create a masterful book that explores the world of gourmet ice cream desserts. Each dessert is intended to be made using a hand-crank ice cream maker and comes out tasting like Rum Raisin Ice Cream Sandwiches, Apricot Sherbet Cake or Pistachio.
Passionate about a passion for ice cream
FINALLY! An ice cream cookbook that offers more ideas than just scooping ice cream into a bowl and adding some sauce.The cookbook is creative, informative and offers options from serving ice cream at a backyard BBQ or for an elegant dinner party.I have all of Emily Luchetti's cookbooks.Her ingenious ability to pair different flavors together sets her apart from other chefs.Start with these recipes you and your friends will love them: gingersnap lemon ice cream sandwiches, fudge cookie and mint chip ice cream sandwiches and s'more ice cream cake.

Fabulous
I have all of Emily Luchetti's books and this one is just as amazing as the rest.The Ginger Ice Cream is amazing.Luchetti is an absolute goddess of desserts.Creative, beautiful and beyond delicious!!You can never go wrong with her cookbooks. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Courses & Dishes - Desserts    5. General    6. Ice cream, ices, etc    7. Cooking / General    8. Desserts   

Reviews (2)

Great Fun
This was one of my first cookbooks and I love it. So far I've only been able to try a handful of recipes but the recipes are very easy to follow and I haven't been disappointed yet! There are great tips in the begining, such as what to substitute for certain ingredients (ex: pancake syrup for corn syrup) also has plenty of baking tips. The recipes are broken up into logical chapters (kid's favorites, pinwheels, drops, etc). Tons of full page color photos add a lot to the book as well!!!!

Great cookies every time
When it comes to baking, everyone needs good cookie receipes, and this book lives up to its ambitious name. The highlights are large photos of every cookie, easy to read recipes, basic ingredients, and an introduction discussing baking in general and how to avoid cookie pitfalls.All of the cookies I've made from this book have been spectacular, and the choices are endless.From regular cookies, to bars, to no-bakes to holiday selections, you will never lack for delicious treats and your friends will love you.
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Subjects:  1. Cooking / Wine    2. Courses & Dishes - Cookies    3. Sale Books   

Reviews (15)

chocolate chocolate
Very nicely written.Almost like a text book, but prettier.Good recipes.

I want this book!
I checked this book out of the library and have loved reading through it.The pictures are breathtaking!The recipes are very straightforward and detailed.There is a beginning section describing different kinds of doughs and batters and detailing how to best handle chocolate in all its forms.I tried the recipe for "Coca-Cola Cake" and it was sublimely wonderful.The cake turned out perfectly and tasted even better the next day.There are at least 10 other recipes that I am dying to try, including "Blackbottom Brownie Tart" (which features a shortbread crust, brownie layer, then swirled cheesecake topping), and "Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle Squares" which are a brownie/truffle hybrid. I am a cheapskate but I truly believe I will get $29 of baking pleasure from this book so I'll have to break down and buy it...

Basic and Beautiful
I couldn't wait to create some of the beautiful recipes from this lovely book. I have made two of them so far and they came out perfect. Easy to read recipes and lots of photos. I liked that not all of the recipes were purely chocolate, there was a good combination of coffee cakes and muffins that had a good balance of chocolate to other ingredients. I only have a few complaints. One is the authors love of coconut. I hate coconut and wish the author would have remarked if the coconut was required or optional as she does with nuts. Also, some of the recipes require odd sized pans like a 10 inch square or a 9 inch tart pan that it 2 inches deep (most are one inch). I wish she would have included a substitute pan guide. Overall this book is practical and very pretty, a great addition to my collection. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chocolate    2. Cookery (Chocolate)    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Courses & Dishes - Chocolate    6. General    7. Cooking / Baking    8. Food & Drink / Cookery   

Reviews (8)

Gingerbread for all seasons
Very nice book complete with patterns and instructions.One of the best available.

A Must-Have Gingerbread book
I have both of Teresa Layman's books on gingerbread, and this is my favorite of the two.If you enjoy making gingerbread structures, or just like practicing your decorating skill, this book is one you will turn to time and time again.What I like most about both of her books is how clear and detailed her instructions are on how things are put together, and how she uses items and ingredients that anyone can find anywhere, so that it is IMPOSSIBLE to mess it up.And even though the pictures look a bit intimidating, if you break each structure down into steps as she has laid out, and take it one thing at a time, you soon realize how simple they really are - they just LOOK impressive.The Haunted House is worth the price of the book all by itself! I loved making it - so much fun!

Gingerbread for All Seasons
I was very happy with this book.It has lots of patterns and ideas and gives full instructions of how to make gingerbread houses, lanterns and santa with his sleigh.I am sure I can make these houses come to life like in the book.The patterns are very simple, some are a bit harder but they are all there for anyone to look at.Thank you so much for my wonderful book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Dough    5. General    6. Gingerbread    7. Handicraft    8. Cakes, baking, icing & sugarcraft    9. Cooking / Confectionery    10. Desserts   

Reviews (60)

For EVERY Ice Cream fan!!!
Hey all! Now, I am not a huge ice cream eater, but I do love sherbets and sorbets. This book has it all! My wife and I make ice cream using the recipes in this book and have found that the ice cream is easy to make, cheaper, and tastes just a good! Have you ever gone to Baskin-Robbins or Haagen Daaz and ordered chocolate chip mint and there was hardly any chips? Well, you can put in as many or a few as you want! Not to mention you can see the ingredients and see just how... ahem... "healthy" cough cough this ice cream is!

ICE CREAM PASTE
cornstarch, light corn syrup, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour,1 cup of water in the rhubarb ice cream, unpasteurized eggs, simmer milk, cocoa powder,mixing chocolate with hot simmered cream...My mistake was to buy a book from a travel, candy and party drink writer.
Worse than useless
This book is basically ten recipes with 'variations' ("Add walnuts!").Instead of doing a technique section followed by individual recipies, he went crazy with cut and paste, including the same paragraphs about technique in each recipe on every single page.I don't know if this is because he's a bad writer or if the publisher was trying to pad the length and make the book appear more substantial than it is, but either way it is very annoying.There is no background whatsoever, no nice pictures or interesting sidebars, just page after page of the same recipe in the same format using the exact same sentences.Many of his recipes also produce a bad result (e.g. the green tea recipe) so I have to wonder if anyone actually tried them or if he just had a brainstorm and thoughtlessly wrote it down.
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Courses & Dishes - Desserts    4. General    5. Ice cream, ices, etc    6. Specific Ingredients - Dairy    7. Cooking / Desserts    8. Desserts   

Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Cookery    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Courses & Dishes - Desserts    6. Confectionery    7. Cooking / Desserts    8. Desserts    9. Wine and wine making   

Reviews (2)

Cake Mix Bible book
This is book provides a wide variety of receipes for all types of bakers, from the expert to the beginner. Also has recepies for treats for young children. This is also a very nice for a gift to someone.

Colorful cakes, if that's what you want
This cake mix book is based on the concept of creating beautiful cakes using prepared cake mixes. It is a nice idea, especially for those who would be willing to sacrifice a bit of taste for convenience.
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Subjects:  1. Cooking / Wine    2. Courses & Dishes - Cakes    3. Sale Books   

Reviews (3)

Ok Book - Not for Busy People
Many of the recipes take too long for us busy working types.Muffin recipes?If I had time to make my own muffins, I would have time to pack more than a brown bag lunch.On the plus side, these would be nice dishes to try on the weekend.

totally loving it
These recipes are great for any meal, but are targeted for making great lunches, unlike lots of recipes.And they're healthy and low-cost, unlike lots of recipes.And the book contains lots of good reading material in addition to the recipes.I consider this book a real gem.

Simple Recipes Practical Advice
I just got this book and ended up reading it cover to cover which I typically don't do for a cookbook!It just has so many good sounding, healthy looking, easy prep recipes for my family.She uses whole wheat flour and trys to cut down on white sugar but does not use ingredients that are hard to find.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Courses & Dishes - Brunch    4. General    5. Lunchbox cookery    6. Cooking / General   

Subjects:  1. Baking    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Courses & Dishes - Bread    5. Courses & Dishes - Desserts    6. Holiday - General    7. Macrina Bakery and Cafe    8. Regional & Ethnic - American - Northwestern States    9. Cooking / American / Northwestern States    10. General cookery    11. USA   

Reviews (1)

Great Candy!!
I was a begginer in candy making. This book has very clear instructions and all the typical candies. Pictures help you see what you're aiming for!! Great fun!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baking - Confectionery    2. Candy    3. Confectionery    4. Cookery    5. Cooking    6. Cooking / Wine    7. Courses & Dishes - Confectionery    8. General    9. Holiday - General    10. Holiday cookery    11. Methods - Baking   

Reviews (5)

Wonderful appetizer pictures!
This appetizer book is wonderful.Great pictures, excellent selection, conveniently organized!

Not Just Another Cook Book
The Essential Appetizers Cookbook is not only beautifully photographed, one of the things I love best in an great cookbook, but I found the recipes, directions,and ingredients easy to read, follow, and find, in that order.I used several of the recipes for a formal tea, and they provedto be a triumphant success.I highly recommend this book to those who love to entertain guests, and are looking for unique recipes which are fresh, eye appealing, and enormously scrumptious bites that will delight the taste buds of connoisseurs of the epicurean world, as well as friends and family alike.This book offers a wide variety of recipes, however; if you fail to find a recipe here, you can certainly use the book as a springboard to launch your culinary imagination in search of the "perfect appetizers."In other words, great book!

Another great book in a great series
This book is full of beautiful pictures that will stimulate your appetite, but don't hate it because it is beautiful.There's a lot of substance in here in addition to its tremendous visual appeal.The book is about presentation as much as it is about techniques and ingredients, and as such it lends itself to strong visuals. It will stimulate your imagination as well, for there are myriad ideas included here that you can adapt and use as you see fit. I buy way too many cookbooks, but if I were to get rid of most of them, this among the few I would keep, and the Appetizer book is one of the best in the "The Essential..." series.Check them out- there are several out there, and I think they are great cookbooks over-all.When you consider the price, however, they are fabulous.I originally bought this as a gift for someone else, but decided that I just couldn't part with it.Since then I've purchased two more from the same series (see my other reviews).Bon Apetite! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Courses & Dishes - Appetizers   

Reviews (8)

Good introduction to ice cream making
Pros of this cookbook:The photos are beautiful, and they cover most of the basic recipes here.Another great thing is that while a lot of ice cream recipes in other books I've seen call for corn syrup as a quick, easy-to-use liquid sweetener, none of the recipes in this book do.Instead the Williams-Sonoma recipes use honey, sugar, or simple syrups that you make yourself.I think this is a great thing because, personally, I hate the flavor of corn syrup.This book has more of a natural-foods approach, which I like.
Summertime Read
Williams-Sonoma is widely known for producing high-quality coffee-table books that delight visitors and can sometimes even come in handy in the kitchen. Their newest book, Ice Cream brings together over forty fine ice cream recipes into one location. These recipes are perfect for any summertime gathering or glamorous night in with friends. Readers will learn how to quickly craft frozen desserts that will be so delicious, your guests will wonder how you managed to ever pull them together.
James Droste
This is an excellent primer for all forms of Ice Cream. I recomend this book.Those pining for the old Cooks Illustrated tome on ice cream should check out their latest Best 1000 Recipes.It has a great synopsis of their orginal tome on the subject. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Courses & Dishes - Desserts    4. Courses & Dishes - General    5. Ice cream, ices, etc    6. Specific Ingredients - Dairy    7. Cooking / Desserts    8. General cookery   

Reviews (5)

Great food, great explainations
If you want to make an impression, this is the only cookbook you'll need. Beautiful photos, great descriptions, and everything tastes amazing. She even gives ideas for entire meal plans. Extremely popular way to eat right now but this book won't be tossed aside after the trend. The recipies are excellent.

if you love to entertain, this is the book for you
This book has all levels of appetizers so you can accommodate any party. Some are simple, some are complicated, but all are do-able and the ones I've tried are delicious! A great book!

Finger Food for Every Occasion
Just what I've been needing to keep up with the entertaining in our new neighborhood.How does Crab and Gruyere Nachos sound?This has the large color photos and clear format that DK is noted for.
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Subjects:  1. Appetizers    2. Buffets (Cookery)    3. Cookery    4. Cooking    5. Cooking / Wine    6. Courses & Dishes - Appetizers    7. General    8. Cooking / Appetizers   

Reviews (35)

vegan versions of traditional favorites are always a good thing
I bought this book as soon as I saw the recipe for Vegan Fasnachts.Any book that allows my Pennsylvania Dutch heritage to merge with my vegan lifestyle is automatically a winner.I can't wait for Fat Tuesday so I can share my "special" fasnachts with my family!Also, I'm in love with the recipe for Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes, because it was a sad day when I swore off all Tasty Kakes back when I went vegan.Miss Dieterly, you are a true goddess!

The cookbook every vegan has been looking for.
This cookbook will bring back all of the desserts that you have missed, plus it will help you impress even the most skeptical of omnivores.
Just Plain Bad
Like many others, I really hate to give a book a bad review. But in this case, I feel I must save others from wasting their money.
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Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Courses & Dishes - Desserts    4. Desserts    5. Vegan cookery    6. Vegetarian - General    7. Vegetarian - Vegan    8. Cooking / Vegetarian    9. Main courses   

Reviews (3)

Techniques for advanced decorators
This book is especially inspiring to those who have been decorating for a while and want to fine-tune their techniques. The majority of the cakes use piping techniques.The biggest plus about this book is that the author has lots of pictures and step by step instructions on how to create the cakes in the book.

Beautiful cakes
It has some beautiful, unique designs which are great for show stoppers. I would not recommend it to beginners, although there are some cakes which look pretty basic (i.e. the children's section). However, the focus is on wedding cakes. Mich Turner has fantastic piping skills and some lovely ideas. This is one for the serious cake decorator and would make a great addition to any collection.

Fabulous Pictures!
This book has excellent pictures and straight-forward directions and templates to re-create the designs.All of the cakes in the book are finished with either marzipan and rolled fondant, chocolate plastic or royal icing.Because of those more difficult mediums,I personally would NOT recommend this book for an absolute beginner to cake decorating.You could achieve a similar effect of some of the designs on an all-buttercream cake if you use some imagination, though most of the designs would require the use of fondant or chocolate plastic.If you have decorating experience, however and you're looking for some fresh ideas, this book has you covered.Besides beautiful design ideas the bookhas some wonderful recipes for cakes, cookies and frostings.The cake recipes are thoughtfully broken-down into amounts of ingredients you would need to produce a 6-inch cake, 8-inch cake, 10-inch cake, 12-inch cake or any combination thereof, eliminating guess work. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baking - Confectionery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Methods - Baking    5. Cooking / Baking   

Reviews (2)

A complete and thorough collection of professional and high-class cakes
Superbly illustrated with step-by-step photography, Williams-Sonoma: Mastering Cakes, Fillings & Frostings is a "kitchen cook friendly" introduction to the many variations available when approaching the decorative and tasteful creation of cakes for any dining or celebratory occasion. Covering pound cakes, sheet cakes, layer cakes, and so many utterly delicious frostings and fillings, Williams-Sonoma: Mastering Cakes, Fillings & Frostings deftly guides aspiring cake makers in an easy-to-follow manner, through recipes for cakes ranging from Vanilla Cheesecake; Citrus Curd; and Pound Cake, to Vanilla Buttercream; Devil's Food Cake; and Sponge Sheet Cake, as well as an informative selection of ingredients, tools, and histories. For all readers searching for a complete and thorough collection of professional and high-class cakes, Williams-Sonoma: Mastering Cakes, Fillings & Frostings is very highly recommended.
A complete and thorough collection of professional and high-class cakes
Superbly illustrated with step-by-step photography, Williams-Sonoma: Mastering Cakes, Fillings & Frostings is a "kitchen cook friendly" introduction to the many variations available when approaching the decorative and tasteful creation of cakes for any dining or celebratory occasion. Covering pound cakes, sheet cakes, layer cakes, and so many utterly delicious frostings and fillings, Williams-Sonoma: Mastering Cakes, Fillings & Frostings deftly guides aspiring cake makers in an easy-to-follow manner, through recipes for cakes ranging from Vanilla Cheesecake; Citrus Curd; and Pound Cake, to Vanilla Buttercream; Devil's Food Cake; and Sponge Sheet Cake, as well as an informative selection of ingredients, tools, and histories. For all readers searching for a complete and thorough collection of professional and high-class cakes, Williams-Sonoma: Mastering Cakes, Fillings & Frostings is very highly recommended.
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Subjects:  1. Baking - Confectionery    2. Cake    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Courses & Dishes - Cakes    6. Icings, Cake    7. Methods - General    8. Cooking / Cakes   

Reviews (6)

The Most Important Attribute of a Cookbook
Sure, the pictures are beautiful and the recipes sound delicious, but the true mark of a cookbook is how the final products taste.
A must have for dessert
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.
Best in Class among 'American Desserts'. Buy It.
`The All-American Dessert Book' by the accomplished baking writer, Nancy Baggett is the fifth `American' dessert book I have reviewed in the last two years, not even counting her own, earlier `All American Cookie Book'. This seems to be an incredibly rich topic, as I see practically no `All American' books on other branches of cookery, except for the great `James Beard's American Cookery'.
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Subjects:  1. Baking - Confectionery    2. Cookery    3. Cookery, American    4. Cooking    5. Cooking / Wine    6. Courses & Dishes - Desserts    7. Desserts    8. Regional & Ethnic - American - General    9. United States    10. Cooking / Desserts   

Reviews (26)

Love this book!
This book has many great recipes and they are pretty easy to do!

A must read for people wanting to make good bread
Bread machines rule.But let's face it, after a few loaves you realize the thing basically makes a similar loaf almost every time. There are recipes to let the machine do everything.But you will want to be a better baker, and that is where this book shines.
These recipes really work!Artisan bread by bread machine.
When you have exhausted all bread machine recipes, you get bored with the same kind of bread and eventually stop making bread...Well, if that is what's happening to you, try any recipe in this book!
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Subjects:  1. Automatic bread machines    2. Bread    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Courses & Dishes - Appetizers    6. Courses & Dishes - Bread    7. Methods - Special Appliances    8. Cakes, baking, icing & sugarcraft    9. Cooking / Appetizers    10. Europe    11. Gadget cookery    12. National & regional cuisine   

Reviews (4)

Professional French Pastry volume 2
When it comes to professional caliber instructions and instructions for baking and pastry, this book is clearly top of the heap. It may be a little expensive, but it is easily the equivalent of at least a dozen other books on pastry with glossy, fancy photos and a big, famous name on the cover. If you are a professional who plans to advance your career, this book is a must have. Please note that this is volume 2 of the series; you are expected to go through the volumes in order, so this book assumes that you have already gone through and mastered volume 1.
No regret
I have purchaced this book just because i like french pastries and like to try myself to make those wonderful pastries that we see in the vitrine. And i did not regret that.Now I am going to purchace the full series.Afterreading ,this book I can now prepare brioche,eclair,petit pain,cream cormet.Buy them I promise you will not regret at all.All my friend do not believe that i cook them myself.

A complete howto on french pastry methodology
This book stands out from most of my other cookbooks because it does not only focus on what to put into the things it describes, but how to do it, and what not to do. The latter is, for some reason, quite hard to find.Read more

Subjects:  1. Baking - Confectionery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Courses & Dishes - Desserts    5. Courses & Dishes - Pastry    6. French Cookery    7. Methods - Professional    8. Regional & Ethnic - French    9. Cooking / Pastry   

Reviews (4)

Picky Eaters Beware!!!
I am the Mom of a very picky eater & I am purchasing this book from Amazon after trying it out from the library.
Too much fat!
This book contains way too many recipes with high fat items.It also doesn't contain the nutritional info for the finished items, which makes it useless to me.If you're thinking "healthy" means moderate to low fat/calorie, then this isn't the book for you!

Should be called peanut butter snack book!
I was hoping to find some help in the snack dept, as I have a limited variety of ideas for my partially food-allergic kid.He is allergic to a few items -- one happens to be peanuts, the other egg whites, but that's it.And unfortunately, 80% of the recipes in this book include peanut butter, nuts, or eggs!Nothing more original.I expected some of this knowing kids love PB, but most of the recipes are inclusive of one of the 2 allergens my son has, so this book was a huge disappointment.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Courses & Dishes - Brunch    4. Health & Healing - General    5. Quick and easy cookery    6. Snack foods    7. Cooking / General    8. Dictionaries    9. General cookery