Rating: 
Summary: Great dessert recipes and fun to read!
Review: The focus of this book is classic American home desserts. You won't find those fancy desserts that look elegant but are completely tasteless in this book. Most of the ingredients are readily available, and the recipes are easy to follow. Plus, Richard Sax really makes an effort to tell you about each dessert, both the popular history and his own experience making it. There are many other little tidbits that make this a great read for anyone who loves making desserts!
Rating:
Summary: Great dessert recipes and fun to read!
Review: The focus of this book is classic American home desserts. You won't find those fancy desserts that look elegant but are completely tasteless in this book. Most of the ingredients are readily available, and the recipes are easy to follow. Plus, Richard Sax really makes an effort to tell you about each dessert, both the popular history and his own experience making it. There are many other little tidbits that make this a great read for anyone who loves making desserts!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful!
Review: This book is a feast for the eyes and the imagination! Not only do the recipes work but the photograhs and stories keep me looking through this cookbook over and over. I have owned this book for years and never tire of it. It seems to offer something new each time I open it. I am a pastry chef and have countless cookbooks and I can say without hesitation that this is one of my three favorites along with "Baking with Julia" and "The Cake Bible"
Rating:
Summary: cookbookgal
Review: This book is comprehensive and easy to follow. Every recipe I have tried has worked. The pecan pie recipe is especially good, and very easy for novice bakers. If you could have only one dessert book on your shelf, this would be it.
Rating: 
Summary: Unbeatable
Review: This book starts out with much promise. The author has been the director of a test kitchen. The dust jacket has a number of glowing reviews by respected authors of baking cookbooks. The object of this book was to capture and preserve all those old-fashioned, classic desserts that should never be forgotten. The author claims to have done extensive testing of all the centuries of recipes from old cookbooks and grandmothers' recipe boxes, and presents only the best ones in each subject. Sadly, the result is a below average collection of baking recipes.The recipes are something less than classic. Most of the recipes are new-age "twists" on old classics. The author has a penchant for the unusual and off-beat (if I were less charitable, I would call his taste downright weird). He does not have recipes for the original pound cake (even his quatre-quarts is an oddball version using stiff egg whites), nor a straight, plain apple pie. His historical research was apparently not thorough, as he does not include recipe for one of the original fruit desserts: gooseberry fool (the chapters on fresh fruit desserts are the least objectionable in my opinion). Plus, his testing does not appear to have been thorough: for example, the recipe for Espresso-Cinnamon Ice Cream has a brewing time for the coffee that is way too long. It is also important to note that a food processor and large, stand mixer are required for most (perhaps as much as two-thirds; I didn't really count) recipes. On the positive side, I liked the recipe for Frozen Cappuccino (don't ask me for another recipe I really liked, as I couldn't find one). He is also the only cookbook author I am aware of who has read Apicius, Varenne, Câreme, and Francatelli. The most valuable part of the book is the bibliography, which has an amazing list of historical sources that the author found at the New York Public Library.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Exactly A Classic
Review: This book starts out with much promise. The author has been the director of a test kitchen. The dust jacket has a number of glowing reviews by respected authors of baking cookbooks. The object of this book was to capture and preserve all those old-fashioned, classic desserts that should never be forgotten. The author claims to have done extensive testing of all the centuries of recipes from old cookbooks and grandmothers' recipe boxes, and presents only the best ones in each subject. Sadly, the result is a below average collection of baking recipes. The recipes are something less than classic. Most of the recipes are new-age "twists" on old classics. The author has a penchant for the unusual and off-beat (if I were less charitable, I would call his taste downright weird). He does not have recipes for the original pound cake (even his quatre-quarts is an oddball version using stiff egg whites), nor a straight, plain apple pie. His historical research was apparently not thorough, as he does not include recipe for one of the original fruit desserts: gooseberry fool (the chapters on fresh fruit desserts are the least objectionable in my opinion). Plus, his testing does not appear to have been thorough: for example, the recipe for Espresso-Cinnamon Ice Cream has a brewing time for the coffee that is way too long. It is also important to note that a food processor and large, stand mixer are required for most (perhaps as much as two-thirds; I didn't really count) recipes. On the positive side, I liked the recipe for Frozen Cappuccino (don't ask me for another recipe I really liked, as I couldn't find one). He is also the only cookbook author I am aware of who has read Apicius, Varenne, Câreme, and Francatelli. The most valuable part of the book is the bibliography, which has an amazing list of historical sources that the author found at the New York Public Library.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best dessert books ever.
Review: This dessert book is excellent. The recipes are numerous and cover the whole range of desserts, including desserts you rarely see in other dessert cookbooks such as bread puddings and fruitcakes. I never knew fruitcakes could be this good until I got this book. I've tried several of the recipes (i.e. Buttermilk Pie and Brown Sugar Raspberry Loaf - now two of my favorites) and each one has come out perfectly. This book is also a great book to have if you ever need to make a dessert at the last minute. It has plenty of recipes for those who have a kitchen stocked well with the basics.
Rating:
Summary: Best Overall Dessert Cookbook Ever!
Review: This is a fantastic collection of recipes and dessert history. Very user friendly, and all that I have cooked from here has come out wonderfully. It is always a source of inspiration to get in the kitchen and have fun!
Rating:
Summary: Desserts that always work
Review: This is a great cookbook especially if you like rice puddings, bread puddings, cobblers and cookies. Good clear instructions. Every dessert I've made from it has worked the first time. The historical notes are impressive and interesting.
Rating:
Summary: The definitive dessert cookbook.
Review: This is easily my most cherished dessert cookbook in my beloved cookbook collection. If you are looking for a concise and informative cookbook loaded with the best of impressive, downhome dessert recipes....this is it. This book especially appealed to my love of "reading" cookbooks with it's delightful mini-stories before each recipe and it's interesting heritage recipes in the margins. Beautiful photos. I can't imagine how my kitchen functioned without this one!
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