The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook: 100 Delicious Heritage Recipes from the Farm and Garden Hardcover – September 10, 2013

Yes, most of the recipes are vintage, some are riffs on familiar crowd-pleasers, many have been tweaked to give old, tried-and-true recipes a subtle Beekman Farm charm. What you'll find in this book is a stupendous compilation of great recipes, and just because they are vintage that does NOT mean that these are the same versions that you have on your old recipe cards. The authors term this assortment of recipes "Heirloom", well, maybe for them they are. I can't call them heirloom until I start passing them along to the young cooks in my family. I do anticipate that will happen. In the meantime, I can definitely call them "keepers".In fact, I've got a relative's bridal shower to attend in a few months and I plan to present her with a copy of this book in addition to something from her list. Why include this book? For one thing, the recipes are that good and they are not difficult for an inexperienced cook. They are recipes that every baker should have in her/his repertoire. For another thing, it is a beautiful book with stunning photography of the finished dishes, vintage kitchenware, and pastoral farm settings. And, last but not least, the authors have included something precious: At the end of each season, (that's how the recipes are divided), they have included ruled, blank, full pages designated for your own family heirloom recipes. I plan to write in some of our family recipes before wrapping up the book for giving.I found it interesting that I recently reviewed another cookbook actually called "Keepers". In it, I was expecting to find great, old-time, tried-and-true recipes--but I didn't find them. The authors of that book used the term to describe recently developed recipes that are tasty and easy to make, therefore easy to turn to in a pinch on a weeknight. In my review I said that I need more in "keeper" recipes: Not only do they have to be straightforward and not complicated, I need to be able to turn to them on the morning of a large, holiday, family/friend gathering. They need to stand the test of time, too. They may be recipes friends and family request time and time again. Little did I know, what I was searching for was in the process of being printed and bound: Because the recipes in this Beekman Farm book are exactly what I was describing.I first saw this cookbook before it was published. It was a temporary download that I received from the publisher for review. Scrutinizing the preliminary pages, it didn't take me long to realize that I had to have my own copy! As you can see by the "Verified Purchase" tag above my review, I now have it in hand. But since I did have the download, I can honestly say I've been working with this book since way before its September 10 public debut.I must admit that I may be biased concerning this cookbook: I collect vintage kitchen items. I attend estate sales as a fun hobby, and when I walk in the front door I ask the way to the kitchen, If I see a recipe file box, I scarf it up and every once in a while I find a valuable jewel in the form of an old, readable, workable, wonderful recipe. I guess, with this type of experience under my belt, I'm not only biased towards vintage and heirloom, but I know a bit about what I'm writing here.YOU CAN STOP READING HERE, but if you are still undecided, I've included a long list of my favorites below to tempt you. It seems that the Table of Contents and the Index that you can see with the "Look Inside" feature doesn't tell you much about the recipes, so here goes:Cakes:--There is a fruitcake based on Black Fruitcake, which is a Christmas favorite down in the Virgin Islands.--How about a buche de Noel made with a raspberry filling? I might finally make one this year!--A coconut layer cake that gives Alton Brown's recipe a challenge;--I love this recipe: Creamsicle Angel Food Cake.--The Cardamom Cake with Coffee Glaze is made in a bundt pan.--A banana cake that is nothing like a quick bread; it's made in a 9 x 13 pan.--Truly a winner: Diablo Food Cake with Custard Sauce; this twist on Devil's Food Cake includes cayenne pepper, cinnamon, allspice and brown sugar.--Plum Upside-Down Cake; the authors call this a "back pocket" recipe and it is because you can use any stone fruit, but I tried it with an assortment of plums and it was beautiful and luscious.--A One-Bowl Chocolate Almond Cake; it was so very easy!--Red Currant Jelly Cake; pieces of jelly are tucked into the batter.Puddings:--Toasted Coconut Rice Pudding with Mango Sauce;--Double Chocolate Pudding, Banana Pudding with home-made Vanilla Wafers, Butterscotch Pudding with scotch;--Orange-Chocolate Pots de Crème and Vanilla Panna Cotta with a center of lemon curd;Riffs on Favorites:--Chocolate Rocky Road Potstickers: Rocky Road ice cream add-ins (minus the ice cream) are stuffed into wonton wrappers and gently fried in a skillet.--Chocolate-Espresso Soup: Take hot chocolate, thicken it up, ladle it into soup bowls and top with marshmallows.--Remember the "Crown Jewel Cake" from the Jello Cookbook? Here it is updated and gorgeous, and it doesn't rely on Jello...--Pumpkin Pie is accomplished with Kabocha Squash.--Remember Hello Dollies? These are made with cream of coconut, but you can sub with sweetened condensed milk to make the 60's version.There are also some wonderful pies and ice creams and crisps (and more). The ice creams are simple because they do not include eggs, so no custard to make--just some cornstarch, (Honey Ice Cream, Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Pistachio-Chip. Buttermilk Pie with a pecan crust was elegant in its simplicity. Another wonderful pie is the Cranberry-Apple Custard Pie. The Roasted Rhubarb Crisp is delectable.Obviously, I highly recommend this book. Check out the other Beekman 1802 book: The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook: Heirloom fruits and vegetables, and more than 100 heritage recipes to inspire every generation. It was published a few years back and has gotten great reviews (an amazing, solid, five-star average).

To be honest, when I initially spotted this book, I thought it would be a sophisticated grouping of recipes that were reserved for high tea or fancy occasions that would demand a discerning palate.Then I looked in between the covers and I realized I was wrong. Very wrong. Shame on my peepers.......that's why "never judge a book by it's cover" was penned for folks like myself.What this book gifted to me was an awakening of bygone pleasures that come in the form of not just recipes, but the entire presentation of everything within the covers of this marvelous cookbook. A coffee table book for the eyes as well as a cookbook for the palate.Before I mention the recipes, it was the set-up of this book that gave me real joy. I am a old romantic with a love of bygone days of lace and history and old-fashioned hard work. This book "feels" old-fashioned, it "feels" antiquated, it "feels" like a long lost treasure found in a dusty attic.Just by looking at the front, you get insight into what is waiting for you within the covers: the autumnal colors used throughout, andthe styling/props used to food style and set the scene. It shouts of a style of years past and I think that is what the authors were wanting to convey to readers.Open the cover and the first thing to greet you is the inside cover paper the reminds you of a Victorian home perhaps or other genteel setting of years past. It even has a plaque for you to inscribe those to whom this book will become a part of their family history. Copper pots and pans, cake tins, heirloom pieces, and glass stands with berry branches are part of the scenes created to present these delicious treasures made by the amazing team of Ridge and Kilmer-Purcell. They have such a sincere desire to keep the treasures and history of this majestic property as pristine and grand as it had been since its glory days and it seems that they are doing so brilliantly.The chapters are broken down into the seasons with recipes appropriate to each, though we all know that dessert, regardless of time or space, can be devoured anytime! A short poem cited or quote written, greets the beginning of each sason. As each recipe is presented, a small introduction is given and the steps are broken down. Space is then allotted for any notes you might want to make for future reference. A very sweet set up!There are accompanying photo's of most recipes, and for those without photo's, they really weren't neccesary. Instead there is luscious photography of still life which can be as simple as a jar of shelled pistachios or fabulous photo's of the Beekman home in various stages of the seasons or mismatched plates stacked high and regally. A white peony resting in a dessert glass sits daintily on a veranda overlooking the Beekman vista; copper tins, rubbed to show off their years of sturdy devotion, might grace another page. A couple of pages are located in the back to scribble notes on your own family favorites so that (as the authors state), ".....it becomes not our cookbook, but your cookbook".If you go to their website, "Beekman1802.com", you'll get even more interesting and intriguing information on how this quiet little farm in a quiet little town, with quiet and charming townsfolk, became a fabulous destination point for so many people. All this through hardships and challenges that brought Beekman 1802 into the force it has now become, through the author's website, cable show, and other venues of exposure.OK.......................so what about the recipes? I feel that the point of the book was to bring vintage recipes and give them an update, not to change them, but to make sure that they work perfectly. Ingredients used years ago were at the mercy of what was available. Here they are kept intact but with a refreshment in flavor, but with the essence kept the same. Since there have been many other great reviews of these recipes, I will mention a smattering of sweet creations to give you a peek into what's waiting for your palate:WINTER:So... what's your pleasure? A real old fashioned lemon meringue pie? Salty nougat fudge brownies? How about Blondies with white chocolate and macadamia nuts? Then there's the German Chocolate Cake that will knock your everlovin' socks off!SPRING:Love this season...........think Easter and a beautiful table laden with delectable, fresh sweets such as a "Do It All Yellow Cake" that can be turned into whatever dessert you want, in this case for their suggestion of "Boston Cream Pie"! Too heavenly! Their "Lemon-Toasted Poppy Seed Cake" is a dream to whip up and dream to savor. The "Diablo Food Cake with Custard Sauce" is the gastronomically evil twin of the "Angel Food Cake", though I eliminated the cayenne pepper (no, seriously, this was an ingredient, hence "diablo"--- not just your average chocolate cake.) If though if you want, they have a wonderful "One-Bowl Chocolate Almond Cake" that has a glaze that is perfecto!SUMMER:Sometimes you want dishes that are quick and not too demanding of being in a hot kitchen during this season so it would be most appropriate to have "Baked Stone Fruits" with Cannoli Cream or "Butter Pecan Ice Cream" or "Banana Pudding with Vanilla Wafers" though the "Lemon Meringue Pie" from the winter season is always a sure favorite. I would mention that in the "Fall" section, there is a "Anything-In-The-Cupboard-No-Bake-Cookie" that even a novice or "anti-baker" could love and can be perfect for summer.FALL:The best season for baking, don't you think? "French Toast Bread Pudding" or "Puff Pastry Apple Strudel" would be a fabulous way to get the season started, along with the necessary "NY Cheesecake". Bread puddings, pies, and cakes that use moist, plump fruits of the season are also a part of this seasonal parade of sweets that will have anyone drifting themselves to the kitchen, as soon as they smell the waft of these gems.So yes, this is one of my new favorites for feeding the masses and they are coming................to quote a quote from the back of the book, "Parting is such sweet sorrow, especially when you can take some dessert with you." Avoir!