Sweet Home: Over 100 Heritage Desserts and Ideas for Preserving Family Recipes

Food journalist Ffrench developed a new appreciation for her Norwegian culinary heritage when her great-grandmother's recipe book found its way into her kitchen. Beginning with spiced apple cider doughnuts, she began working her way through the recipes, gaining confidence, expanding her repertoire, and discovering her family's rich history. Norwegian specialties like Cloudberry Krumkaker Cones (a delicious treat similar to Italian pizzelles), Skoleboller (coconut-covered buns topped with creamy custard), and Pepperkaker (ginger cookies) abound. Inventive riffs like German Apple Custard Cake%E2%80%94a cross between a cake and bread pudding%E2%80%94are offered alongside classics like Boston Cream and strawberry rhubarb pies, angel food cake, and bran muffins. Though wordy asides regarding preserving recipes, creating your family's own food stories, and throwing memorable parties occasionally frustrate the flow of this charming cookbook, Ffrench provides a valuable guide to "A Well-Stocked Baker's Pantry," resources for hard-to-find ingredients, and a surfeit of warmth. Home bakers with a modicum of experience and budding crafters will likely get the most out of the book, as will readers with a taste for the cinnamon and cardamom characteristic of Scandinavian baked goods. (May)