Sweets: Soul Food Desserts and Memories [A Baking Book] Paperback – November 1, 2006

This book is my very favorite of all my cookbooks now! In fact, it's even just one of my very favorite books, period. But it's not just a collection of great, old fashioned, nostalgic, honest-to-god soul food dessert recipes; it's a beautiful history of a large Black family written by someone who loved each and every member. By the time I finished my first reading ( and yes, I've read it all the way through again even though I've only had it a short time ) and bookmarked the recipes I wanted to try, I felt like I really knew every single aunt and uncle, every "Cud'n" ( even the "Po" one! )in the author's family. Filled with lovely photographs, not just of delicious home cooked food, but of real people I grew to love as each page turned, as each chapter was finished, like a well written serial one hates to put down and dreads to end. Being of Native American heritage myself, I still began to feel like one of the African American family in the book and the memories seemed like my own!I've only tried two of the book's recipes so far, one pound style cake and one sweet pie, and both turned out so darned good I couldn't believe I was the one who actually made something so mouth-watering and delectable! I'm excited to try many of the others and have recommended the book to several friends. If you are looking for a nice thick cookbook with some unique, yet old-timey type southern style dessert recipes with plain and easily found ingredients "done up" the right way, than this book is the one to buy! But if you're also interested in the rich history of a loving Black family, beautifully written, lovingly and painstakingly chronicled, then you can't go wrong with this story-book style recipe collection!

I love to cook, but I'm not much on baking. I usually don't even care for sweets; but when I saw this cookbook, I had to add it to my massive collection. I thought it'd be like most other cookbooks: nice, with some great recipes, but just an item I "had to have" that I seldom--if ever--would actually use the recipes. I received the book late yesterday afternoon and by bedtime, I was half-way through reading it. I am enjoying the stories of Ms. Pinner's family so much and the recipes are so tempting. I'm already gathering ingredients to try my hand at some of these delectable treats. My father's family were country folk from the rural panhandle of Florida who had immigrated from Ireland a couple of generations before. Soul food and southern cooking are alike in many ways and I recognize several of the desserts from my childhood while visiting my dad's family "back home." My mother's family were Mexican (talk about a blending of cultures!) and so I grew up with corn bread, banana pudding, tortillas, and rice. The result was a fondness for the diversity of food and a love for a family's stories. Ms. Pinner gives us both in this wonderful book and I particularly enjoy the snippets of info about a person just before she shares one of their recipes with us. It helps us to see the importance of that member's personality and how they are an ingredient in the family that Ms. Pinner so fondly remembers. Bravo on a job well done! I hope she soon releases a cookbook chock full savory meals and complemented by more narratives.

I'd been making the peach cobbler recipe from this book for years without paying attention to where it came from. The recipe appeared in a magazine a few years ago and I've been making it every since. For some reason I decided to see where the original recipe came from and that brought me here to buy the book. I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised. This isn't just a cook book, but almost like part family history as well. I'm very eager to try the recipe's in the book...especially the Dr. Pepper cake (I've never heard of) and of course the sweet potato pie (I've always bought frozen and passed it off as my own). There's other recipes that I've heard of, but never knew what they were (egg pie). This book is a good addition to your library. While I haven't made all of the recipes in the book, I can attest that the peach cobbler recipe is perfect. Some recipes require you to add a little extra sugar, butter, etc. This recipe is perfect as it is. The only thing I did differently was buy refrigerated pie crust instead of making it from scratch...delicious!

I got this book & read it cover to cover. I have over 250 cookbooks, and I am a snob when it comes to good cookbooks. Out of all my cookbook, I'd say that this is in the the top 5. It takes me back home to KY, and my grandmother kitchen. And reminds me of all the wonderful food that we ate at home & at the church revivals. All the women would try to out cook each other. The recipies in this book, are almost word for word & step for step what I remember watching my grandmother & the other ladies I grew up watching cook. Patty, you call this Soul food cooking. But to me & everyone raised in the south. It's just really good/great home cooking. I'd love it if you came out with a cookbook on veggies & meats etc. Bless your heart for writing this book. I thought I lost the chance to make several of the dishes listed in your cookbook. I lost my grandmother, and her recipies with her. I'd only remember some of them. So now, I have them back, and I've already started using your cookbook. Amazon will only let me give you 5 stars. But if I could I'd give you 100. Yes people the book is that good. I cook on the side for a living, so I know what I'm talking about!!!!

More than a cookbook, it is a biographic family treasure shared by author Patty Pinner as she artistically shares both recipes and family memories. I lost this book 6 years ago. I am ecstatic to find a copy again. To God be the glory for small things like this.