Customer Reviews

Hawaii's Best Local Desserts

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Don't be apprehensive because you can't see the cover! This book is full of delicious results that are ultimately simple. A few recipes include store bought packaged products such as cake or brownie mix, but the majority of recipes are based on "from scratch" recipes that have been passed along and shared between close family and friends through generations in Hawai'i. If you've lived in Hawaii or have visited Hawai'i and long for the desserts you so easily remember, this book is a must. Recipes like Pineapple Delight (ready in under half an hour) and Pumpkin Crunch (you HAVE to try this one!) are extremely delicious - having made both with excellent results and ease of preparation. The Hawaiian Jell-o Dessert also got rave reviews from family and friends and is very delicious with a macadamia shortbread crust and 'secret' cream cheese layer (it's mixed with black cherry jell-o and heavy cream) topped off with a layer of lime jell-o. While these desserts are very tempting and easy to make, I couldn't give a five star rating because the recipe listed "2 loaf pans" for the recipe and did not indicate that it was necessary to use 9 in. loaf pans or else you would end up with leftover cream cheese and jell-o. Other than that, this is the book I bake from most often. Some recipes might seem a bit exotic, such as Okinawan Sweet Potato pie with Haupia Topping, Coconut Custard Mochi, or Macadamia Cream Pie, but I'm fairly sure you should be able to find all ingredients at your local grocer. There are four pages of color photographs.

I wanted to bring some of the Hawaiian flavor home to New Mexico, so I started cooking one recipe per week from this book. So far, everything has been a resounding success for my family of men. Don't be put off by some oddball ingredients, just try it! Vinegar and coffee in a chocolate cake? Rice Krispies in another cake? You will be pleased with the results. These recipes are easy and fun. One word of caution: ingredients such as fresh mango and papaya, coconut milk, and mochiko can be hard to obtain in some states. But plenty of the recipes use easily available items. I'll never order a grocery store cake again!

"Hawai'i's Best Local Desserts" is a neat cookbook for desserts found in Hawaii. Jean Watanabe Hee has done a very good job of collecting, about, 125 recipes for tasty desserts. Hawaii is part of the USA; so, you should not be suprised to see some familiar recipes here. However the truly Hawaiian recipes are great!

Because several other cultures have interacted with Hawaiian ways, some of the recipes show a very international appeal.

Just a few of the desserts are: Coconut-Pinapple Cream Cake, Mango bread, Hawaiian Delite Cake, Fresh Mango Pie, Kona Coffe Mud Pie, and Haupia Cream Cheese Pie.

Buy the book, make a new and different dessert for a party.

Thank you again Aunty Jean :-)...My friends here in nyc loved your butter mochi that I made. You instructions may seem a little too simplified for some, but that's how local style cooking usually is...SIMPLE :-). Things don't need to be complicated to taste Onolicious...Just wish you had pickled mango in here :-(.

This book has a lot of great Hawaiian recipes. The price of the book is worth it if just for the recipe for Hawaiian Jello Cheesecake. It is absolutely the best! I had this kind of cheesecake in Honolulu years ago at a bakery, and have never been able to duplicate it until now. The second time I made it I substituted whipped cream for the evaporated milk. It tasted even better! Yummmm. My family absolutely loved it.