Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters: More than 100 Years of Recipes Discovered from Family Cookbooks, Original Journals, Scraps of Paper, and Grandmother's Kitchen [Hardcover]

Marilynn Brass (Author), Sheila Brass (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2006

FINALIST FOR A JAMES BEARD AWARD IN THE BAKING/DESSERT CATEGORY

We all have fond memories of a favorite dessert our grandmother or mother used to bake. It’s these dishes that give us comfort in times of stress, help us celebrate special occasions, and remind us of the person who used to bake for us those many years ago.

In Heirloom Baking, Marilynn Brass and Sheila Brass preserve and update 150 of these beloved desserts. The recipes are taken from their vast collection of antique manuscript cookbooks, handwritten recipes passed down through the generations that they’ve amassed over twenty years. The recipes range from the late 1800s to today, and come from a variety of ethnicities and regions. The book features such down-home and delicious recipes as Brandied Raisin Teacakes, Cuban Flan, Cranberry-Orange Cream Scones, Chattanooga Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, and many more. Accompanying the recipes are stories from the lives of the families from which they came.

The Brass Sisters have taken care to update every recipe for today’s modern kitchens. More than 150 photographs showcase the scrumptious food in full-color detail. Finally, the Brass sisters encourage each reader to begin collecting his or her own family recipes in the lined pages and envelope at the back of the book.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Marilynn Brass and Sheila Brass are home cooks with more than 119  years of experience between them. They have appeared in their own television cooking specials including The Brass Sisters Holiday on the Cooking Channel and The Brass Sisters: Queens of Comfort Food on WGBH, the PBS affiliate in Boston. They have also been guests on the Food Network's Bobby Flay's Throwdown and on PBS's Simply Ming, hosted  by Tsai Ming. They have also made appearances on Antiques Roadshow FYI. Heirloom Baking was nominated for the James Beard Foundation Award in the category of "Baking and Dessert." They are the authors of Heirloom Cooking with the Brass Sisters, also published by Black Dog & Leventhal (2008).


Marilynn Brass and Sheila Brass are home cooks with more than 119  years of experience between them. They have appeared in their own television cooking specials including The Brass Sisters Holiday on the Cooking Channel and The Brass Sisters: Queens of Comfort Food on WGBH, the PBS affiliate in Boston. They have also been guests on the Food Network's Bobby Flay's Throwdown and on PBS's Simply Ming, hosted  by Tsai Ming. They have also made appearances on Antiques Roadshow FYI. Heirloom Baking was nominated for the James Beard Foundation Award in the category of "Baking and Dessert." They are the authors of Heirloom Cooking with the Brass Sisters, also published by Black Dog & Leventhal (2008).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers (October 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579125883
• ISBN-13: 978-1579125882
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 1.1 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,582 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 82 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book to read, even if you never try the recipes October 20, 2006

By Executive and Mom

Format:Hardcover

I read a lot, have far more cookbooks than anyone would ever need, and have purchased books from Amazon for years, but I have never before felt so moved by a book that I just had to write a review. So, here is my first review.

These recipes are astoundling. Easy to make with ingredients on hand. Delicious. But more than all that, this is a wonderful cookbook to simply sit and enjoy. You can open it anywhere and find both a good recipe and relaxing insights into times gone by. The sisters who wrote the book love to bake, and that love shows up in each page, in the beautiful photos and in the nostalgic way the sisters speak of the women who, in cooking for their families, developed these recipes over decades past.

The recipes here, while based in days gone by, have all been updated for today's kitchen and are based in modern ingredients that are easy to find in any supermarket.

As anyone who bakes knows, baking is a science as well as an art, and the underlying chemistry is key to a successful outcome. In the first pages of the book, the sisters discuss the secrets that really good bakers know. Butter should not be salted, but sweet. Eggs should be at room temperature. etc. If you have ever wondered why you followed a baking recipe perfectly and the results were less than perfect, you will probably find your answer here.

So, get the cookbook to learn to bake. Get the cookbook for its simple, delicious recipes. Get the cookbook as a gift for someone you love. But most of all, get the cookbook for a relaxing glimpse of the world of our mothers and grandmothers. This is a wonderful, wonderful book.

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A gem of a book. November 6, 2006

By Stephanie J. Trillo

Format:Hardcover

I had a great opportunity at my work, Northeastern University, to attend a cooking-demo and book-signing by these two lovely ladies. Not only were they a hoot throughout their demonstration, but they also supplied us w/ a sampeling from this book to taste after the 2 recipies they made in 30 minutes or so.

I bought this book for myself as well as 2 other's for my mother and a close family friend. This book is THE perfect gift for someone setting up their first kitchen or newly entering the family. There is a chapter in the back of lined pages to preserve some of your own favorite or signature dishes as well as a great pocket to preserve or pass on some of your own.

I would see this as a perfect gift for a new bride with the addition of the women's families on both sides sharing some recipies in the pocket. Or simply a great place to put Grandma's Holiday Rolls that she gave you when you were first setting up house.

Preserving these recipies is a part of our families legacy and the Brass Sisters did a great job of making me assemble a list of recipies my mom use to bake all the time when I was growing up and ask her to make a copy for me to put there.

As far as the contents I would suggest that you try the Lemon Poppy Seed Coffee cake pg 41. It is easy fast and delish. My husband loves this cake and has asked me to make a few that he liked in the book.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic November 19, 2006

By Naomi Manygoats

Format:Hardcover

I got the book yesterday, made the brownies with cream cheese in the middle and almonds on top; despite using a much bigger pan than they said to use they were hands down the best brownies I have made.

Made the biscuits this morning and wonderful taste- I prefer mine in a cake pan touching each other, but they were the perfect taste- no sugar- yea!.....

can't wait to make the tart/cookies with raspberry jam inside... and I have to say I have SHELVES of baking books I have never tried any recipes from.