Luscious Berry Desserts [Hardcover]

Lori Longbotham (Author), James Carrier (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 25, 2006

This delightful cookbook from the author of Luscious Lemon Desserts and Luscious Chocolate Desserts is for anyone who has ever snuck just the plumpest, ripest strawberry straight from the basket; believed raspberries should have their own special food group; and never met a blueberry they didn't like. Each recipe is bursting with ideas for buying and trying every wonderful variety, be it sticky-sweet heart-shaped strawberries, deep purple boysenberries, or juicy ripe blackberries. Whether it's creamy layers of brightly colored raspberry curd that transform a classic lemon cake into a visual masterpiece almost too gorgeous to eat (almost), a simple spoonful of cool and custardy blueberry pudding (with the added bonus of those healthy antioxidants), or a traditional and irresistible strawberry shortcake topped with a scoop of strawberry-orange sorbet, this is the ultimate ode to the berry. Tips, tricks, and other techniques of the trade, such as pureeing berries and cutting out biscuits, ensure that the pound cake, tart, sauce, or ice cream comes out perfectly every time. For desserts at the berry top of their game, look no further than Luscious Berry Desserts.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Former Gourmet editor Longbotham never met a berry she didn't like. Strawberries are "summer's brightest jewel"; raspberries have "flesh like soft velvet"; blueberries are "a dazzling bright blue." Her introduction, which will feel familiar to readers of her Luscious Lemon Desserts, shares botanical facts and practical advice. While some of it is specific (how to keep blueberry batter from turning blue or green), much of it is general and aimed at novices (for instance, standard instructions on measuring flour by spooning it into the cup). Skip the prefaces to the recipes—nearly everything is "great," "fabulous" or Longbotham's "favorite"—and there remains the classic gamut of pies, cakes, puddings and topped desserts. (Unlike many writers, Longbotham distinguishes knowledgeably among cobblers, crisps, betties, buckles and grunts.) While most recipes involve baking from scratch (although they are not daunting), the instructions for Square Strawberry Puff Pastry Tart suggests readers use all-butter packaged puff pastry such as Dufour's—sound advice but outside sophisticated markets you may have to order online. Carrier's lovely photographs and a preponderance of pink and purple pages add to the summer weekend gift-book feel. (July)
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About the Author

Lori Longbotham is a former food editor for Gourmet . She currently contributes articles to a variety of magazines, including Health , Organic Style , Good Housekeeping , and Fine Cooking . She makes her home in the New York City area.

A California native, James Carrier specializes in food, lifestyle, and interior photography. His many clients include Country Home , Elle décor , Better Homes & Gardens , and Pottery Barn .

Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (May 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811844145
• ISBN-13: 978-0811844147
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.8 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #388,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Razzle Dazzle July 21, 2006

By Suburban Foodie

Format:Hardcover

Lori has done it again! I had to rush out to the farm stand and buy all the berries I could find. The fresh light blueberry pie is so perfect with a touch of lemon and my favorite cinnamon. It's not cloying or glue-y, a real classic. The 2-ingredient biscuit is my favorite new discovery. Worth buying the book for! As for the elegant and glistening terrine, any hostess will want this one in her repertoire. Thank you Lori for another class act. Well written and beautiful to boot.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars yum July 14, 2006

By lucidbooks

Format:Hardcover

What I like most about this book is the recipes tend to be modern classics with flavors that make sense. It's obviously not written by a pastry chef whose lost touch with how people bake at home and you're not forced to run around looking for some exotic ingredient.

From what I've tried so far, the recipes are very reliable. I like to cook and find that I often tweak recipes to make them work, but not the ones I've tried from this book. I've made the Strawberry Panna Cotta twice and what could possibly be better than strawberries and cream. It's a divine combo.

I don't get "wild" blueberries so I used nice fat ones to make the Blueberry Marzipan Custard and it was fantastic.

I get a lot of cookbooks and have to cull them sometimes to make room for those I actually USE. This one's a keeper. I'll go back to it many times if only for that unbelievable Raspberry Curd. Holy cow. That's good.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great gift August 7, 2006

By SouthernSweetTooth

Format:Hardcover

I've given all Lori Longbotham's Luscious books to my sister in North Carolina, who really likes to bake (and she's mad about lemons, so that's how our tradition got started). She made the blueberry cheescake first, and her whole family loves it. The berry title really appealed to me too because I love fruit, and berries seem to be the only kind of fruit I can really depend on anymore to be consistently tasty. I was glad to see this book includes recipes for frozen berries, too, which I have found to be quite good, easy to come by, and inexpensive. I tried the Strawberry crumble first, which uses fresh strawberries and hazelnuts--it was so easy to make and so good. Anybody, of any age, would love it. Next time I'm going to try adding the crystallized ginger Lori suggests. That's a great idea. The book is full of great ideas. (The banana whipped cream IS great on fresh strawberries.) This Luscious Berries book and the Luscious Chocolate book pair very well--MY two favorite dessert choices.