Customer Reviews

Luscious Berry Desserts

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

As I glance at the other reviews to date, I realize that there is a strong loyalty to this author. Count me in. I received Ms. Longbotham's lemon dessert book as a gift and loved it. When this one came out it sounded so good, and I knew it would be.

There is something so honest about the tone of the book--like it was written to include seekers like me who may not be advanced cooks, or who are time-challenged. I suppose these great recepies are eagerly used by gourmet cooks too, but they also work for less motivated cooks like me--inviitng but still easy to follow. That's the key for me. The book is clearly written by someone who loves her work.

I made the Lemon Layer Cake with Raspberry Curd. It was a smash hit at my book club dinner. There's lot's more to look forward to. I'm hooked. Thanks.

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.

Another Lori Longbotham wonder. I'm not much of a baker or dessert maker, but Lori's cookbooks make what comes after dinner just as exciting and rewarding as the main event. As with all her books, the photographs are a visual feast. And then the recipes turn out to be not just something to read about and look at before you go to bed, but so simple to make, and absolutely delicious. I love the interesting berry and spice combos, boysenberry with cardamom and strawberries with basil. And all the wonderful and unusual variations on custard sauces: bay leaf, ginger, fennel, lime and more. The blueberry upside-down ginger cake turned out amazingly as yummy and beautiful as in the picture. Be advised to start on this cookbook now while summer berries are so plentiful...you'll want to work your way through (and then hit the frozen berries all winter long!).

Happily, we have a new dessert cookbook from Lori Longbotham. Now Luscious Berry Desserts joins Luscious Lemon Desserts and Luscious Chocolate Desserts on our cookbook shelf. The more than 50 recipes are fantastic; and, as always, well tested. I am especially fond of the Lime & Thyme Blueberry Pound Cake. To me this gem is perfect with a beverage in the sun, as an afternoon treat. Given her sense of the savory, Ms. Longbotham's recipes often include an unanticipated combination of flavors like lime, thyme and blueberry - that are surprising and taste wonderful. There are equally enticing recipes in a chapter dedicated to flummeries, grunts, buckles, betties, crisps and cobblers. Ms. Longbotham encourages cooks to substitute available fresh berries, grown close to home whenever possible.

The range of recipes in Luscious Berry Desserts is also impressive. Marie's Blueberry Tart and the Raspberry Truffle Tart are perfect desserts for a formal dinner party; while Strawberries and Crème Fraīche and the Strawberry - Rhubarb Lattice Pie are already family favorites. As she has done in other volumes, Ms. Longbotham infuses the book with her very readable prose and includes a thorough discussion of the subject material - berries, as well as insightful techniques and hints that help the less experienced cook. Finally, there is an excellent chapter on Sauces, Toppings, Creams and a Truffle each recipe designed to expertly feature your favorite local berry treats.

At our house, salmonberries and blueberries ripen at the same time. These, coupled with home-grown raspberries we have frozen, form the basis for our version of Ms. Longbotham's Easiest Berry Terrine. Served by the slice with Crème Fraīche and topped with a drizzle of homemade raspberry cordial, this is an exquisite dessert to accompany any summer dinner. As my wife says, spooning up a bite, "you can taste the sun."

Lori has done it again! A fabulous tribute to summertime and berries. I'm not sure what aspect of the cookbook I love more, her lovely descriptions in the beginning of the book and the accompanying serving suggestions for each recipes, or the recipes themselves. Ths casual elegance of the chocolate biscuits shortcakes with strawberries romanoff makes a wonderful impression and it is delicious as well. All of her books are like non-fiction novels, educational and witty, encouraging the reader to take on the task of baking and enjoying the delicious ending. Thank you Lori. Looking forward to the next "novel".
Laura Beatini-Tappan
Hawthorne NJ

I was so excited to see a new book from Lori Longbotham. (I already have both lemon books and the chocolate book, and her " chocolate deck" is one of my favorite things to give as a gift.)
So far I have only made a couple of the recipes but with excellent results. The Boysenberry and Cardamom Toast Shortcake--I used blackberries instead--was so easy and delicious. And the Strawberry Hazelnut Crisp that I brought to a Fourth of July party was a huge hit. I have some blueberry bushes in my garden that are almost ready to pick; I can't wait to try the Blueberry-Ginger Upside-Down Cake.
I love Lori's friendly style and easy but innovative recipes.

Although I love berries, they are never as good on their own as they are with some embellishments. These recipes are simple to prepare, but taste really great. In addition, you can also use them with other kinds of fruit. And I got excellent reviews when I made a rhubarb flummery.

I love the anticipation of berry season in Arkansas. As I flip through the pages of cook books and magazines for ideas, Luscious Berry is like visiting an old friend. The book automatically opens Double-Crust Blueberry pie I can't count the number of times I have made it the pages are stained with berry juice and sugar. I do admit I have used store bought crust more times than not, in an effort to whip up something in a pinch, but making your own crust definitely makes it that much more delicious. I'm such a fan of Lori's work, because she is passionate about developing consistent recipes that highlight quality ingredients, that are easily executed by the experienced home cooks.