Customer Reviews

Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The recipes in this book are awesome! They aren't your typical dessert recipes, well it would be better to say they might be your typical desserts but kicked up a couple dozen notches! As you look through the cookbook you can do nothing but say "oh that sounds good, I wanna make that" or "yum" or any other phrases along those lines. I made the Hawaiian Caramel corn this weekend and it received rave reviews! Everyone LOVED it!

The author also does a very good job of explaining all the differences between ingredients, all the equipment you might need, and also says what things you want to use. In the introduction she also goes into detail on what brands of ingredients she used and there is even an appendix listing different places you can find these brands.

So if you like to make desserts that are to die for, you absolutely should get this book! I've only made the one thing so far, but the recipes don't seem to be overly complex or anything. They are relatively simple to make and very easy to understand the directions.

So far I have tried three of the recipes and each one has exceeded my expectations. The author does a great job of making world class desserts attainable by the average home chef wanna be like myself. The recipes are straight forward, easy to follow, yet the result is a rich sophisticated dessert that tastes like you purchased it from a bakery. I served the brownies this past weekend and every guest asked for the recipe. I highly recommend this book.

This book is a feast in every way. Gorgeous photographs, charming design (little ribbons and bows and sweet-shop-goodies galore); all of which keep me turning the pages, and trying to narrow my list of recipes to make next. Ms. O'Connor writes wonderfully; her prose is by turns hilarious, useful, interesting, moving, and fun to read, and her recipes and instructions and explanations give me a recipe box of sweet treats that I know I can actually make with great results. I love to bake, and know my basics, but she opens doors for me in this book. She "translates" the professional pastry kitchen (a foreign and intimidating land to me) such that I am able to create fabulous (and sometimes ambitious) treats for my family, company, bake sales, potlucks --- maybe I could even open my own bakery......
Nah, too much work. I'll just keep on reading and baking and stirring and saucing my way through this gem of a dessert book, purely for the pleasure of doing so.
'

Like most Chronicle cookbooks this one is beautifully laid out, with fun colors and designs, gorgeously delectable photographs of some of the recipes, and a simple, easy-to-read and -follow recipe format. It includes basic notes on equipment and ingredients.

Chapter 1 focuses on chocolate, with delights ranging from the somewhat familiar (Heart of Darkness Brownies, which are stuffed full of mouth-watering sinful ingredients) to the gourmet (Dark Chocolate Soup with Cinnamon-Toasted Pound Cake Croutons).

Chapter 2 is all about puddings. I don't know how anyone could resist such delights as Butterscotch Pots or Sticky Toffee Pudding. However, while I found the Coconut Milk-Cream Cheese Flan to be absolutely irresistible, the coconut flavor was so understated, as was the flan-like character, that it tasted as though it was a slightly smoother than normal crustless cheesecake with caramel sauce. Don't get me wrong, that's utterly sinful and delicious, but when you're expecting coconut flavor and hear the word 'flan' it's just not what you're expecting.

Chapter 3 is all about cookies, cakes, and pies. As much as I wanted to try the Gooey Caramel Butter Bars or the Honey Caramel-Pecan Phyllo Slices, I couldn't resist making the Nutty Coconut Macaroons (macaroons with three different kinds of toasted nuts in them). They were absolutely delightful, although the recipe's assertion that they would keep for up to two days in an airtight container didn't work out entirely well.

Finally, chapter 4 is filled with items 'for the kid in all of us'. Cheesecake milkshake sounds awesome, and someday I'll surely break down and make the Gingersnap Dulce de Leche Ice-Cream Sandwiches. But the piece de resistance must be the Quicky Sticky Biscuits. If you think you've had good sticky buns then you have to try these. I can still taste every nuance of pecan, sticky sauce, and buttery biscuit.

If you have good willpower and aren't worried about your fat or sugar intake, then absolutely pick up a copy of this cookbook; its recipes will bowl you over. As for me, I'm going to hide it in a deep, dark corner of the house and pray that I forget where I put it.

This is a truly delightful book and I highky recommend it. I loved the introduction in which the author discussed food references in some of my favorite children's book (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, the Little House series, etc.). I loved the pastel polka dots and stripes on each page(as if each page were a gift to the reader) as well as the literary quotes scattered throughout the book. Many recipes feature beautifully styled color photos.

The desserts featured are truly decadent (worth saving up your Weight Watchers points). Chapters include Sticky, Chewy Chocolate (chocolate-mayonnaise cupcakes with caramel-butterscotch buttercream frosting; chocolate caramel-pecan souffle cake), the Pudding Club (sticky toffee pudding; banana bread pudding with hot fudge and toasted walnuts), Cookies, Cakes & Pies (sticky pear and walnut upside-down gingerbread; butterscotch bourbon macademia nut pie), and Do Try This at Home (salted cashew toffee; cheescake pops; white trash panini).

There are several pages focused on individual ingredients (Which Whiskey, Cracking Coconuts, A Tale of Two Cocoas, Give Me Some Sugar) which were very informative and well-written.

I liked the author's fun tone, the scrumptious recipes and the beautiful photos and page styling so much I have already bought one for a friend for Christmas. If she enjoys it half as much as I have, I will consider it a well-received gift.

I just wished the author lived nearby so I could ivite her to join my book club...

This is the first cookbook I've ever bought from Jill O'Conner, and I immediatly decided I liked her writing as I was reading the introduction. I always read introductions in cookbooks, which a lot of people skip over, but I find them to be good reading.

Of course, you don't by a cookbook for it's introduction, you buy it for it's recipes. The book is divided into four chapters of recipe. Not a lot of chapters for a cookbook, but the quality is much more important then the quanity, and the quality is apparent.

The first chapter is devoted to chocolate, and while Marcel Desaulniers is the authority of chocolate recipes in my opinion, this recipes are all delicious. There are sixteen chocolate recipes, including; triple-layer chocolate silk martini, chocolate caramel pecan souffle cake, and sugar-crusted brownie sundaes.

The second chapter entitled "the pudding club," is full of recipes for all different types of puddings. There are twelve recipes, including; cinnamon doughnut bread pudding, risotto rice pudding, and dark chocolate pudding.

The third chapter is devoted to cookies, cakes, and pies. Twenty-three recipes are included, including; fig cake, caramel butter bars, and maple walnut pie.

The last chapter is "do try this at home," which are recipes for the kid in you. There are eighteen recipes including; cheesecake pops, sticky biscuits, and dirty banana sundaes.

There are an adequate amount of color photos. The book is enough to make me want to order every other one of Jill O'Conner's books.

This book is AMAZING. I am not a "new" cook, but being only 22 and married for less than a year, i still have alot to learn. But this book gives such wonderful instructions that anyone who has done basic baking can follow. Plus i LOVE the tips that are scattered throughout the book- particularly about the perfect pie dough. My specialty has been apple pie for a few years. I made Jill O'Connor's apple pie and my husband raved for 2 weeks about it! He is NOT a sweets person, and can't have a lot of sugar due to a medical condition but he always asks for her sugar crusted brownies with Buttercream frosting.

In short, this is not a beginners book but is wonderful for those who want to step up their baking skills to the next level in a simple easy way. It has interesting recipes that will have people asking due to their creativity. I do not exaggerate when i say that it is the BEST baking book i have ever gotten!

I have made 3 recipes out of this book so far and I've only had it for a week! Each one has been great! I do agree with people that the font is very hard to read, so get out your good glasses and go for it. Lets face it can you go wrong with chocolate soup with cinnamon toast pound cake croutons??? Oh the pound cake is made with cream cheese....good! What about chocolate mascarpone cheesecake pots with shortbread spoons. Nothing like eating it all and the cheesecake pops. I took some to work and could have got 3 orders for them. There are several more I can't wait to try!

I'm an experienced cook and baker as well as a sucker for cookbooks, so I have many dessert books to turn to. Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey is my absolute favorite though, and I'm giving copies for Christmas this year. I've never had a failure from this book, and every recipe I've tried has been fabulous. I'd especially recommend the coconut milk-cream cheese flan (your guests will nearly weep with happiness) and the sticky toffee pudding, which is swoon-worthy (and stays fresh and fab in the fridge for several days). There are no duds though, and every one you try will be delicious. Further, the author has a nice touch with text, and her hints and explanations are fun to read and very helpful. My one mild complaint is that the baking times seem somewhat off, even though my oven thermometer tests accurate (my flan takes an hour and a half to finish, for example, not the 50 to 60 minutes called for). But that's a small thing that can be corrected, and baked goods should always be watched closely anyway. You'd have to pry this book from my cold, dead hands!

This is a great dessert book! First, there is nothing diet about this cookbook; it is all about full-fat, seriously indulgent desserts. There are lots of pictures along with the recipes, which is nice. It's also a fun read with lots of personal notes accompanying the recipes.

My favorite recipe is the sticky toffee pudding. I had never made sticky toffee pudding before, but it was rich and super satisfying. One small asterisk to this book: watch the yields in the recipes. For example, the sticky toffee pudding says that it makes 12 servings, which are baked in a muffin tin. My (standard) muffin tin was overflowing with batter once it began to rise in the oven, and I ended up with 12 conjoined puddings that looked nothing like the pretty picture. Not a huge deal since I wasn't serving them to company, but it's just something to note. Overall, though, it's a fun cookbook with some delicious recipes.