by Alan Rosen & Beth Allen
The Taunton Press, $24.95, 185 pages
Super-rich desserts, anyone? Here is a cookbook for you. The desserts are from four East Coast restaurants called “Junior’s” and most recipes claim to be “the best,” “world-famous,” or “fabulous.” The recipes range from cheesecakes and cakes to cookies and cupcakes, and even soda fountain desserts. What they all have in common is their sky-high calorie counts. Take rice pudding: each serving contains eight ounces of whipping cream for a total calorie count of 832 calories! A recipe for breaded and fried cheesecake slices will likely be well over 1000 calories per serving.
Recipe instructions are clear but very long – it seems the authors were writing for new bakers yet most recipes would scare novice bakers quickly. The recipes are involved, and many require one or two additional preparations, which appear in other pages, before assembling. Even such a simple recipe as one for cupcakes will keep you working in the kitchen for a while. Each recipe is accompanied by head notes, which are not very informative fillers. The professional illustrations are beautiful but the layout is poor. For most recipes, you will flip the pages back and forth while following instructions. The index is poor, inadequately cross referenced, and totally misses some recipes.