July 27, 2014

The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook by Brent Ridges and Josh Kilmer-Purcell

Book Blurb:

Dr. Brent Ridge and New York Times bestselling author Josh Kilmer-Purcell are not your average couple: The two Manhattanites left their big city lives behind, and found themselves living in bucolic Sharon Springs, New York, where they became “accidental goat farmers.” But what began as a way to reconnect with their own style of modern country living soon exploded into a wildly successful brand, Beekman 1802, named after their historic home. Brent and Josh are now world-renowned for producing everything from magnificent handcrafted goat’s milk soaps to artisanal Blaak cheese, and now, with The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook, they’re bringing their special vintage-modern touch to classic, remarkable recipes bound to become family favorites year after year.

The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook will show off the delicious and decadent recipes that the Beekman Boys have collected from across the generations of their family, from Brent’s grandmother’s Fourth of July Fruitcake to Josh’s mother’s Hot Chocolate Dumplings. Each recipe will be accompanied by a personal memory from the authors or a story about how that recipe came to be. With eco-conscious and vintage-oriented food production gaining traction as a major culinary trend, this beautiful package will reel in readers, whether they’re nostalgic for some classic Americana in their kitchen or just hankering for the perfect Blackberry Betty recipe.

The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook is about as authentic as you can find when it comes to old-fashioned baking. The authors, Brent Ridges and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, divided the cookbook into seasons rather than baking chapters, bringing a bit of their farm life into their recipes.

Even the names of the recipes inspire you to dig in and try, and each bring their own images of old recipes growing up – with a modern twist: Red Currant Jelly Cake; Blackberry Betty; Malted Milk Chocolate Cake; Tarte Tatin; Sweet Green Tomato Hand Pies; and Chocolate-Espresso Soup with Marshmallows.

Like most ‘vintage’ recipes, the ingredient lists are easy to find (much are within reach in the pantry), and procedures are easy to replicate. And in doing so, both authors make their recipes the ones to pass down. And the great photography is nice, too.

Images below are snapshots of the great photography, too. Click each for a larger picture.