Known for her blog, Salted and Styled, and her first cookbook, The Whole Hog Cookbook, Libbie Summers turns to desserts in this sassy and delicious compilation of sweet treats. From Good and Plenty Cupcakes (yes, those pink and white candies are part of the mix) to Jacked-Up Ginger Cookies with ground and fresh ginger in the dough, to Jalapeño "Sort of Shortbread" Cookies, which are as spicy and addicting as they sound, Summers takes typical desserts and twists them in such a way that old favorites become new delights.
Covering cakes, pastries, pies and cookies--as well as some treats for any dogs in the house--Summers combines cayenne, cinnamon, vanilla paste and a variety of flavored extracts with unusual ingredients such as golden beets to create desserts that spark the taste buds and add a bit of zip to the last course on the menu. A section on savory breads balances out the abundance of sweets and includes Meatball Muffins, a spicy meatball tucked into a marinara sauce-filled batter; Forgiveness Naan, a garlic-butter flatbread; and "Boat Bagels," crusty bagels topped with garlic and bacon. Rich in butter, sugar and spice, these recipes are not for the dieter or the faint of heart. With 100 recipes to choose from, it'll be hard for readers to decide where to start, but try the "Wahini Pie," a macadamia nut version of the traditional pecan pie, and there'll be no going back to your old recipes. --Lee E. Cart, freelance writer and book reviewer