midwest made: BIG, BOLD BAKING FROM THE HEARTLAND

When it comes to defining what we know as all-American baking, everything from Bundt cakes to brownies have roots that can be traced to the great Midwest. German, Scandinavian, Polish, French, and Italian immigrant families baked their way to the American Midwest, instilling in it pies, breads, cookies, and pastries that manage to feel distinctly home-grown.

After more than a decade of California living, author Shauna Sever rediscovered the storied, simple pleasures of home baking in her Midwestern kitchen. Her travels, tastings, research, and recipe testing gave way to her fourth cookbook, and what she calls the five tenets of Midwest baking: Bake Big, Bake Easy, Bake with Purpose, Bake from the Past, Bake in the Present. This love letter to America’s Heartland contains more than 125 recipes, including refreshed favorites like lofty Rhubarb and Raspberry Swedish Flop, flaky Danish Kringle, Secret-Ingredient Cherry Slab Pie, spiced German Lebkuchen, chocolate-slicked Scotch-a-Roos, Smoky Cheddar-Crusted Cornish Pasties, and more, which will make any kitchen feel like a Midwestern home.

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Marshmallow Madness

“Wait, you can MAKE marshmallows?!”

Translated and published in four different languages—English, French, German, and Czech—Marshmallow Madness! shows how to whip up dozens of fluffy, puffy flavors--from classics like Vanilla and Strawberry to Buttered Rum, Root Beer Float, Maple Bacon, and more. Also included are easy recipes for homemade graham crackers, drinks for mallow dunking, and a host of irresistible desserts, including Lemon Dream Whoopie Pies, Blonde Rocky Road, and S'mores Cupcakes.

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Pure Vanilla

Who says vanilla isn’t sexy? Harvested from the pods of beautiful and exotic orchids, vanilla is a delicious flavor enjoyed by people all over the world. Pure Vanilla celebrates its unique taste with a stunning array of recipes, from cakes and cookies to custards and creams. Indulge in Glazed Vanilla Bean Doughnuts, Vanilla Cloud Cake, and Vanilla Bean Meringue Kisses and Sea Salt Caramels. Cozy up with a bowl of Warm Vanilla Rice Pudding or a steaming mug of Malted White Hot Chocolate. Spread Golden Pear Vanilla Jam on your breakfast pastries or serve up a bowl of the world’s most popular ice cream flavor—all made from scratch.
 
With a complete history of vanilla from orchid to extract, Pure Vanilla provides the origins and tasting notes for all of today’s varieties—plus 80 recipes and dozens of photographs. Also included are recipes for Homemade Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Sugar, and Vanilla-Infused Liquors. So step aside, chocolate! It’s time for Pure Vanilla.

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real Sweet

Fall in love with the magic of natural sugars!

From honey and pure maple syrup to smoky muscovado, exotic coconut sugar, and more, there's a world of white-sugar alternatives just waiting to add mind-blowing flavor to your home baking. Real Sweet is the first naturally sweet baking book that's more "hip" than "hippie"—chockablock with eighty-plus recipes ranging from family-friendly favorites to dinner-party showstoppers. This irresistible collection includes Breakfast Cookies; Dark, Fudgy Muscovado Brownies; Raw Sugar and Mascarpone Caramels; and Maple Cream, Chocolate, and Walnut Tart—all without a speck of refined white sugar.

This natural-sugars primer also shares tricks for converting your favorite white-sugar recipes, making Real Sweet the go-to inspiration source for the exciting range of natural and unrefined sugars and sweeteners on the market today.