Retro Desserts: Totally Hip, Updated Classic Desserts from the '40s, '50s, '60s, and '70s

`Retro Desserts' by Wayne Harley Brachman, noted Bobby Flay pastry chef and colleague, is, with no great surprise to me, about as much like similarly titled kitsch books as the Stephen Spielberg movie, `Raiders of the Lost Ark' is like the 12 episode adventure serials of the 1930's it was meant to glorify. I recently reviewed a `Retro Baking' volume that is part of a whole series of `Retro' titles. This has all the faults you may expect in such a title, all the faults which Brachman's book avoids with great aplomb. As I noted in my review of Brachman's most recent work, `American Desserts', Wayne is one of only two major culinary writer / educators who successfully incorporates humor into their work, the other being Food Network colleague Alton Brown. Thankfully, their humor is so different from one another that you can enjoy both without hearing echos of one in the other. While Alton Brown emulates Stan Freberg and Ernie Kovacs, Wayne Harley Brachman takes his inspiration from Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, and Mel Brooks. So much for the review of comedy in this book. The creativity with the baking is really the main attraction. This is important because Brachman is not taking from the gemutlichkeit of the past to add luster to his book, he is giving to us an understanding of past famous desserts with master class level recipes making all recipes from scratch materials rather than the baking mixes which began being marketed in the 1940s and 1950s. This is not a gimmick or a deviation from message. These recipes were, in fact, presented by the baking product companies, as is, to create markets for their base products to compete with Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines. One of the few deviations from true retro recipes is to use cooked eggs rather than raw whenever possible to eliminate any lurking salmonella from contaminated eggs. Otherwise, in the introduction, Brachman states that almost all recipes were reformulated from `authentic period recipes collected from vintage magazines,...'. Some are composites of several recipes and `in a few cases, they are actually retro fakes'. But this really doesn't matter, since except for chapter six (see below), the real attraction of these recipes is the high quality of Brachman's `from scratch' recipe and the retro presentations which will fit so well into a 50's entertaining scheme. The very reasonably priced book, with a list price of $30, has ten chapters, presenting ten different types of recipes. Practically the only argument I have with the book is that the sixth chapter, `The Posh Nosh - Classic Desserts of the Fancy-Pants Restaurants' should have been first, since the recipes in this chapter are by far the most recognizable to 21st century survivors of the last mid-century. The stars of this chapter are Cherries Jubilee, Bananas Foster, Strawberries Romanoff, Crepes Suzette, Baked Alaska, Peach Melba, Belgian Waffles, and Fondues. A sidebar at the end of this chapter contains my only other disappointmen

I totally loved this book. It isn't hard to see why Mr. Brachman was selected as one of the ten best pastry chefs in America, he may well be the next Martha Stewart! It takes personality and character to create a masterful cookbook, and these are combined to perfection in this book.I have already tried seven of the recipes in this book, and intend to try many more in the months to come; I just bought the book last week! Truly a must have for any baker.Do yourself a favor and at least check this book out! After glancing through it you'll be sold.

If your mother ever baked for you as a kid or you ever had dessert at a Woolworth's lunch counter or local diner, this book's for you. With every page you turn, you'll be saying "I remember that!".The recipe's are simple and clear with a picture of every dessert. The pie section alone is worth the trip. You won't be disappointed in this selection.

I have recently received this book and I am very happy with it. The directions are very clear and there are many photos, but you know what I like most of this book? That you find there recipes that you do not find in other baking books! Caramel-coated apples, after dinner mints, and the homemade version of the famous Oreo chocolate cookie! Fantastic. It's true that I have changed the recipe a little bit: I have used 1/4 CUP MORE COCOA for the cookie (I found the original too chewy! And do not forget to keep them in an airtight container or it will become soft due to the amount of sugar added). But I was looking for this recipe since long ago. Now I have it. And the Blackout cake is delicious. If you want something different, buy this book, you will not be dissapointed!

This dessert book takes us back to a time before people were afraid to eat. Before low carb, high protein, no sugar,etc. was the rage. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and I can tell you that happy people tend to live longer than unhappy people, and making these desserts will keep people HAPPY! Has anyone noticed that Julia Child has lived much longer than Jim Fixx? Most of the well known great chefs are living a long, long time. The Chocolate Blackout Cake in this book is THE BEST, as well as the other 8 recipes I have tried. Order this book, use it, and enjoy. You will not be disappointed.