cover image Atlanta Classic Desserts: Recipes from Favorite Restaurants

Atlanta Classic Desserts: Recipes from Favorite Restaurants

Krista Reese. Pelican Publishing Company, $15.95 (95pp) ISBN 978-1-58980-621-4

In this slim but winning collection, local food writer Reese gives armchair gourmands the grand dessert tour of Atlanta, highlighting notable restaurants and signature desserts. Those expecting Southern standards will find them in classics like Coca Cola Cake, Warm Peach Cobbler (served in a mason jar!) and Peanut Butter Pie (from famous Mary Mac's Tea Room), but these are the exceptions. Reese wisely focuses on rising chefs and establishments that are expanding Atlanta's palate; some dishes, such as Aria's labor-intensive S'mores, are probably best experienced in situ, but a refreshing number of recipes are well within any home cook's capabilities. Taqueria Los Hermanos' Tres Leches Cake relies on a box cake mix and is ready for baking in a matter of minutes; Woodfire Grill's Apple Crisp is a simple and satisfying way to bolster dessert-making self-confidence. A number of recipes are so decadent-like Rathbun's Gooey Toffee Cake and the Fried Oreos that grace the cover-they'll likely inspire non-cooks to give the mixer a spin. Fair warning: though your diners may never have made it down South, they may well experience a spontaneous desire for rocking chairs, front porches and (especially after Bourbon Ice Cream) unseasonable heat. Color photos.