Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking

“You can bake like a Southerner no matter where you live,” writes Day (The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook) in this impressive compilation of baked goods hailing from and adapted in Southern states. Inspired by the handwritten recipes passed down from her great-great-grandmother and a passion for collecting old Southern cookbooks, Day supplements her delectable offerings with fascinating historical context: “Before vanilla extract was widely available,” she writes in her apple rose pie recipe, “the most popular flavoring in America was rose water.” Alongside Southern staples peach cobbler, hummingbird cake, and golden buttermilk chess pie, she shares enticing savory options as well—such as summer tomato pie, parmesan-rosemary-pecan shortbread, and cornmeal cheese waffles. Other palatable choices include salty honey bars, crispy cheese crackers (an “addictive party snack” made with crisped rice cereal), and strawberry black pepper butter. Day also devotes a detailed section to jam making and teaches readers how to can for long-term use. Her easy-to-follow steps and tricks (like blanching peaches to perfectly peel them) will boost confidence and help refine baking techniques so that “every day is worthy of a special treat from the kitchen.” This is an excellent guide for novice and experienced bakers looking to add a little Southern charm to their repertoire. (Oct.)