Review: Just Not Grandma's Cup of Tea
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 04 12, 2012
I wish I could say that I liked Joyce Middleton's latest,Decadent, Sinful Quick Breads (In the Pantry Quick Breads)as much as I did her previous book,Fresh Fruit Quick Breads (In the Pantry Quick Breads), but I don't.  While Joyce does include a properly formatted Table of Contents that interfaces correctly with the Kindle Navigation Menu, she also includes a wealth of sauces, syrups, scones, muffins, and bread pudding recipes that really aren't "quick breads."  There are actually only fifteen quick bread recipes, with the remainder of the book given over to extraneous stuff and frankly, some of them just do not sound attractive to me.  Cilantro in what would otherwise be a lovely Orange Cardamom bread or chocolate chips in Orange Cranberry just don't sound appealing.  Others feel like afterthoughts.  Walnut Maple Bread, for example contains a mere 1/4 cup of maple syrup, not close to enough to give a true maple flavor. (Do remember Grandma lives in Vermont and cooks with Maple all the time.)I would love to tell you that I found some of the Muffin recipes more attractive, but if anything I found them less so.  Some of the flavor profiles that Joyce used, such as Peanut Butter Cayenne Muffins, may be very nice in other things (this is the basic flavor profile of the peanut sauce that accompanies Thai Chicken Satay) but the idea of this as either a bread or a dessert just doesn't do much for Grandma.Grandma found not a single recipe that sparked her interest or her taste buds enough to even give it a try.  Only you can decide whether you'll feel the same.  Here is the Table of Contents, since Joyce didn't provide a Look Inside feature:DESSERT SAUCESCurd Lemon Curd VariationsCustard Custard Sauce VariationsFillingCream Cheese Filling VariationsSaucesButterscotch Sauce (Easy Caramel Sauce)Chocolate Sauce (White or Dark)Peanut Butter SauceDESSERT SYRUPSCoffee SyrupGreen Tea SyrupLemon Whiskey SyrupOrange SyrupDESSERT QUICK BREADSCoconut Banana Almond BreadCoconut Coffee Date Nut BreadCoconut Lemon Mint BreadCoconut Orange Basil BreadCoconut Rum BreadGrand Marnier Chocolate Cumin BreadOrange Cilantro Cardamom BreadOrange Cranberry Chocolate Chip BreadOrange Caramel Almond BreadWhiskey Walnut BreadWalnut Cherry Rum BreadWalnut Coffee Lemon BreadWalnut Maple BreadWalnut Pumpkin Cinnamon BreadRaisin Wine BreadDESSERT MUFFINSBlack and White Chocolate Peppermint MuffinsChocolate Chili MuffinsChocolate Caramel Espresso MuffinsChocolate Orange Cheese MuffinsDark Fudgy Chocolate MuffinsDouble Chocolate Custard Pistachio MuffinsPeanut Butter MuffinsPeanut Butter Cayenne MuffinsPeanut Butter Curry MuffinsPeanut Butter Raisin Chocolate Chip MuffinsPeanut Butter Turmeric Ginger MuffinsBasic Vanilla MuffinVanilla Butterfinger MuffinVanilla Almond Whiskey MuffinsVanilla Green Tea MuffinsVanilla Lavender MuffinsDESSERT SCONESMini Filled SconesCream Scones VariationsDESSERT BREAD PUDDINGChocolate Bread PuddingPeanut Butter Bread PuddingDelight Bread PuddingVanilla Apple Caramel Bread PuddingNOTE:  At the time that I posted this review no Look Inside feature was available for the book.  I assume that Joyce has since added it.