THYME FOR DESSERT: Sweets and Treats Inspired by the Flavours of the Pacific Northwest Coast, beautiful gift item

THYME FOR DESSERT: Sweets and Treats Inspired by the Flavours of the Pacific Northwest Coast
DL ACKEN with AURELIA LOUVET
Touchwood Editions (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$17.99 Kindle edition, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Thyme for Dessert is a stunningly photographed and practically minded celebration of West Coast flavours for the sweet-toothed that is sure to delight locals and visitors alike.

This decadent book of dessert recipes embraces the varied flavours of the West Coast, drawing from its abundant wild and cultivated plants and from its rich medley of cultures to create mouthwatering local recipes. Covering cookies, bars, breads, cakes, pies, pastries, and frozen desserts, you’ll find treats for sugar-lovers and savoury dessert fans alike in this small but mighty cookbook perfectly sized for everyday kitchen use. With ample suggestions for substitutions and a section on preserving, the home chef will find these recipes practical enough to incorporate into daily life and unique enough to impress on special occasions.

Thyme for Dessert includes every type of West Coast from local plants like spruce tips and haskaps, and abundant introduced vegetation like blackberries and zucchinis, as well as iconic staples from vibrant local immigrant communities such as garam masala and truffles. DL Acken's latest cookbook is a gorgeous tribute to the rich flavours of her home region that showcases delicious sweets that will entice locals and visitors alike.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Fascinating take on eating local. The recipes are different, like herbed marshmallows (huh?):

...seems a weird idea to me, but one really never knows until tasting it if it can be counted a success. At least the idea of eating these marshmallows doesn't sound appalling like eating a plain one does.

There are, of course, chocolate recipes as well, with a very intersting herbal twist:

...which sound like fun to eat. I want to try the swirled-chocolate lemon balm ones. I like the idea of dark-chocolate/spruce tips truffles, but where to find spruce tips in New York...? It's very much a book aimed at the Pacific Coasters. But the truth is, like any recipes written at all well, the principles can be adapted to the nice-smelling stuff in your garden.

Of course, no dessert book could possibly exist without some kind of pastry:

...like these pretty little cannoli...miso cannoli, to be exact, filled with lemony chèvre crème. Do what now? Goat's-milk cheese in cannoli? I sat and thought about that, and after re-reading the recipe, thought it *could* be tasty though I think I'd add a smidge of vanilla to the chèvre myownself, or use maple sugar...possibly even syrup.

So enjoying cookbooks as I do, enjoying the beauty of the photos as I do, I recommend this as a unique gift for a dessert-baking friend, a nostalgic PNW transplant, or that quirky bud who thinks it weird desserts would be fun to spring on the in-laws.

The introduction, the contents page, and a couple fruit still lifes with the recipes made from them might convince you to get this little luxury item for that special gift for a very special someone.

information

peaches

apples

plums

I know I would've jumped up and down if I'd ever got one of these. Any baker, cook, or dreamer will as well.