Author: Wendy Paul
Publisher: Front Table Books
ISBN: 978-1-4621-1200-5

“Each recipe is designed to be easy and quick, taking less time away from your families and friends without compromising on taste and quality. Because this is what we all want: more time for the things that matter most,” Wendy Paul writes in her cookbook, 101 Gourmet No-Bake Desserts in a Jar.

Part of the 101 Gourmet series, this one hundred and seventy-six page spiral hardbound targets those looking for quick put-together desserts that involve jars. Although the title states the recipes require no baking, there is sometimes cook-top preparation. Almost all of the “gifts in a jar” do necessitate using an oven in their accompanied gift instructions. Full page color photographs incorporate almost half of the concoctions. The book ends with an index, author and photographer’s biographies, and advertisements for four other books.

After offering tips on where to obtain jars, how to prepare the desserts, and suggest substitutes for fruits, the author touts using mason jars with lids, mini candle holders, shot glasses, small vases, clear plastic glasses, and baby food jars.

Recipes are divided into six categories: sixteen “Fruity and Fabulous,” fifteen “The Sweetness of Chocolate,” thirty-two “Holiday Treats,” eight “Toppings,” nine “The Bottom Layer,” and thirteen “Gifts in a Jar.”

With color-coded pages, the recipe title is at the top of the page with a sentence showing its specialty, followed by a list ingredients as well as capitalized instructions and variations. Only a few preparation times or serving sizes are noted. Often there are notations for presentation and servings referred at the beginning of the book.

Some of the finished desserts are lemonade pie, orange creamsicle, bananas foster trifle, blackberry goat cheese cheesecake, strawberry mousse, triple chocolate fudge, dark chocolate silk, white chocolate raspberry trifle, dulce de leche cream, strawberry pretzel pie, peppermint trifle, flower pop, lemon avocado mousse, and carrot cheesecake.

Toppings include basil whipped cream, chocolate ganache, and mint chocolate fudge sauce to name a few. Layers listed mention graham cracker, coconut, vanilla, almond, roasted peanut, and pretzel crusts.

Although more time consuming to assemble in a jar, the gifts range from white chocolate cranberry or toffee bars to triple chocolate cookies and coconut butterscotch blondies.

With many of the treats including heavy cream or various flavored instant pudding mixes, quick delights can be simply arranged and enjoyed by family and friends from the recipes provided in this book.

Thanks to Cedar Fort for furnishing this complimentary book in exchange for a review based on the reader’s honest opinion.

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