The backstories in this book make the cookbook a worthwhile purchase. I’m not sure if the recipes were chosen because of their backstory or if the backstories dictated the inclusion of certain recipes. To be sure, some of these aren’t inclusions are not what I think of with southern food. However, they all look good. I haven’t prepared any of the dishes, but I have several marked to try.

Some will say that they came for the recipes but stayed for the history. Others will say it is the history of the cooks, chefs, bakers etc. that added additional value to this book including the Lee Brothers and an Edna Lewis recipe that Anne Byrn brings together in this collection. Some might say the pictures alone had them sold on trying all of the recipes.

I say it is all the above starting with the traditional southern recipe expectations including cornbread, biscuits (cathead, lemon, or shortcake biscuits anyone)..

The diversity of southern bakers is fully on display because I had to stop and double take when I got to a recipe for flan. Then I had to stop and read and reread a recipe for cantaloupe cream pie.

With so many recipes to try and perfect I am looking forward to adding my own touch to some traditional American south baking staples. I may have to wait for the right occasion for the heavenly chocolate-tomato sheet cake but the pineapple upside down cupcakes are a sure hit.

This cookbook beautifully captures the essence of Southern baking, offering a rich collection of recipes from 14 states. Drawing inspiration from churches, home kitchens, farms, department stores, and more, it goes beyond the recipes themselves. What sets this cookbook apart is you’re not just learning how to bake, but also uncovering the history and traditions behind the recipes. It’s a journey into Southern traditions that makes each bake better.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expresses are mine.

I absolutely loved this baking book and I loved that the recipes are well written ,easy to follow and replicate. I particularly loved the fact that the recipes had ingredients I could find easily. Cannot wait to show off some cool bakes over the holidays. Recommend .

Rating:3.5

Baking in the American South

The Author discusses how many recipes were brought to the US by many of the enslaved black cooks from West Africa. She discusses how she converted many of the old recipes to work today.

She discusses many of the techniques, ingredients, equipment, and methods by which to achieve success in preparing and cooking the many southern recipes baked in many southern homes.

Additionally, the author provides many mouth-watering recipes from a variety of cornbread, muffins, cakes, pies, waffles, to pancakes, fritters, and many other deserts.

This is a book of great old-fashioned recipes, which have been preserved through the years.

I truly enjoyed reading this book of recipes and highly recommend it to other for a life-long enjoyment of delicious baking.

Anne Byrn's "Baking in the American South" is a delightful baking book with simple instructions and a clear, well-organized layout. The recipes are easy to follow, making it perfect even for beginners. The beautiful photos add a touch of Southern charm and inspire readers to dive right into baking. This book is a great source of inspiration for anyone eager to explore classic American desserts from the South.

I wanted to eat everything in this book. A must for any American kitchen and anyone who loves to bake. Good for experienced and novice baskets alike.

As someone who loves both history and baking, Anne Byrn's "Baking in the American South" was a pleasure to read. While many cookbooks are simply reference guides for recipes, this one is a walk through the history of the south and how it's beloved desserts came to be on the table at church potlucks, backyard barbecues, holiday buffets, and every week at Sunday supper. While I have my own favorite recipes passed down to me by my grandmothers, I'm excited to try these many variations on those classics. I might just have to add a Sweet Potato Custard Pie to my Thanksgiving table this year, and I'll be trying the Cantaloupe Cream Pie once they are in season come summer.

As Byrn says in this book, the recipes found inside are "both humble and haughty. They're put together with what you have on hand or made of extravagant ingredients and planned well in advance." With recipes from Mr. Duncan Hines himself, to adaptations of Byrn's own family recipes, this cookbook will be an excellent addition to any kitchen's library.

This was a pretty good baking cookbook, but it was not fully what I expected when thinking of southern food. It was very specific and honestly different than what you normally find when looking for southern dishes. I tried a few of the recipes and they were good either way


Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

This is a fantastic cookbook! The recipes are unique and every recipe in this has a story behind it which is refreshing. There are recipes for cornbread, biscuits, breads, waffles, fritters, cakes, puddings, pies, tarts, cookies,bars,frostings,sauces and glazes. The photos throughout are wonderful. If you're a fan of Southern food or are interested in trying it, then I think this is a great cookbook for you! Special Thank You to Anne Byrn,Harper Celebrate and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Gorgeous cookbook. Beautiful color slides and delicious recipes with a little write up on the history of each one as well as lots of interesting historical information on Southern baking.

This is a really neat cookbook & it is different than a lot of the cookbooks I have looked at. I love that it focused on Baking in the southern states of the United States. The author did a great job of diving into the stories behind these recipes and their history in the south as well as the people behind the recipes. Ever recipe had some information about it's origins which I really enjoyed. It is fun to not just try a recipe but to also learn about it! There are so many recipes in this book, I am sure anyone who loves to bake would love it and could find something to make for everyone in their life because of the huge variety in the book.

With 200 recipes and their backstories, 'Baking in the American South' celebrates the diverse and enduring legacy of Southern baking. Byrn features a wide range of recipes from classic pecan pies and buttermilk biscuits to lesser-known specialties like sweet potato pone and bourbon-infused cakes. As a sixth generation Australian with no ties to the American South, I'm looking forward to trying some of these!

All the old favorites are in this volume of recipes from an author of well respected letters. The writing and step by step method allows the reader to experiment and explore biscuits , pies and cakes that are revered in the south. It is well researched and the photographs can make you gasp. The hard part is deciding where to begin. The easy part is finding a loved one to take one more bite. It was a delight to read and more fun to explore.

Some lovely dishes in this cook book. I found ti a bit disappointing that there was not photos for every recipe and there was a lot of reading involved.
Looking forward to trying the recipes.

This is a delightful cookbook! I've enjoyed learning about a whole style of cooking I've never tried before. This is extremely different from my own birth culture, and it was very fun to learn about it!

This is a unique cookbook/history of Southern recipes. I loved that in one of the intro sections, it listed Conversions of Common Measures from Old Recipes (i.e. "butter the size of a walnut). The recipes are in chapters: Sizzling Cornbread; Hot Biscuits; Quick Loaves, Griddle Cakes, Waffles, and Fritters; Rolls, Breads, and Yeast-Raised Cakes; Comforting Puddings; Pies Plain and Fancy; Bake Me a Cake; Cookies and Bars by the Dozen; and Frostings and Flourishes. While the recipes in the cornbread and biscuits chapters are multiple variations of basically the same food item, the other chapters have a lot of variety. I really enjoyed how the chapters started with a background/history essay, and then ingredient information and the recipes followed. The recipe sources range from famous chefs and authors to the Carter White House to Southern Women both famous and not. The book has beautiful color photography and would be a wonderful cookbook library addition or gift for someone who loves Southern food and/or baking.

Fascinated by southern baking....

I'm fascinated by southern baking and this book delivers gorgeous photos and lovely recipes from the south. Some very regional recipes I haven't seen before, too.
Highly recommend.

Baking in the American South combines an academic history lesson, the best of church bake sales and cookbooks with a large part of cooking at your grandmothers elbow, the sheer amount of corn bread recipes is testament to this. But the book os better for it, it is a tome and if there is a recipe you tasted once and want to recreate this is thr book to help you do it!!

It is warm and interesting and, from what I tested delicious, although I have barely made a dent in the cornbread recipes to date!

What a great resource for baking up Southern favorites! I was amazed by all the recipes, helpful tips, list of best brands of ingredients to use, the history behind each recipe, and the wonderful photos that made my mouth water. Some of the recipes I want to try are hush puppies, orange rolls, and the famous Dollywood Cinnamon bread. Can't wait to start baking!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Celebrate for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!