Member Reviews

100 AFTERNOON SWEETS by Sarah Kieffer (100 Cookies) is filled "with Snacking Cakes, Brownies, Blondies, and More" and will be available on October 1st. Like her earlier cookbooks, this one is filled with colorful photos and chatty introductory comments before each recipe. The eight chapters range from One-bowl Bakes and No Bakes, to the more involved For a Crowd and Weekend Projects (e.g., Giant Pop Tart). There's an "Extras" chapter, too, with comments and direction for components like Almond Cream or Lemon Curd. Personally, I am looking forward to sampling Orange-Cinnamon Swirl Cake, Coffee Blondies, and Lemon Cake Squares. So much to explore, but seasonal favorites could be Pumpkin Streusel Pie and Pumpkin Caramel Ice Cream Cake. There is no nutritional information, but additional material contains a playlist of "Music to Bake to" and a bibliography of other helpful cookbooks. 3.5 stars

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For those of you, like myself, just starting a diet, I offer a warning that the recipes in this book look delicious and all look like they are guaranteed diet buster. Honestly, some of the recipes look so decadent, I feel like I gained 5 pounds just salivating over the pictures (LOL.) The directions are clear and easy to understand and include where appropriate so additional tips. One of my favorite things is the icings were separated in their own section, if you want to mix and match or just need a good icing recipe for something you already make. I have one relative who visits every few weeks and has come to expect a good dessert when you does. I now have a lot of choices from cases to cheesecakes or ice cream cakes. YUM. This might make a perfect holiday gift for a friend or relative or gift the book to yourself and invite them over to enjoy the "cakes" of your labor.
Enjoy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

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I was _incredibly_ excited for this book after reading 100 Morning Treats and Baking for the Holidays: 50+ Treats for a Festive Season, and it absolutely met my expectations!

Just like the other books, this one is beautifully photographed and contains scads of mouthwatering recipes. I often crave an afternoon pick-me-up, but never know (or am too indecisive on) what to make. This will help with that!

Fans of Kieffer's other books/blog, as well as newcomers, will certainly enjoy this book--a worthy successor.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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True to the name! This afternoon sweets were pretty generic and basic but also give the homey comfort food vibe! I really enjoyed the layout of the book, so the photography wasn't overwhelming the recipes. Also, appreciate the conversion chart in the back!!

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I was so excited when I saw Sarah Kieffer had a new cookbook coming out! I continue to love her approachable writing style and the tips and substitutions she offers for many of the recipes. My family LOVES crispy cereal treats, and the kitchen sink version in the book is particular delicious! I can't wait to bake through more of these recipes, and add to my Sarah Kieffer collection!

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I am the furthest thing from a baker (or any kind of cook) but if any baking topic was going to appeal to me, it would be this one. I loved the look of this book, the photography, the quotes, and of course the recipes seemed delicious. When 90210 was mentioned on the very first page, I knew I was in the right place! I haven't had a chance to try any of these recipes yet, but hopefully even I can manage some "Straight-Up Yellow Snacking Cake" to have with some tea.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

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This was a true case of you eat with your eyes first. I definitely feasted with my eyes first and drooled, for sure. I appreciated and loved the font, the layout, the pictures, and just the overall feel of this marvelous cookbook for dessert lovers and bakers. It was modern and the recipes fit well with the overall design.

I wrote buttermilk so many times when I was marking these recipes down to which ones to try out first. The snacking cakes were the first to get me all excited to try the recipes. Perhaps it's the little even squares, or perhaps that most of her ingredients were staples in the pantry. Either way, I wanted to make almost every single thing in this book. One notice was the lack of cookies, which I figured would be a huge deal with afternoon sweets, but hey, there were a few cookie-focused snacking cakes.

Loved, loved this cookbook and style. I'm definitely now a fan of this author's work and recipes!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this great cookbook. All opinions are my own.

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Anything coming from the brain of Sarah Kieffer is an automatic 5/5 from me. If you haven't made something from any of her cookbooks START NOW becasue you're missing out!! Can't wait to make more and more out of this beautifully made book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advacned copy.

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I have a major sweet tooth and got really excited when i saw this one! I love to bake and find new things to make for my husband and I!

the table of contents was easy to read and follow and broke things down to find easily.

i really loved the one bowl bakes section (because less dishes, right!?)

this was fun and i loved all the new sweets I can try out

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This is a good standard baking and dessert cookbook. Classic recipes but standard recipes . Nothing really new and interesting. Great for someone getting started in baking and making desserts. For for a more advanced baker.

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I really liked this cookbook. I found that most of the ingredients were inexpensive and not things I have not heard of or used. The directions were easy to follow and the recipes are delicious!!

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I am a big fan of afternoon sweets with a nice cup of tea.

This book did not disappoint. Everything looks delicious and the Blondies are insanely good!

I didn't run into any recipes that I wouldn't try and that is rare.

What a wonderful book

NetGalley/ Chronicle October 01, 2024

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'100 Afternoon Sweets' is truly a divine read in every way. The visuals have me itching to get out my kitchenaid. The tone of the writing is inviting. The layout is simple and appealing. The recipes are accessible, but feel elevated in such a lovely way. There's a pleasant variety to the entire book. Flavors and textures of all kinds, leaving so much room for the reader to explore both classics and twists on fresh recipes. Need to purchase a physical copy of this immediately.

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I was forced to start with My Perfect Afternoon Snacking Cake because it was the afternoon. At least, that was my rationale. This cake comes together quickly and is a sweet bite when one is called for- morning or afternoon. My next test was the Blueberry Muffin Cake as I wanted to see how frozen blueberries translated into this recipe. The tang of the buttermilk and addition of nutmeg made this cake another delicious treat. Based upon popular demand, I baked the Sugar Cookie Bars which are as delicious as they are adorable. These festive bars make a delightful treat any day of the week. The pictures are beautiful and provide an excellent accompaniment to each of the recipes.

Thank you to NetGalley, Chronicle Books, and Sarah Kieffer for the advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

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When you see Sarah Kieffer’s name on the cover, you know you’re in for a treat. I absolutely adore her recipes!

This cookbook is an absolute delight, it's filled with mouthwatering pictures that make you want to dive into the kitchen and start cooking immediately. I love the playlist at the end of the cookbook.


Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this fantastic book.

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I love to cook, and have no problem making a multi course dinner. However, when it comes to dessert I'm not much of a baker, However, the recipes and photography in this book were too good to resist.. The variety of delicious recipes, many of which are easy enough for someone like me, an inexperienced baker to make, are what makes this a 5* cookbook I look forward to adding to my cookbook collection.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Right out the gate, I’m happy to see that the ingredients are listed with their weight equivalents. That earns points with me as I’m a firm believer that when it comes to baking, you should ALWAYS weigh ingredients.
The start of the book lays out common tools and ingredients, setting you up for success when it comes to making the recipes. There are some common flavor combinations, and some not so common ones. Every recipe has a picture too which is awesome.
I feel the sections are laid out perfectly but wish there was a few more options to the no bake section. Most were ice-cream based bars, which is far from being a problem, but I would have like to see a little more variety.
My two favorite sections were the baking for a crowd and weekend projects. As someone often bakes for a crowd, this section will come in handy. I also like that they weren’t just repeats of recipes found else in the book. Weekend projects have a few more ingredients and steps, but they are sure to be worth the effort.
And finally, the last two chapters cover all the extra bits and pieces, the recipes that are used over and over such various styles of buttercream, caramel, lemon curd, etc.
This one is definitely worth a look if you love to bake.

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I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley but my opinions are my own.

The cover is what drew me in for this book. The sweets look SO good in here since the pictures are so beautiful. I will note that there are not cookie recipes really in here as the author seems to have a whole other book dedicated to them. Despite there not being cookies, I think a lot of these recipes will lend well with sharing since they end up being bars or cakes or pies which you pour into a pan and then slice after baking etc. There are some no-bake recipes as well and large-format recipes for parties. I think I'll make some of these for my office and see how it goes :)

Definitely read the notes in the beginning. They mention it but they set the weight of 1 cup of flour to 142 grams (I've found most of the time I've weighed 1 cup of flour to 120 grams....) They do encourage the use of a scale.

I would buy this book for my friends or family. It's pretty and would do well on display as well since it has a lot of pictures. I'll update this review if I do end up making any recipes to report back on how it went :)

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Absolutely obsessed with this book! Sarah Kieffer can do no wrong. I loved her first book and this book is just as good. She makes incredibly delicious recipes that still feel accessible and fun to make at home. I can't wait to bake everything in this book.

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Yummmmmy! Love 100 Afternoon Sweets! The layout of the book is simple, which I like. The recipes are numbered and each recipe has a picture, which I appreciate. The recipes use ingredients that should be at your local grocery store and the recipes are easy to follow!

Thanks to NetGalley I was given access to digital copy of the cookbook. I'm definitely purchasing a physical copy when it releases on October 1, 2024.

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