This is a fantastic book! It's filled with stories about the Amish, recipes, and scripture! I will definitely be trying some of these recipes! ( )

Nothing beats comfort food and no one can beat the Amish for their delicious food that is both nutritious and comforting. There is much to be said about their style of cooking, but it all can be summed up into one word, "YUM!"

The Amish Cooking Class Cookbook is part of the series with the same name. It is a gorgeous book that is full of information about the characters, beautiful photographs, hints and tips about cooking and recipes that will make your mouth water! You won't be able to read this cookbook without wanting to try most, if not all the recipes.

I was given an extended preview to view of this book and every recipe I tried from the preview was delicious! The Amish Dinner Rolls are fantastic and I love the Bavarian Mint Coffee. I was excited to find the Amish Friendship Bread along with the starter! I used to make this many years ago and LOVED it. Imagine my delight to find a recipe that included the starter!! Then there's the Baked Oatmeal as well as a Yogurt recipe that are musts to make. The Coconut Pecan Cake is not only delicious but easy, since you start with a box cake mix. Then there's the Caramels recipe - it's sooooo good and not difficult to make at all!

Unfortunately, there were no main dishes in the preview, so I cannot comment on the taste or quality of those recipes. I can say that every recipe I tried from the preview was fantastic, so I can only imagine that the main dishes will be the same quality as those I tried.

The book itself is gorgeous and I love the information that is included about the Amish and their lifestyle along with the recipes and how the recipes are used. There are also Scripture quotes throughout and those quotes are taken from the King James Version (the version of the Bible the Amish use). Amish Cooking Class Cookbook is well thought out and a delight for all the senses. It is one that will be picked up again and again - not only to cook out of, but to read and soak in all the beautiful photography.

A must for any collector of cookbooks and/or Amish living books. ( )

There are many great recipes within this book. I love all the extra little tips. This tells a bit about Wanda E. Brunstetter cooking class series that are wonderful also. I look forward to making many of these recipes. I received this from Barbour Publishing for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )

The Amish Cooking Class Cookbook by Wanda E. Brunstetter is slightly different from most traditional cookbooks. Based on a series of novels, fictitious characters taking a cooking class from an Amish woman.

Unfortunately, I was only able to get an extended preview of the first 97 pages of the cookbook, I cannot comment on the entire manuscript. The physical quality of what I was able to see was fairly poor so there may be some inaccuracies from the finished product.

This cookbook is not laid out like a traditional cookbook. It offers descriptions of how Amish cooking in various areas differs from modern western cooking followed by recipes related to that topic. For instance, the first chapter, after the introduction of the characters in the novel, is “Amish Cooking”. This section is a general overview of how many different kitchen tasks are tackled.

Followed by “Advice From Fellow Cooks”, it includes tips on various cooking techniques. For instance, use your eggs and butter at room temperature for best results in baking.

“Basic Recipes” are included after, including tips on how to boil eggs potatoes, rice, etc. These are not typical recipes with ingredients list and directions, but a basic overview on how to cook various dishes.

Next comes “The Amish Kitchen”, which describes what the Amish kitchen looks like as far as equipment and furnishings. Following that are recipes for “Breads and Rolls”.

“Amish Morning” follows describing how a typical Amish family spends their time in the morning. Following this are recipes for “Breakfast Foods“.

“Amish Sweets” covers those items which will satisfy the sweet tooth, and is followed by recipes for “Desserts”. “Amish Canning” describes the communal canning process, and is followed by recipes for “Spreads and Pickles”.

Unfortunately, this was as far as I was able to get in the preview, the remaining chapters, based on the contents are as follows:

Amish Gatherings and Events
Recipes for Main Dishes
Amish: Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Recipes for Soups
Amish Skills Sharing
Miscellaneous Recipes
Amish Gardens
Recipes for Salads and Sides
The Amish General Store
Recipes for Snacks, Dips, and Spices
Amish Children in the Kitchen
Recipes for Children
Index

Because I was unable to access the entire manuscript, I can’t comment on the quality of the index, but judging from the rest of the book I can only assume it was only utilitarian.

The pictures throughout the book are disappointingly small, and very few and far between. The recipes themselves are very straight-forward but include no nutritional information or even quantities so you don’t know how many servings it will make.

Glimpse How An Amish Cook Works

The book does, however, present a fascinating glimpse into how the Amish cook works and would be an excellent book if that is your interest. If you are reading the novels, this will be an excellent accompaniment. I did not feel however that any of the recipes are sufficiently different that one couldn’t find them elsewhere, like in an older cookbook.

See the full review and the recipe for Amish Dinner Rolls at The RecipesNow! Reviews And Recipes Magazine. This review is written in response to a complimentary copy of the book provided by the publisher in hopes of an honest review. ( )