I am so, so excited for my sweet friend Shaina. Her brand new, super adorable cookbook just came out yesterday! It’s Desserts in Jars: 50 Sweet Treats that Shine. Fifty recipes, all completely dedicated to desserts, and all in cute little jars. I’m in love.
Making Pull-Apart Cinnamon Breads, page 36.
Back in October, when Shaina was in the midst of baking multiple desserts a day to photograph for her book, I was lucky enough to convince her to come stay with me for a weekend so I could “help.” :) And by that, you know I totally mean “taste test all those fabulous desserts!!” :) We had such a fun, much-too-short weekend goofing off in the kitchen, staying up way too late gabbing, and indulging in some of the most delicious desserts I’ve ever tasted. All in all, we ended up baking up a grand total of 11 desserts all in two short days! :)
After baking, we’d head to the scrapbook room and pick out props and backgrounds for the photo shoot.
Then style it and take it outside for a photo! :)
This beauty is Shaina’s Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Pots de Creme (page 77). So incredibly good!
Another one we did were these Tres Leches Cakes. So cute! I keep looking at the photo in the book (page 20) and thinking, That’s my backyard! That’s my spoon! I’ve made scrapbook pages with that paper! Lol :)
Morning lighting setup in my kitchen :)
And this. This was my favorite. This was life changing.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Parfaits, page 88. Make this first. So dangerously delicious!!
You know I saved the best for last! :) How cute are these Macarons in a Jar?? Page 63.
I am absolutely in love with french macarons and this was my first time making them. It was such a breeze with Shaina’s foolproof recipe! They are so cute and fun to make. So many fun flavor combinations to choose from! I seriously want to travel around and have macaron making parties now. Who’s in?? :)
A secret note ;)
Desserts in Jars Giveaway!
I’m so thrilled to be able to offer a giveaway for five (5) signed copies of Shaina’s wonderful new book.
To enter, simply leave a comment on this post. What’s your favorite dessert?! :)
Contest ends Saturday, June 30 at 8 pm CST. One entry per person, please. Winners will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email.
Time’s Up!
The winners of a signed copy of Shaina’s new book, Desserts in Jars: 50 Sweet Treats that Shine are:
#174 Cindy
#465 Nolwenn
#568 Marie
#608 Autumn
#670 Jamie
Congrats girls!! You are going to love it!! :)
Have a great weekend, friends!! xoxo
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998 Comments
So hard to choose but right now since it’s summer I’d say a good chocolate ice cream… or maybe s’mores!
Brownies with ice cream. Can’t go wrong.
My favorite dessert of all time have to be triple chocolate brownies :-)
My favorite dessert is coconut cream pie, but it’s really hard to pick just one favorite….I love them all!!!
Macarons are my favorite sweets but in a jar they look so chic!
Fantastic idea!
Nika
Chocolate Cake
OMGeeeeee, just wanted to say how much I LOVED seeing your scrapbook room! And also your photo styling set up. Shaina is blessed to have a friend who can set up such fabby photos, looking simply yummy! Hmmmm, I will say that my most favorite dessert is creme brulee topped with fresh berries. Thank you for the opportunity to win one of Shaina’s books!!
I LoVe strawberry shortcake but this book looks amazing!
I love Homemade Peach Ice Cream! Thanks for the chance of winning this great cookbook.
I love key lime pie in any shape or form! So yummy!
I LOVE strawberry shortcake!
creme brulee!
I want this so much!!! I am currently obsessed with anything served in a jar!! My favorite dessert ever is cheesecake!
Lemon merangue pie (made with condensed milk!!) (hope you will post to South Africa if I am the lucky one)
My most favourite dessert is New York style baked Cheesecake! There’s something about that smooth creamy taste that says Upper West Side to me. And since I now live in Sydney (Oz) I’ve had to learn how to make it myself!
My favorite dessert? Easy! ALL OF THEM! I’m a sugar junkie! But I especially love a good white chip macadamia nut cookie! Delish! I would so love to win this cookbook! Thanks for the opportunity!
My favorite dessert on the face of the earth is Chocolate Pecan Toffee Mousse from chef Marty Blitz at Tampa’s Mise en Place restaurant. The linked recipe refers to it as R. G.’s recipe which is the original restaurant where chef Blitz began his career in Tampa many, many moons ago. The waiters at the restaurant will tell you that this dessert “pays the rent”. Personally speaking, if they don’t have this dessert in heaven, I’m coming back! The mousse is very dense, not fluffy, (who cares?) and the dessert is more like a chocolate tart than a mousse. Whatever you do, don’t omit the caramel sauce drizzled on the plate. They always serve it with a fork and I always ask for a spoon so as not to miss a single drop of the caramel. I have been known to scrape the plate with my finger and then lick the last of the caramel off my digit. Here’s the link: http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/eatingout/eating_r/chocolate-pecan-toffee-mousse.htm
Hi! I loved those beautiful photo’s you made, they make the desserts look even more delicious! My favorite dessert is homemade tiramisu with strawberries. I’ll have to try to serve it in jars next time, really cute idea! And so much more easy to transport… I’m a fan.
Right now anything with salted caramel. Delicious!
It’s impossible to choose one favorite dessert. I truly, truly love swee things! My favorites include: my mom’s peanut butter pie, pineapple upside down cake, cheesecake, and I do love French macarons too! I’ve been too chicken to try to make them but perhaps your friend’s recipe is the encouragement I need!
My favorite dessert is cherry pie with vanilla ice cream.
Such beautiful photos Amanda! And your scrap room – WOW! Fav desert – hard to choose just one, but I think I have to go with carrot cake with cream cheese filling. It’s SO good!
I have been drooling over this book since I first heard about it! Amazing! I love mini desserts…everything is cuter small, lol. But my favorite of all would have to be tiramisu. I make it traditional, as well as with many optional ingredients and versions.
A cheesecake please.Yumm!
smores!!!
hard to pick one, but I made an orange ice cream yesterday night that might become a truly favorite for the summer!
the book looks amazing, thanks for the chance!
laura
I’d have to say that my favorite would have to be tiramisu. The chocolate, marscapone cheese, coffee liqueur soaked lady fingers… And a nice dusting of cocoa powder! Yummy!
My family’s favorite would have to be banana creme pie or key lime pie!!
Thanks for the chance to win this book!! I’m sure it would see some great use at my house!! I’m definitely putting it on my Amazon wishlist! Everything looks so DELICIOUS!!
My favorite desert would be hard to choose just one but if I had to it would be banana pudding. I would love to win a cookbook.
My favorite dessert is tiramisu…bet that would be adorable and delicious in a jar! ;)
Also love creme brûlée. Either one of those and I’m a happy camper! ;)
My sweet daughter-in-love, Brandi, would love one of these cookbooks. She loves to bake and loves to try new things.
Those desserts look so delicious! I love tiramisu. However, there was this one time I was at a friend’s house and she made a carrot cake. We both had piece of her cake. I loved her carrot cake, it was the best I have ever had! Now I wish I had her recipe because I would really like to make the cake for myself. Thanks for the chance to win this great cookbook.
These look awesome! Chocolate chip cookies are one of my favorite desserts!
Coconut cake … Yum!
Oh my goodness! If I don’t win … I still wanna buy this recipe book for me and my mom!! :)
All of these recipes look fabulous!!! My favorite dessert is a decadent chocolate cake. Sinful! I hope I win.
Desserts are my obsession right now and this book looks amazing! I’m currently into Key Lime Pie or lemon bars and the many variations of those flavors.
Do I have to pick just one? OK, ANY type of ice cream. I’m not picky!
I always love strawberry sorbet ice cream!
Lemon mengruin or chocolate brownies
I havn’t found a dessert I didn’t like, but I’ll say Old Fashioned Butterscotch Pie.
I am a lover of anything cheesecake.
OhAmanda, you have the best job, taste testing all these lucious desserts! I love anything that involves chocolate or caramel or both!
Homemade warm cookies- especially Snickerdoodles!
cherry pie with lattice top in a perfect 6oz Weck jar!
my favorite dessert is… er… are, I mean, yoghurt, gelato, chocolate brownies, and strawberries with chocolate sauce dipper =3
Hmm, favorite dessert? that’s a tough question. In fall, I would definitely go for a big slice of pumpkin pie, and in summer I have a hard time turning down fresh strawberry shortcake. But my all-year, all -around, breakfast lunch and dinner favorite would probably have to be frozen peanut butter mousse torte with a doubly thick oreo cookie crust, because everyone knows the cookie crusts are the best part of any cookie crusted dessert.
My favorite dessert is cheesecake -I wonder if she made that in a jar also! I would love to find out!
Ooh my favorite desert is a carmel cheescake….yum
I love all cookies! I think I need to get brave enough to try macaroons.
My favorite would be the Tres Leche! And now in the jar its perfect for dinner parties! Very cute, very motivational. Thank you for sharing.
My favorite dessert is anything with PEANUT BUTTER in it. It’s just a bit of heaven. Please Shaina……more, more and more!!!!!!
Chris
Chocolate cake with rich chocolate frosting! I love the idea of desserts in a jar, what a great concept for casual dinner parties!
The photo’s are so inviting. Could not decide which could be my favorite, they all look yummy. Could stick a birthday candle in any of them.
Impossible to pick just one favorite desert as desert is my favorite meal! You can never go wrong with a cupcake, only if it has great frosting.
I love anything with chocolate and peanut butter for dessert!
creme brulee but I can’t wait to try that macaron recipe!
Chocolate Chip Cookies!
strawberry shortcake in the summer and creme brûlée in winter. i look forward to making the peanut butter parfait and the macaroons asap! i am probably going to have the best summer ever with these recipes. there! i just set the intention! thank you.
I have to say after thinking about it, my favorite dessert still has to be white cake with white frosting.
I Love dessert’s for the kido’s
My favorite dessert is cake pops! They’re my favorite thing to bake :)
I love chocolate cake with chocolate icing in any form (cake, cupcake, etc.)!
I have been waiting for this cookbook since I saw your post earlier in the year. What a great idea for using those little canning jars that are packed away!I hope I am LUCKY!
Anything chocolate!
My favorite dessert….homemade ice cream!! I love it!! And I love the whole jar idea too! It would be fun to make homemade ice cream, then freeze it in jars to serve at a party. Such a pretty presentation!!
My mom’s chocolate cake the frosting is like fudge!
That is such a cute idea. Those look so yummy! I’m gonna have to track down that book.
What a beautiful book. Even if I ‘don’t win, I will purchase this for sure – what a cute concept – thanks for sharing – Judy
I love cake especially birthday and wedding cake!
Thanks Shaina for the great ideas my kids will love to do some of these jars for gifts. :)
Gorgeous photography! I’d love a copy of this cookbook! :)
I have been dying to try macaroons sometime. Looks like a great, fun cookbook.
This looks like such a beautiful book, and I adore your organised craft room. I love desserts. If I had to choose one favourite it would have to be chocolate ripple cake ( I think it’s similar to an icebox cake in the US). Thanks for the chance.
Brownies are my favorite! What a beautiful book!
Amazing photos … recipes must be too !!!! Well done ladies !
Desserts in jars are the best invention ever. =)
My favorite dessert has to be panna cotta but mousse au chocolat comes in on a close second place. And macarons are my favorite coffee treat hands down.
This cookbook looks awesome!!! I would love to have one :)
Key lime pie right now.
My favorite dessert recently is tiramisu cake pops but I love anything with blueberries, cream cheese or Nutella!
Lovely photos. I’ve never met a brownie I didn’t love : )
I don’t think I can choose, I love ALL dessert (literally)! I guess it would be a tie between a Smores Ice Cream Sundae with a brownie on the bottom and any kind of pie/crisp/cobbler!
first off…. I work at Barnes & Noble and have been stalking this book for MONTHS! I have already ordered multiple copies that should soon be arriving. I am on vacation but will have several co-workers will make sure that I know a NEW cook book has come in (they are ALWAYS vying for homemade treats!) so excited to be able to get one of these sweet books! And autographed would be EVEN better!
My favorite dessert right now would be whatever I have just created and shared with family, friends, co-workers, etc. I love to bake and share with others, that is the sweetest part! Thanks for sharing the ‘behind the scenes’ with us Amanda!
This is such an adorable concept, and perfect for portion control! :) I love the Tres Leches–hard to
beat as my favorite but there is one that does: Flan!
Thanks for the opportunity! Fantastic giveaway, Amanda!
My fav dessert is the old-fashioned banana pudding’!
brownies, homemade giant chocolate chip cookies…it’s hard to choose just one!
I can only choose one dessert??? So hard but at the moment it would be White Chocolate Macadamia Cheesecake. This book is in my Amazon shopping cart but I’m going to wait to see if I’m lucky enough to win it in your give away. Either way—I’m a winner because it’s going to be in my kitchen! Thanks for the opportunity!
ANYTHING with chocolate and peanut butter!
I love Rocky Road Ice Cream! The best on a good hot day.
Looks like a great book – thanks for the giveaway! My favorite is a caramel pecan tart so rich that I only make it for Thanksgiving. Yummmm.
Picking a favorite dessert is WAY too hard! But I guess I will choose red velvet cupcakes!! YUMM!!
I love anything chocolate, but my all-time favorit dessert is my mom’s from scratch coconut cake with cream cheese icing. Nothing beats the treats that come from Mom’s oven.
I love nearly any cookie, except peanut butter.
you just can’t beat a good cupcake! thank you so much for this opportunity.
You make all that styling look so effortless. Great job!
My favorite dessert is anything sweet nowadays. OK. I’ll pick one. Carrot Cake.
The desserts look sew yummy and the photography tips were just as sweet! Thank you ladies sew much!
This book looks so cute!! Brownies are my absolute fav dessert!!
I love anything chocolate, if I had to pick one today, chocolate mousse. I would love to try the peanut butter parfait from the book.
Brownies for sure, but I love making stuff with my little girl – like cupcakes or s’mores.
I love anything s’mores or anything with chocolate and peanut butter these days! Please, oh please, Amanda, give us a tour of your scrap room!!! I would love to see how it is organized!
I love my mom’s heathbar triffle! Delicious! Or banana pudding!
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Tart…or a really good lemon bar.