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
At this time of year? I’d have to say my favorite dessert is rhubarb pie!
I loooove apple crisp – warm with a bit of vanilla bean ice cream partly melted over the top!!! Brilliant idea with the scrapbook papers!! Thank you for sharing!
I love cheesecake, plain cheesecake with no “extras”. Of those you showed from the book I’d have to pick……hmm, Dark chocolate……hazelnut…..yummy. That makes my favorite the dark chocolate hazelnut pots de creme. Besides sounding so good, your styling makes them really cute. Good luck to everyone. Wish we could ALL win a book.
Hmmm…right now I’m thinking about a doughnut. Chocolate glazed. That counts as dessert right? Just morning dessert!
German Chocolate Cake!!!
The all time favorite for me is Red Velvet Cake. The cream cheese icing with fresh southern pecans. How excited are you to see your photos of the cute little desserts in jars. They will live forever in kitchens everywhere.
Blondies or brownies ! Actually anything with chocolate :) thanks for the chance the recipes and photos look delicious.
What a cute book – desserts in jars would make such great teacher gifts etc. My favorite dessert is simple, brownie with icecream and hot fudge! Yummy :)
As a teacher, I agree, I would love to get something like this as a gift :)
By far………Peach Cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream(2 scoops)
Ooohh I am so in love with banana pudding! Yummy!
Pancakesssss!!! I love them!!
My favorite desert is a bowl of coffee ice cream with a chocolate chip cookie!
My fave is angel food cake with whipped cream and lots of fresh strawberries. P. S. Love your blog.
The pull-apart cinammon bread sounds fabulous! But more than anything, the photography looks amazing & makes me want to try everything! (even things I thought I wouldn’t be interested in!) nice teamwork ladies!
I must admit deserts in a jar intrigue me. I love lots of deserts but give me something with chocolate and nuts, lots of nuts and that does it for me. Wow I’m going to have to try deserts in a jar. What a great gift idea. Girls at the office, a neighbor, friend, everyone likes desert. Thanks for the great idea!
Warm chocolate chip cookie with ice cream…yum!
Chococolate…gotta be chocolate! Favorite, hmmmmm. I think it’s Chocolate Lava Cake.
My favorite is anything chocolate. :)
But my all time favorite is a Black bottom cupcake from cupcakes. :)
Susan L. :)
Chocolate pie!!
What a lovely book! I don’t know if I could pick a favorite dessert – but it’s definitely my favorite part of a meal…especially when chocolate is involved!! :) :) :)
I’m not much of a cook, but I love to bake and I love desserts. This does not look like your average “cookbook”. Would love to try some of these recipes out. On another note, that is one amazing scrapbooking room have!
Oh yeah, my favorite dessert–Brownie Ice Cream Sundae with lots of caramel and hot fudge!
My favorite dessert is carrot cake! Or really, any kind of cake with loads of cream cheese icing :)
Oh what a cute dessert book! My fav dessert is brownies with vanilla ice cream on top!
I love cannoli!
Anything and everything! :)
hands down- dense dark chocolate brownies!!
I’m going to say tiramisu is my favorite, but ice cream is a very close second! :)
Chocolate
Chip
Cookies!
I hate to admit it… but I love grocery-store birthday cakes, preferably with buttercream frosting in neon colors. Instant mood (and sugar-level) boost!
My mom is from Sweden and on special occasions we would have what she called the Royal Dessert. Fresh whipped cream, meringue and lite chocolate sauce–So….simply and So….. Good
Peanut butter and jelly bars
Anything chocolate and decadent! I don’t eat a lot of dessert, but when I do, I want the good stuff!
My grandmother’s cobblers – peach, blueberry, blackberry…doesn’t matter! :)
When blueberries are in season I love to make a light and fluffy no bake cheesecake and fold in fresh blueberries. It doesn’t work with frozen blueberries so its a summer treat I wait all year for!
Beautiful desserts! I love Sticky Toffee Pudding! Can’t wait to see the book. :)
WOW! What a wonderful dessert cookbook. My favorite dessert is almond puff pastry bars.
Wow, what a sweet book! :)
I love any dessert, but chocolate has been a favorite lately!
Thanks for the chance to win….
Oh my goodness, it is so hard to choose…but, I would probably have to say banana pudding or tiramisu!
Creme Brûlée every day!
I love this post Amanda – love how we get to see some of the steps of this great book coming together. I really love desserts and I really, really am crazy about jars so anything in this combo would be my favourite! I love chocolate anything but the dark hazelnut pot de cream looks to die for! thanks for a chance to win a book!
Cheers!
I’d have to say a good old fashioned sundae is my favorite dessert but I’d be willing to expand my horizons with that cookbook!
A nice light cake with whipped cream and fresh fruit. This is so good. I like it year round. In the summer when all the fruits are perfect and in the winter so that it reminds me of summer. Yum!
Italian cream cake for a real dessert. The entire container of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia Fro Yo for a extra special comfort treat. . .
And Coca Cola Cake. . .
And brownies with really thick frosting . . .
… it’s hard to narrow it down.
I love lemon cupcakes! I just baked my first rainbow cupcakes in a jar, and I think I’m addicted. I love that the book is spiral bound too.
Cherry pie! Or and cherry dessert for me ! Loved looking at your whole photography process. Thanks for sharing!
Gosh, I don’t know if I can pick just one dessert. I love anything with chocolate, especially dark chocolate!
Her book looks incredible and the photography gorgeous!! My favorite dessert is tiramisu.
I would have to say my grandmother’s banana pudding when its still warm!
My favorite dessert is shortbread cookies!
My favorite dessert is chocolate cake rich and moist without frosting. Number 2 is tres leche cake. Maybe I need to find a way to combine together because that would amazing.
I love almost anything with cream cheese frosting. Probably red velvet cupcakes.
First off, thank you so for this wonderful giveaway! Who wouldn’t want one of these “sweetness” cookbooks?
My favorite these days is a chocolate chip cookie dough cupcake!
Thank you very much…….again!
Oh, wow! Such cute desserts….. and I love desserts! I do love banana pudding in the summer and there is a caramel salted cupcake here in town that I love, too, but my absolute favorite is this almond cake that I make…. oh, so good! Here’s to some luck to winning as I think I’d LOVE this book!
I am in love with macarons right now & wouldlove to try making them myself. A local foodie (Miss Cold Comfort) makes them in amazing flavours with even more amazing homemade Icecream in between – I’d love to try my hand at this!
Also, totally in love with your scrapbook room, so cute!!
How are the pups doing? My BT Ralph loves hearing about them :)
I’d love to win this wonderful book!
So hard to pick just one….I will go with the peanut butter and jelly parfaits. I have pb almost every day…on a bagel, crackers,etc.
I have a serious weakness for a warm fudgey brownie. :)
I’m hosting a full dinner at my home for my Bunco group in July and think a dessert in a jar would be adorable. I would love to win this!
Warm brownies from the oven…..with or without icecream. I think I need to go bake some now!!
My favorite dessert is anything involving a brownie and chocolate! :)
Umm–a double chocolate brownie with walnuts–my favorite. Thanks for sharing about the dessert jars!
No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal cookies!! YUM!
Chocolate chips cookies!
Favorite dessert??? That’s a hard one. I think I’d have to say anything chocolate, but the Pavlova at Cerulean in Winona Lake, IN is amazing in any flavor!
I love pretty much anything with chocolate! Brownies with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream are one of my faves :)
Butterscotch Pots de Creme from Milestones…I’ve had it three times and savoured every bite. When I saw the words “pot de creme” you had me!
My favorite dessert is creme brulee.
Love this whole concept. I pack lunches everyday and how fun this would be for co-workers to be surprised by these beauties. Nice photos, delicious desserts. Heaven.
I just made a good homemade banana pudding yesterday, and right now, I believe that’s my favorite dessert!! (it may change next week, though) ;)
I love all desserts.
Thanks for the chance to win one of the adorable books.
My favorite dessert is definitely my mom’s rice pudding! :)
The dessert I find most addicting is Puppy Chow. I know, lame, right?! But if I start eating it, I can’t stop. It has to be made per the original directions though. Don’t mess with that!
I LOVE the scrapbook room! The book looks beautiful. Anything strawberry is my favorite
strawberry shortcake….or peach shortcake…or homemade ice cream…then there’s raspberry coconut macaroon trifle…coconut cream pie…sigh. i sooooo seldom get dessert these days that just thinking about it opens a lot of doors. obviously.
A chocolate bombe. (Chocolate mousse dome on a chocolate buttermilk cake then covered in chocolate ganache. Yes please)
It’s 100° here so right now chilled fruit with whip cream and ice cream!
All of the desserts look yummy. My fav is fresh strawberry pie!
Love seeing the process of you girls photographing the cute desserts! Thanks for sharing, and thanks for the opportunity of winning one of Shaina’s books!
My favorite dessert is apple crisp or apple pie – anything apple related really!!!
My favorite dessert right now is Derby Pie, a friend of mine made it the other night and it tasted like a warm chocolate chip pecan cookie, of course it was served with vanilla ice cream to make it even better!
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream… Mmm. My small group takes turns bringing snack, which usually ends up being chips or store bought cookies ( sad.. ) but bringing a dessert in a jar would be a Smash! They’d love it! Thanks! :D
macaroons in a jar
Chocolate cobbler right out of the oven served with vanilla ice cream to cut the sweet of course….think warm chocolate pudding topped with a crisp brownie… a little bit of heaven in a bowl :-)
Those peanut butter and jelly parfaits look wonderful!
I love anything peanut butter
I tend to be a cookie person…but I could TOTALLY get into desserts in jars! Love the photos!
Anything with chocolate ganache and/or a fudgy frosting!!
I love all kinds of pie.
Coconut cupcakes are my current favorite. It’s really hard to pick. Chocolate cake is yummy too.
I really cannot narrow down, I love cheesecake and key lime pie.
Fav dessert has got to be Tiramisu…
Beautiful cookbook, by the way!!
:)
Oatmeal Caramel Bars! So addicting…I won’t say how much better is in them. ;-)
I love lemon bars (made by my mom because mine never come out as good). They are definitely my fave! BTW, I LOVE LOVE LOVE your scrapbook room. Can you give us a tour? =)
My favorite dessert, by far, is ice cream.
I <3 Cheescake!!!
Choose only one dessert? Today it would be Key Lime pie – yum.
I am always a sucker for brownies, I love ice cream too – even better when they are combined!!
warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream!! :)
Well, at my age have had a ton of great desserts (that is probably a literal comment too) but my favorite always has been my mommy’s sour cream chocolate cake even toshe hs been gone 35 years. However, looking at some of those pictures i might could find a new favorite in a jar!!!!
I’m not too picky about desserts, but that peanut butter parfait sounds delicious.
My favorite dessert is ANYTHING lemon!
Anything chocolate! :D
Your photos/setups are amazing & the book looks awesome :) And your scrap room!? Totally jealous! lol.
Anything mint, usually… mint oreo ice cream (which is hard to find! Like cookies n cream plus mint) or my Mom’s wacky cake, sometimes with mint frosting. Yum!