Biographical note:

BRENT RIDGE AND JOSH KILMER-PURCELL are the founders of Beekman 1802, a company based around their 60-acre farm in upstate New York. They’ve been called "the next Martha Stewarts" by Epicurious and “the fastestgrowing lifestyle brand in America” by NASDAQ. Season 21 winners of "The Amazing Race," they are the authors of The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook, and live in Sharon Springs, NY.

Main description:

Dr. Brent Ridge and New York Times bestselling author Josh Kilmer-Purcell are not your average couple: The two Manhattanites left their big city lives behind, and found themselves living in bucolic Sharon Springs, New York, where they became "accidental goat farmers." But what began as a way to reconnect with their own style of modern country living soon exploded into a wildly successful brand, Beekman 1802, named after their historic home. Brent and Josh are now world-renowned for producing everything from magnificent handcrafted goat’s milk soaps to artisanal Blaak cheese, and now, with The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook, they’re bringing their special vintage-modern touch to classic, remarkable recipes bound to become family favorites year after year.

The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook will show off the delicious and decadent recipes that the Beekman Boys have collected from across the generations of their family, from Brent’s grandmother’s Fourth of July Fruitcake to Josh’s mother’s Hot Chocolate Dumplings. Each recipe will be accompanied by a personal memory from the authors or a story about how that recipe came to be. With eco-conscious and vintage-oriented food production gaining traction as a major culinary trend, this beautiful package will reel in readers, whether they’re nostalgic for some classic Americana in their kitchen or just hankering for the perfect Blackberry Betty recipe.

Review quote:

"In harmony with local and seasonal bounty of their upstate gardens in Sharon Springs, N.Y., the authors take a look back at the desserts they grew up with and offer a collection of 100 recipes for classic confections. Highlighted by personal reflections about their first encounters with these inherited and treasured recipes, the selected heirloom desserts make the cut by fitting a set of basic criteria: each must be delicious, made with readily available ingredients, and be simple to prepare. Followed by lined pages where readers can enter their own notes or versions of each seasonal dessert, this anthology encourages cooks to make their own memories relating to each dish....The Beekman boys have captured the essence of modern country living in these nostalgic heritage desserts."—Publisher's Weekly

"Organized by seasons, these desserts offer plenty of sweet satisfaction. Simpler temptations, such as lemon meringue pie, give way to chocolate-éclair pie and figgy pudding. Favorite childhood flavors appear in Dreamsicle angel-food cake. Not content with the richness of ordinary brownies, they enhance their version with chopped candy bars. Fruit in season comes into its own with
such classics as peach cobbler and roasted rhubarb crisp."—Booklist

"Their new book takes what was superb and about The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook and sophisticated it in a way that is more classic and grown-up while always staying true to themselves and their audience."—BROADWAY + THRESHER