I am of the opinion that summertime desserts should be light and cool; they should also be quick and easy since most of us would rather be sunning at the pool, working in our garden, or just enjoying the beautiful weather; we don't want to spend precious time in the kitchen cooking. I recently purchased Icebox Pies by Lauren Chattman, and have been delighted with this book.

Icebox Pies has colorful pictures of numerous decadent pies, all either chilled or frozen. There are recipes for 15 easy to make crumb crusts, which are much quicker than the rolled kind. Of course there is a plain old graham cracker crust which all of us need to make from time to time, but the boring stops there and the remaining crust recipes are much more exciting. The fillings are innovative and absolutely mouthwatering - there is something for every taste here. Ms. Chattman has even included toppings and garnishes so that the pies are suitable for serving at any dinner--from a simple and casual family barbecue to a fancy dinner party.

Besides the colorful pictures, I like the comments on each recipe which give suggestions on ingredients or helpful hints on each particular recipe. The book is well-written and organized. There is an introduction that gives information on the making of icebox pies and also describes icebox pie ingredients. The table of Contents and Index are both excellent.

Although the recipes are all quick and easy, they don't call for disgusting convenience foods like frozen whipped topping. Ms. Chattman is a real chef and knows what good food is supposed to taste like. She has used her imagination to come up with beautiful, decadent pies that have a minimum of ingredients and can be made ahead. My family loved the Pina Colada Pie and the Rich Chocolate Mousse Pie.

My only problem with this book is that I want to make all 100 recipes every time I look at the book, and can only make one at a time!

Icebox Pies will be a fun addition to anyone's cookbook library.

Purchase Icebox Pies
from Amazon