More From Magnolia: More From Magnolia

Located in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, the near-shoebox-size Magnolia Bakery has become a destination for lovers of all-things sweet. The reason? From the beginning its owner Allysa Torey and her staff have offered cakes (and particularly cupcakes), pies, and other pastries that are utterly unpretentious but deeply satisfying in a grandmother-would-have-made-it-if-she-could-have way. More from Magnolia Torey's second book, adds to her already impressive recipe roster 75 formulas that range from Pear Streusel Breakfast Buns, and Pumpkin Walnut Cookies with Brown Butter Frosting, to Chocolate Pecan Pudding Pie, and Old-Fashioned Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Included also are recipes for signature specialties like Magnolia's Chocolate Cupcakes and famous banana pudding, plus a section on frostings and sauces. All are easy to do, even for beginning bakers, and all have the straightforward Magnolia appeal. --Arthur Boehm From Booklist Who would have thought that a good store would limit its customers to a specific number of cupcakes? Or that a down-home bakery, without the patisserie appellation, would have garnered such a following in sophisticated Manhattan? In the second of her cookbooks (following The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook , 1999), bakery owner Torey adopts 75 easy recipes to home ovens--with the appropriate preparations, of course. Whether cookies or coffee cakes, cheese pies or ice creams, her sweet stuff is always distinguished by a twist in traditional ingredients--banana bread enlivened by coconut and pecans, or a white chocolate ice cream made crunchier with peanut brittle. Recipes rarely take up more than one page; directions are eminently understandable. Barbara Jacobs Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Allysa Torey grew up in a hotel in the Catskills, where she started singing at an early age and developed her love of horses and the outdoors. She spent much of her childhood baking and cooking for her family. Her life-long passion for the slower, pre-high-tech age of the post-World War II era led her to form and front the Alyssa Torey Swing Band, as well as the now world-famous Magnolia Bakery on the corner of Bleecker and 11th in Greenwich Village. She divides her time between her white farmhouse in Sullivan County and New York City. She does not own a computer. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Introduction When we first opened the Magnolia Bakery, I imagined a cozy, old-fashioned shop where people could come for a cup of coffee and something sweet. I expected our customers to include some local regulars and lots of neighborhood families. I thought we'd close at seven each evening so I could go home and make dinner. I never expected that Magnolia would turn into a city-wide hangout, much less that on weekend nights there would be lines out the door! The bakery is busier now than ever. Our customers stop by as much for the feel of the store as they do for the desserts. With its vintage American decor and desserts, customers often tell me that walking into the bakery is just like stepping back in time to their grandmother's kitchen. They come in for a slice of cake and end up with a little piece of their childhood. Many want to meet me to say thanks for making the red velvet cake they remember from church picnics or the banana pudding just like their mom used to make.Since the publication of The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, many people have suggested that I do a second book. While working full-time at the bakery, the idea of writing another cookbook seemed impossible. Finally, after putting together a committed staff at the shop, we were able to move full-time to our country house, and I could really consider the idea, knowing that I would have the time and energy necessary to write the book I wanted to write.The kitchen in my house is the one I've always dreamed of having. It's a big country kitchen with a window over the double white enamel sink that looks out on my vegetable garden and the cornfields beyond. The walls are painted pale yellow, and the glass-fronted cabinets, filled with vintage dishware and linens, are a creamy white. I have a counter just for baking that holds my 1950s Sunbeam Mixmaster, and there is a big enamel table that sits in the middle of the room, which is the perfect place for rolling out piecrusts.Being able to work on the book in the country has turned out to be a wonderful experience. It's been great to be able to work on ideas for recipes while sitting on the back porch and then go straight into the kitchen to try them out. I like to create recipes in an old-fashioned style, but with new ideas and perhaps different combinations of ingredients to keep things interesting and fun. These classic American desserts reflect the sensibilities of the bakery and my home. They aren't fussy or difficult -- they're simply my favorites. Allysa ToreySeptember 2004Copyright © 2004 by Allysa Torey Read more