This book contains twenty-five desserts that are common to the American kitchen.  For the past six years, I’ve been collecting and altering them to perfection.

All twenty-five recipes have been approved by two of the pickiest eaters.  These treats are not only delicious but also easy to make. You don’t have to be Julia Child to reward your family with a mouthwatering dessert.  Simple recipes are often the best.

Please read the Tips and Tools section of this book before beginning.  It will give you advice that will make cooking easier. Here you will also find a measurement conversion chart and an oven temperature conversion chart.  These charts are vital to the success of each recipe.

The recipes have been listed and written in alphabetical order for your convenience.  Your kitchen should already be equipped with everything that you need to begin cooking.    Most of the recipes can be mixed by hand but some require an electric mixer.  The most common utensils that are needed are measuring cups, mixing bowl, baking pans and in some cases a skillet.

I’ve coined the term writer’s blockout to explain the phenomena that I’ve been experiencing.  Writer’s blockout is the state that a writer is in when s/he is having a surge of inspiration.  In this state you’re barely aware of your surroundings.  Your ears are tuned out, your eyes are fixed on your notebook, and your pen moves your hand and not vise versa.  You have blocked out almost everything in your enviroment.

I re-read a story that I wrote a year ago and it was strangely unfamiliar to me.  It is really quite odd because I know that I wrote it.  The story is well written and I remember physically writing it.  I even remember when I wrote it but I don’t remember the words.  The wording, sentence structure and style don’t match the way I write.  Could it be that a year ago I had a different writing style than I do now?  The other possibility is that I wrote this story during a writer’s blockout and was somehow inspired to write in a different way.

This phenomena is such a strange feeling.  As you’re reading your own work you think “wow, this is really good”.  Then your eyes come across a few sentences that in your mind you don’t remember writing.  Not only don’t you remember writing it but it doesn’t seem to fit your writing style.  Then you continue reading and are amazed at the quality of the written document.  It’s your work but somehow strangely unfamiliar.

I’ve tried explaining this to a friend and she looked at me like I was crazy.  I’m curious, do other writers experience this writer’s blockout?