After a bestselling debut with his in 2023, Dylan Hollis brings his unapologetic enthusiasm for old-fashioned American desserts to a region-by-region tour of goodies which swing from indisputably iconic to occasionally offbeat.

Hollis was born and raised in Bermuda, and his outsider’s perspective can be illuminating or head-turning. Is Palm Springs really the cultural capital of the American Southwest? Will Canada tolerate claiming Nanaimo Bars for the US of A? 

As with any sweeping national survey, it’s easy to quibble about particulars, but then you might lose sight of some honestly surprising regional baked goods. Alongside well-known classics such as whoopie pies and bananas Foster, Hollis reveals the likes of

• Strawberry pretzel salad (Pennsylvania)

• Searcy County chocolate rolls (Arkansas)

• Cherry winks (Michigan)

• The Pride of the Deseret gelatin mold (Utah)

• Hatch chile and cheddar apple pie (New Mexico)

• Ice cream potato (Idaho)

To make the most of this book, you can’t be squeamish about Cool-Whip, vegetable shortening, corn syrup, or sweetened condensed milk. That’s how many things get made. But Hollis also shows respect for cooks who wait for fresh fruit for their muffins, buckles, cobblers, pies and ice cream because it’s pretty clear he just like people who bake.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.