It’s hard for me to pass up a cookbook. It’s even harder to pass one up when there are awesome pictures to go with the enticing recipes. Plus, I don’t think we had one that’s devoted to desserts.

The opportunity came along to take a look at You Be Sweet: Sharing Your Heart One Down-Home Dessert at a Time by Patsy Caldwell and Amy Wilson. I had to give it a shot. You know right off the bat what you’re going to get with this one: butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and powdered sugar. Oh, yeah, there are some other ingredients in there. I think there were.

I wasn’t too worried about that. When I bake or cook, I usually go to a cookbook for inspiration and a bit of guidance. I don’t follow recipes to the jot and tittle. I adjust them for us. And it works. And this book is incredibly filled with inspiration. So many great dessert ideas. So many different flavors, and textures, and techniques.

There’s a pumpkin cake in there. Looked awesome. I’ve made it twice since getting this cookbook. It’s now a family favorite. It is so good. And I’ve made it differently each time. It’s very flexible. And I’ve also learned that pumpkin cake doesn’t go that well with mint chip ice cream. Not a fan. Anyway. The recipe called for a cream cheese icing. I took pieces of that recipe and blended it with pieces of an icing recipe for a different cake in the book. It turned out great.

There are a few reasons why I only give this book 3 out of 5 stars. First, the great photos are few and far between. There ought to be more. Folks like me want and need to have a fairly good idea what the end result should look like. Plus that’s what really sparks the inspiration. Second, the narratives going on that break up the recipes aren’t really needed. That’s up to the authors. It’s their deal. But I just pass on them. I want the recipes and the techniques and tips. Third, there were print registration issues in some of the latter pages and slightly distorted some of the text. It just made it a little difficult to read.

But, if you’re looking for some dessert inspiration, I’d say have a look at You Be Sweet.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”