This past weekend I read a cookbook — I actually read it, not just looked through the recipes. There’s interesting information in the book for reading, and I enjoyed it a lot. I found the cookbook with new books at the Craig Moffat County Library.

“Back in the Day Bakery: Made with Love” was written by Cheryl Day and Griffith Day. The book is published by Artisan, a division of Workman Publishing Company, Inc. The authors have previously published “The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook.”

The book’s title comes from the Back in the Day Bakery that Griffith (Griff) and Cheryl Day, husband and wife team, opened in Savannah, Georgia, back in 2002. The bakery has become a local favorite over the years, serving up Southern comfort food made from recipes gathered from family and friends and their own creations, as well. The Days use the “best ingredients,” including local, seasonal produce.

The cookbook has more than 100 recipes and some make-it-yourself projects, but the book is more than that. It begins with an Introduction of a little more than two pages. That’s how the reader finds out about Back in the Day Bakery and Cheryl and Griff’s families and their impacts on the couple’s cooking. The Introduction is followed by “The Craft of Scratch Baking,” with tricks for turning out “incredible baked goods.” Two of the tricks include creaming butter and measuring dry ingredients.

“The Baker’s Dozen,” a discussion of twelve tools that bakers should have (plus a list of additional tools), is next, followed by a list of spices for a well-stocked spice rack.

All of this is followed by eight sections of recipes. Each section has an introduction on the page to the right and a one-page illustration to the left. Each illustration is designed with a different drawing, which includes foods, flowers, vines and leaves. The colorful illustrations look as if they had been cut from rolls of wallpaper.

The recipes include those for biscuits, muffins, pies, cakes, breads, rolls, crackers, cookies, brownies, special occasion sweets, pizza, jams, syrups, and more. I’m especially eager to try a recipe for “Cocoa-Cola Cake with Chocolate Icing” and Cheryl’s tips for making the perfect biscuits and “My Favorite Biscuit Sandwich.” On an additional page in the cookbook, Cheryl discusses the merits of using genuine buttermilk, one of the ingredients of “Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits” and other recipes.

There are also directions, accompanied by photos, for making some special projects such as a Marshmallow Chandelier (you won’t believe it) and a Baby Cake Party Hat.

At the end of the book the reader will find a listing of places to find resources, both online and Savannah shops. There’s an index to make it easier to find recipes in the cookbook, too.

This cookbook is written in a down-to-earth style, with comments about every recipe that made it interesting reading. Cheryl seems to speak directly to the reader, which gives the book a personal touch. I love it!

“Back in the Day Bakery: Made with Love” costs $24.95 in hardcover, ISBN 978-1-57965-556-3.