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It's a Sweet World: Recipes from Around the Globe at Bea's Bakery

A World of Sweet Traditions and Flavors

It's a Sweet World invites you to bring the rich, nostalgic flavors of Bea’s Bakery, a California institution, into your home with a blend of Jewish, Nigerian, and global recipes perfect for any occasion.

Bea’s Bakery has been a beloved part of California’s Jewish baking heritage for over fifty years. Founded in 1968 by Sol Litwak and his son Jules, Bea’s Bakery was named after Sol’s wife, Beatrice—fondly called “Bea.” Since then, it has stood as a comforting symbol of traditional Jewish bakeries in America, delighting the community with timeless treats and flavors that evoke family memories and bring people together.

Experience the rich legacy of Bea’s Bakery in your own kitchen. In 2023, Bea’s Bakery was entrusted to new owners, Lenny Rosenberg and Adaeze Nwanonyiri. This husband-and-wife duo brings their unique backgrounds and love for tradition to this debut cookbook. It's a Sweet World offers readers a journey through Bea’s most cherished recipes, from classic Jewish staples to Nigerian-inspired delights and international favorites. With each recipe, readers can expect step-by-step instructions, heartwarming stories, and suggestions for enjoying these treats at special occasions, making it easy to recreate Bea’s bakery magic at home.

Inside, you’ll find:

  • A unique collection of recipes that celebrates Jewish cuisine, timeless baking traditions, and global favorites like challah, honey cake, lamingtons, and Red Velvet Kola Nut Cupcakes.
  • Engaging stories and easy-to-follow steps for each recipe, making this an ideal traditional baking cookbook for bakers of all ages, whether you’re searching for classic or multicultural inspiration.
  • A thoughtful baking gift for kids and families who want to explore Jewish baking, with plenty of variety to create delicious treats and sweet memories together.

If you liked 100 Cookies, Baking Yesteryear, or Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book, you’ll love It’s a Sweet World.

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It's a Sweet World: Recipes from Around the Globe at Bea's Bakery

A World of Sweet Traditions and Flavors

It's a Sweet World invites you to bring the rich, nostalgic flavors of Bea’s Bakery, a California institution, into your home with a blend of Jewish, Nigerian, and global recipes perfect for any occasion.

Bea’s Bakery has been a beloved part of California’s Jewish baking heritage for over fifty years. Founded in 1968 by Sol Litwak and his son Jules, Bea’s Bakery was named after Sol’s wife, Beatrice—fondly called “Bea.” Since then, it has stood as a comforting symbol of traditional Jewish bakeries in America, delighting the community with timeless treats and flavors that evoke family memories and bring people together.

Experience the rich legacy of Bea’s Bakery in your own kitchen. In 2023, Bea’s Bakery was entrusted to new owners, Lenny Rosenberg and Adaeze Nwanonyiri. This husband-and-wife duo brings their unique backgrounds and love for tradition to this debut cookbook. It's a Sweet World offers readers a journey through Bea’s most cherished recipes, from classic Jewish staples to Nigerian-inspired delights and international favorites. With each recipe, readers can expect step-by-step instructions, heartwarming stories, and suggestions for enjoying these treats at special occasions, making it easy to recreate Bea’s bakery magic at home.

Inside, you’ll find:

  • A unique collection of recipes that celebrates Jewish cuisine, timeless baking traditions, and global favorites like challah, honey cake, lamingtons, and Red Velvet Kola Nut Cupcakes.
  • Engaging stories and easy-to-follow steps for each recipe, making this an ideal traditional baking cookbook for bakers of all ages, whether you’re searching for classic or multicultural inspiration.
  • A thoughtful baking gift for kids and families who want to explore Jewish baking, with plenty of variety to create delicious treats and sweet memories together.

If you liked 100 Cookies, Baking Yesteryear, or Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book, you’ll love It’s a Sweet World.

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It's a Sweet World: Recipes from Around the Globe at Bea's Bakery

It's a Sweet World: Recipes from Around the Globe at Bea's Bakery

It's a Sweet World: Recipes from Around the Globe at Bea's Bakery

It's a Sweet World: Recipes from Around the Globe at Bea's Bakery

Overview

A World of Sweet Traditions and Flavors

It's a Sweet World invites you to bring the rich, nostalgic flavors of Bea’s Bakery, a California institution, into your home with a blend of Jewish, Nigerian, and global recipes perfect for any occasion.

Bea’s Bakery has been a beloved part of California’s Jewish baking heritage for over fifty years. Founded in 1968 by Sol Litwak and his son Jules, Bea’s Bakery was named after Sol’s wife, Beatrice—fondly called “Bea.” Since then, it has stood as a comforting symbol of traditional Jewish bakeries in America, delighting the community with timeless treats and flavors that evoke family memories and bring people together.

Experience the rich legacy of Bea’s Bakery in your own kitchen. In 2023, Bea’s Bakery was entrusted to new owners, Lenny Rosenberg and Adaeze Nwanonyiri. This husband-and-wife duo brings their unique backgrounds and love for tradition to this debut cookbook. It's a Sweet World offers readers a journey through Bea’s most cherished recipes, from classic Jewish staples to Nigerian-inspired delights and international favorites. With each recipe, readers can expect step-by-step instructions, heartwarming stories, and suggestions for enjoying these treats at special occasions, making it easy to recreate Bea’s bakery magic at home.

Inside, you’ll find:

  • A unique collection of recipes that celebrates Jewish cuisine, timeless baking traditions, and global favorites like challah, honey cake, lamingtons, and Red Velvet Kola Nut Cupcakes.
  • Engaging stories and easy-to-follow steps for each recipe, making this an ideal traditional baking cookbook for bakers of all ages, whether you’re searching for classic or multicultural inspiration.
  • A thoughtful baking gift for kids and families who want to explore Jewish baking, with plenty of variety to create delicious treats and sweet memories together.

If you liked 100 Cookies, Baking Yesteryear, or Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book, you’ll love It’s a Sweet World.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781684817740
Publisher: Mango Media
Publication date: 01/14/2025
Pages: 224
Product dimensions: 7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Lenny Rosenberg was born and raised in Plainview, Long Island. Since the tender age of seven he was immersed in the family business of bakeries, delis, pizzerias, catering and restaurants from the East to the West Coast. His father, Robert Rosenberg, was a seasoned pro at rebranding bakery and restaurant establishments for over 50 years including the landmark Eclairs in New York City. Starting at the age of seven-years-old, Lenny worked steadily in the family businesses until eventually the torch was passed to him. He bought and rebranded his first restaurant at the age of 17.

Success quickly ensued and Lenny continued to purchase and rebrand multiple bakeries and restaurants at a time. In 2000 he searched for a new challenge by moving out west where he met interior designer Adaeze Nwanonyiri. The duo joined forces and decided to embark in business together starting in Los Angeles to create the same commitment to quality, food, service and décor. They bought and rebranded such notable California restaurants such as Nosh of Beverly Hills, 17th Street Cafe on tony Montana Ave. in Santa Monica and the beloved Mort’s deli in Pacific Palisades.


Adaeze Nwanonyiri was born in Houston, Texas and pursued interior decorating studies at New York School’s interior design. To pay her rent and school fees she would consult and design her friends apartments from basic “blah” to fabulous sanctuaries. Soon word of mouth grew and she began to help local restaurants display an aesthetic vision to match the food and location and Adaeze was called “The Expert Interior decorator”

After her seven year relationship with New York, Adaeze yearned for new challenges and a change of scenery and moved to Los Angeles, California in the year 2000. One night while attending a PR event in Malibu, California, she crossed paths with Lenny Rosenberg, the restaurant extraordinaire. The two hit if off and a few conversations and meetings later, they decided to combine talents and expertise by taking the country by storm with their unbeatable track record with rebranding restaurants & eateries. Soon after they were well known for their accomplishments.

Now Lenny and Adaeze want to teach their restaurant expertise with everyone. For more information on Lenny and Adaeze visit: https://www.larsrestaurants.com

Read an Excerpt

Poppy Seed Roll (Ukrainian)

Variations of the popular poppy seed roll have been a mainstay of Christmas, Easter, and Shabbat celebrations in Eastern Europe for generations and have many different names, including Polish makowiec, Hungarian beigli, Viennese Wienerbrød, and Ukrainian makivnyk.

Made of a wet yeasty, sweet bread dough with a bittersweet filling of poppy seed paste, it is rolled up like a cinnamon roll before baking so that, when it’s cut, the filling creates dense swirls of dark delight. Poppy seeds feature widely in the cuisine of the former Eastern Bloc because they represent prosperity and are considered especially lucky during the holidays.

Traditionally grown in gardens and on vegetable plots, the poppies are left to go to seed before entire families go out to harvest them. These days, of course, we can buy the seed filling over the counter which makes it a whole lot easier, although we have many customers at Bea’s who reminisce about the days when it wasn’t so easy. This recipe is a special favorite for our Ukrainian customers and for all those nostalgic for the old country.

Known as mohn in Yiddish, poppy seeds have been used as a filling and a coating on bagels and breads since medieval times, as they are an excellent source of calcium and are rich in natural oils. At Bea’s Bakery, our filling adds prune paste to the poppy paste for extra sweetness.

Mazel tov!

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface
Foreword
Introduction: History of Bea’s Bakery and a Tribute to the Original Owners

Chapter 1: Breads

  • Traditional Challah with Variations—Apple Honey, Chocolate Chip, Raisin, Seeded (Jewish)
  • Ube Challah (Filipino)
  • Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Loaf (American)

Chapter 2: Cakes & Bars

  • Sour Cream Cheesecake (Greek)
  • Poppyseed Roll (Ukrainian)
  • Honey Cake with Variations (Jewish)
  • Nigerian Pound Cake (Nigerian)
  • Napoleon (French)
  • Hungarian Seven-Layer Cake (Hungarian)
  • Yum Yum Cake (Southern)
  • Red Velvet Kola Nut Cupcakes (Nigerian)
  • Lamington Coconut Bars (Australian)
  • Lemon Bars (American)
  • Nigerian Coconut Candy Bars (Nigerian)
  • Pecan Bars (Southern)
  • Flourless Chocolate Cake (Italian)

Chapter 3: Cookies

  • Ube Cookies (Filipino)
  • Chinese Cookies (Russian)
  • Rainbow Cookie (Italian)
  • Butter Cookies (Danish)
  • Mexican Wedding Cookies/Snowballs (Mexican/Ukrainian)
  • Triple Chocolate Cookies (American)
  • Spritz Cookies (German)
  • Chocolate Rugelach (Jewish)
  • Sugar-Free Cinnamon Raisin Rugelach (Jewish)
  • Nigerian Ground Nut Cookies (Nigerian)
  • Almond Horn (Danish)
  • Black & Whites (American)
  • Green & Whites (Nigerian)
  • Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (American)
  • Mandelbrot (Jewish)
  • Coconut Macaroon (Jewish)
  • French Rolled Florentine (French)
  • Italian Cannoli (Italian)
  • Gingerbread Cookies (Egyptian)
  • Almond Macaroon Cookies (Italian)

Chapter 4: Pies & Puddings

  • Fresh Fruit Tart (French)
  • Bea’s Classic Pumpkin Pie (American)
  • Lemon Meringue Pie (American)
  • Adaeze’s Southern Sweet Potato Pie (Southern)
  • Lenny’s Famous New York Apple Pie (American)
  • Chocolate Mousse Pudding (French)
  • English Bread Pudding (English)

Chapter 5: Muffins & Scones

  • New England Bran Muffin (American)
  • Blueberry Muffins (American)
  • Double Chocolate Muffins (American)
  • Kichel—with Sugar-Free Variation (Jewish)
  • British Buttermilk Scones (English)
  • Oat Currant Scone (Scottish)

Chapter 6: Specialty Sweet Breads

  • Chocolate Babka (Polish)
  • Irish Soda Bread (Irish)
  • Nigerian Cornbread (Nigerian)

Chapter 7: More Sweet Treats

  • Apple Noodle Kugel (Jewish)
  • Matzo Kugel (German/Jewish)
  • Nigerian Egg Rolls (Nigerian)
  • Éclair (French)
  • Danish Pastries (Danish)
  • Butter Streusel (German)
  • Brownies (American)
  • Rum Balls (Danish)

Acknowledgements
About the Authors

From the B&N Reads Blog
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