Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts Review

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(More customer reviews)I've had this book for 20 years and made nearly everything in it. The only recipe which I think must have a mistake in it is the "pepper" brownies. I've never been able to make them come out, and I've varied the cooking times, the tempetature, the ingrediants etc.
Ok, my favorite is the "French Chocolate Mint Truffles." You can vary this one to your heart's content. First, you can roll the results in "dipping chocolate" get a bar of high quality chocolate heat on a double boiler and use a fork to dip the cured truffle, place on wax paper to cool. Second, you can use almost any flavoring, almond, coconut, orange, lemon, peppermint, etc. Third, you can use milk chocolate, if the the mix starts to thin when you heat it, add a tablespoon of powdered sugar. Fourth you can use white chocolate although this is tricky and requres a lot of powered sugar to get it to "set" like a 3 to 5 tablespoons of powdered sugar. (With the coconut ones I mix in a 1/4 cup of grated coconut.)
Ok, then the basic brownies, ooooh you'll never buy a box mix again.
Then the flourless cakes, so rich, its incredible.
On to the "Pots of Creame" Yum, you'll have people begging for more. The trick here is to use a pan to hold the pots in, put the pan with the pots in it in the oven, then add "boiling water" and cook for exactly 22 minutes. The centers will be smooth and look runny but they'll finish cooking as they cool. Also be very careful getting them out of the oven, hot water will go right through your oven mitts. I use a canning jar lifter to get the pots of creame out of the pan. But in any case please be careful the burn you could get is bad.
I could go on and on, but if you can follow directions they all seem to come out fine.

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Chocoholics rejoice! Heatter's perennial favorite has everything for the chocolate-loving cook--cakes, cookies, pies, puddings and more. Each recipe is precisely detailed, and Heatter provides valuable advice on cooking techniques, ingredients and equipment.

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Home Guide to Cake Decorating Review

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(More customer reviews)I LOVE this book. I have tried a few things out of it already, and while I haven't got the hang of it quite, this is one of the best books i have come across for cake decorating and learnign it
There is a substantial section at the start which is all about cake decorating and how to do it - each chapter is a different aspect, such as run outs, flowers, lace work, piping, colouring etc.
In the back of the book are several recipes for cakes which have easy to follow instructions, but even better they have the size of cake tin and what amoutn of ingreidnets you need in a simple to use chart.
Now to teh designs - some of the best I have seen - some are just gorgeous - the truffle cake took a bit of work but it was well worth it for a friend of mine who was leaving and I wanted to do something really special and beautiful for her. The recipes also mention if you can make anything in advance, how and where to keep it etc so I was able to a lot before the event and assemble it reasonably quickly
I also made the girls castle cake - an absolute gem - my daughter ADORED it - she is really into Barbie as Rapunzel at the moment so those magical castles are her dream. There are a huge variety of ideas in here from fabulous tall jungle cakes, number cakes for kids, fabulous wedding cakes, traditional cakes, really lovely christmas cakes and so much more
It is a massive book at 428 pages, but is only just larger in proportions than a large format paperback. A lot heavier though as it is done on gloss stock
Sumptuously illustrated, my 3 year old daughter loves reading it - I am trying out the Humpty cake next. Each has its own challenges and while I am not a fan of piping and not very good at it, there is much more than piping here, and some great ideas for layer cakes too.
Each important stage is well illustrated in a clear colour photo and instructions - looks good and tastes good too!
Highly recommended for beginners or experts, something in here for everyone and every occassion

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This compact, portable, user-friendly guide is the definitive reference book for all cake decorating enthusiasts. Cake decorating is a fabulous mixture of cookery and art, with a sprinkling of inspiration, precise care and reckless use of the imagination thrown in for good measure. This book will lead the novice through the simplest basics, but also contains great ideas and fantastic creations to inspire experienced sugarcrafters. If you have never baked before but want to make a teddy bear's picnic cake for your toddler's birthday, or if you are planning a three-tiered traditional cake with a cream frangipani for a family wedding, this is the book to show you how to do it.

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