Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)i *love* Martha Stewart's cupcake book! for years i've been searching her web site for cupcake ideas for baby showers and my kids' birthday parties. this book is chock full of wonderfully creative cupcakes for all seasons, holidays and special occasions! i've already made the shark and beach parasol cupcakes for my son's ocean-themed birthday party and the beautiful buttercream chrysanthemum cupcakes for a baby shower. you may think you need some special talent to pull her creations off, but all you need is a little practice and patience! there is no way you can leaf through this book without getting inspired...and drooling! After 287 pages of pics of and recipes for mouth-watering cupcakes, she includes informative pages on tools for baking, how to prepare a piping bag, working with fondant and marzipan, pastry tips and even how to display your treats. my husband agrees that this was a wonderful investment since he's seen how many of her baking ideas have come to fruition in our home...plus he's hoping i make him those yummy tiramisu or choc. salted-caramel mini cupcakes for his birthday! ;) yummo! ENJOY!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat

The perfect cupcake for every occasion.Swirled and sprinkled, dipped and glazed, or otherwise fancifully decorated, cupcakes are the treats that make everyone smile. They are the star attraction for special days, such as birthdays, showers, and holidays, as well as perfect everyday goodies. In Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, the editors of Martha Stewart Living share 175 ideas for simple to spectacular creations–with cakes, frostings, fillings, toppings, and embellishments that can be mixed and matched to produce just the right cupcake for any occasion. Alongside traditional favorites like yellow buttermilk cupcakes swirled with fluffy vanilla frosting and devil's food cupcakes crowned with rich, dark chocolate buttercream, there are also sweet surprises such as peanut butter and jelly cupcakes, dainty delights like tiny almond-cherry tea cakes, and festive showstoppers topped with marizpan ladybugs or candy clowns. The book features cupcakes for everyone, every season, and every event: Celebrations (monogram heart cupcakes perfect for an elegant wedding); Birthdays (starfish-on-the-beach cupcakes sure to be a hit at children's parties); Holidays (gumdrop candy ghouls and goblins ideal for Halloween revelers); and Any Day (red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for a picnic, or caramel-filled mini chocolate cakes for grown-up gatherings).In singular Martha Stewart style, the pages are both stunning in design–with a photograph of each finished treat–and brimming with helpful how-to information, from step-by-step photographs for decorating techniques to ideas for packaging and presenting your cupcakes. Whether for any day or special days, the treats in Martha Stewart's Cupcakes will delight one and all.From the Trade Paperback edition.--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Get 41% OFF

Click here for more information about Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat

Read More...

Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts Review

Average Reviews:

(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.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts

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.

Click here for more information about Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts

Read More...

A World of Cake: From honey cakes to flat cakes, fritters to chiffons, meringues to mooncakes, tartes to tortes, fruit cakes to spice cakes, 150 ... traditions from cultures around the world Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We made the German Chocolate cake this weekend- It was a 10 out of 10. The combination of textures between the filling and the frosting were sublime.
The histories of the cakes within their cultural origins created "an experience" beyond making a dessert for our dinner party. Everyone left a little more enlightened and insisted on taking a piece home for a family member. My Fiance's mom loved it too. One can only hope all history books are this exciting to read and fun to experience. Bravo Ms. Castella!

Click Here to see more reviews about: A World of Cake: From honey cakes to flat cakes, fritters to chiffons, meringues to mooncakes, tartes to tortes, fruit cakes to spice cakes, 150 ... traditions from cultures around the world

What's a cake? If you're living in the United States, a cake is a sweet, often layered dessert treat, usually frosted and served at a celebration such as a birthday, a wedding, or an anniversary. In France, patisseries offer edible works of art, combining architectural skill with a facility in combining sugar and flour. China is home to the mooncake, England gives us 'puddings" (which are often cakes!), Australia perfected the Pavlova meringue cake in honor of the Russian prima ballerina, and bite-sized fruit fritters are popular in West Africa. Author Krystina Castella became intrigued by the cultural history of cake when she hosted a bake sale with the international students she teaches and each student brought a cake from his or her family's heritage. This collection of international cakes was the beginning of A World of Cake, an adventurous exploration of global cake culture. The fascinating culinary journey includes all kinds of fun-to-read facts, such as 'A Field Guide to Cakes," 'A World Tour of Cake Holidays," and 'Family Trees" for each kind of cake. Clear instructions, illustrations, and hundreds of color photos accompany the recipes. Who knew that edification could be this much fun? Or this delicious? Including doughnuts, fritters, dumplings, milk treats, candy, and frosting, A World of Cake is more than a cookbook, more than an anthropology lesson, and way more fun than a textbook. Where else could readers Find an entire section devoted to cakes named after famous people? With subcategories? Castella embraces the spirit of celebration with this big, must-have book for anyone who loves making, eating, or just enjoying any version of a sweet treat.

Get 34% OFF

Click here for more information about A World of Cake: From honey cakes to flat cakes, fritters to chiffons, meringues to mooncakes, tartes to tortes, fruit cakes to spice cakes, 150 ... traditions from cultures around the world

Read More...

Hello, Cupcake: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)SUGAR ALERT: I will be fawning and tripping all over in talking about this book!
If you are a closet cake-decorator but you don't feel up in the ranks of Duff or Colette or Martha, then grab this book and hold on to your socks, because Karen Tack and Alan Richardson will take you on a fabulous decorating ride!!
Wow, wow, and WOW! This veritable encyclopedia of "mini-cake" decorating is so fun and easy that there is absolutely no excuse for anyone to lament "they can't". With the use of food items found anywhere, you will be making the cutest, and most impressive cupcake creations you can possibly think of, and Karen and Alan will make you legendary to boot!
This team of talent has come up with extremely amazing and irresistable cupcakes like giraffes, Van Gogh paintings, clowns, aquariums, etc that will all fit on top of a little poof of cake batter.
The book size itself is large with big print which lends itself to the purpose of the photographic detail that is so big, sharp, and clear, there is no doubt or question on sequence or step. Karen Tack is the recipe creator and food stylist and Alan Richardson is the text writer and photographer; both are brilliant and incredibly talented individuals, so as a team, they are a match made in cupcake heaven.
The Acknowledgement page was itself fun and relaxed, not something plodded through; you can tell it was done with real gratitude and thought, which is part of the overall charm of how this book was put together.
There are 8 chapters between the "Introduction" and the "Sources"; got those socks gripped?........
INTRODUCTION: Your text page begins the journey, and right after, you are given an impressive section of pages that visually, and with text, show you how you will make the many creations through the use of candies, cookies, and types of sugars.
CUPCAKING TECHNIQUES: This was invaluable for those who are novice cupcake bakers or wannabe's. Hints and instructions on methods for pouring batter, spreading frosting, making frosting, and melting chocolate for designs, are shown in close detail. They show you how to make "fur" for the lion cupcakes and "leaves" for flowers. This is followed by methods used to draw "bugs", people faces, and hairstyles by using melted chocolate and candies. The next section shows how you will literally build up these creations, like the bowling pin cupcakes, so instruction is shown in simple and fascinating detail. Part of the more complex designs require a grouping of cupcakes, like "corn on the cob", "rabbits in a hole", or the "alligator", and you are given an idea of the schematics involved in getting them just right!
APRIL FOOL'S THEME:
Corn on the Cob
Bagels and Lox
Buttered Popcorn
TV Dinner ("peas & carrots", "drumsticks", & "mashed potato" cupcakes!)
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Box of Chocolates
Van Gogh's "Starry Night" in frosting (he'd love it!)
PARTY ANIMALS:
March of the Penguins
Fat Cats (cats with their paws on fishbones!)
Fishbowl (you use those Pepperidge Farm fishies for this one!)
Panda-monium
Westies
Crazy Horses (this uses candy circus peanuts and wafers)
Pup Cakes (a whole bunch of poochies to choose from!)
Monarchs (what a great Spring party or bridal shower presentation!)
Shark Attack (you'll want to go into these waters!)
Old Swampy the 'Gator
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CUPCAKE!:
When I Grow Up
Party Princess (any little girl will just LOVE these!)
Slumber Party
Big Birthday Party
Bowl Me Over (this is soooo darn cute; pins and a bowling ball!!!)
The Big Top (definitely a more time-required, but great, project)
HOSTEST with the MOSTEST:
Sunflowers (a veritable burst of green and yellow and Oreo cookies!)
Black and White Party
Play Pool (no one will mind the 8 ball!)
Baby Shower
Petit Fours (very elegant and delicate)
Garden Party ( a "garden" of carrots, peas, radishes, and cabbage)
Easter Eggs
Rabbit Holes (so unbelievably clever; Karen Tack is a genious!)
Candy Stars and Stripes Forever
Family Tree
Wedding Cake and Monograms
NIGHTMARE BEFORE THANKSGIVING:
Alien Invasion
Creepy Crawlers (almost good enough for goin' fishin')
What a Hoot
Pumpkin Patch ( absolutely adorable; Alan's photography is superb!)
Howling Werewolves
Autumn Leaves (how did they think of this great project?!)
Larry the Turkey
HOLIDAY ON ICING:
Edible Ornaments (incredible boxed "ornaments"!)
String of Delights
Snow Globes (this was sheer genius by placing the cakes on their side!)
Gingerbread Boys
Partridge in a Pear Tree (fantastic!)
Nutcracker Sweet (you'll be dancing!)
Frosting the Snowman (too darn cute!)
White Wreath (Christmas glory in white and red! Awesome!)
CUPCAKES AND FROSTINGS:
(Cake mix recipes): Pumpkin Spice, Chocolate Chunk Surprise, Chocolate Mint, Orange Spice, Banana Chocolate, Gingerbread
(Homemade recipes): Chocolate Cupcakes, Banana Cupcakes, Carrot Cupcakes, Almond Cupcakes, Lemon-Poppy Seed Cupcakes, Vanilla Cupcakes
(Frostings): Next-to-Instant Ganache (melted chocolate), Homemade Ganache, Almost-Homemade Vanilla Buttercream, Cream Cheese Frosting, Chocolate Frosting
SOURCES
OK, OK.................I have gone beyond fawning but if you're a cake decorating fool like myself, you understand the passion. My deep gratitude to Karen and Alan; you guys ROCK!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Hello, Cupcake: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make

Get 41% OFF

Click here for more information about Hello, Cupcake: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make

Read More...

Sweet And Simple Party Cakes Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just started my journey with fondant, and this book was fabulous! I think the designs are simple, but pretty. They give you great ideas, walk you through everything, step by step. Not too technically difficult, but more than covers all the basis. Anyone with imagination can apply the techniques and create their own masterpiece. Totally worth the money to those wanting to LEARN. If you already know your way around fondant, you may want to look elsewhere.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sweet And Simple Party Cakes

"Create over 40 simple yet incredibly stylish cakes for every occasion, from weddings and anniversaries, to birthdays, christenings and Christmas. Discover a variety of irresistible cake designs in all colors, shapes and sizes.Includes a wide selection of sweet cupcakes and gorgeous minicakes to make when time is short. Explore a wide variety of quick and easy sugarcrafting techniques. Beginner and intermediate sugarcrafters will complete the projects with ease, while discovering professional sugarcrafting tricks. Easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions, simple recipes, and beautiful photography ensure mouthwatering results.Clever packaging ideas are also included to make your cakes look even more desirable."

Get 37% OFF

Click here for more information about Sweet And Simple Party Cakes

Read More...

Fairytale Cakes: 17 Enchanted Creations Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First off the book starts out with recipes for cakes, frosting and how to make your own fondant, I thought that was a great detail in the book. The directions were well written to make the figurines for each cake. Some of the bigger projects actually had patterns in the book as well. The designs in this book were not was I was looking for, I wanted more princess stuff and there were none in here.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Fairytale Cakes: 17 Enchanted Creations

Every child has a favorite story, whether it's about a little mermaid, an ugly duckling, or a brother and sister who meet a witch in a gingerbread house. And no matter how many times mom and dad tell that tale, it's never enough; the young listener is hungry for more. So maybe it's time to delight that young prince or princess with a magically decorated, hand-baked cake based on that beloved book. All the necessary inspiration and instruction are here, from fondant fundamentals to creating shapes and forms. A short synopsis of the related story accompanies the cake, along with vibrant color photographs. Adults may think these sumptuous sweets look too good to touch-but kids will eat them right up!

Get 32% OFF

Click here for more information about Fairytale Cakes: 17 Enchanted Creations

Read More...

Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday Celebrations Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The receipes in this book are the cakes that my grandmother made when I was a child. I can remember her in the kitchen baking all day and then placing a towel on the counter and displaying all her baked cakes for our family. The photography in this book is awesome. From the coconut cake on the cover to the buttermilk cake is a replicate of the real thing. The receipes are easy to follow and well written. If you love the southern heritage of cakes made by your grandmother or your mom, you'll find them all in this wonderful book. I found the ingredients to be readily available in my pantry and the stories about each recipe add to the interesting reading. A nice addition to my collection.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday Celebrations

Taste the chocolatey goodness of Mississippi Mud or marvel at the extravagant elegance of the Lady Baltimore and there will be no doubt that Southerners know how to bake a cake. Here are 65 recipes for some of the most delicious ever. Jam cakes and jelly rolls; humble pear bread and peanut cake; whole chapters on both chocolate and coconut cakes each moist and delicious forkful represents the spirit of the South. A Baking 101 section offers the cake basics, some finishing touches (that means frosting and lots of it!), and the how-to's of storing each lovely concoction so that the last slice tastes as fresh and delightful as the first.

Get 34% OFF

Click here for more information about Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday Celebrations

Read More...

Sacred Food: Cooking for Spiritual Nourishment Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)In Sacred Food: Cooking For Spiritual Nourishment, award-winning food writer Elisabeth Luard takes the reader on a fascinating and inspiring survey of dishes traditionally served at significant and celebatory moments ranging from birth, puberty, courtship, and betrothal, to marriage, death, burial, and remembrance. Along the way Luard illuminates how and why we celebrate such human milestones with food. Superb images showcase a wealth of recipes and myriad cultures from Mexico, Japan, Spain, Italy, and Indonesia, to North American, the Middle East, Germany, Scandinavia, and Britain. From Mushroom Piroshki for an Eastern European birth basket, to Kerala Coconut Curry prepared for an Indian wedding feast, Sacred Food offers more than 40 sumptuous recipes to delight, educate, and please the palate. Sacred Foods is highly recommended for culinary gourmets and students of the cultural role food plays in human societies around the world.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sacred Food: Cooking for Spiritual Nourishment

Celebrating the power of food to nourish souls and its vital part in religious ceremonies and secular celebrations, this cookbook offers insights into food that go far beyond recipes. It explores the dishes that are traditionally served at significant moments in human life—birth, puberty, courtship, betrothal and marriage, death, burial, and remembrance—and explains why and how we celebrate with food. More than 40 recipes include pan de muertos, prepared for the Mexican Day of the Dead; piroshki from Slovakia, to celebrate the birth of a baby; cassava with chili and peanuts, to mark an African girl's coming-of-age; and honey cake, prepared for a Turkish wedding feast. The vibrant ceremonies and dishes are lavishly illustrated with color photographs, bringing to life a wealth of recipes and myriad cultures including those of Mexico, Japan, Spain, Italy, Indonesia, North America, the Middle East, Germany, Scandinavia, and Britain.

Click here for more information about Sacred Food: Cooking for Spiritual Nourishment

Read More...

Good Luck Life: The Essential Guide to Chinese American Celebrations and Culture Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)A treasure chest...and a treasure, Good Luck Life is a compelling collection that's as fun to read as it is fascinating.
You'll discover:
*Rosemary Gong's graceful poetry and memories of Chinese-American celebrations
* Legends and lore---secrets and significance---facts and history-to define each holiday
* Recipes and check lists for creating your own authentic Chinese-American occasion
My son and his Chinese-American wife just had a baby. Thanks to Good Luck Life, this Italian-American grandmother is already planning a Red Egg and Ginger Party to welcome her first grandchild! Starting from almost no knowledge about Chinese-American traditions, I was delighted to discover this rich resource; you will be, too!
Paola Gianturco


Click Here to see more reviews about: Good Luck Life: The Essential Guide to Chinese American Celebrations and Culture


Good Luck Life is the first book to explain the meanings of Chinese rituals and to offer advice on when and how to plan for Chinese holidays and special occasions such as Chinese weddings, the Red Egg and Ginger party to welcome a new baby, significant birthdays, and the inevitable funeral. Packed with practical information, Good Luck Life contains an abundance of facts, legends, foods, old-village recipes, and quick planning guides for Chinese New Year, Clear Brightness, Dragon Boat, Mid-Autumn, and many other festivals.

Written with warmth and wit, Good Luck Life is beautifully designed as an easily accessible cultural guide that includes an explanation of the Lunar Calendar, tips on Chinese table etiquette for dining with confidence, and dos and don'ts from wise Auntie Lao, who recounts ancient Chinese beliefs and superstitions. This is your map for celebrating a good luck life.

Get 31% OFF

Click here for more information about Good Luck Life: The Essential Guide to Chinese American Celebrations and Culture

Read More...

Creative Cookies: Delicious Decorating for Any Occasion Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)and I have purchased several. Even beginners can recreate Ms. Garrett's creations because of her detailed explanations and pictures. Outstanding recipes, especially for the glace' icing (much more preferable than royal icing, I think. Besides tasting great it also dries hard to the touch which is a plus when you need to stack the cookies). She gives very imaginative and classy ideas for baby showers, mothers day, heart designs, monograms...to name a few. She also gives suggestions for adding your own touches. I especially love her wedding cake cookies (which you can adapt for b'day or anniversary occasions) and her "get well" cookies (you can use any message to personalize it). She provides full size patterns from which to make templates but I hope she comes out with copper cookie cutters in these shapes.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Creative Cookies: Delicious Decorating for Any Occasion

A feast for the eyes as well as the palate, this collection from media favorite Toba Garrett is available again."The mouth-watering photos are enough to send you running to the store for baking equipment and ingredients...[these are] gorgeous works of art. A wealth of photographs and illustrations ensures that even novices will have success with their cookie-making marathons."--New York Daily News"Marvelous book...Superb photography shows the excellence of Ms. Garrett's work...A must for the cookie aficionado."--American Cake DecorationToba Garrett--master baker, critically lauded author, and recent guest on Emeril Live--has devised cookies so delectable and exquisitely decorated that home chefs will be searching for occasions to makemore. The simple recipes range from gingerbread to shortbread, from sugar cookies to chocolate. But what really makes these extra special are Garrett's clever techniques for turning the cookies into works of art that delight the eye as much as they please the palate. There are ruffled bibs in soft pastel hues for a baby shower, a white chocolate rose with eight petals, and a 3D bride and groom for wedding and anniversary celebrations. Anyone can create these effects with confidence thanks to the author's clarity and creativity..

Click here for more information about Creative Cookies: Delicious Decorating for Any Occasion

Read More...

Cupcakes: From the Cake Mix Doctor Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I don't often give cookbooks a 5 star, just because many of them have only a few new recipes that I would try, or because the format is poor. Oftentimes, I check out cookbooks from my local library, pick out the recipes that I want to try, and jot them down. When I started to do that with this book, however, I noticed that I was marking several pages in a row, and pretty soon had most of the pages bookmarked! I stopped marking, returned the book to the library, and purchased my own copy.
What makes this seemingly simple concept so special? Well, as the author points out, most people love cupcakes. They are versatile, portable, and easy to create. You can make cupcakes as simple or as creative as you would like. And this great book of over 135 recipes can help in any situation. Need 2 dozen cupcakes for the class bake sale and want the cupcakes to look incredible? Want to impress your dinner guests but not spend hours in the kitchen? Want to wow your kids with a special treat after school? You can make up a batch of cupcakes that will accomplish all of these tasks.
I loved the fact that most of the recipes start with a box of cake mix, and ingredients that I keep in my pantry and refrigerator. Some of my family's favorites include: Red Velvet Cupcakes, Coconut Snowballs, Caramel Spiced Apple Cupcakes, Fresh Raspberry Cream Cakes, and the Marshmallow Frosting.
The author has 2 other books that are also worth a try, "The Cake Mix Doctor" and "The Dinner Doctor". Enjoy!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Cupcakes: From the Cake Mix Doctor

The cupcake is America's darling. It's celebrated in upscale bakeries, on Sex in the City, on the cover of Gourmet, and in thou-sands of classrooms—where every day, it seems, a parent has sent in a batch for the kids to share. The very word conjures up whimsy, coziness, pleasure, nostalgia. Not to mention the fact that their diminutive size means you can eat a lot of them. Once upon a time, a family had only two recipes for cupcakes—chocolate and vanilla. Not anymore. Now Anne Byrn brings them to the next level. And who better? Recognized as the master of cake-mix baking, Anne is the author of The Cake Mix Doctor and Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor, which have a total of over 1.8 million copies in print. In Cupcakes she offers 135 tempting recipes for children and grown-ups, for special days and everyday, lunch bags, holiday festivities, and an unexpected dinner party dessert. You'll never believe these artful little cakes started with a mix. Coconut Snowballs, Jelly Doughnut Cupcakes, Kiss Me Cakes, Warm Chocolate Cupcakes with Molten Centers, Red Velvet Cupcakes with White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting. There are surprising additions (tuck a chocolate kiss orpiece of cookie dough into the batter). Creative toppings and easy from-scratch frostings (whipped cream spiked with Kahlua; miniature M&Ms; a creamy malted frosting with crushed malted milk balls).Terrific decorating ideas, from glittering golden dragees or elegant chocolate curls to yellow peeps for an Easter cupcake or—for Groundhog's Day—a groundhog's face made out of chocolate frosting and jimmies. Includes a 16-page full-color opening essay.

Get 41% OFF

Click here for more information about Cupcakes: From the Cake Mix Doctor

Read More...

Sugar-Free Gluten-Free Baking and Desserts: Recipes for Healthy and Delicious Cookies, Cakes, Muffins, Scones, Pies, Puddings, Breads and Pizzas Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I own several Gluten Free, Sugar Free cookbooks and many more medical science books to explain the "WHY"- and there are so many. This book is an excellent cookbook with detailed information for what to substitute where and when. So many Gluten-Free cookbooks never consider the SUGAR factor, which in my opinion, is very mis-leading and for so many Gluten-sensitive people an incredible waste of time, energy, and frustration.
Likewise I have several sugar-free recipe books, where the most common sugar substitutions are still, biochemically sugar. For instance, brown rice syrup-still sugar, your body doesn't know the difference on a chemical level. Glycemic Index wise it's only slightly lower than brown sugar, not enough that one should become too comfortable using as a constant substitution. I don't know what research Kelly relied on, maybe trial-and-error, whatever her method her product is sound and it shows in her consistency and the results the sugar-sensitive consumer experiences. ALSO, importantly, if you're cooking for a skeptical audience, or difficult-to-please children, the food is absolutely delightful.
-LP

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sugar-Free Gluten-Free Baking and Desserts: Recipes for Healthy and Delicious Cookies, Cakes, Muffins, Scones, Pies, Puddings, Breads and Pizzas

HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT HEALTHY TOOStandard baked goods come with a hefty price on your health-weight gain, cholesterol and diabetes, as well as allergies for many people. Sugar-Free Gluten-Free Baking and Desserts shows how to bring taboo treats back to the baking sheet with mouth-watering recipes that transform diet-busting favorites into guilt-free wonders.Following a wholesome approach that avoids quick-metabolizing ingredients,this book presents recipes for delicious desserts and breads that are as satisfying as they are good for the body. Discover the easy and tasty way to bake with healthy alternatives:• Replace wheatwith arrowroot, buckwheat or quinoa flour• Eliminate sugarby sweetening with agave, yacon or steviaSugar-Free Gluten-Free Baking and Desserts offers over 90 delicious and nutritious recipes for:• Cinnamon Rolls• Chocolate Chip Cookies• Old-Fashioned Raspberry Thumbprints• Almond Joy Truffles• Carob Chip Scones• Mexican Wedding Cakes• Corn Bread• Peanut Butter Waffles• Zucchini Bread• Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie• Fudge Brownies

Get 34% OFF

Click here for more information about Sugar-Free Gluten-Free Baking and Desserts: Recipes for Healthy and Delicious Cookies, Cakes, Muffins, Scones, Pies, Puddings, Breads and Pizzas

Read More...

The Cake Mix Doctor Returns: With 160 All-New Recipes Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Not much to say, except -- if you have the other Cake Mix Doctor books, you do not need this one (unless you simply want to complete the library). It it mostly a rehash of the first two cake books...and the "low-fat" changes do NOT improve the recipes. Here's an example of a repeat: "Key Lime Cheesecake". The recipe is a repeat of the same one featured in "The Cake Mix Doctor Does Chocolate"...except it does not have a chocolate crust and pecans are added. The "lighter" version of "Darn Good Chocolate Cake" is NOT as good -- just stick with the original recipe. The change in the "Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars" is NOT for the better. For those of you who have made them (featured in the second Cake Mix Doctor book), the coconut is in the original recipe for a reason...it holds the chocolate filling together. Taking it out in the "revised" recipe is NOT an improvement. Apparently, the publisher wanted to squeeze another book out of the series, and did what Southern Living/Oxmoor House is infamous for -- printed a "new" book filled with recipes from other books in the same series. For those of you who have none of the Cake Mix Doctor books -- bypass this one and purchase the original "Cake Mix Doctor". It's the best and comes highly recommended.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Cake Mix Doctor Returns: With 160 All-New Recipes

What could be better than a phenomenon? The return of a phenomenon. Ten years ago Anne Byrn's The Cake Mix Doctor began its extraordinary run as one of the most popular baking books of all time. Now Anne Byrn is back with the all-new Cake Mix Doctor Returns! From the beloved author who showed home bakers how adding a touch of sweet butter or a dusting of cocoa powder, a dollop of vanilla yogurt or flurry of grated lemon zest could transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Here are 160 brand-new recipes-that's right, 160 amazing cake mix recipes-for luscious layer cakes, sheet cakes, brownies, bars, cookies, and more.And the book is needed more than ever. Today 90 percent of home cooks use prepackaged mixes, while the economy is creating a perfect excuse to let them eat cake-cake equals happiness. And what cakes! 40 layer cakes, from Tiramisu Cake to The Best Red Velvet Cake, Strawberry Refrigerator Cake to Chocolate Swirled Cannoli Cake. 35 sheet cakes. 38 bundt and pound cakes. 16 cupcakes and muffins, plus the cult classic Whoopie Pie. And brownies, bars, and cookies, including Spice Drop Cookies, Angel Food Macaroons, and Chocolate Espresso Biscotti. There's even a wedding cake, a frequent request from the author's passionate online community.The Cake Mix Doctor is back-just say ahhhhh!

Get 38% OFF

Click here for more information about The Cake Mix Doctor Returns: With 160 All-New Recipes

Read More...

Home Guide to Cake Decorating Review

Average Reviews:

(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

Click Here to see more reviews about: Home Guide to Cake Decorating

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.

Click here for more information about Home Guide to Cake Decorating

Read More...

Cupcake POP Mold Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This product is amazing! It works so perfectly for making cake pops or cake balls in mini cupcake shapes! The cake ball doesn't even stick to the inside and is so easy to get out. Easy clean up too! I didn't realize it could be so easy!!! Thank you for making such a GREAT product!!!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Cupcake POP Mold

Click here for more information about Cupcake POP Mold

Read More...