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Books for Bakers and Cooks

December 5, 2013 By A Spoonful of Sugar - 1 Comment

Sarah and I had a big day of Christmas shopping this week and now have lots of gift wrapping to do. We love to buy books as gifts – there is such a huge range of titles available and you can usually find the perfect book that suits the interests of your recipient. Today we are reviewing 6 titles that will be perfect for the Bakers, Cake Decorators, and Cooks on your Christmas Gift List! (You may even want to treat yourself!)

Macarons, Cupcakes & Cake Pops by Mia Öhrn is a gorgeous book full of pretty and colourful treats to bake for your next celebration. The book is beautifully presented with lovely photography and has an amazing array of sweet and delicious desserts. It includes a helpful Macaron School which guides you through the techniques needed to create these lovely morsels. Macaron flavours included: passion-fruit, blackcurrant, lime and mint, and many more. Cupcake varieties included: rocky road, candy cane, coconut and passion fruit, and more. There is a lovely range of cake pops to make, as well as cookies, fudge cups, brownies, madeleines, whoopie pies and other delicious treats. If you love to bake, you are bound to find plenty of inspiration in this beautiful title. The hard part will be deciding which treat to bake first!









Book Details:
Publisher:     Sterling
Format:        Hardback, 84 pages
ISBN:          9781454905769
RRP:            $19.99

Macarons, Cupcakes and Cake Pops is available from Booktopia.



SprinkleBakes, Dessert Recipes to Inspire Your Inner Artist,  by Heather Baird is brimming with creative treats to make your next dessert really shine! Written by the author of the SprinkleBakes blog, it allows you to unleash your inner artist to create desserts that look and taste like works of art. Using your imagination, and techniques of sculpting, application of colour theory, drawing and painting techniques, you can put your own creative twist on your blank canvas of cookies, cakes, and candies. SprinkleBakes is full of beautiful photos that guide you, step by step, through many of the processes. What we love about this book, is that it includes many original and creative ideas and techniques so you can put your own spin on many desserts. It will change the way to look at recipes and is would make a great gift for bakers with a passion for art.

Book Details:
Publisher:     Sterling Epicure
Format:        Paperback, 276 pages
ISBN:          9781402786365
RRP:            $24.99

SprinkleBakes is available from Booktopia.



Decorate Cakes, Cupcakes, Cookies with Kids by Autumn Carpenter, is full of techniques, projects, and party plans for teaching kids, teens, and tots. This is a great gift for a Junior Masterchef. It is full of clear, step by step, photographs to teach children the basics of cake decorating. Including the processes of rolling fondant, piping buttercream, and other decorating methods, it will provide hours of fun for adults and kids to spend time together in the kitchen. The cakes are rated in complexity and there are helpful suggestions on how to include younger kids in the process.The projects are centred around 15 themes such as Pretty Pony, Tropical Luau, Pirate Shindig, and Snowy Treats, there is something for your next children’s party. Children will enjoy looking through the book to select a cake for their next birthday. This book would make a lovely gift for a child who loves to bake.
Book Details:
Format:        Paperback, 144 pages
Publisher:     Creative Publishing International
ISBN:          9781589237766
RRP:            $34.99

Check out the Google Preview at Booktopia for more images. Also available from Can Do Books.

The Kitchen Pantry Cookbook, Make Your Own Condiments and Essentials by Erin Coopey, is a useful volume filled with wonderful condiments to accompany and highlight your meal. Store bought versions are often loaded with preservatives, extra salt, and sugar. Using the lovely recipes in this book, you can create your own fresh and delicious salad dressings, stocks, relishes, pickles, condiments, nut butters and spreads to stock your pantry and to give as gifts for food loving friends. We love to give gifts from our kitchen at Christmas and this book is going to be a great addition to our library with so many lovely recipes to try. We can’t wait to make the Maple Pecan Butter, Honey Mustard Dressing, Garlic Dill Vinegar, Orange Flower Curd, and Steak Sauce.
Book Details:
Format:       Paperback, 176 pages
Publisher:    Quarry Books
ISBN:         9781592528430
RRP:           $34.99

Cake Craft Made Easy, Step-by-Step Sugarcraft Techniques for 16 Vintage Inspired Cakes by Fiona Pearce is the perfect volume for anyone wanting to master essential cake decorating techniques from buttercream piping to royal icing stencilling. The book includes links to 12 online cake decorating videos to guide you through the more complex processes. Each of the 16 Vintage inspired cakes includes loads of step by step photographs and tips to guide you through the process and to instruct you in  cake decorating skills. This is a lovely book for anyone wanting to learn cake decorating so you can create beautiful cakes for special occasions.

Book Details:
Format:       Paperback, 128 Pages
Publisher:    David & Charles
ISBN:         9781446302910
RRP:           $24.99

Cake Craft Made Easy is available from Can Do Books and Booktopia.

The Soupmaker’s Kitchen, How to Save your Scraps, Prepare a Stock, and Craft the Perfect Pot of Soup, by Aliza Green is brimming with delicious, nourishing, and healthy soups. This lovely cookbook includes recipes for soups, bisque’s, chowders, and purees. Including lots of step by step photography and tips, you will be able to create lovely soups for your next family meal or dinner party. The Soupmaker’s Kitchen includes soups from many different cultures, as well as seafood, poultry, beef, vegetarian and vegan favourites. What we love about soup is that the most basic of ingredients or leftovers, can be transformed into a nourishing meal.  Lovers of soup will find plenty of inspiring recipes in this handy volume. We can’t wait to try Pennsylvania Dutch Bacon, Corn, and Potato Chowder; Mexican Sopa de Tortilla with Shredded Chicken, and the French Onion Soup.
Book Details:
Format:      Paperback, 160 pages
Publisher:   Quarry Books
ISBN:        9781592538447
RRP:          $29.99

The Soupmaker’s Kitchen is available from Booktopia.

Please note that we are not paid to write book reviews but we do receive a review copy of the book from publishers/distributors. All opinions are our own.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: book review

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Comments

  1. Nisa-mom says

    December 6, 2013 at 8:43 am

    OMG … beautiful books, I want all of them for my birthday present :))

    Reply

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A quick, useful sew that always turns out sweet. T A quick, useful sew that always turns out sweet. The Handy Drawstring Pouch is one of my most‑loved patterns because it ticks all four pillars: useful, giftable, beginner‑friendly, and scrap‑friendly. Sew it in three sizes to suit anything from small notions to travel essentials.This one is made in Tilda Songbird and comes together fast with neat, satisfying steps. Perfect for gifts, organising, or weekend sewing.Comment HANDY and I’ll send the pattern link straight to you. 💗Pattern Details: Handy Drawstring Pouch ( available in our Pattern Store and Etsy Shop).Fabric: Tilda Songbird, with thanks from @tilda_australia#handydrawstringpouch #drawstringbag #tildafabric #sewingproject #aspoonfulofsugardesigns
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Why makers love this little pouch duo ✨The Hand Why makers love this little pouch duo ✨The Handy Drawstring Pouch + Mini Treat Pouch make such a sweet set — all beginner‑friendly, quick to sew, and perfect for using up your favourite fabric scraps. They’re lovely for gifting, organising, or adding a pop of colour to your sewing space.You’ll get both patterns in the bundle, and you’ll also save 25% — a thank you for choosing two of our most‑loved pouch designs.Which pouch would you sew first?Patterns linked in bio. Comment BAGDUO for the bundle link.Fabric: Tilda Songbird collection, kindly supported by @tilda_australia.#sewingcommunity #pouchmaker #beginnersewer #scrapfriendly #sewingpattern
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