A Spoonful of Sugar

Make. Bake. Create.

Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Press
    • FAQ
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Crafts
    • Crochet
    • DIY
    • Embroidery/Cross stitch
    • Gift Wrapping
    • Knitting
    • Miscellaneous
    • Paper Crafts
  • Holidays
    • New Year’s
    • Australia Day
    • Back to School
    • Valentines Day
    • Easter
    • ANZAC Day
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • Halloween
    • Christmas
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Bars & Slices
    • Bread & Pastries
    • Cakes
    • Cookies
    • Confectionery
    • Cupcakes & Muffins
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Ice Cream
    • Jams/Preserves
    • Main Meals
  • Sewing
    • Sewing Tutorials
    • Quilting
    • Sewing & Quilting Patterns
  • Family
    • Back to School
    • Family Fun
    • Our Home
    • Parenting
    • Travel
  • Shop
    • Pattern Store
    • Etsy Store

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

« 9 Ways to Use Candy Canes
Christmas House Gift Cards »

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

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Threads
  • TikTok
SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER
×

Categories

Archives

PURCHASE PDF PATTERNS

We offer over 100 affordable PDF sewing patterns available for download from our store website or Etsy store. Each pattern includes detailed instructions, numerous photos, and templates.

WEB STORE ETSY STORE

Instagram

The Handy Drawstring Bag is one of my favourite qu The Handy Drawstring Bag is one of my favourite quick makes — simple, satisfying, and endlessly useful. It’s beginner‑friendly, scrap‑friendly, and stitches up in no time, which makes it perfect for last‑minute gifts or organising all the little things in your sewing space.This sweet version is sewn in Plum Garden and Tea Towel Basics from Tilda, and the small‑scale prints shine beautifully in a project like this. I love the flat base, the smooth drawstring closure, and how easily it folds flat when not in use. With three sizes included, you can sew a whole coordinating set from just a handful of scraps.If you enjoy quick, giftable projects, this one is such a joy to make.Comment HANDY and I’ll send you the pattern link.Pattern: Handy Drawstring Bag (3 Sizes) — available in our Pattern Store and Etsy Shop.Fabric: Tilda Plum Garden and Tea Towel Basics. Thanks to @tilda_australia#handydrawstringbag #sewingcommunity #scrapfriendlysewing #sewingpatterns #aspoonfulofsugardesigns
I designed the Makers Caddy because I wanted a pro I designed the Makers Caddy because I wanted a project that was as practical as it was pretty. Beginner friendly construction, quick to construct, and giftable.This version shows all my favourite details: structured shape, pockets, a wide base, and those little finishing touches like the leather patch and tag. It’s simple to sew, satisfying to use, and one of the most versatile organisers in my sewing room.Comment CADDY and I’ll send you the pattern link.Pattern: Makers Caddy — available in my Pattern Store and Etsy Shop.#makerscaddy #sewingcommunity #sewingpatterns #sewingroom #aspoonfulofsugardesigns
A little drawstring bag that always comes to the r A little drawstring bag that always comes to the rescue. This one stitches up quickly, uses small cuts of fabric, and is perfect for treats, tiny gifts, or organising your sewing space. It’s one of those patterns you’ll make again and again — simple, satisfying, and endlessly useful.Comment HANDY and I’ll send you the pattern link.Pattern: Handy Drawstring Bag (3 Sizes) — available in my Pattern Store and Etsy Shop.#handydrawstringbag #sewingcommunity #scrapfriendlysewing #sewingpatterns #aspoonfulofsugardesigns
A tiny sewing kit that goes everywhere with me. I A tiny sewing kit that goes everywhere with me. I love how something so small can keep all my essentials organised — room for buttons, pins, needles, and tiny scissors. It’s a quick, scrap‑friendly project and such a handy little make for travel, retreats, everyday sewing, or gifting.Comment TRAVEL and I’ll send you the pattern link.Pattern details: Travel Sewing Kit PDF Pattern - available in my Pattern Store and Etsy Shop.#travelsewingkit #sewingorganization #scrapfriendlysewing #sewingprojects #aspoonfulofsugardesigns
A quick desk reset with my Makers Caddy — it’s ama A quick desk reset with my Makers Caddy — it’s amazing how much calmer everything feels when your favourite tools have a home. This little project is scrap‑friendly, beginner‑friendly, and one of my most‑used makes in the sewing room.Comment CADDY and I’ll send you the pattern link.Pattern Details: Makers Caddy PDF Sewing Pattern - available in my Pattern Store and Etsy Shop.#makerscaddy #sewingorganization #sewingroominspo #scrapfriendlysewing #aspoonfulofsugardesigns
🐱✨ Sleepy Cat Coaster ✨🐱 A simple, relaxing EPP pr 🐱✨ Sleepy Cat Coaster ✨🐱 A simple, relaxing EPP project that’s beginner‑friendly, scrap‑friendly, and comes together quickly. It’s a useful little make on its own and also works well as a gift‑ready set if you sew a few at once.Perfect for easing into hand sewing or using up leftover fabric in a practical way.📣 Comment SLEEPY below and I’ll send you the pattern link 🧵Pattern: Sleepy Cat Coaster Sewing Pattern - available in my Pattern Store and Etsy Shop.#englishpaperpiecing #scrapbustingsewing #handsewingproject #sewingpatternshop #aspoonfulofsugardesigns
Follow on Instagram

Featured Pattern

Travel Sewing Kit Pattern

Featured Tutorial

Retro Drawstring Bag

Featured Recipe

Lemon Pound Cake

Connect

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Threads
  • TikTok
SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER
×

Popular Posts

  • Fabric Gift Pouch
  • Sewing and Quilting on a Budget
  • How to Sew Mugrugs like a Pro: Essential Tips and Tricks
  • Charm Square Fabric Tray
  • Triangle Pouch
  • Sewing with Liberty Fabric
  • Retro Drawstring Bag

Copyright © 2026 Lisa. K. Cox - A Spoonful of Sugar