Friday 7 December 2012

Book Review: Bake Me I'm Yours... Christmas


We are now well into December, the tree has just gone up and in our house and that means one thing, it's time to start thinking about baking. 

I do love a christmas baking book, there is just something about the effort that goes into the decoration that makes food extra special at this time of year.


Bake me I'm yours...Christmas is a sweet little compact book containing festive projects for cookies, cupcakes, brownies and sweet treats guaranteed to delight young ones and big kids alike. 

The book is divided into various sections, beginning with a handy page listing tools and equipment followed by the project section, which is divided into Festive Favourites: ideas for large cakes, Tasty Treats: cupcakes, brownies and small treats, Delicious Decorations, and Perfect Presents – further small treats. The projects section includes full page images of what the finished treats will look like, as well as step-by-step instructions on how to complete the decoration.


The next section provides you with all the recipes you will need for the projects, including essentials like traditional sponge cake, chocolate cake and fruit cake, brownies, ganache and gingerbread, as well as recipes for less common items such as sugar paste, flower paste, pastillage and piping gel.

 

The instructions are short, simple and concise, and each of the cake recipes also comes with a useful table that tells you the quantities of ingredients that are needed for the various sized cakes, so you can make any of the projects in any flavour. Extra tips are also suggested throughout under cute little holly leaves. 


The final section covers techniques which offers basic advice on cutting, filling and coating cakes, how to bake cookies successfully, decorating and modelling with sugarpaste, how you can use royal icing, and tips on working with chocolate. 



It may initially seem a little odd to start with the decoration and finish of a project at the beginning of the book, before you are told how to bake it, but having the baking in it's own section does save the recipes repeating each other, you can simply pick out the parts that you need. 


This book isn't overflowing with new information but has just enough guidance and is easy to follow. The accessibility of the book means that it's ideal if you would like to bake some Christmas goodies with the family, as young ones will be drawn to the bright photographs of cakes decorated with angels, and christmas tree bauble decoration cookies. It's also a great book for those that would like to make gifts for loved ones, that are new to baking or intimidated by more substantial baking books. 


It's time to let the baking begin! Merry Christmas!


Bake Me I'm Yours... Christmas is published by David and Charles, RRP £14.99, also available from RU Craft priced at £7.49.

Please note that I wasn't paid to write this review but I was given a copy of the book. 

1 comment:

  1. Lovely book:) It seems to make all those elaborate cakes and chocolate decorations look quite doable. Happy Christmas baking to you then!

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