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. 

Hello 30s - Day 289 - 302

It's back! Hello 30s! I have finally given out all the cards and presents, that I have taken photos of, so I can now continue with my daily photo challenge, without spoiling any surprises, yeay!!! I do need to get a wriggle on though. The project ends this month, and I already have over 50 photos stored up, that need to be posted. Spit Spot!!

Day 289:

Candied walnuts! I made these for a salad, possibly the tastiest salad, that I have ever eaten. 

It was also possibly the unhealthiest salad I have ever eaten. 

Ho hum! 

These walnuts were so yummy, that half of them didn't even make it into the salad. I found the salad on Shutterbean, make it, it has sweet sugary walnut goodness AND caramalised onions! 

Day 290:

Drawing chickens. Did you see the last Hello 30s post? The one where we looked after chickens? Well that gave me an idea. I had taken some photos of the chickens, so decided that I would try and paint them, for future sister-in-law's (Sandra) birthday. I haven't had to draw or paint anything in a while, so practice was needed. 

Day 291:

I also had to practice painting chickens (on paper silly, I didn't paint any real chickens). All I have at the moment are watercolours, which I find quite difficult to use. I am an oil, or acrylic kind of girl, a bit slap dash, and heavy handed. 


 Day 292:

Meet Floss. Yes she is a bit of an odd little chicken. She was a runt, that should have been for the chop, but Sandra saved her. Floss sometimes get a bit confused, and thinks that she is a cockerel. 


Day 293:

After an hour long walk, and feeling quite disappointed, that I had remembered to take my camera along, but had found nothing of interest to take a photo of. I came across these two swans, and their healthy brood of cygnets, right by my house. 

Day 294:

My Precious!! These are my thumb rings, I love them. They have been lost for so long. I had desperately searched high and low, in a Gollum like fashion, and had just about given up. That was until we decided to do some painting and decorating in our bedroom, and moved everything out. 


 Day 295:

As I mentioned above, painting and decorating, which, as always, turned the house completely upside down. 


 Day 296:

I went along to the first UK Handmade Surrey Artisans meet up, and as well as meeting some lovely creative ladies, I also came away with a stash of cake and biscuits - can't complain ;)


Day 297:

Oh the excitement! You know how it is, when your days are being governed by DIY, it just isn't THAT exciting... but parcels are exciting, even if your parcels are full of door handles. It certainly breaks up the monotony of door painting.


Day 298:

More cake!!! I had taken a cake along to the meet up, boyfriend was a bit put out, so I had to make him another. This is how I know, that this vanilla pound cake is quite good, as boyfriend isn't usually a big fan of of sweet things. Oh, and anyone that thinks vanilla pound cake is a plain cake, shame on you!!! 


Day 299:

Going through the family photos. This is my Mum and I... not that she is going to appreciate me putting this on here. I had spent the day getting her birthday present finished and ordered. I was lucky to have this photo, it was one of a group, that I had sneaked out of the house on one of my last visits. Even trickier was sneaking them back. My folks are planning on moving, and everything is packed away in boxes. I had to hide an envelope on top of a wardrobe, and tell my dad where to find it, so he could put them away. Very James Bond!


Day 300:

The Arty Street Party in Reading organised by Jelly. I went along with the lovely Anna from UK Handmade (and Sakura Jewellery) to help spread the word about UK Handmade. Had a great day, meeting lots of wonderful creative people. :)


Day 301:

It's those door handles again! Honestly, black door handles, hard to find and expensive. (Wickes and Homebase both do some, but do any of them do a matching bathroom privacy lock - noooo!). Oh and you see that door, that was brown... and now... it's not :)


Day 302:

Birthday card for Sandra. As well as painting chickens, I also made a chicken card. You can probably see a theme developing... it is a good job she likes chickens really :) 


Right, only so much blog you can put in one post, there will be another update soon! :)

Hello 30s - Day 131 - 142

Day 131:So this is where I put Rob when he has been naughty :) Okay, so I sent him up into the attic again, to put even more things away, that we can't dispose off, but that we are happy to forget about???

Day 132:I have been taking measurements, to try and work out what furniture we can buy, and where everything is going to go. However it was easier to see it, if I made a visual of the book shelf (saved me moving the bookcase around too).

Day 133:Rob has made me a little shelf for our cupboard. Don't knock it, it took him ages :) I am so pleased though, have you ever noticed that if you don't do something to contain pillows, they will take up whatever space you give them???

Day 134:Bookshelf and draws have turned out alwhite - haahaha :)

Day 135:Yum!! Puffins! Well choc chip maple pancake muffins! Easy to bake, squidgy, pop in the mouth loveliness. I found the recipe via Pinterest - which is one of my new favourite online places to go.

Day 136:To myself, and probably you, this is just a bit of Skype message. However, in actual fact it was a momentous occasion! In the space of one day I spoke to both my brother in law, and my sister, on Skype. It was a world first, and a fall of your chair in surprise moment. They pay for broadband, so I am trying to encourage them to use it a bit more, B-I-L is more forthcoming than my sister though, she is going to be a bit more work :)

Day 137:Yum!!! Yeastless Cinnamon Rolls. Yet another recipe found via Pinterest :)

Day 138:I found great delight in my different coloured spoons while preparing our curry :)

Day 139:I spent the evening with my mate Lyd, and we played Dance Central on their new Kinect for about 2 hours, I hurt for the following 2 days :) I am absolutely rubbish at dancing, but it did bring out my competitive side. I could have taken a photo of Lyd in action, but that seemed a bit cruel :)

Day 140:My absolutely free showcase arrived from Moo. Now I can keep my cards in there, rather than in my wallet, where the corners get bashed. Shame they only do them in black or white though, a teal, or hot pink, or orange, would have been awesome!

Day 141:My next painting project. This going to be my craft cupboard, and it is going to look awesome!

Day 142:Valentines Day! Rob and I don't really go mad for Valentine's day, just a card ( I made my own for him this year), and a nice meal, courtesy of the M&S dine in for £20. Far more important to make time for each other, rather than go mad for presents, although I did refuse to help Rob find a pen, to write my card, when he got in from work - Why can't men be just a little bit organised??? :)

The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

Well not quite, but at least the one thing better than sliced bread, your own home baked, unsliced bread. Boyfriend and I spent Saturday evening baking bread (which is more rock 'n' roll than you would think), and then we spent a good part of Sunday eating bread. We decided we would start with simple white loaves and rolls (and some cheesy breadsticks that never got to see Sunday - yum), but next time we are planning on being a little more adventurous...

(Rob's Welsh Rarebit on Sunday)