SprinkleBakes: Dessert Recipes to Inspire Your Inner Artist [Paperback]

Heather Baird (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2012

How can you make cakes, cookies, and candy even MORE fun? Award-winning blogger Heather Baird, a vibrant new voice in the culinary world, has the answer: Cook like an artist! Combining her awesome skills as a baker, confectioner, and painter, she has created a gorgeous, innovative cookbook, designed to unleash the creative side of every baker.

 

Heather sees dessert making as one of the few truly creative outlets for the home cook. So, instead of arranging recipes by dessert type (cookies, tarts, cakes, etc.), she has organized them by line, color, and sculpture. As a result, SprinkleBakes is at once a breathtakingly comprehensive dessert cookbook and an artist's instructional that explains brush strokes, sculpture molds, color theory, and much more. With easy-to-follow instructions and beautiful step-by-step photographs, Heather shows how anyone can make her jaw-dropping creations, from Mehndi Hand Ginger Cookies to Snow Glass Apples to her seasonal masterpiece, a Duraflame®-inspired Yule Log.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Heather Baird is an accomplished painter and photographer whose works are in public and private collections across the United States, but her passion is creating eye-popping, mouthwatering desserts. She is a devoted practitioner of international confectionery technique who explores the outer limits of patisserie. She writes about her adventures in the world of creative dessert-making in her award-winning blog at sprinklebakes.com. Heather lives in Knoxville, TN, with her husband Mark and a mischievous pug named Biscuit.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Sterling Epicure (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402786360
• ISBN-13: 978-1402786365
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.9 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,957 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #85 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Baking > Desserts

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing guide to creating edible art April 19, 2012

By Elizabeth Hofeldt

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just received my copy of this amazing book! Followers of Heather's blog [...] will recognize many of the desserts featured in this book but will be pleasantly surprised to find some new and beautiful treats!

For those that are looking for just a recipe book, this is probably not for you. Although it is filled with fun and creative recipes (as well as recipes for basic cookies, cakes, fondant, icings, etc) this book is a how-to on baking and decorating artful desserts. Heather exceeds all expectations and has truly developed something that the everyday baker can use to further their artistic skills to make unique and awe-inspiring desserts. This is not your typical "how to frost a cupcake" kind of book - be prepared to really go outside the box to create edible works of art.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not your average baking book April 23, 2012

By Morgan

Format:Paperback

As other reviewers have noted, this is NOT a typical how-to-bake-a-cake book (although if you need help with that, you'll certainly find it!). Heather is a true artist, and brings a unique perspective to the world of sugary confections. Her stunning (and tasty!) creations are creatively presented and impeccably photographed, but also approachable enough for someone who has zero baking skills or instincts (*ahem*, ME). If you're a fan of her whimsical, colorful, lighthearted blog, you'll find even more to love in the version on paper, because Heather takes you through all the foundational elements of art and baking so that you can apply those techniques to ALL of the delightful recipes both in the book and on her blog.

So if you're looking to move away from standard cupcakes, then you'll love trying out such inventive recipes as Sweet Coconut Sushi with Chocolate 'Soy' Sauce or Matcha White Chocolate Cheesecake. And if you've ever wondered how to take inspiration from design and pop culture and apply it to the art of baking, then look no further than the Marikmekko Cookies, Dale Chihuly-Inspired Candy Nesting Bowls, and Mad Hatter Marshmallow Pops.

And the icing on the proverbial cake is Heather's down-to-earth writing style and sweet Southern disposition. Trust me, you WON'T be disappointed!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Inspiring & completely Do-able July 16, 2012

By D. Matlack

Format:Paperback

For a cake, cookie & desert book with artistic license this is a great book.

For starters despite the lovely and elegant look of all of these deserts each and every one of the recipe/projects is completely within the realm of realism for even a beginner to create - and feel pretty darn proud of the results.

Ms. Baird provides a wonderful & easy to understand primer for even the luddite baker: providing decent foundation recipes: Madeira Cake & Almond cakes which are easy to sculpt. and tips for simple tricks with elaborate results: stamped impressions on rice paper to create the sophisticated postcard cookies and a bottle neck to make realistic mushroom cookies. To sculpting simple but eloquent hardy candy desert bowls and decorations.

Most desert decorating books are overwhelming and can leave me feeling wistful rather than inspired. Ms. Baird gave me an entire book of lovely options that excited me and left me believing I can totally do anything in this book.

Loving this book from beginning to end and highly recommend.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, but slightly disappointing. December 29, 2012

By Mellie

Format:Paperback

I had this cookbook on the top of my wishlist for Christmas, and was super excited when my brother got it for me. I love her blog, and her recipes are over-the-top-amazing. Flipping through the book, there are a lot of great recipes, and even though there are a lot of pictures, there seems to be hardly any pictures of the finished product. This makes me a little sad, and put off from the book.

It's a wonderfully different cookbook, though. This is the first I've seen a cookbook talk about the art of baking and it's possible for anyone to do anything in this book. It even includes templates for some of the recipes.

There are a lot of recipes from her blog, which actually I'm happy about. Just because it's on her blog doesn't mean it shouldn't be in her book. I was very happy to see the edible spoons and Queen of Heart cookies because they are beautiful and it saves me the printer paper and ink to print out a recipe.

If you're a fan of the blog, I say get the book! It's stunning and helpful, but I am being sour about the lack of finished product pictures for some of the recipes. I don't see myself making anything yet out of the book, but one day I'm going to buy a set of paintbrushes and get started. =o]

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, Beautiful Pictures June 25, 2012

By V. Jackson

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I follow the Sprinklebakes blog and I love it. So naturally I was so excited about her 1st cook book and she did not disappoint. I have made several recipes from her book and they were delicious, but there was a show stopping recipe....BANANA PUDDING CAKE. What?!?!?! When I made this cake for my family, they went bananas! Her instructions are easy to follow and the results are outstanding. Great Job Heather!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Stand Out at the Next Bake Sale June 7, 2012

By Heather Ozee

Format:Paperback

This book is filled with amazing photos, step by step guidance through what hangs the average beginning baker up and even sprinkles in loads of southern charm. Best of all it's filled with recipes that are sure to stand out at the next bake sale or party! All I can say is Heather Baird Rocks!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Bakery Cookbook this Year May 30, 2012

By Helana Brigman

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have not been able to separate myself from this book since buying it two weeks ago. Here's why:

A Great Reference for Beginners: Many of Heather's recipes are great for beginners. She includes recipes for simple sugar cookies, homemade fondant, several kinds of icing, and even a list of stencils in the back for those just beginning to play with colored fondant, the painting of food, and the sculpting of icing as a medium. In many ways the cookbook is advanced too-you'll see lovely macaroons, meticulously hand-painted cookies, and a slew of other jaw-dropping recipes.

Visually Inspiring: to say that Heather's baked goods are more like art would be an understatement. In fact, Heather's baked goods are art. As the title suggests, her approach to baking takes a cue from her past history as a painter and photographer and inspires readers on how to bring that background to something as everyday as cookies and cakes. See pages on brush strokes and the different kinds of candy dough to get an idea of just how malleable this baking "art" form can be.

A Primer on Baking Equipment, Art Supplies, and Decorating Tools: Sometimes, it can be hard to imagine just how Heather gets such amazing results for her blog. With the opening pages of the Sprinkle Bakes Cookbook, you get a sense for what works and what doesn't. As I'm always advocating the use of a silpat in my own kitchen, it's fun to see that Heather uses parchment paper for her work instead. Plus, I can take advice from Heather's other tools like Rolling-Pin Guide Bands or Piping Tip Brushes.