I’m the first to admit I’m no great cook, but I do like cookery programmes and I’ve really gotten into the latest series of Bake Off. I know baking isn’t the same as cooking, not everyday cooking anyway (definitely not of the sort you get in our house), but baking has me hooked.
 |
| Step-by-Step Cake Decorating, by Karen Sullivan, published by DK, £16.99, dk.com |
I have great plans for Victoria Sponge, homemade bread, my marvellous chocolate muffins and more, once Dot and I are in our new home. And with Bake Off it’s getting worse – my plans are becoming more ambitious and I see a great new creative path opening up.
So I was more than made up to receive this latest release from Dorling Kindersely – a guide to cake decorating. Now I can make glace icing with the best of them, and I shake dry icing sugar over my sponge cakes with glorious abandon, but that’s always been as far as it goes.
However, with the help of this book I can look forward to creating butterlyies and blossoms cup cakes, a Halloween pumpkin and a pirate ship.
The blurb says this book is for everyone from enthusiastic beginners (me) to the more experienced. “Pick and mix from hundreds of creative decorating tips with a dedicated techniques chapter, featuring expert tips and visual step-by-steps guiding you through each stage. Get to grips with the art of piping, stencilling, cutting and painting, as well as how to create elegant flowers, hand-model characters and much more.”
As always with DK, the photography is stunning, taking you gradually through each project, making it all look so easy.
I think I’ll have a go at the handbag cake for Dot’s birthday next year…