Cookbook Review and GIVEAWAY!
That’s right! My first review and my first giveaway!! I am very excited about this!
Confetti Cakes for Kids is written by Elisa Strauss, founder of Confetti Cakes in New York City. She has created confections as elaborate as a platter of sushi, a wine bottle in a crate and a designer handbag. Now she focuses her talents on her younger fans with this enchanting collection of cakes, cookies and cupcakes for kids.
Since my cookbook arrived the other day, I thought I’d include a review of the book. First of all, this is a very beautiful book. It has a nice hardback and book cover that is colorful and fun. It is broken into a few key sections:
-Introduction
-Cake Basics
-Techniques
-Basic Recipes
-Cookies
-Cupcakes
-Mini cakes
-Cakes
I love how the hard cover book is actually different than the bookcover. Both are very cute.
After flipping through the book, I realized that it is geared towards decorating techniques, ideas, inspiration, and how-tos. There are some step-by-step photographs to accompany many of these techniques. There are also templates in the back that you can copy and use for your designs.
I personally love new recipes in cookbooks. Funky new flavor combos to inspire my creativity. I didn’t get a whole lot of that from this book (although I can’t wait to try the apple-cinnamon cake with brown sugar buttercream). The recipes are in fact all the basics. There are recipes for a few varieties of cookies, a brownie recipe and a few standard flavors of cake. There are also a few basic frosting recipes including a recipe for lemon curd and rolled fondant.
I decided that in order to complete this review properly, I should make something from the cookbook. I was initially leaning towards yellow cake with chocolate buttercream because I’ve never made a yellow cake. But then I realized I should make something that I know and love. Basically have a mini-throw-down right here in my own kitchen. As loyal readers know, I have a go-to chocolate-cupcake recipe that I got from Laurie (founder of Cupcake Hero, Tuesdays with Dorie, and Layers of Cake). I make this chocolate cupcake a LOT. Everyone loves it and it’s so easy.
So I decided to make the chocolate cake recipe from Confetti Cakes for Kids. Watch for the thrown-down results in a couple days… I’m not going to post the recipe here. Maybe you’ll win a copy of the book to try this and other recipes and techniques yourself.
So here are the rules. Post a comment here and you’ll be entered into the drawing. I will be giving away 5 copies of the book. Entries will be taken until Midnight (EST) on Wednesday, October 15. Be sure to leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. Feel free to use the DOT COM format to prevent spam.
Good luck!!
I prefer a nice soft chewy cookie.
ljyoung85 at gmail.com
chewy for sure!!
Love Chewy cookies
Facebook fan
I’m lovin’ chewy cookies
ralphlucy at comcast.net
Tate’s facebook fan/liker
ralphlucy at comcast.net
crispy! 🙂 with a chewy center! perfect.
i’m a fan!
Most definitely a chewy cookie person!
Soft and chewy is the way to go!
I’m a Chewy cookie person!
facebook fan of tate’s
I used to be a cripsy fan but now i love chewy 🙂
You have been doing some great giveaways lately! I’m a chewy cookie person for sure!
chewy cookies all the way
love soft chewy cookie. yum. want a cookie NOW!
Crisp outside with chewy center.
I am 100% a chewy cookie type of girl!
It depends on the cookies. Most cookies I like chewy, but some cookies are best crispy.
chewy!
Definitely chewy!
Chewy all the way! Num!
I’m already a fan of Tate’s Bakery!
chewy all the way!!
I think it depends on the type of cookie. I tend to like crispy kinds better though.
Chewy for sure!
CHEWY cookies please
LIKED them on FB!
Chewy, for sure.
I love a chewy soft cookie but now you got me intrigued with these Tate’s crispy cookies!
I am totally a crispy cookie kind of girl!
Liked them on Facebook!
chewy of course!
I like chewy & crispy.
I also love Tate’s.
They’re so good!
definitely chewy!!
I am totally a soft chewy cookie person. The hubs like crunchy cookies though so sometimes I burn a few ha
I usually prefer a chewy cookie, but my favorite is a combo of the two.. nice and chewy with a crisp and crunchy edge!
For the most part, I like a chewy cookie. However, there are some exceptions to the rule.
Definitely chewy cookies for me!
Chewy all the way!
I prefer a soft chewy cookie.
msgb245 at gmail dot com
CHEWY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! almost raw!
I prefer chewy cookies, but all cookies are good!
If it’s a cookie, it’s for me! haha
I’m definitely a chewy cookie gal. I will pass up a crispy cookie any day.
I like Tate’s on Facebook!
Crispy 🙂
Chewy cookies are my favorite!
I love crispy!
I like chewy and my husband likes crispy ciikies . . . so we can do damage to both! Ha.
Like on FB
I prefer soft cookies but I love Tate’s crispy cookies!
I am a fan of Tate’s on Facebook.
I like a soft cookie
terrylee5151 at aol dot com
I fan them on fb
I’m a chewy but my husband is a crispy!
<3 crispy cookies!
fan on fb
Chewy all the way!
I like both, I want crunchy on the edges with a chewy center.
I am already a facebook fan.
Crispy for me!
Chewy! Don’t ask me why! I just do!
Crispy. Yesterday I made Tate’s Chocolate Chip cookies. They were divine.
I usually like chewy more, but sometimes I feel like it’s better for me to have crispy cookies in the house because I’m less likely to scarf them all down at once!
First time poster, but I want to say that you have such great recipes on here! I like cookies that are a bit crisp on the outside but nice and chewy on the inside. Oatmeal raisin are the best cookies for this texture!
I am a huge fan of the chewy cookie!!
I love crispy cookies. They are perfect for dunking in milk.
phjones21@yahoo.com
definitely chewy!
DEFINITELY a crispy cookie! Hockeypuck style, preferably – I’m just kidding, kinda – gingersnap crunchiness would be perfect. When I was younger, I used to adore all things cookie dough. One day, I decided to eat one of those giant cartons of premade ready-to-bake cookie dough (I used an ice cream scoop and everything) and was horribly sick. Just the thought of raw cookie dough is nauseating now *shudder*. So I can enjoy the amazing taste of cookies without the terrifying flashbacks to a dreadful day.
And that is my lovely holiday story. =)
(ashleyso2030@gmail.com)
Already a fan of Tate’s on Facebook (Ashley So). Have a wonderful holiday season! =)
(ashleyso2030@gmail.com)
I am a strictly chewy cookies person. Mmm, cookies. 🙂
Love the crispy cookies! and Tate’s is definitely the BEST crispy cookie!
Chewy gets my vote
chewy cookies! most definitely
chewbacca
I’m a chewy fan, but the boy adores anything with crunch.
kaseyawickman at gmail.com
Love chewy cookies.
Yentuyen at hotmail dot com
chewy cookies all the way!
I “liked” Tate’s on Facebook, too!
I love all cookies, but a nice soft center with a slightly crispy outer shell is definitely the way too go!
I would love to try these!
I usually prefer chewy but crispy is great too!
I like Tate’s on FB
I like all cookies!!!
liked them on fb!
To me a cookie us a cookie. It ass depends on how it taste.
I like crispy cookies.
karin56381 (at) gmail.com
I like cookies that are crisp and the edges and chewy in the middle. But I really love all cookies 😀
I like chewy cookies all the way.
I love chewy cookies all the way…yumm!!!!
sweetstreatsbycarolyn@gmail.com
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Definitely a chewy cookie person
I “like” Tate’s on FB
Crispy with a chewy center. They are the best, glad to say they are from MY Hometown.. Belinda King
Chewy is the way to go!
Definitely chewy!!
Crunchy! I make soft ones for e eryone else then a crunchy batch for me.
I think I like cripsy better but there are a few cookies that are best on the chewy side.
Marniebrian@gmail.com
I like crispy edges, chewy centers…
I’m a fan on facebook 🙂
I love chewy cookies!
Hands down, I love a chewy cookie!
I love chewy cookies, but my favorite is both chewy and crispy (with rice krispies in it)!
I’m a fan of Tate’s on FB!
Chewy cookies plz!
FB Fan, in da house!!
Crispy, chewy…don’t matter. Me like cookies! 🙂
Liked on FB!
Crispy, definitely crispy.
I just went to Tate’s and “liked” them on facebook;)
I usually like chewy cookies!
I prefer soft cookies!
I also liked Tate’s on Facebook!
I like both crispy and chewy, but if I had to pick I’d go crispy!
CrystalW07 at aol.com
I’m a chewy cookie fan!
Also a tate’s fan on FB
I’m a chewy cookie person!
I’m definetely a chewy cookie person! 🙂
meggie_sue@woh.rr.com
Facebook Fan!
I definitely prefer chewy cookies!
I am a “Tate’s Bakeshop” fan already. 🙂
Chewy in the middle, crispy on the outside
I like Tate’s on fb
Love chewy cookies
williamfsullivanjr at comcast.net
I’d pick chewy!
jlynch6341@aol.com
I prefer chewy, but there aren’t many cookies I’ll turn down. 🙂
i LOVE CHEWY COOKIES!!!!
I am a fan on Facebook!
I prefer chewy cookies, but really, I don’t seem to have a problem turning down any cookies! 😉
I already like Tate’s on FB.
I like chewy cookies…unless of course someone is offering free crispy ones!