Wacky Cakes & Kooky Cookies

You don't need much in the way of experience or talent to transform a simple cake into a creative masterpiece. According to virtuoso pastry chef Gerhard Jenne, "you just need a sense of humor and a steady hand." In Wacky Cakes & Kooky Cookies, Jenne virtually transforms cake decorating from a fusty old chore that many bakers have abandoned, into a pursuit that is both fun and a real outlet for creative expression, The results are gorgeous.

This was a gift for my daughter. She loves it.

I stumbled upon this book in my public library but am looking for a copy for myself. Jenne's base recipes are great no-fail recipes and earned me rave reviews at work when I turned up with shortbread and then the chocolate sponge and ganache. The technique is simple using parchment paper rather than lots of fancy equipment.My attempt at the sunflower cookies was a great hit and was fun. And having fun is the spirit of the whole enterprise.

Like Creative Cookies by Toba Garrett this is a beautiful book suitable for display on the coffee table. Unlike Garrett's book, this one tempts me to actually try making some of the cookies and cakes! The ideas in Wacky Cakes aren't necessarily simple to execute, but there is a sense of proportion here. We are only talking food, after all. How much time do you really want to spend making a single cookie? This is about half the price of the Garrett book, too. A good value.