More Hilarious Fun - Cupcakes - New Techniques

Imagine Sid Stone (street pitchman from the Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater) hawking this book:

You got your cashew parrot zygodactyl toes.
You got your Day of the Dead mini candy skull decorations.
You got your red-sugar-covered ice cream cone Gnome hats.

You say you're not satisfied? You say you want more for your money. Tell ya what I'm gonna do.....
I'm gonna throw in your fork pop mini treats (page 143).

five stars

I recently purchased this book at retail, but not at the retail price. It is kind of funny, I was showing this to my (much better half) and the next thing I know, this book is no longer mine.... It's now been put into the Christmas 2014 pile, for my mother in law!

It's OK though, I scanned the book, and the mighty A has a nice stock of books and the price was just about $0.50 more than I paid for it at the store!! I cannot get in the car & go to town to the store where I bought it
(About 11 miles one way) without spending more than $0.50 in gas, wear & tear on vehicle, and of course..... time.

Now about the book. There are not any recipes that I can recall seeing in the book, it's more along the lines of you making something (for example, baking a cheesecake.) then they tell you what items you would need to procure to make the cheesecake look like a plate of nachos are on top of it. They show how to create sheep, a pair of high heel shoes, a frog, etc. I believe the items you can create with the help of this book will appeal to children..... of ALL ages!

The only problem I can see.... that these items are so cute looking, you will not want to eat them, because they are too pretty to eat.

I recommend purchasing here at the store due to the excellent prices & if you are not too picky and / or are not giving it as a gift you can save a good amount (I saved 66% off the book list price when I purchased my replacement here at the store!) In addition, I bought mine from a goodwill listing, which was a win win situation for both myself & them!!

I enjoy making fun, fantastic treats for different occasions, particularly my kids' birthdays. So for my daughter's 5th birthday, which was just this past weekend, she was having a Fancy Nancy tea party for a few of her "bestest girlfriends". In honor of the fancy, I decided to make the High Heel Cupcakes. I did it with a bit of skepticism (and knowing I had other treats planned for backup), as two of the key components (graham crackers and Pirouettes) are items that do not respond well to being cut - which is required in the recipe. However, I can honestly say that it worked out incredibly well and they were a hit. I ordered 3 different cupcake liners (greaseproof), then planned the decorating of the cupcakes around them. One was a green ivy pattern, one a purple with white polka dots, and one a pink pinwheel.

The first step is to cut the graham crackers - and I was surprised with how well it worked! I used a serrated steak knife, and cut very slowly, and I didn't have one single cracker break. The Pirouettes were a little trickier, as they are so flaky. I only had a few that separated cleanly, but all of them were still usable, particularly once they were dipped in the melted wafers and attached to the graham crackers.

The directions were very easy to follow, with plenty of photos to show both the process and the finished product. I also used the Perfect Cake Mix recipe in the back of the book to make the cupcakes, and not only were they very tasty (and EASY!), but they held up well to the decorating process. They were very easy to work with.

I will upload a few photos of my finished cupcakes to give an idea of how they were decorated - the beautiful thing about this particular recipe is that the decorations are adaptable in a ton of different ways.

Overall, I highly recommend this cookbook. The ideas are fun, the recipes are easy to follow, and I think most anyone would be able to create their own masterpieces!

The key to avoiding disappointment with this book is to realize that it is about decorating baked goods, not baking baked goods. It doesn't matter if you use the authors' suggestions of using frozen pound cake or slice and bake refrigerator cookies or if you choose to bake your own pound cake and cookies. The ideas here are more about presentation than having your creation taste good. Even taking portion sizes into account, most adults I know are not going to eat a cupcake entirely covered in marshmallows or circus peanuts. The kids go crazy for the candy and frosting slathered all over the place while adults reach for their cameras to take pictures. While no "recipe" is particularly difficult, most are a lot more time consuming than they initially appear. Usually, I prefer to whip out a batch of buttercream and a decorating bag to cutting miniature marshmallows on the diagonal, separating Oreo cookies or rolling out Starburst candies after nuking them in the microwave for three seconds. I find the decorating techniques extremely time intensive so I only make things from the authors' books for extra special events such as end of the year parties for the kids.

I consider this more of an idea and decorating book than a cookbook. There are only a few recipes in the book, but lots of adorable ideas for decorating.

The authors make use of things like pound cake, convenience mixes, candies and other things to create some very cute desserts that are sure to impress at children's birthday parties or at casual parties with adult friends.

My favorite ideas in here are the ones that don't look like desserts at all, like the toast and jam which uses gelatin, fruit, whipped cream and a loaf cake to create a fairly realistic "breakfast". I also really love the Waterlily cupcakes. I'm not crazy about the idea of putting them in blue gelatin, but the waterlilies themselves are just lovely.

Instructions for made up animals, fashion items, miniature cake slices on forks are all easy to follow. The authors use doctored convenience foods for a better flavor, like changing a cake mix recipe, or using cakes from the frozen food aisle of your grocery store.

If you're looking for fun, easy to assemble ideas for cakes and other treats, this is a great starting point. I love the clever use of candies and decorating techniques like flood filling.

The latest from Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, "Cupcakes, Cookies, & Pie, Oh My!" contains over 200 pages of more of the awesome cupcake cuteness found in the classic "Hello Cupcake." Those already familiar with this series will be right at home and know what to expect, but there are also some pretty innovative takes on baked treats and even some artistic flourishes that head into "Cake Boss" territory, such as the crispy cereal treat skateboard.

The crowning achievement in the cuteness department has got to be the marshmallow sheep or the adorable dog pound cake. While there are still plenty of animals and mythical creatures, the focus this time around is on making sweet treats mimic savory meals. A cheesecake that looks like a plate of nachos, a gelatin and pound cake treat that has the appearance of a shrimp cocktail, and cupcakes done up like `50s style soda shop cups are all found here, along with many more variations on that basic idea. All of the different types of treats look fabulous, but some of them do get ridiculously "meta," such as little cakes that look like slices of cake.

While there are full recipes, the book is less about how to actually bake treats and more about how to decorate and arrange them in visually appealing ways, so anyone specifically looking for a muffin or cake cookbook may not want to start here. That being said, "Cupcakes, Cookies, & Pie, Oh My!" still makes a fantastic addition to any baker's bookshelf and these decorated goodies will easily steal the show at any get-together.

This book presents some very cute ideas for dressing up cupcakes, cookies and pies. The directions are clear and the photographs helpful. Most are easily doable, even by the novice, and are a fun way to jazz up your next celebration or fundraiser.

The piece of cake pops made from frozen pound cake and the assorted fork pops were a hit on my New Years buffet table. I also made the high heel shoe cupcakes for a birthday party. They looked adorable. The hen house pies were adorable. Essentailly, the mini pies form nests for cool whip hens. Easy to make and truly a crowd pleaser.

There are aspects however, that I did not like,such as the reliance on canned frosting and cake mixes. Even doctored, cake mixes leave alot to be desired and prepared frostings are overly sweet and off tasting. Sweets are concedely not health food but I think you are better off with homemade rather than purchasisng chemical laden prepared. I was not impressed by the cookies. Really, haven't we been innundated with enough snowflake and easter egg cookies? Nothing new here.

On the whole, I recommend this book for clever ideas clearly presented.

I have enjoyed the earlier books these authors have written and must say that they are very creative when it comes to cupcakes. Who know you could do so much with a cake and candy?

Reading the book is easy so I decided to try one of the recipes - the brownie dartboard. I am neither a baker, nor a decorator so this was a challenge. They state that the recipes are simple in this book, but when I attempted to make the darts, I had some problems. Although, they show enough in the photographs, I had to double the thickness of the feather (fruit rollup) and really play around with the gum drops and spice drops. The sugar coating kept on getting on the fruit.

Don't get me wrong the dartboard came out nice and people loved it and wanted us (my wife and I) to make them one. It just wasn't easy for a non-decorator to do; but loads of fun.

What I love about the Hello Cupcake books are that they are pretty much idiot proof, even if the baker is not an artiste. Though the cakes and pies are perfect in every detail made by the instructions in the books; if one is in a hurry, or can't obtain some of the decorative elements, it doesn't matter. It's not necessary to make an exact replica of the picture to create something very special. People are awe-struck by the cleverness and the artistry of the finished product no matter what. I know this from experience.

This most recent addition to the cookbook shelf broadens the repertoire a bit, in that it utilizes cakes and individual pies, with some variations. If you want a conversation piece for your next birthday party or pot luck, look no further. I'm a fan, and am eyeing the Sock Monkey cupcakes for my next event. Highly recommended!

Last year I received tools and books to make cupcakes since I bake a lot and like to bring something portable for work functions. I'm also a big fan of the show "Cake Boss"....you know the one...where they make these incredible looking theme cakes? Well, this book is like a cake boss episode to me....full of good ideas that I can implement in my own designs, but I might not do the whole recipe that they outline in the book. This book, as well as "Hello Cupcake" are great for design ideas showing you how to use candies, cookies, pretzels, etc. to create clever decorations. Just this piece alone starts to get the ideas rolling. If you are looking for home-baked by scratch cooking, this isn't the book for you. Box mixes and canned frostings are used and really the fun of it all is in decorating, but I have to mention that in case you are put off by convenience foods. That being said, I don't think any of these recipes are "quick". This would be the kind of thing you take several hours to do because these goodies are pieces of art, clever, fun treats that anyone would enjoy. That being said, if you already can't find time in your day, you might want to skip over.

If you love to bake, decorate and let your artistic side show through your baking this is a fun book. So many really clever ideas-I liked the rainbow trout cupcakes that make a school of 12. You present those with "jello" waves and gummy worm bait. The sheep on the front of the book are also beyond cute. No doubt those recipes will take you some time.

In the back of the book is a supply resource that tells you places to go to buy some of the items used and also there is a master recipe section in the back that tells you have to make candy clay, almost home-made buttercream icing, royal icing and other items.

Overall, a great book for a resource in your baking adventures. One thing I would have liked to see is an approximate time it would take your average baker to prepare the recipe from start to finish, as I think this would be a helpful tidbit, but very pleased with the book and in incorporating their ideas into my next baked treat!

This book definitely presents a lot of very cute cupcake ideas. I had two problems with the recipes, however. One, they are made of items that wouldn't be very tasty to eat like lots of canned icing and rolled icing. Basically just lots and lots of sugar. Don't get me wrong, I like sugar as much as the next person, but I like it to come in more appealing ingredients.

The main problem with the book is the fact that so many of the ingredients are out of a box or can-- cool whip, boxed brownie mix, canned icing, random store-bought cookies, et cetera. I guess when I cook something I like to use good ingredients, as opposed to cheap, fast, or easy ingredients and methods. I certainly wouldn't want to serve many of these cupcakes to people who I wanted to impress with my cooking. I thought it was kind of funny that they listed their brownie recipe in their "master recipe" list and it is just boxed brownies with extra egg added.

All that said, it is possible to use the recipe ideas without using the actual ingredients. You can use home-made meringue instead of dollops of cool whip or to make homemade cake recipes for the cupcakes. Many of the ideas are just so cute and intriguing that the book is good merely as an idea book, if not recipe book.

Their creativity never ceases to amaze me. If you are looking for fabulous cookie and cupcake decorating ideas, this new release from the authors is one you should consider. I have their other books and I thought that they must have plumbed the depths of their creativity, but they did not. There are some creepy designs in here that miss the mark a bit (bandage and stitches cookies?), but others like the Chinese dragon are amazing. Like another reviewer, this is a design reference book not really a cookbook - they use packaged mixes.

This book is filled with lots of creative ideas that are actually obtainable by those of us with only normal decorating abilities. The recipies for the underlying cakes are mixes or purchased frozen pound cake and some of the decorations make them too sweet for me, but they look fabulous. I prefer to make the cakes from my own recipies but decorate using the book's ideas either totally or as an inspiration. I have the other books in the series but this one is by far my favorite. I particularly liked the dart board, which was quick and easy to make but looked and tasted fabulous.

This book is full of gorgeous baked goods. Most of them start with simple recipes or boxed mixes, so baking them is no problem. Decorating them, however, is a labor of love. I do enjoy that to some extent, but quite a few of these treats are pretty complicated and I know mine wouldn't turn out as well as those pictured in the book. I did make the emotipops, and they were fairly easy to create and tasty, but time consuming to assemble. This book is for those who love making treats that are pleasing to the eye.

First off, I want to adress the concern that people have expressed in past books such as the NY Time Besteller, Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make, their first book. I bought that book and was imediately hooked on their stylish but accessible approach to making awe-inspiring desserts. All their books and their website now feature indices that list many online sources for all the items and/or basic candy Clay or dough recipes that they use to create their adorable Fluffy Lambs, Gnome Sweet Gnomes, or High-Heeled cupcakes. In truth, most of those special sugars and candy melts which you can't make can be purchased right here on the store! Also, as stated above, this book and most of their others contain ALL the basic recipes for their basic Candy Clay, Quick Doughs and Perfect Cake Mixes which are ALL made with normal household items plus or minus an ingredient here or there. The photos in the books and videos on the website are also a terrific help. Even a basic cook can learn how to make these Centerpiece Desserts with a single trial run. If you've never baked a cake or iced one though, you might need to start with a one of their simpler creations first.

That said, let me point out that I received the Advanced Reader's Copy so there were some page numbers missing when they referred to these basic Candy Doughs but all I had to do was pencil them in. No fuss at all! The book contained all the templates needed and the instructions were easy to follow. The two items that really cought my eye were the cupcake Year of the Dragon centerpiece and their take on Monet's Water Lillies that includes a base of blue Jell-O and using a very clever technique for the Water Lilly petals involving the ever-present candy melts and the backs of plastic spoons. Oncs set, the petals can be gently removed and formed into the Lillies atop minicupcakes frosted with pale pink which are then sit into round cut-outs of the Jell-O "Pond" . Very clever! Also a big favorite of mine were some lovely miniature cake bites for small apetites and some techniques for smaller layer cakes that are truly dazzling, especially the Whiteout Cake. That lovely crytsal creation would make a nice surprise for anyone's Wedding Anniversary or for a bridal Shower without breaking the bank. Also included in the book are sections for the various Holidays including an inspired Day of the Dead Cupcake idea or their "Pigs in a Blanket" cupcake idea that takes the name literally with sleepy little piggy cupcakes under a candy-clay blanket that can be removed for serving and saved for treats later in the week. The Cake section has some other terrificly fun ideas such as a crispy treat Skatecoard cake, a Sock Monkey Cake and a lovely little Bichon Frise doggie cake made with poundcake and frosting complete with his own doggie bowls.

Some reviewers have suggested that these desserts are too sweet for the average person. One should remember that there is nobody commanding you to eat an entire confection yourself! In fact, many of these centerpieces come apart easily into single servings or can be cut in half or into individual slices. As someone who has to watch my blood sugar, both highs and lows, I am especially concerned about cupcake books that slather the icing on both as glue and the primary decoration. With this, I believe their 4th book, food Stylists Karen Tack & Alan Richardson have done their best to create memorable and unusual desserts such as their Poundcake version of Shrimp Cocktail, complete with tails, served over Jell-O "ice cubes" ! They have tried to keep their serving sizes appropriate or easily sliced or borken down from the full creation. Also, these are special occasion desserts intended for parties, holidays, birthdays and such. I don't think there's any harm in serving half of a larger cupcake to a person or child.

In fact, making and serving these creations could be a good exercise in portion-control for children; showing them that even on special occasions, we do not stuff ourselves silly with sugary treats. Add a balanced meal before-hand, followed by one appropriate serving of these lovely treats and you can send some of the leftovers home with each child for their parents. Just be sure to take lots of photos and to go to their website. They are on Facebook too. There's a wealth of info there. Other books by these authors wrth getting include: What's New, Cupcake?: Ingeniously Simple Designs for Every Occasion,Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make.

This book contained many recipes for simple and downright adorable cupcakes. However, it was somewhat lacking in the cookies and pie section. If youre a fan of baking and/or love recieving complements and that age old question of "how did you do that?" then you will love this book.

This book had great ideas and does not use fondant. I loved the high heels and pocketbooks! There ways to use rice krispies and pound cakes. They use mostly icing, candy, and sprinkles. The instructions are clear and easy to read. I can't wait to make some of these pieces of art :)

This is a terrifically clever book filled with wonderful ideas for making baked goods that delight the eye. The projects range from the lovely (The Whiteout Cake) to the hilarious (The Spider Bite) with some truly inspired designs such as the Social Network Cake and the cupcakes made into high heels, which is sure to delight anyone who loves pretty shoes. The instructions seem very straightforward, and if these are not easy or quick projects, they're ones which will garner a lot of "oooohs" and "aaahhhhs" from your guests, and some good laughs, too.

But here's my problem with the book -- and I freely admit that your mileage may vary on this one -- a great many of the recipes make my teeth hurt even to think about. When the emphasis of a baked item is on style, you have to be willing to use a lot of sugar to produce decorations which many adults (like me) won't eat. And since the point of baking is, for me at least, to produce something that delights the palate, many of these projects, adorable as they are, seem fairly unappetizing.

If you're baking for children who will eat anything sugary, if you're baking for an event where you don't really care if people eat your baked goods, then this is the book for you because it demystifies a good deal of the process of turning out awe-inspiring cakes, cookies, pies and so forth. You can be the hit of your child's kindergarten class, create hilarious Halloween treats, and be that person, the one who always shows up with the show-stopping dessert.

This book had great ideas and does not use fondant. I loved the high heels and pocketbooks! There ways to use rice krispies and pound cakes. They use mostly icing, candy, and sprinkles. The instructions are clear and easy to read. I can't wait to make some of these pieces of art :)

Imagine Sid Stone (street pitchman from the Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater) hawking this book:

You got your cashew parrot zygodactyl toes.
You got your Day of the Dead mini candy skull decorations.
You got your red-sugar-covered ice cream cone Gnome hats.

You say you're not satisfied? You say you want more for your money. Tell ya what I'm gonna do.....
I'm gonna throw in your fork pop mini treats (page 143).

five stars