Unlike some of the other cake decorating books that I have seen, Dede's "Wedding Cake Book" really breaks it down for the amateurs. It has been wonderfully put together from cover to cover. The presentations of extraodinary cakes and enticing recipes of which I have tried, have all turned out magnificent.

She has presented a vast variety of recipes. Each comes with various scaling sizes which reduces the time of having to figuring it out yourself. Step by step procedure from mixing to decorating to assembling and transporting are all made clear.

Amatuers like myself will delight in having this one not only in their collection but also by their side.

This is it! If you could choose only one book on wedding cakes, you would want one that covers the art from beginning to end---and this one does just that. I particularly like this book in comparison to the others because the emphasis is on taste, as well as looks. The cakes are not your typical piped & overpiped powdered sugar towers most of us have come to know as the typical wedding cake. Most of the cakes can be made by someone who has a pinch of ability and can follow directions. But you do not need decorating experience (I proved that last August when I made a friend's wedding cake). The recipes may not all be conventional (very few aren't), but there is something here for everyone. I admit, even I had a little trouble when my friend picked out the Buttermilk Spice Cake recipe from the book to mix with two tiers of a Kahlua fudge recipe--and DeDe's Kahlua buttercream for all three tiers--but my little test cakes turned out to be downright delicious. And the wedding cake was an absolute success! Even the caterers took pieces and raved about them! Wonderful book! Thanks DeDe!!

The Wedding Cake Book by Dede Wilson contains gorgeous photos of the most beautiful, imaginative, and artistic wedding cakes I have ever laid eyes on. As Dede mentions, the recipes can be used for other special occasions, too. The Croquembouche makes a show-stopping (and absolutely delicious) Christmas decoration/dessert. You'll find nothing run-of-the-mill here, just elegant and inspiring ideas for very special cakes (and some really "out there" ideas for those seeking something truly unusual).

Probably appropriate for 5-8 yrs. This story is very slow going for 4 year olds, and younger. They'll grow quickly bored, even though the illustrations are very good.

The story centers around two young girls, Sarah and Susan who go to visit their Great-great-aunt Flossie. Aunt Flossie has a large collection of hats and has a mildly amusing, but forgetable story that goes with each hat. She retells a couple of stories to the girls, and they all go out for crab cakes.

There are so many other childrens books that your children will enjoy more, that make this one worth skipping.

I first bought this book as a requirement for an elementary education course. When it was time for me to develop a back pack project (take home activity projects) for my students...this one was soooo easy to use. I made mine a "hatbox project." Since the girls in the story, Sarah and Susan, visit Aunt Flossie and listen to her tell the history of her hats, I had my students take home a hatbox full of art supplies and a hat. Each student had to decorate a hat that represented themselves. Then, they had to write the history of their hats and share it with their classmates. It was a great success!

I am a mother of an 2yr old boy and a 4yr old girl. They both love this story. The audio tape is done very well and it really captures the sounds and emotions of each event Aunt Flossie's recalls. My children have there own tapeplayer and they play it over and over. My husband and I like the music in the story so we don't mind the children's constant replay.

I highly recommend this book to any one who enjoys an great story from a special aunt. I strongly recommend the book and tape for littles ones who love repettion and parents who don't.

These cakes are truly enchanting in a very"cute" sort of way.The sugarpaste to cake ratio must be 20 to 1.I just can't imagine trying to eat it,I want smooth creamy icing.Try The Whimsical Bakehouse for beautiful,edible cakes.

Sugar decorations are made to be removed and before the cake is served the heavy decorations are boxed to keep as souvenirs or cut away -- however, children always love to eat those pieces and wait impatiently for a tidbit. Debbie has a magical talent with a set of enchanted fingers. She creates her own whimsical characters in all sorts of amazing settings. Those that like to do novelty cakes should gather her books one by one, starting at the beginning and moving from one level to the next with each successive purchase. Rolled fondant needs to have added flavouring; just imagine buttercream with no vanilla! Excess rolled fondant trimmings can be rolled in tiny balls, dipped in chocolate then rolled in crushed nuts -- kids love it, adults too!

I always watch for Debbie's new publications as I admire her talent so.

She also comes to the United States from time to time, for those who need help getting started with novelty work taking her class would be a wonderful investment.

Debbie Brown is a true artist. While this is a book for the more serious baker, even if you don't try your hand at the cakes, you can feast your eyes on her breathtaking works.

This book has some good cookie recipes and techniques,but the decorating style is very sloppy.If I walked into his bakeshop and found the pictured items for sale,I would pass.

Many of the recipes and designs are useful for a springboard of ideas for the cake and cookie designer, but if you're an experienced cake decorator, you will find much of his work sloppy. While he uses simple equipment and ingredients, you can do so much more careful work with the same parchments and frosting. I was looking for something whimsical and fun to add to my collection of formal cake decorating, but the sloppy work just turned me off. If Jenne took a little more time to slow down, his fun designs would be so much more inviting.

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.

The four members (Margaret Peele, Louise Fisher, Beatrice Newgarden, and Jessie Jenkins) of the Hope Springs Community Church gather to collect and sort recipes for a cookbook, they also bring their life experiences and hopes and burdens. Five very different women begin to form a bond of friendship after years of casual acquaintances. Each one goes through a personal metamorphosis and self-awakening and become interconnected through a series of life events that forms an unbreakable bond. Each one comes to terms with crisis in their lives and realize they are not superwomen and lean on each other to get through difficult times. This is a quick, simple book that addresses all kinds of issues of loneliness, unplanned teenage pregnancy, cancer, Alzheimer's, lost love, death of a child, faith in God, racism, homosexuality, and various other situations. The author addresses the topics carefully sprinkling humor and Southern Recipes throughout...ending the novel with the recipe for Friendship Cake. It is a quick, easy, and enjoyable read with a positive lesson to carry forward.

Friendship Cake is a very fast a pleasant book to read. I found the characters believable and likeable and the story held my interest. Plus the recipes sounded very delicious and I plan to try some of them.

The book is about five women who have been attending the same church for yearsand they are working together on a Cook Book for the church. While they are working on the book they form a strong friendship and they are able to help each other during some trying times in their lives.

I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it.

This is one of the most charming novels I've read in recent years. More than that, it is a satisfying, complete story of women's friendships that manages to avoid becoming sticky-sweet in the process. The author is to be commended for avoiding melodrama and cloying conclusions. I came to know and love each character in this book. Hinton's use of recipes, by the way, goes far beyond gimmickry; each recipe is a true reflection of its owner's personality, and the "cookbook" unifying plot of the novel further justifies their use. I would love to see sequels continuing the lives, loves, and misadventures of the delightful damsel denizens of Hope Springs, North Carolina!

First, this should not be the first book by Somerset Maugham that a person should read. Certainly, every character in it is well drawn and there is a wonderful storyline BUT it lacks some of the majesty and grand sweep that make 'The Razor's Edge' and 'Of Human Bondage' so powerful, so grand, and able to stand among the best English language works written this century (although neither of these is typically regarded with Faulkner or Joyce because they are not stylistically avant-guarde in any way). If you haven't read both of these books, read them first.

On the other hand, this is another great book by this author: and like every other one of his that I have read (atleast five more) a worthwhile read. It may be more lacking in pathos than the two mentioned above: while it is second to them in this area, for how much the characters are touching, and heartfelt, it is eons ahead. Rosie, the main characters love interest, is beautifully written as is the other main character.... it's definately a good and worthwhile read.....

Maugham once said of himself that he was in "the first row of second tier" of writers ... but this book leaves novels by "first tier" writers in the dust. Wonderfully written, great paragraphs, insights into the human condition, and a story line and builds and builds. You really identify with the characters by the end and feel their emotions as they feel them. I loved it. Maugham did, too - he said it in the intro to my edition that it was his favorite novel.

I have never been disappointed by Maugham Somerset: Cakes and Ale is a light, beautifully written, partially autobiographical story about a barmaid with a big heart, British class-conciousness and snobbery and the literary scene in the first half of the twentieth century.

The narrator (Willie Ashenden, modelled after the author, a medical student turning into a writer) is mainly observant and doesn't influence the events taking place: The origins and later success of the great writer Edward Driffield and the touching portrait of his first wife, Rosie.

I have to be honest, I wish that I would not have bought this book. I bought it because I was under the impression that I was going to see classy cakes like the cake on the cover. When I opened the book I was confused. Page after page were pictures of sloppy cakes. There are only a few pictures out of the entire book that are worth seeing, for example Margaret Braun's cakes at the tail end of the book. Get her book before you buy this one!

This book is very good for getting ideas of different designs for your wedding cake. If you'er looking for a more instructional book on how to decorate the cakes, this book is not it. However the pictures of the cakes are beautiful with little or no information about the number of servings, decorations etc. It is exactly what it says Cakes for you wedding. Just a book of pictures for ideas. If this is what you're looking for then this book will do.

This is a great book, if your looking for ideas. The pictures are beautiful and inspiring. It does not have any instruction on how to make these cakes, therefor, it seems best suited for someone looking for an idea to present to their local baker, or someone that has intermediate to advanced cake decorating skills.

Jill Snider proves the versatility of cake mixes in her book Cake Mix Magic: 125 Easy Desserts...Good as Homemade. Snider uses basic cake mixes to create Pineapple Mandarin cakes, Lemon Glazed Cheesecake Squares, and even a Chocolate Yule Log. In total, there are over 150 recipes in this book.

The most popular recipe in this book in my household is the Chocolate Nut Bars, on page 148. The recipe only uses ingredients that I readily have on hand: chocolate cake mix, eggs, butter, brown sugar, canned icing. The recipe was simple, easy-to-follow, and tasted great.

While I had success with the Chocolate Nut Bars, many of the recipes in the book rely on ingredients that I don't have readily at hand. For example, sour cream, cream cheese, light cream, plain yogurt and heavy cream are called for in many of the recipes. These ingredients spoil quickly, and I only buy them when I need to "plan" for some baking. If the idea of this book is for use by cooks "on the go," I'm not sure how successful they will be using the recipes in a hurry if planning is required for the ingredients.

The format of the book made it easy to use. The pages utilized white space effectively, and the side bars containing tips and variations really added value. However, the recipes were lacking nutritional information. In today's health conscious society, nutrition information is essential, even if the recipes are far from "health conscious." For a future revision of this book, I would strongly recommend adding that information.

When compared to The Cake Mix Doctor, I'd buy that one instead, on pictures alone. With over 150 recipes in Cake Mix Magic, there are only 11 pictures of the cakes, and no decorating ideas or tips.

Love great desserts but hate spending all that time shaking and baking? Talk about just desserts! Jill Snider has compiled a volume of nifty recipes that promise tasty treats that are, well, a piece of cake. Thought he Duncan Hines logo implies the book has been sanctioned by them, you can use any boxed cake mix, even your favorite store label. Starting with a box of mix immediately cuts out several time-consuming steps, such as measuring and sifting. And those cake mixes will help create scores of incredible edibles --- not just cakes, but cookies, muffins and tortes.techniques The (few) color photos enhance the
easy-to-follow recipes. Just add your appetite.

This is an easy to use cookbook, and oh boy, the results are fabulous. A real family pleaser.
Highly recommended!

A heart problem requires that I eliminate fat from my diet. This book allows me to contine eating a lot of yummy bakery products. I have used a variety of the included recipes, and have been quite pleased. Its great to have delicious, fresh scones for breakfast that contain not a bit of cholesterol or fat in them.

I got this book at Easter and have made several of the recipes. All have been good, a few outstanding. (The "good" ones were tasty but identifiable as a low-fat product. The outstanding ones were as good as a full-fat counterpart.) However, I can't give this book 5 stars because the nutrition information given is lacking a key aspect: no carbohydrate information is provided. Fat, calories, protein, etc., are all listed, but no carbohydrate. That makes figuring American Diabetic Association or American Dietetic Association exchanges hard to do accurately. One can make a guess of the starch exchanges from the calories, but carbohydrate information would allow one to figure exchanges much more precisely. Since this IS a book of baked goods, not giving the carbohydrate information is like reviewing a new brand of gasoline and detailing all the ingredients EXCEPT the octane. Hard to believe, given that the author is a nutritionist, and makes you wonder if they are trying to downplay how much sugar and complex carbs are in the recipes. Since many "low-fat" products are unhealthy precisely because they use great amounts of sugars and starches to taste good despite the lack of fat, you have to wonder about these recipes, too.

Sandra Woodruff, RN, is a nutritionist. Her book is informed by her personal experience that "healthy foods serve no purpose if they aren't eaten." Woodruff states that this "is the perfect book for those who want to reduce the fat in their diet, maximize their nutrition, and still enjoy great-tasting sweet treats."

After the introductory chapter on the importance of limiting fat, she presents 130 no- and low-fat recipes, often using creative fat substitutes such as fruit, yoghurt, buttermilk, corn syrup, jam, pruunes, sweet potatoes, and date sugar. (She's also mindful of salt and cholesterol.)

The recipes vary from Cherry Apple Scones (0.3 grams of fat per serving) to Buttermilk Chocolate Cake (1.3 g), pumpkin gingerbread (0.3 g), Pear and Walnut Bundt Cake (0.7 g), Plum Delicous Bran Muffins (0.7 g), and old favorites like oatmeal raisin cookies (0.3 g).

As you can see above, the fat content is indeed low, which sometimes sacrifices the flavor and texture found in higher-fat recipes. (Though I think one reviewer here went a little too far in criticizing the taste). This is a good beginner's book with a variety of recipes, and offers useful cooking tips, a list of stores selling low-fat ingredients, nice old-fashioned color photos, and an index. For a little more flavor (and perhaps a little more fat?), take a look at "Let Them Eat Cake." For those who want to eat their favorite sweet things with minimal fat, this is an excellent book.

I think that people who buy this book should know that many of the recipes require the use of a cake mix. It may be that when I actually make the cakes, I will regret what I write now, but until then I am feeling a little short changed. Surely Mrs. Pregnall does not use commercial cake mix in her own shop.

When this book arrived, I had trouble putting it down. It's such fun to read. I bake often, & my friends really enjoy my cakes. (I'm not a baking novice.) I tried 3 recipes from this book. Two were flops, & one was mediocre. The chocolate chip cake, & Charlston chews were gooey in the middle long after the suggested bake time. The buttermilk coffee cake was nothing special. I'd buy a different book.

The recipes in the book are super easy to make,and they taste like you have slaved over them all day long when in fact you really haven't. It's not just cake recipes (my fav. being the Choc. Chip Cake) but I shall always use Teresa's Brownie recipe for the rest of my life. There are Pound Cake recipes,Coffee Cake recipes,Snacks and Picnic Treats recipes, and many more treasures. Teresa, YOU are the real Treasure. Thanks