Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Dessert Designer: Creations You Can Make and Eat!
    Dessert Designer: Creations You Can Make and Eat!
    Dessert Designer: Creations You Can Make and Eat!
    Ebook200 pages1 hour

    Dessert Designer: Creations You Can Make and Eat!

    By Dana Meachen Rau

    4.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Design and decorate like a pro with no baking skills required! Using premade cupcakes, cookies, and cake, kids of all ages will learn tips and tricks for creating whimsical, inspiring, and utterly gorgeous desserts. It’s deliciously fun!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCapstone Young Readers
    Release dateDec 1, 2014
    ISBN9781623701338
    Dessert Designer: Creations You Can Make and Eat!
    Author

    Dana Meachen Rau

    Dana Meachen Rau is an author, editor, and illustrator of children’s books. She has written more than 100 books for children, many of them nonfiction in subjects including astronomy, history, and geography, as well as numerous biographies. She lives in Burlington, Connecticut, with her husband and two children.

    Read more from Dana Meachen Rau

    Related to Dessert Designer

    Related ebooks

    Children's Cooking & Food For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Good enough TO EAT

      Oct 31, 2019

      Good enough TO EAT
      2 min read

    • Article

      Tea Break

      Jun 14, 2021

      Tea Break
      3 min read

    • Article

      Showstopper Bakes!

      Mar 5, 2020

      Showstopper Bakes!
      6 min read

    • Article

      Viva La Fiesta!

      Apr 2, 2020

      Your fiesta party table deserves a truly showstopping bake – and this is it. Created using Lakeland’s Anti-Gravity Cake Kit, 20cm Deep Round Cake Tin, Small Hemisphere Cake Pan and lots of sweet stuff, this is one fiesta-ready piñata that won’t need

      7 min read

    • Article

      CAKE decorating SCHOOL

      Jul 7, 2022

      CAKE decorating SCHOOL
      7 min read

    • Article

      12 Months Of Birthdays

      Jul 6, 2023

      Each issue, Zoe Burmester celebrates the birthday cake! With a seasonal cake recipe that focuses on flavours and themes that correspond to the month we are in, Zoe also shares a design idea with each cake to elevate it beyond the everyday teatime cak

      6 min read

    • Article

      Creature Comforts

      Apr 20, 2020

      Creature Comforts
      6 min read

    • Article

      PARTY TIME Redone

      Aug 31, 2020

      PARTY TIME Redone
      4 min read

    • Article

      New Idea Food Kids Party Cakes

      Feb 17, 2020

      Serves 16, Prep and Cook: 2 hours 2 x 440g packets golden buttercake mixLiquid pink, blue and yellow food colouringElectric orange food colouring gel300g packet marshmallow twistsEdible rainbow sprinkles, assorted lollipops, lollipop cake toppers,

      3 min read

    • Article

      Edible Gifts

      Nov 29, 2023

      Edible Gifts
      3 min read

    • Article

      CAKE decorating SCHOOL

      Aug 4, 2022

      WE LOVE… DECORATED COOKIES p64 // TEAPOT BISCUITS pg66 // SEASIDE CAKE pg68 1 – Beginner 2 – Intermediate 3 – Advanced ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ENJOY DECORATING YOUR CAKES AND BAKES? Don't miss these exciting projects in our sister title, Cake Decoration & Sugar

      4 min read

    • Article

      Wiggly Baking Creations!

      Jun 27, 2021

      The Wiggles have been a household name in Australia and a worldwide phenomenon for decades now, entertaining children with their upbeat, catchy songs and bringing joy to their lives. Now they want to teach your child how to bake, too. Join Emma, Lac

      3 min read

    • Article

      Cakes & Bakes with JULIET SEAR

      Feb 3, 2022

      Hello Baking Heaven friends! I hope you’ve had a good start to your year and welcome to our February issue! I really look forward to February, not just for getting dry January out of the way, honestly! Not only for pancake day, but for Valentine’s of

      4 min read

    • Article

      Vanilla Sugar Cookies

      Jun 3, 2021

      This recipe is easy to make and work with. If you want to bake these in advance, place them in sealed plastic food bags and stack in flat piles so they don’t break. They will keep for up to eight weeks in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. M

      2 min read

    • Article

      Merry Delights

      Dec 7, 2020

      Merry Delights
      3 min read

    • Article

      Kim-joy’s Cute Christmas!

      Nov 5, 2020

      Kim-joy’s Cute Christmas!
      6 min read

    • Article

      Juliet Sear

      Dec 2, 2021

      Hello Baking Heaven friends! I hope you’re all excited for Christmas and have lots of baking planned. I’m sure all of the wonderful bakes in this issue will inspire you! It’s not long until the big event and this time it will be really wonderful to b

      6 min read

    • Article

      Santa’s Bakery

      Oct 15, 2020

      Santa’s Bakery
      9 min read

    • Article

      Cupcake Crazy!

      May 30, 2021

      Makes 24, Prep and Cook 2 hours, 10 mins 2 x 410g pkts vanilla cupcake mixHundreds and thousands, to decorate 2 x 330g pkts royal icingOrange food colouring gel24 original ice-cream cones72 Mini Jazzies and 24 Jaffas, to decorate 400g unsalted bu

      3 min read

    • Article

      Top Baking Trends!

      Sep 2, 2021

      Top Baking Trends!
      9 min read

    • Article

      Gathered in Harmony

      Sep 24, 2019

      Gathered in Harmony
      7 min read

    • Article

      Gathered in Harmony

      Oct 13, 2020

      Gathered in Harmony
      7 min read

    • Article

      THE Decoration DEEP DIVE

      Sep 10, 2019

      THE Decoration DEEP DIVE
      5 min read

    • Article

      2 Tricked-out Pies To Be Thankful For: Pear With Cranberries And Pumpkin With Ginger Praline

      Nov 11, 2019

      Homemade pie fillings prove easy. Crust not so much. Practice makes perfect. With every pie, our skills improve. It's an acquired art to turn out flaky, beautiful crust. My mother regularly reminds us of her early crust adventures - many of which end

      7 min read

    • Article

      Nordic Baking

      Nov 3, 2021

      Nordic Baking
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Dessert Designer

    4.5/5

    3 ratings3 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Children will have a blast making these desserts! All are fairly basic and simple enough for younger cooks to do; some are a little more complex than others, but nothing is too hard for this age group to manage. The designs are innovative and clever, with many that the reader will have never seen before. The reader can flip to any page and find a fantastic way to spend an afternoon.
    • 4/5
      This is like one of the “coffee table” adult cookbooks I have at home. Wonderful to look at and contemplate making, but to actually do it will be more challenging than I had planned. The pictures are beautiful, and maybe with help some of the desserts like the coconut bunny cake could be made, but for me this is a “dream about” book. The author has done a good job explaining the tools and the steps for those serious cake decorators.
    • 5/5
      Dessert Designer: Creations you can make and eat! by Dana Meachen Rau is full of fun desserts that almost anyone can make. Judging by the type and design of the recipes included, as well as the ease of making them, this book seems to be aimed at upper elementary through high school students looking to wow friends and family. Wonderful photographs highlight what each creation looks like, and much of the fun of this cookbook is simply seeing all the creative edible decorations. I shared this book with my fifth grade daughter and ninth grade son, both of whom frequently enjoy cooking with me. Both found recipes they immediately wanted to try out, including (but of course not limited to) mini-mice, sock monkey cookies, volcano cupcakes, berry baskets, armadillo cupcakes, and cupcakes made to look like mugs of hot cocoa. The book has a full-page photo of the finished product on one page and the recipe and instructions on the other page. The only downside to this layout is that the instructions are sometimes rushed, and for this age group step-by-step photographs could be very helpful--especially for younger cooks. In one instance, for a large peacock cake, additional photos and instructions are included for a four-page recipe. However, most recipes are simple enough that a thorough reading of the steps before starting is sufficient to make these wonderful desserts.I plan to add a copy of this Capstone series to my school library as well as my home cookbook library. Highly recommended for elementary, middle, high school, and public libraries, as well as for any home kitchen where fun, simple desserts are in demand.

    Book preview

    Dessert Designer - Dana Meachen Rau

    PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD!

    Your kitchen is more than a place to make supper. It’s an art studio. When you combine dessert and your imagination, you can create amazing works of art that taste as good as they look! Turn cakes into roller coasters. Top cupcakes with crazy creatures. Make cookies hoot with awesomeness and candy flutter your taste buds. There’s no end to what you can do with desserts!

    How to Use This Book

    Ready to get started? It’s a piece of cake! Start by gathering the supplies you need. You may already have the ingredients in your kitchen. But if not, all the supplies can be found in grocery stores, convenience stores, or the cake-decorating aisles of craft and hobby stores.

    ~ use your Imagination~

    The ideas in this book are just that—ideas! Don’t like a color or decoration we used? Change it! Can’t find the same candy? Use something else. The best part of dessert designing is getting to be creative. Have fun!

    ~ The Best Part! ~

    Some might argue that frosting is the most important part of a dessert. Stores sell super-tasty tubs of premade frosting. But if you want to whip up your own, here’s a simple recipe. It makes about 2½ cups (600 milliliters) of frosting.

    Ingredients

    ½ cup (120 mL) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

    ½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) vanilla extract

    2 cups (480 mL) confectioners’ sugar

    1–2 tablespoons (15–30 mL) milk

    Tools

    large bowl

    measuring cups and spoons

    electric hand mixer

    spatula

    Steps

    1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and vanilla with the mixer on medium speed until fluffy.

    2. Beating on low, alternate adding sugar and milk until the ingredients are mixed well. The frosting should be thick, creamy, and spreadable. Scrape the sides of the bowl often with the spatula.

    3. Store the frosting in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Bring it to room temperature and rewhip before using.

    For chocolate frosting, follow the recipe above, and add ¼ cup (60 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder along with the sugar.

    ROYAL ICING

    For many recipes in this book, you’ll need to make royal icing. Royal icing hardens into a firm shell so your dessert has a smooth finish. There are two kinds of royal icing. Flood royal icing is thinner and good for filling in large areas. Edge icing is thicker and good for making details and edges.

    Edge Icing

    2 teaspoons (10 mL) meringue powder

    2 tablespoons (30 mL) water

    2 to 2½ cups (480 to 600 mL) confectioners’ sugar

    With a mixer on high, blend the ingredients together in a bowl for about four to five minutes. The icing is the right consistency when it forms little peaks that hold their shape.

    Makes 1 cup (240 mL) of icing

    Flood Icing

    Make a batch of edge icing. Then add water ½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) at a time, blending after each addition. The icing is ready when drips hold their shape for just a moment before they blend back into the icing.

    Keep royal icing in an airtight container when you’re not using it. If you don’t, a crust will start to form on the top. You can keep icing for about a week at room temperature. Rewhip before you use it.

    DECORATOR'S TOOLBOX

    A painter needs brushes and canvases. A carpenter needs hammers and nails. A dessert designer like you needs tools too!

    ALOHA LEI CUPCAKES

    A Hawaiian luau is the ultimate beach bash. Tropical parties need necklaces of flowers—especially ones you can eat! Enjoy these tasty blooms, then hula until sunset.

    INGREDIENTS

    vanilla frosting

    12 mini cupcakes

    36 jellybeans

    96 wafer candies in a variety of colors

    18 green wafer candies

    1. Frost the top of each cupcake.

    2. Place three jellybeans in the center of each cupcake. Surround the jellybeans with four wafer candy petals. Then add four more petals behind the first ones.

    3. With an adult’s help, gently drag a knife across the surfaces of the green wafers to score them. Don’t try to cut straight through the wafers or they will crack.

    4. Break the green wafers in half along the scored line.

    5. Tuck the green wafer pieces behind the petals to look like leaves.

    6. Arrange the cupcakes on a platter to look like a lei.

    ~ A Basket of Blooms ~

    You can also arrange these flower cupcakes in a basket. Cut a block of flower foam to fit tightly in a basket. Cover the foam with plastic wrap. Poke a lollipop stick into the foam. Place a cupcake on the stick to hold it in place. Repeat with more lollipop sticks and cupcakes until you have a bunch of beautiful blooms.

    BERRY BASKET

    A tisket, a tasket, a tasty cupcake basket. Serve up these cupcakes for a berry amazing treat!

    INGREDIENTS

    vanilla frosting

    1 mini cupcake (paper liner removed)

    1 graham cracker square

    8 vanilla or chocolate cream wafer cookies

    1 orange or brown licorice twist

    raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1