Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh, My!: New Treats, New Techniques, More Hilarious Fun Paperback – January 31, 2012

Another great cupcake book. Great quality.

I already own the three cupcake books and have enjoyed them so much that these are gifts.The directions are clear and the cupcakes are amazing. The only two warnings I have are that they are not as simple as you might think, and that sometimes you have to purchase a bag or box of something and just wind up using a small amount leaving you with much left over.Another problem, which is really a compliment, is that when I made some for a party no one wanted to eat them there, but instead asked to take their cupcake home to show the rest of their family!Definitely a great series!

I have some young twins I hang out with in my apartment. I’ve made cakes with them and try to do crafts with them as often as possible, just teaching some things around the kitchen and because they really enjoy it This cookbook has some of the designs to try and they aren’t extremely difficult

Had the best time picking out & creating cupcake creations with the kids! Even got asked to do a flock of sheep for a spinning/knitting group. Great explanations, easy to understand & no special, pricey tools to buy. Going to use this book over & over!

I own the first two books in the series (Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make and What's New, Cupcake?: Ingeniously Simple Designs for Every Occasion) and have used them often. I was excited to see the newest book by the same authors. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed.It was nice that they expanded past cupcakes- including pies, cake pops, cookies, etc. I found, though, that the ideas in the book are just not very practical. I mean, there are several ideas that are animals morphed together, like a monkey and a crocodile to make a "monkey-dile" and a snail and pelican to make a "snail-ican." I just don't get it. I would never have a reason to make those.They did include some fun ideas for swirling frosting, shaping cakes, and dipping treat pops, but I did not care for the layout of the book. The tips and tricks were distributed throughout the book instead of all at the beginning as in the other two books. I liked being able to flip to the front of the book to read through the helpful suggestions and methods. Now I have to flip through the whole book to find them.So far I have only made the gnomes (for some reason they are listed in the holiday ideas...) and they turned out fine. I attempted to make the "spider bites," using brownies, frosting, and cookie crumbs. Those did not work out, unfortunately. Brownies are just a bit too difficult to work with when attempting to insert little spider legs made of melted chocolate. I'm hoping to make some Frankenstein's Monster cupcakes this weekend for a Halloween party. I really wish I could use this book more!

For some reason, when I see this book, it brings to mind the Christmas line, "...oh what fun it is to ride...." because this book really is alot of fun and it really is a journey, of sorts, of more adorable treats from the talented brain cells of Karen Tack and Alan Richardson.If you've already purchased their other books, then you know that you'll be in store for some of the most creative idea's with cupcakes and other assorted sweet treats, in the form of cake pops, cookies and cakes. Much more in this volume than I imagined. Here's why:Cupcakes have pretty much been a craze for quite some time with initially, a re-introduction to the little cake but with a modern appreciation. One such idea was that all of a sudden, regular wedding cake wasn't as fashionable, and tiered layers of cupcakes were. A variety of colors and adornment were THE thing to have at weddings, birthday parties, for personal statements, if you will. Well, enter Karen and Alan and their deliciously visual "upgrade" on something that we thought couldn't get any better.As always, the photography is super sharp and close with the instructions just as clear.In this latest book, animals, themes, and dreams have all been brought from an idea in your head to an actual 3-D version, that not only tastes good but makes your brain go on visual cuteness overload. Herein lies the continuation of that mixed bag of art meets sweets.Contained within this creative 239 page encyclopedia of cupcake-isms are 6 major chapters of fun with food, specifically cupcakes, cookies, and cakes. Taking hard candy, soft candy, and snack parts along with some sprinkles, sparkles, and smiles, you can make zebra's, dragons, frogs, "tea bag" cookies, Christmas stockings, turkeys, and monsters just to name a few.This book also shows you how in lining up decorated cupcakes, you can make animals and creatures that can really impress little ones and the adult crowd as well.Without giving everything away, some of the other idea's contained in this book are:ANIMALS: Porcupines, swans, fish, an adorable octopus, and elegant "pearls" hidden in oysters are here, along with my favorite being the gorgeous peacock cake1 With royal blues, yellows, purple, and green colors, this is more time intensive but well worth the effort for a spectacular presentation.COOKIE PIES: "Mr. Sunshine" lemon cookie pies and "Hens" sitting on their Nest pies (so simple!)"CLOTHES & ACCESSORIES": There are purses as well as high heels (my absolute favorite pair of shoes are so darn cute, and all it takes is graham crackers, those Pirouette cookies, and a cupcake and you can see them on the back cover). Or how about a Father's Day shirt and tie cake? (Now my only concern with this project is that there was a suggestion to use a glass to cut out some shapes; I would never encourage the use of glass to cut anything d/t the concern with too much pressure and the glass could shatter and/or cut you).MISC: Fork-size mini slices of cake, fork-size puppies, Easter egg cookies, Fathers Day ties, and "sodas", plus one of the most beautiful, Monet's water lilies (soooo delicate and exquisite, just like the ones in Giverney; deep green frosting-topped cupcakes with simple white water lilies made from white chocolate and the center stamens made from yellow frosting!)The end of the book then gives you the Master Recipes, as well as tools used, and resources.What I find with this food art form that Karen and Alan give us, is that is is fun, it is do-able, and it is something that will make a lasting impression. You don't need to be a superhero to make these or a world class pastry chef. These are mostly simple with minimal effort, and if you want something to do with your kids, this is it. I guarantee that no technological gadget can give you a really special time with your loved ones, nor will you find something better that will impress them, than something made with love and joy.Karen and Alan............once again.......you guys rock! Peace!!

This is a fun book for kids with a variety of activities.

I purchase all of my books used to reduce both my cost & environmental impact on book printing. I decided to purchase this book, because it was written by folks that I already had 2 other books from, both of which I enjoyed very much. The ideas are fun, super creative, & I love the idea of treats being entirely edible, without plastic pieces. I'm not a huge fan of the taste of fondant, so the provisions in this guide for ways to use candy, cereal & other edibles for treats is invaluable. The ideas in this book provide novelty for children & adults alike. Sometimes I use this as a jumping off point to get inspired, or give me ideas for an upcoming project. All in all, I would recommend this. If you found this review helpful, please vote helpful. Any questions will be answered to the best of my ability.