The Sweetness Of Sugarcrafting

Any serious cake decorator will tell you about sugarcrafting - the art of making sugar flowers, leaves and stems for cake decoration. It is one of the hardest cake arts to conquer, requiring a steady hand, delicate tools and determination. It also helps to have a comprehensive how to book on the ready. Luckily there is a brand new one , written by famed British cake decorator, Alan Dunn. This is the must have book in any baker's library.

Alan Dunn's Sugarcraft Flower Arranging (IMM Lifestyle Books 2018) is the definitive cake and flower arranging book for hardcore cake enthusiasts. Mr. Dunn has been creating amazing sprays of gum paste flowers and leaves for over twenty-five years. His website has several how tos along with merchandise to sell. Access to his tutorials is $12.45 a month, but it lets s home bakers view and study his tutorials (Mr. Dunn is like a UK version of Cake Boss' Buddy Valastro)on everything from shortbread cookies to icings. It can be a bit expensive to join which is why buying the book is a better choice. It  is divided in three sections : flowers, sprays and arrangements and cakes. Home bakers not only know about sugar fauna but also about h9ow to arrange them in realistic displays..Mr. Dunn gives the recipe for how to make the gum paste(he also gives the name of ready made gum paste sticks which makes decorating that much easier) along with pictures of all the tools needed - and there are many.)  What was needed however was a recipe for a cake - even a simple vanilla one. He does recommend using a fruit cake which is great for British tastes -not so much for the Americans,

The pictures and hows tos are stunning. Every known flower and leaf is in the book. Looking at them, you feel cheated by creating cakes with just rosebuds and buttercream leaves. The exotic Madagascar stephanotis is featured along with the South American Masdevallia orchid and the South African Brunia head seeds.There are the much wanted roses, always in demand. Mr. Dunn explains in in detail how to create them. For novices there is the dischidia,  a delicately leaved vine that doesn''t require the same amount of work as a bloom or the North American winterberry, a cousin of holly, that a round ball tinted deep red. I loved the flower arranging section. Mr. Dunn dosn't make it all about the cake. \The sprays and arrangements would look lovely on a table or even a coffee table. These are the sugar flowers and leaves but thanks to his masterful hand , they even make the real deals pale in comparison. The book is a godsend for those freelance bakers who include wedding cakes in their repertoire. There are beautiful sugar bouquets in many lovely color combinations. cascading down cakes .Any couple would love a three tiered masterpiece  topped with silvered roses or deep violet anemones.

Alan Dunn's Sugarcraft Flower Arranging is the perfect book for the hardcore cake decorator.It shows how simple sugarpaste can be turned into magnificent buds and blooms. Home bakers must have this book in their library and try their hand at coping Mr. Dunn's masterpieces.

Mini - Yums

Good things come in small packages. That age old adage is true, especially with the latest food trend: mini sweets. Cupcakes are shrinking. Ice pops are melting while muffins are minimizing. Even more interesting - this trend is here to stay.


This was the topic of an article in today's New York Times Dining section. , The piece, written by Dining regular, the great Julia Moskin, tells of everyone's favorite treats getting smaller and smaller. It's like the famed scene in Alice in Wonderland where Alice eats the bite size cake that has "Eat Me" written on it. The same is becoming true for cupcakes that are perfect for baby dolls and macaroons that are dime sized. Even the famed Sicilian pastry cannoli, is being made smaller. Usually two or three inches in length , it's' now being shrunk to only an inch. Creating such treats proves to be a challenge for bakers. Minis tend to easily break apart easier . Finding molds for them is also somewhat difficult as well.

Why the trend to bite size goodies? It's because we're drawn to smaller, more fun sized snacks. It also means that we can still have our guilty pleasures but with much less sugar and fat. No one is going to chow down on three cupcakes. That's too many calories to be consumed. However it's perfectly OK to gobble down three mini cupcakes. It's still the taste without all the sugar and fat. The same holds true for any other mini treat. A muffin may be too much for one person however shrink it to a fingernail sized bite and its perfect. manufacturers already know this and such companies as Hostess are jumping on the baby muffin and treat trend.

One thing is that we'll never get tired of these bite sized sweets. They're fun and colorful. They also have the allure of less calories too.They really live up to the phrase - good things really do come in small packages!