Learning something new the old way - cake pops

I'm a big fan of books, in fact, I've bought, traded, lost and given away more than I can remember on many different subjects, but I still have a fair few on the shelves.  I thought I'd try and be a little more consistent about blogging this year by talking about some of my favorites both new and old, as they relate to cake.

Blogs and websites are fun and DVDs are great, especially when you can't make it to a class, but sometimes books are the only way to go.  Almost all the books on my shelf are for reference, so if it helps, a defining factor is, can I keep going back to this book for ideas, for information, and for inspiration.  Sometimes you don't want to turn on the computer and curling up on the couch with a pile of books just holds a certain appeal that, for me anyway, the computer will never replace. 

You can't help but notice that cake pops seem to be everywhere these days.  I'm even seeing them on the UK cake sites, a definite change from their usual offerings.  We've been making them for our clients for a while now, even before the book came out, but we had to see what all

the fuss was about. So, while I may be considered a profession baker, this is my personal opinion on what this book contains and why you might (or might not) want to take a look!! 

I may never make anything exactly like the cake pops shown in Cake Pops by Bakerella, but it definitely inspires you to think about different ways you can "play" with cake!  So to start the new year, I'm going to start with a book that's been on my shelf for a while, but one that I seem to be looking at more often these days, Cake Pops by Bakerella. You can also find lots of information on her site, and it's well worth checking out as well, but this post is really just a quick review of the book if you're one of the few that hasn't checked it out yet.

For those not yet familiar with them, she also introduces other fun cake tools like the edible ink pens.  You can probably find them in your local cake store, or online at Wilton or Country Kitchen Sweet Arts.  Looks like Wilton has a new book out there now too!  Pops; Sweets on a Stick.  For those of you who are part of the world of cake, you know that Wilton is big name in home decorating and they always seem to introduce their own version of what's popular.  I guess I'll have to do a follow up post when I take a look at it!  But back to Bakerella. 

Easy to read and easy to follow this book covers seasonal favorites, birthday party offerings and some th 

http://www.bakerella.com/pop-star-amanda-in-pennsylvania/

at are just plain fun.  I'm a big fan of frogs, so I happen to be very partial those little guys, but there's everything from mini cupcakes on a stick to tiny popcorn bags.

There aren't really any negatives to point out in this one.  I would have liked to see more suppliers listed in the index, but all in all this has been a useful edition to my cake library.

So, that's it for now!  Oh, and just to add our own little touch, the picture below is not cake pops, but these are also pretty popular!

Next up, some of the cookie books...boy, do I have a lot of cookie books....