Boy, are you in for a treat today! I just happen to know that at least three other bloggers with delicate desserts posted today that are also offering the same cookbook I am as a giveaway in their posts today. And everyone’s creations look amazing. So before you fire up the grill for your Memorial Day celebrations, take a moment to sit back and think about dessert. Check out Katrina, Rachel, and Cassie’s sites today for their take on SprinkleBakes as well!
Now on to the review.
SpinkleBakes is the much anticipated cook book from Heather Baird, the classy hostess of SpinkleBakes.com. Her insane talent has razzled and dazzled those of us in the food blog world since 2009 with amazing photos and award worthy recipes. Heather’s over the top creations are highlighted on her simple and inviting website and now collected into a soft bound easily read cookbook.
Technical Level: SprinkleBakes has a little something for everyone, as stated in the introduction. There are recipes to pull out your inner artist and recipes that will help new bakers get a feel for their way around a kitchen. At first glance, the photography could ward off a novice chef – because each of the desserts looks intricate, complicated, and too delicate to touch. But after a little reading, you will see that the recipes are broken down into steps and that if you lack a proper paper doily to dust the top of your cheesecakes, your guests won’t notice any way.
Graphic Design: The layout and design of SprinkleBakes is clean and easy on the eyed with short introductions divided from the recipes and ingredient list by bold lines.  For every recipe there are step by step photographs that explain the intricacies – which help a lot when you are test a recipe for the first time. Without a finished product and a bit of a guide, how are you supposed to know if you have done it correctly?  On top of everything, I really like the bold font choice used to title every recipe. Its sharp and clean and this font junkie is looking for something similar right this moment.
Recipe Quality: After making the Grasshopper pies, I was filled with regret. I was prepared for something a little more, but the recipe was quiet frankly, very simple. Now, there is NOTHING wrong with this, other than that I was ready to get my bake on! Some of the other recipes involved more steps, more experience and more time in the kitchen (something I needed that day). Overall though, the recipes are great and I am eyeing up some cupcakes next!
Personality: Where SprinkleBakes does not read as the most personality infused book, the recipes speak for themselves. From the Anatomical Heart Cake that looks rather disturbing to the plaid sweater cookies, Heather has left her mark all over this one.
Why I’d Buy: Honestly, had I not been given the opportunity to flip through this book and the deadline to post it (by the other bloggers in the group so we could tag team ya) I probably would not have given this book the time it deserved. When I first flipped through, I just couldn’t fathom the time and attention span some of these desserts would require for me to pull off. That, and well, I’m just simple not the crafty decorating type. I want to eat my cake. After some moments and a little bonding, I think this cook book is awesome. The desserts are not out of my league and I think I would be able to tackle them quite well, though, I still have a long way to go before they look as flawless as their masters. So, buy this book because you need to jazz up your baking, dress up your book shelf or just like to drool over outstanding desserts.
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Grasshopper Pie
From SprinkleBakes
Ingredients:
For the Crust:
For the Filling:1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs, like Nabisco Wafers- 5 tbs butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 25 large marshmallows
- 2 tbs creme de menthe
- 1 tbs creme de cacao
For the Whipped Creme Topping:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 5 tbs superfine sugar
- Cocoa powder for dusting
Preparation:
Make the Crust:
Using your fingers or a fork, in a small bowl, mix the cookie crumbs and butter. Press the cookie mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate, pastry rings lined with plastic wrap, or springform pans.
Make the Filling:
In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the cream into stiff peaks.
Microwave the marshmallows in a large heatproof bowl for 45 seconds, or until they have puffed up considerably. Remove from microwave and stir until the marshmallows have melted completely. Stir the creme de menth and creme de cacao into the marshmallows until the mixture is smooth.  Let sit until cool, or room temperature.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the marshmallow mixture.
When the whipped cream is completely incorporated , evenly spoon the mixture into prepared pie dish. Smooth surface with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
Make the Whipped Cream Topping:
Place the heavy cream in a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer, or in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment, until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the sugar and whip until peaks have become stiff.
Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip and pipe dollops onto the pie. Lightly dust with cocoa powder and serve.
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To enter to win a copy of SprinkleBakes
Leave a comment here telling me you the fanciest dessert you have ever made or eaten.
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the fanciest dessert i have ever made is homemade cream puffs
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I think my fanciest dessert must have been a layer cake. I’m not too wild when it comes to baking – I stick to making pretty cakes and cuppy cakes 🙂
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This really is an incredible treat!!! I’m already fantasizing – too early for grasshopper pie? I think not!
I’d be completely content eating this for breakfast 😉 they turned out fantastic Kita
I loved your review of the book. I know you would probably grill than bake most days but you need to give yourself more credit. These are awesome! How about I come over for burgers sometime. You provide the meat and I’ll bring the sugar? 😉
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LOVE your review, Kita! And the pie looks wonderful. The green is perfect!
In March I made a many layered cake (maybe 4?) out of home made chocolate cake and a cake my friend showed me how to make when I was in Finland. Then I layered it with peanut butter frosting, chocolate frosting, a layer of cookie dough, and the best buttercream frosting ever. All from scratch. I was just in the mood to make a crazy layered cake (which I’d never done). Luckily 2 of my daycare kids have March birthdays so that gave me an excuse 🙂
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The fanciest dessert would have to have been a four layer wedding cake with hand sculpted cholocate roses made of modeling chocolate…it was for an amazing friend!
Panna Cotta
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This looks really fresh and easy to make! Probably the fanciest dessert (but not necessarily the best as sometimes home-made simple can’t be beaten!) was in a restaurant and it was platter of desserts I shared (honest…) which included a chocolate pyramid filled with an amazing oozy caramel thingy, three different sorbets, a rapberry mille feuille, a tiny doughnut, some chocolate sorbet/mousse and a chocolate fondant!!! Actually writing it down it was pretty awesome! :o)
I make lots and lots of desserts though I’m not sure any would be considered fancy….Last year I made a cheesecake with rasperry puree swirl and then covered it in a chocolate ganache.
I made a croquembouche 2 Christmases ago – it wasn’t too complicated but it sure looked impressive in the end!
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The fanciest that I’ve made is a layered cake.
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I’m not super fancy – I love cookies and brownies! I have made a cinnamon swirl bread pudding that was amazing and a little fancy 🙂
bananas foster
The fanciest dessert I ever made was a layered chocolate peanut butter cake! It took a lot of time and precision, but turned out great!
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The fanciest dessert I’ve ever made was probably a Boston Cream Pie.
The fanciest dessert I make is probably Mocha Kahlua Chiffon Cake with Chocolate Truffle Curls. Love your blog.
The fanciest dessert I’ve ever made was maybe chocolate molten lava cake or pumpkin swirl cheesecake.
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I’m not even sure that I can enter this giveaway, seeing how I live in Germany, but I’ll tell you about my fanciest dessert ever anyways, because it was my wedding cake. And what a cake it was! 3-tiered, layered sponge cakes, every tier a different cake and filling, coated in white chocolate and decorated with hand-made red marzipan roses and hand-piped dark chocolate ornaments. It looked far from perfect, but I was very very proud of it and it did taste very good. It also took me 3 days to make.
I’ll also follow you on facebook, for what it’s worth.
Def creme brûlée!!
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The fanciest dessert I’ve ever made is my own fruit tart with homemade crust, custard, and fresh fruit topping. It looked like something from a professional bakery! 🙂
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the fanciest dessert I ever made were mini warm choc cakes with a runny inside of pure hot choc! delight! I pinned your recipe and liked u on facebook. would love to win a book!
The fanciest dessert I have eaten/made was these little raspberry cheesecake in phyllo dough with a graham cracker crust. they were yummy
I tried my hand at tiramisu with mediocre results, but I’m definitely going to attempt it again.
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Baked Alaska!
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I’m thinking either creme brulee or cream horns
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The fanciest dessert I made was a 3 tier decorated wedding cake.
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I made a homemade cranberry cheesecake one time!
I think chocolate soufflé is one of the fanciest desserts I’ve made since it has to be PERFECT of it’ll flop. I’m also in the process of making croissants right now 🙂
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That grasshopper pie looks amazing! Probably the fanciest dessert I’ve ever made was a crazy pineapple dacquoise that my mom and I tackled one Christmas – almond meringues, caramelized pineapple, pineapple buttercream, pineapple syrup – all layered together in one fantastic dessert!
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I love grasshopper pies and these look really cute 🙂 thanks for sharing this recipe!
(I just had to leave a comment telling you this even though I am probably not eligible for the giveaway, not being in the U.S.) 🙂
This looks wonderful Kita. I just want to dive right in there.
My fanciest one is one I’ve never blogged before. It’s a black forest cheesecake that is divine.
A flambeed English christmas pudding comes to mind…in fairness I had my mom’s help with it.
Great review, Kita! The fanciest dessert ever…hmmm…that’s tough! Probably a pastry we had when we visited France.
I had an amazing Grand Marnier Souffle in Paris!
Wow. For a moment I was scared about the grasshopper bit, but guess that’s American…? Loved the review here and love also the mint and chocolate combination, the photos. I’m sold! Easy recipes? That’s for me. I’m already following you on Twitter and needless to say ‘I like you’ on FB.
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My fanciest recipe was tiramisu in bite-sized cups for a wine party last fall.
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The fanciest dessert I have made was raspberry delight cheesecake.
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The fanciest dessert might have been the decorated cake pops I baked for a wedding shower !
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I think it was a boston cream pie
the fanciest dessert I ever made was Chocolate Diamonds (from Marcel Desaulnier’s Death by Chocolate cookbook); it was a double layer flourless sheet cake cut into diamond shapes, filled with raspberry preserves and chocolate ganache topped with more ganache and garnished with a raspberry and a couple of pistachios with a truffle on the side which was stuffed with a few pistachios…yes, very time consuming but so decadent!
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One of the fanciest desserts I have ever made was a white chocolate cheesecake with raspberry swirl and an intricate heart design on top! 🙂
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I made an awesome chocolate peanut butter layer cake recently that looked as spectacular as it tasted.
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I just subscribed via RSS. I’m so glad SprinkleBakes tweeted about your post – I’m looking forward to following.
The fanciest dessert I remember making was a coconut layer cake. It had many, many detailed steps.
I don’t usually make fancy desserts. The fanciest is gets is a chocolate ganache cake for a birthday now and then. There’s an Italian bakery called Extraordinary Desserts which sells very fancy cakes, I’ve had an amazing cheesecake from there.
When my daughter was taking French in H.S. she had to make an authentic French dessert. I came across a beautiful recipe for chocolate ganache with raspberry coulis which ended up being the most luscious dessert I think I have made/eaten so far!
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Mousse is about as fancy as it gets for me!
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as fancy desserts go, i think the bete noire is the most impressive i’ve made. since it was so decadent, i’ve made it several times and haven’t tried anything new! 🙂
This is a great Pie. I’m not used to make fancy thing, but if I have to post something, I can say a molten cake, that one that have melted chocolate inside.
Gee, i don’t even know if i’ve ever attempted a fancy dessert…ahah i think the fanciest dessert i’ve ever attempted was probably white chocolate premier lemon cheesecake.. LOL
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That grasshopper pie looks divine!! I love tiramisu… but who doesn’t? 😉
I don’t know about fanciest but the Coconut cake at Mesa Grill is so fabulous. It is the dessert that stays in my mind.
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My fanciest dessert was creme brule
Great review of the cookbook. Even those these were simple, they looks delicious! I love grasshopper anything!
The fanciest (well, maybe not “fancy,” but definitely most involved) dessert I ever made was banana split cupcakes- banana cupcakes filled with macerated strawberries and pineapple, and topped with vanilla buttercream (used a star tip so it looked like whipped cream), chocolate ganache, and a cherry. They were worth every minute they took to make!
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the fanciest dessert I have ever made was cream puffs 🙂
Grasshopper pie.
Thanks for the opportunity to win this book!
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Snickers cupcakes filled with chocolate mousse. It took forever to chop up all the mini snickers to top off the icing!
fanciest dessert: cake pops
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Not entering the giveaway but dropping in to say ‘hi’! Say you on Foodgawker and loving both YOU and Grasshopper Pie I needed to pop by. Love the pie dish too! Hope all is well.
My son’s birthday, a four layer cake with three different frosting’s. Whew!
The fanciest dessert I’ve ever made was a luscious lemon curd tart with raspberries and whipped cream. I pinned the post.
Pinned! I try so hard not to buy cookbooks anymore but I don’t think I can resist this one!
Fanciest dessert would have to be cream puffs!
I have made 2 wedding cakes. Also a 14-layer cake. And I made a cherpumple last year for NYE.
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I’m not really a fancy dessert kinda person! The most labor-intensive, however, was a cake in the shape of a camera. That was work!
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The fanciest dessert I ever made was a 4-layer coconut and almond cake, filled and frosted with strawberry buttercream, wrapped in a white chocolate lattice, and topped with whole strawberries dipped in white chocolate. Yum!
I made a White Chocolate Cheesecake with Whipped Cream and Strawberries.
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The fanciest dessert I have ever made is probably a birthday cake (which I happen to make for most birthdays in my family) with a lovely peanut butter frosting. The best part about the cake? That it only gets better with time; though I don’t think it has ever lasted a week in my house.
I had the dessert plate at Jean-George’s in NYC that was so fancy. It had 4 desserts on the plate, all yummy.
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My fanciest dessert was a Buche de Noel two years ago…. I’ll make another this year & post it along with picks from that and if nothing else hopefully my photography has improved!
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The fanciest dessert I’ve ever made is chocolate mousse, which really isn’t that fancy at all!
A wedding cake!
The fanciest dessert I have ever made was a chocolate banana cake with whipped chocolate frosting in one of my fancy bundt ake pans. Turned out tasty and beautiful.
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When I first began my baking adventures I was all about complicated. Raspberry torts and lemonade bars with hand strained raspberries. These days I’m always looking for the simply elegant recipes, like this one!
The fanciest dessert I have ever made is a Chocolate layer cake with fleur de del caramel filling.
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