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Grasshopper Pie & SprinkleBakes Cookbook Giveaway

Dessert· Pies & Tarts· St Patricks Day

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.

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.

 

 

 

To enter to win a copy of SprinkleBakes

Leave a comment here telling me you the fanciest dessert you have ever made or eaten.

Earn Extra Points by doing the following and leaving me a comment saying you have:

  • Following Pass the Sushi on Facebook 
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  • Tweeting about this giveaway including @passthesushi
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  • Give this post a thumbs up with StumbleUpon!
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Entrees accepted through midnight Thursday May 31st 2012.
For more chances to win yourself a sweet copy of Sprinkle Bakes check out the other bloggers participating in today’s giveaway! 
  
Check out In Katrina’s Kitchen, Baked by Rachel, and Bake Your Day for more chances to win through Thursday!

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Comments

  11. Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says

    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? 😉

    Reply

  19. Amy J says

    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 🙂

    Reply

  22. Ruth says

    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!

    Reply

  26. Bakes-A-Lot Sue says

    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)

    Reply

  27. Kara says

    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.

    Reply

  36. Marina S. says

    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 🙂

    Reply

  38. Jacqui says

    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!

    Reply

  50. Tenshi says

    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.

    Reply

  53. Christina C. says

    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! 🙂

    Reply

  58. Anne says

    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!

    Reply

  59. minijaxter says

    The fanciest dessert I have eaten/made was these little raspberry cheesecake in phyllo dough with a graham cracker crust. they were yummy

    Reply

  75. sara says

    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!

    Reply

  79. The Harried Cook says

    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.) 🙂

    Reply

  80. Kim Bee says

    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.

    Reply

  84. Jill Colonna says

    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.

    Reply

  91. Corisa Jubinsky says

    The fanciest dessert might have been the decorated cake pops I baked for a wedding shower !

    Reply

  94. Terry Metayer says

    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!

    Reply

  97. Andrea says

    One of the fanciest desserts I have ever made was a white chocolate cheesecake with raspberry swirl and an intricate heart design on top! 🙂

    Reply

  108. Angela says

    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.

    Reply

  109. Jill J says

    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!

    Reply

  119. grace says

    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! 🙂

    Reply

  121. Lynna says

    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

    Reply

  129. Michelle says

    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!

    Reply

  142. Hannah says

    Snickers cupcakes filled with chocolate mousse. It took forever to chop up all the mini snickers to top off the icing!

    Reply

  147. Hilary R says

    The fanciest dessert I’ve ever made was a luscious lemon curd tart with raspberries and whipped cream. I pinned the post.

    Reply

  151. Catie says

    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!

    Reply

  154. Mary says

    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!

    Reply

  156. Claudia says

    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.

    Reply

  165. Michael J. McCoy says

    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.

    Reply

  167. Greta says

    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!

    Reply

  168. Sarit Rose says

    The fanciest dessert I have ever made is a Chocolate layer cake with fleur de del caramel filling.

    Reply

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