• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Dessert First

a san francisco food and travel blog | all things sweet

  • About Me
    • about pastrygirl
    • faq
    • press
    • Contact Me
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • My Books
  • Recipes
    • Breads
    • Cakes
    • Candy
    • Chocolate
    • Cookies
    • Custards
    • Fruit
    • Ice Cream
    • Pastry
    • Tarts
  • Sweet San Francisco
    • Sweet Spots
    • SF Events
  • Travel
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • California
    • Hawaii
  • reviews and recs
    • Cookbooks
    • Chocolate
    • Tools
  • Conversions

{Cookbook Review} Cookie Craft

Feb 23 by Anita 29 Comments

Sugarcookies

I never really thought of myself as artistic – my sisters can draw and paint, but not me. Baking is where most of my creative energies find their outlet. And when people ask if I can make one of those elaborate wedding cakes, I get nervous and tell them that’s not really my specialty.

But when a copy of Cookie Craft, a book on cookie decorating, arrived on my doorstep for me to review, my curiosity was piqued by beautiful cookie flowers on the cover. I started reading and found myself, yes, awed and intimidated by the flawless creations inside, but also eager to try some decorating of my own – for once!

Cookie Craft, by Valerie Peterson and Janice Fryer, is an engaging, and inspiring guide to the boundless possibilities of cookie decorating. Reading it is like taking a complete course on the art cookies – the authors cover everything from baking cookies to all the various decorating techniques, to suggested themes and ideas to fire your imagination, to templates for elaborate oversized cookie creations.

Cookiecraft

Whether you’re a neophyte or experienced decorator, this book provides plenty of useful material and tips. What I really liked was how the authors have developed an efficient system for baking and decorating cookies, and shared it in a very straightforward and accessible way. Cookie decorating, just like the rest of baking, depends a great deal on planning and organization for success, and the authors show how simple creating a batch of gorgeously decorated cookies can be with just a little forethought.

Some of the useful tips I picked up from this book:

– Pick a theme and draw out your designs before you make your cookies. Having a guide to refer to makes it much easier to plan what shapes and colors you’ll need, and makes it less likely that you’ll make a mistake when decorating.

– Set up your decorating area before you start, as well – they have a helpful little diagram showing a table set up with piping bags neatly lined up, squeeze bottles full of flood icing, a tool tray with decorating implements, and racks for drying cookies. When I made my cookies, it really did make a difference to have everything on hand – I was able to focus on decorating and not on wondering where everything is.

– Toothpicks are extremely useful decorating tools – they smooth out any piping flaws, spread flood icing, clean off cookie edges, and a multitude of other useful tasks.

– #2 decorating tips are definitely the most versatile tip for piping – and it’s best to have several of them so you can have multiple colors going at once. The tips are fairly inexpensive as well – in all, I was surprised how easily you can set up your decorating supply kit.

-It does take practice to get your decorating down – but that’s what extra cookies are for! Imperfect cookies are perfect for decorating practice – and just as delicious.

Sugarcookies2

The book is packed with lots more useful information – there are base recipes for cookies to decorate (I tried the sugar and they were quite tasty), royal icing recipes, and complete discussions on all the options in the decorator’s arsenal, from imprinting to cutouts, flooding to fondant, sugaring to luster dust. To help the reader visualize how to use all these techniques, the authors provide dozens of gorgeously photographed examples with instructions, from holiday themes to special occasions. There are also sections on baking tips and tricks that are useful for any baker, not just for cookie making. Finally, to really challenge and inspire the reader, the last chapter includes what the authors call "showstoppers" – three-dimensional cookie houses, edible cookie containers, whimsical centerpieces made from cookies with some icing to hold them together.

This charming, comprehensive tome is a wonderful reference for any baking library – I highly recommend it. To test out some of the techniques in the book, I chose one of their themes, Winter into Spring. Using the same flower cookie cutter, I was able to practice some basic piping, floodwork, and decoration with drageés and sanding sugars. It’s quite gratifying, really, how many variations you can come up with using just four colors of icing and a handful of sugars.

Sugarcookies3

It’s been a busy couple of weeks with me working on my own book; I’m missing the simpler days of just baking and blogging. It was nice to just bake a batch of cookies and spend a day with them and some icing, tracing out hopeful premonitions of the spring to come. Sometimes cookies fresh from the kitchen are all you need.

Tagged with: cookie craft + valerie peterson+ janice fryer + cookie decorating

Bite This!

Filed Under: Cookbooks, Cookies, Recipes, Reviews

Related Posts

  • A Malasada Experiment
  • Bittersweet Chocolate Tartlets
  • A Little Night Circus Cake
  • Sated is Ready! and an Almond and Chocolate Frangipane Tart
  • Reconsidering the Chocolate Chip Cookie
« More Chocolate, This Time of the Warm Molten Variety
A Visit from Some Well-Traveled Eggs »

Comments

  1. 1

    Gretchen Noelle says

    Feb 23 at 3:24 am

    Very nice review. I have never really thought of artistically decorating cookies – well beyond Christmas ones. These look gorgeous and elegant.

    Reply
  2. 2

    maya says

    Feb 23 at 5:13 am

    Yes! I need this book! I must have it. Excellent review – thanks!

    Reply
  3. 3

    kat says

    Feb 23 at 8:05 am

    you are so talented!

    Reply
  4. 4

    T says

    Feb 23 at 9:19 am

    Pretty, pretty! I don’t think I would have the nerve (or the patience!) to decorate cookies myself. Yours look great, and so festive!

    Reply
  5. 5

    JEP says

    Feb 23 at 4:36 pm

    Simply gorgeous!

    Reply
  6. 6

    Karen says

    Feb 23 at 5:16 pm

    Beautiful! Decorating sugar cookies has always alluded me. I’m going to look for Cookie Craft. Thanks for including the tips!

    Reply
  7. 7

    dreamsicle says

    Feb 23 at 11:35 pm

    the cookies look wonderful, and seasonal too! i’m hopeless in decorating and i’ve gotta make a celebration cake as a class project, so there’s lots of practice that i’ll need. @__@

    i can’t wait to read your book either. good luck on it!

    Reply
  8. 8

    Katie says

    Feb 24 at 1:23 am

    Your cookies look beautiful. Its amazing what a little decoration can do to a plain cookie.

    Reply
  9. 9

    superluckykitchen says

    Feb 24 at 8:21 am

    i am going to have to get me some #2’s. your cookies look beautiful. im sure they taste just as good as they look!

    Reply
  10. 10

    peabody says

    Feb 24 at 1:36 pm

    They look lovely.

    Reply
  11. 11

    michelle @ Us vs. Food says

    Feb 24 at 4:59 pm

    wow, those cookies are so delicate and beautiful. i go for the “rustic” look with my baked goods, but it’s really a justification for the fact that i’m a spaz.

    and great review of the book – i’m adding it to my wants list.

    Reply
  12. 12

    Chris says

    Feb 24 at 6:00 pm

    Thanks for this! I always look at how beautiful other foodies create works of art with cookies and wish I could do the same. I am going to look into Cookie Craft.

    Reply
  13. 13

    Niko says

    Feb 24 at 8:07 pm

    These cookies look pretty good to me. If these were on a big white plate at a party it would make everything look great…

    Reply
  14. 14

    Rosa says

    Feb 25 at 12:46 am

    Your cookies look perfect and ever so pretty! I would not have enough patience to decorate them in such a wonderful manner…

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  15. 15

    Tracy says

    Feb 25 at 6:55 am

    These are so beautiful!

    Reply
  16. 16

    Cheryl says

    Feb 25 at 7:30 am

    I too shriek when people ask me to really decorate something. Even though I took 2 cake decorating classes, its just not my forte. You did an amazing job with these cookies. You can’t tell them from the ones on the cover.

    Reply
  17. 17

    Deborah says

    Feb 25 at 11:37 am

    This is a book I need, as I really need to learn and work on my cookie decorating skills!

    Reply
  18. 18

    cakewardrobe says

    Feb 25 at 1:38 pm

    I once spent 9 hours just baking and decorating/piping 24 cupcakes. EEK! You must be super patient and confident. I rarely draw something out before I decorate though. I just go with the flow – “design on the page”

    Reply
  19. 19

    kate says

    Feb 27 at 4:35 am

    Anita , this stuff scares me off too. I’m really encouraged by your post to get me a coy of this book and try some out. These cookies you have made look so gorgeous and perfect.

    Reply
  20. 20

    Jessy says

    Feb 27 at 7:35 am

    Those are so pretty!!

    Reply
  21. 21

    kate says

    Feb 27 at 1:44 pm

    your cookies look amazing–you’re totally an artist!

    Reply
  22. 22

    Priscilla says

    Feb 28 at 6:21 pm

    Stunning cookies…great job!

    Reply
  23. 23

    Vibi says

    Feb 29 at 6:47 pm

    Wow! I come here expecting a February Julia Child bread Daring Baker’s challenge and what do I find? These exquisite, marvelous and sooooo beautiful little gems of cookies. Needless to say, with talent like you have… you can leave drawing and painting with your sister! BRAVO!

    Reply
  24. 24

    eliza says

    Mar 1 at 3:58 pm

    i don’t know if i’m patient enough to do decorations on dozens of cookies, but i admire your perseverance and technique! 🙂

    Reply
  25. 25

    adelyn says

    Mar 3 at 8:29 am

    well, i consider you an artist! those cookies are stunning! and thanks for the book intro, i’ve put it on my list (oh such a long list…) of cookbooks i want to try. 🙂

    Reply
  26. 26

    steph says

    Mar 4 at 2:24 am

    i own this book. it is gorgeous and very informative. you did a smashing job with your cookies!

    Reply
  27. 27

    Anita says

    Mar 4 at 9:41 pm

    Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments! It was time consuming but a very worthwhile activity! I hope you get a chance to pick up this book!

    Reply
  28. 28

    mimi says

    Apr 23 at 7:01 am

    beautiful cookies! thanks for the review, i’ve been looking for a good reference resource to start “seriously” decorating my cookies. will definitely check this out.

    Reply
  29. 29

    Marjorie says

    Feb 5 at 10:14 am

    Love the pictures of the cookies, I have made cookie bouquets twice now. Once for my childrens hight school graduations where I made chef hats and graduations hats and just recently baby shower bouquets with carriages, onesies and teddy bears. I think the hardest thing about making these is the wait time between each layer of frosting. Love doing it and can’t wait for the next occasion. Love your pictures. http://pastrychefprogram.com

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating





About Me
Mentions in the Press
Want to go to pastry school?
Email me

subscribe to receive posts in your inbox

Archives

best of dessert first


The Making of Macarons (Sucre Cuit Style)

Hong Kong Eggettes (Daan Jai)


Tis the Season (Chocolate Mint Macarons)

A Better Brioche


Consider the Humble Chocolate Chip Cookie

A Feast of Figs


Pure Dessert, Pure Inspiration (Chocolate Citrus Tart)

My Own Remembrance of Things Past: Daan Tats


The Slow Drip of Coffee on a Languorous Summer's Day

Still Life of Strawberry Tart

disclosure

This site uses affiliate links. Purchasing through the links will give this site commissions. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

about pastrygirl

Anita Chu, also known as pastrygirl, is a baker, writer, and photographer with a passion for pastry. She trained at Tante Marie's Cooking School and is the author of Field Guide to Cookies, Field Guide to Candy, and Lollipop Love. Anita lives in San Francisco with her husband, daughter, and dog Max. More about pastrygirl

my cookbooks



contact me

Please e-mail anita {at} dessertfirstgirl {dot} com with all collaboration inquiries, pastry questions, or just to say hi! I look forward to hearing from you!
  • home
  • my books
  • recipes
  • sweet san francisco
  • reviews
  • conversions
  • shop
  • archives
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

© 2006–2025 Anita Chu. All Rights Reserved. Design by Deluxe Designs