Cookie Craft: From Baking to Luster Dust, Designs and Techniques for Creative Cookie Occasions by Valerie Peterson and Janice Fryer published by Storey Publishing, LLC (October 24, 2007).

I just couldn’t pass up this book about the craft of decorating cookies. Not too cute - not aimed at cookies for kids parties (although there are a few). Instead an incredibly detailed and comprehensive look at cookie baking, design and decoration.

The first section of the book is inspiration - with photos and templates and basic instructions on shapes, colours and decorating - holidays: New Year (champagne classes), Easter (cute little duckies, and decorated egg cookies), mothers day (bonnet cookies and tea cup cookies), and fathers day (hammer and saw cookies), thanksgiving (turkey cookies), and Christmas and Hanukkah of course too. Next all the gorgeous special occasion cookies - special pink and sugary wedding cookies (wedding dresses and cakes), blue and pink new baby cookies (prams and milk bottles), kids parties (rockets and dinosaurs), sweet 16 parties (handbags and sparkly frocks).

The supplies and ingredients and techniques chapter takes you right through the whole process, from measuring, mixing, cutting, baking, cooling, icing, decorating, packing and storing. There is another chapter on planning your baking session -with tips on what can be made ahead of time, checklists and time saving tips. Then come the ‘blank canvas’ - basic cookie recipes and tips on pre-baking decorating - including dyeing and cutting the dough. And the after baking decorating - with recipes for various types of icing - tips on mixing and using the icing and then the actual decorating techniques - piping, feathering, flooding, using fondant, and then theres dusting and sugaring and writing …

oh it goes on - so much information - such attention to detail - a fabulous book - perfect for gifts or just to have.

Amy’s emailed to let us know updates to her sweet kimono pattern, which include:

Thanks Amy, Link.