FAIRY TALE BAKING

The owner of the Enchanting Cake Company guides readers in creating their own fairy-tale desserts.

Following two chapters laying out the basic techniques and recipes most of the projects will use, Khan provides brief retellings of 15 fairy tales, each with directions for four creations, including the castle and pumpkin coach from “Cinderella,” candy apples for “Snow White,” magic-carpet cookies for “Aladdin,” lily-pad tarts for “Thumbelina,” a braided pretzel for “Rapunzel,” and meringue clouds for “Jack and the Beanstalk.” Although Khan writes, “The main projects may look complex but…they are really easy to follow and even the most novice baker will be able to wow their guests with their creations,” this is not a book for novices, for those pressed for time (many take multiple days), or for those on a budget. There is a lot of specialty equipment needed to match the photos of Khan’s gorgeous creations (crank-handled palette knife, woodgrain texture mat, cake-lace silicone mat, petal dust, rejuvenator spirit, sugar gun, edible gold paint, to name just a sampling). While her step-by-step directions are easy to follow and full of useful advice that will ease construction, not all the terms are defined, and readers may wish for more photos of the steps. Also, the measurements, while inclusive, may be confusing for younger chefs: “1 3/4 cups / 8 oz (225 g) all-purpose flour.”

These gorgeous desserts may be fairy tales for most bakers.