mini treats and many sweets

Baker Jennifer Ziemons, known for her show Jenny’s Mini Cooking Show on YouTube, is here to show us how to create Tiny Bakes that will wow friends and family. With just a few kitchen tools and her recipes and techniques, you can make and decorate tiny cakes, pies, cookies, and more. She uses lots of photos to show off her bakes, both the colorful and whimsical finished products as well as the techniques she uses to create them, so readers can see step by step how to get from the list of ingredients to a delightful and delicious treat.

After a brief introduction to her miniaturized baking and an explanation of what equipment she recommends for those trying to replicate her bakes (it’s not as much as you think), she jumps right in with her cupcakes and cake pops. She makes Monster Cupcakes that look as cute as they do delicious and Bonfire Cupcakes, with pretzels for the logs and accompanying marshmallows. And she decorates her cake pops as octopus, bees, frogs, and ice cream cones. And let’s not forget the Unicorn Cupcakes, with a surprise filling and rainbow frosting.

Then it’s on to cakes, where Ziemons makes layer cakes that could grace a magazine cover but also fit in your hands. There is a Three-Tier Celebration Cake that would steal the show at a wedding shower or Mother’s Day. There is a three-layer Red Velvet Cake with cream cheese frosting that could make you fall in love with Valentine’s Day. And there are Monster Cakes that everyone will scream for at Halloween. Then there are a Rainbow Cheesecake, Animal Cakes, and Confetti-Style Birthday Cake for any other celebrations you need a tiny treat for. And while she shows off her decorations for each of these bakes, she encourages readers to use hers as a jumping off point and show off their own creativity with their bakes and decorations.

Then it’s on to cookies, like the Chocolate Mint Cookies made to look like turtles, the Rainbow Cookies with the surprise sprinkles inside, or the Peanut Butter Cereal Cookies. But then you are faced with a big decision—do you try to make the “Burger” Cookies or the “Burger” Macrons? They both look like burgers, but what kind of cookie do you want to make? And then it’s on to pies, like the classic Apple Pie with a lattice crust, a Strawberry Pie with flowers baked on, and a pumpkin pie made to look like a pumpkin. There is also a Peanut Butter Marshmallow Pie with handmade marshmallows, a classic Lemon Meringue Pie, and Blueberry Pies that look like owls.

And lastly, there are brownies and bars, like the Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Brownies, Classic Brownies with powdered sugar messages on top, Salted Caramel Bars that are baked on shortbread and decorated with bear faces, Chocolate-Hazelnut Puff Pastry Treats cut into snails or a pine tree (or any shape you want), Brownie Lollipops that are half chocolate chip cookie and decorated with chocolate icing and colorful sprinkles, and Homemade Sandwich Cookies with expressive faces.

I loved Tiny Bakes. I thought Jenny Ziemons’ creations were filled with whimsy and delight, and the photos (and there are a lot of photos) really brought the baking and the treats to life. Even beginner bakers could follow these instructions and find some success, although some of the decorating techniques will take more experience and repetition to master. But a lot of these creations will bring joy to the hearts of children and to the adults who keep their inner children alive and hungry for sweets. This book is fun to read and would be fun to bake from and would make an ideal gift for someone looking for a new baking niche to bring their creativity to.

Egalleys for Tiny Bakes were provided by Harvard Common Press through Edelweiss, with many thanks.