Cookbook Review: “Geek Sweets” by Jenny Burgesse

I’m a geek who loves to bake. So when Jenny Burgesse’s Geek Sweets: An Adventurer’s Guide to the World of Baking Wizardry my inner child jumped for joy. This book is filled with not recipes and part ideas for those who love science fiction, fantasy and adventure.

Summary of Geek Sweets

From Marvel Comics to Doctor Who, from Cthulhu to zombies, from unicorns to Mayans, you’ll find a recipe for a cookie, cupcake or cake pop that will have your inner (or outer) geek squealing for joy. Regardless of what level your baking skills are, there is something here for you, as well.

Geek Sweets divides the recipes into skill levels:

1. Squire: These recipes are for beginners and are the easiest to follow and assemble.
2. Knight: These recipes require a bit more skill and time.
3. Dragon Slayer: These recipes are a for diehard bakers with a lot of time on their hands.

In addition, the book includes information about the tools and basic skills you will need, as well as some basic recipes that will be used as a basis for the fantastical creations later in the book. Sprinkled throughout are also party ideas called “Side Quests.”

What Worked for Me

Every time I pick up Geek Sweets I can practically feel my inner child shaking with excitement. What cool thing will I discover this time I open the book?

The photographs are stunning. There are images of the final results, as well as steps along the way for many of the recipes.

The diversity of geekiness is also well done. You’ll find recipes inspired by a number of fandoms, including Minecraft, Dungeons & Dragons, The Legend of Zelda, Harry Potter, Doctor Who, H.P. Lovecraft, Willy Wonka and more.

I also really like the way she divided the recipes by skill level. That way you can build up your skills starting with a Snozberry Cake Pop (Willy Wonka), graduate to Gallifreyan Galaxy Black Bottom Cupcakes (Doctor Who), and finally try your hand at Frozen in Carbon-Bite Chocolate Bars (Star Wars).

And you don’t have to create your templates from scratch. You can download them from the author’s website.

What Didn’t Work for Me

My inner geek is screaming, “Nooooooo! Don’t do this. Nothing is wrong with this book!” And, my outer geek kind of has to agree. Perhaps it would have been nice to have the geek source inspiration more clearly identified. That way you’d know if this was a fandom you were part of or a new one you might want to explore.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

I think it would be cool to expand this book. More recipes. More party ideas. More cool stuff.

Recommendation

I really enjoy perusing this book. I look forward to trying my hand at many of these creations. It seems clear to me that Burgesse had some fun writing this book. I think you’ll have fun perusing and using it, as well.

Rating for Geek Sweets

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’ve read past book reviews, you’ll know that I don’t pull my punches when I believe they are warranted. I also try to provide balanced information so you can make your own decision to read or not read the book, even if you disagree with my opinion.