Family Celebrations with the Cake Boss

Make every gathering with your friends and famiglia extra special with these great new cookies, cupcakes, cakes, and other delicious, gorgeous desserts--and a hundred other original recipes featuring the Cake Boss's signature twist on favorite family foods! Buon Anno! Buon Compleanno! Buon Natale! Buon Appetito! A party just isn't a party without something wonderful to eat and drink--and an incredible dessert at the center! Make every gathering with your friends and famiglia extra special with these a hundred original recipes featuring the Cake Boss's signature twists on favorite family foods. Cake Boss Buddy Valastro and his tight-knit, fun-loving family get together around food every day, so it's no surprise they go all out on special occasions with dishes that are traditions in their own right, such as Pepperoni Pizza Puffs at the kids' birthday bashes, Valastro Family Stuffing on Thanksgiving, and Marinated Seafood Salad every Christmas. From holidays to summer barbeques to bake-a-paloozas designed to brighten those nasty, bad-weather days when kids and grown-ups alike are cooped up inside, Buddy's celebrations are always punctuated by a special cake, cupcake, or dessert that captures the essence of the occasion with an unforgettable visual and--of course--an incredible taste. Some desserts are seasonal and simple to make but are beautiful nonetheless, such as Italian Wheat Pie; Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie with its delightful autumnal border of pie-crust leaves; a Valentine's Day Heart Cake frosted with chocolate mousse and decorated with chocolate shavings; and a Volcano Mousse Cake--individual desserts coated in melted chocolate--for Mother's Day. Then there are the truly spectacular cakes with special effects like the grill-shaped cake for a Memorial Day--or any--cookout, complete with its own hot dogs and burgers (cleverly fashioned from fondant, grill marks and all); an Easter Basket Cake with its basket-weave sides and topping of actual jelly beans and chocolate candy; and the Christmas Gift Cake--a magnificent, gold fondant-"wrapped" gift. And underneath every creative decoration lies an absolutely delicious, tried-and-true basic recipe, the foundation to a great dessert, created by Buddy himself. Buddy also teaches you ways to customize decorations for the sports fans in your family with special cookies and cakes for birthdays and tailgate parties, and there are lots of desserts that kids will have fun making with you. Clear, step-by-step instructions, decorating tips, and gorgeous photography guide you through recipes perfect for all generations and every occasion--as if Buddy were by your side teaching you himself. These menus celebrate a delicious year in the life of the Valastro family, starting with New Year's Day and running right through New Year's Eve. Now you can mark the moments in your life with unforgettable desserts as well as Buddy's family's traditional dishes, which are sure to inspire good times for yours. Whether you're cooking for six or sixty, Family Celebrations with the Cake Boss will make your next family gathering an event to remember.