The Vintage Sweets Book: A Complete Guide to Vintage Sweets and Cocktail Party Treats

I guess everyone's taste is different but I think this is a wonderful book. It is full of the cutest pictures anecdotes and recipes. It also gives a little history of her life and past growing up I really adore her wish I lived nearby will try my best to get a job with her! I don't understand any bad reviews for this book if you love angel you will love her book! I just wish I could afford all of her books I'm sure the rest are just as fabulous and more

As a graphic designer I am drawn to products with great branding,. This book not only has the design style that Angel Adoree is known for but some really delicious recipes and creative crafts. I couldn't wait to receive it and would recommend it to anyone that want to have a bit of fun. I already love it.

Have all 3 books and A year at the Chateau. Love them all, the illustrations are fabulous! Not sure what folks are talking about some of it being hard to read, I found them easy to read and colorful. THe quality of all the books is amazing! If you love her you will love her books!

Although many of us now rely on the internet for recipes -- this is one cookbook worth having! Its design and its vintage recipes are unique and exquisite. This is the perfect gift for anyone who loves to make special desserts and try unusual recipes -- even has instructions for making old-fashioned candied violets for cake decorating!

Welcome to the whimsical world of Angel Adoree and the delightful illustrations of Adele Mildred! If you are an anglophile and/or love vintage this sweet book is for you. Lots of fun recipes and ideas all put forth in the most stylish way. Brilliantly charming all around!

I read about this book in a magazine and it sounded so cute and tantalizing. It’s not! Very disappointed in the whole thing. Don’t waste your money!

I love this book. The illustrations are charming. Some of the recipes require a little more effort than I am used to putting into my cooking but they are still fun to read. The book also includes some enjoyable vintage crafting ideas. Both a recipe book and a fun coffee table book. Very enjoyable!

I am a fan of all the Vintage books written by Angel Adoree.. This book is really "English" in that the recipes are truly very "Brit". The pictures and illustrations are so darling. Its a treasure for anyone who loves to make candies or just adores anything British. Fun to just look through too!

Love, love, love these beautiful books. There is nothing more I can say. Thank you Angel Adoree.

Loved so many of the recipes in this book, because they can't be found anywhere else. If you grew up eating tins of boiled sweets and burnt your tongue on too many acid drops, reliving your childhood is within reach with this book and a candy thermometer.

I guess everyone's taste is different but I think this is a wonderful book. It is full of the cutest pictures anecdotes and recipes. It also gives a little history of her life and past growing up I really adore her wish I lived nearby will try my best to get a job with her! I don't understand any bad reviews for this book if you love angel you will love her book! I just wish I could afford all of her books I'm sure the rest are just as fabulous and more

As a graphic designer I am drawn to products with great branding,. This book not only has the design style that Angel Adoree is known for but some really delicious recipes and creative crafts. I couldn't wait to receive it and would recommend it to anyone that want to have a bit of fun. I already love it.

Have all 3 books and A year at the Chateau. Love them all, the illustrations are fabulous! Not sure what folks are talking about some of it being hard to read, I found them easy to read and colorful. THe quality of all the books is amazing! If you love her you will love her books!

Although many of us now rely on the internet for recipes -- this is one cookbook worth having! Its design and its vintage recipes are unique and exquisite. This is the perfect gift for anyone who loves to make special desserts and try unusual recipes -- even has instructions for making old-fashioned candied violets for cake decorating!

Welcome to the whimsical world of Angel Adoree and the delightful illustrations of Adele Mildred! If you are an anglophile and/or love vintage this sweet book is for you. Lots of fun recipes and ideas all put forth in the most stylish way. Brilliantly charming all around!

I read about this book in a magazine and it sounded so cute and tantalizing. It’s not! Very disappointed in the whole thing. Don’t waste your money!

I love this book. The illustrations are charming. Some of the recipes require a little more effort than I am used to putting into my cooking but they are still fun to read. The book also includes some enjoyable vintage crafting ideas. Both a recipe book and a fun coffee table book. Very enjoyable!

I am a fan of all the Vintage books written by Angel Adoree.. This book is really "English" in that the recipes are truly very "Brit". The pictures and illustrations are so darling. Its a treasure for anyone who loves to make candies or just adores anything British. Fun to just look through too!

Love, love, love these beautiful books. There is nothing more I can say. Thank you Angel Adoree.

Loved so many of the recipes in this book, because they can't be found anywhere else. If you grew up eating tins of boiled sweets and burnt your tongue on too many acid drops, reliving your childhood is within reach with this book and a candy thermometer.

It was what I needed..

I love this for so many reason. The pictures, the recipes, the FUN of it. If you are attracted to this at all BUY IT!! You won't regret it.

this book is so fun…so much more than a cookbook. lots of fun ideas. love the recipe for whisky balls (hard candy). has a real vintage flavor. you could throw a great cocktail party with all the great ideas in this book.

A beUtiful book, superb graphics , And excellent recipes - winner - and my daughter loves it

Great book great condition and sent out timely.

Beautiful book with great recipes! Love it!

Angel Adoree Strawbridge will help ignite your creative spark with her charm, wit and warmth!

Super cute!

My daughter really like this book.

Loved the book! Charming, old fashioned, colorful and whimsical...a delight just to peruse the pages!

Great price - unique recipes - fun and stylish book! I will purchase more copies of this book for friends.

This is a fun, interesting, beautiful book. I love the recipes, even though some of them are probably way to difficult for me. It is well written and will be on my shelf or on a coffee table for a long, long time!

A lovely, adorable and inspiring treasure of a book.

Love this whole series!

Fantastic authentic Vintage book with excellent recipes.

This review is more about the condition the book arrived in. See photo below. I realize this probably isn't common, but perhaps Amazon should package books with better protection. For the price of this book, I was a bit upset about the damage. Thankfully it wasn't a gift. The book itself is whimsical, and features beautiful photography. I was just hoping it'd have more pastry recipes instead of candy. Still, a great addition to my collection.

I bought this book to make sweets. First of all the wording is difficult to see because the colours and images go over the writing. For one example there was dark red background with black writing on a couple of pages. Quite a bit of the book has crafts - eg 'How to decorate tins', 'How to make scratch cards, How to make a cheese safe - you will need a hacksaw!' I goes on... This book is fairly useless for me This book was a huge disappointment. I shall be passing this on someone who also like to craft but I cannot think of anyone who would want this.

This is a beautifully presented book which is a real pleasure to look at. I was expecting purely a recipe book, however it also contains instructions for making craft items. I have knocked off a star for this because I felt it wasted space which could have contained more recipes, but I'm sure other people will be pleased with the extra additions. A good thing about this book is it starts with the easier sweets and works through to those which take more skill to make. This makes it handy for those who want to learn about each stage of sugar work before moving on to the next challenge.

Have other Angel Adoree books and they are lovely quality books. Colourful artwork and you can read Angel’s enthusiasm for all things pretty and vintage within the pages. Very happy with both purchases.

A pretty book full of quaint pictures & items very much trying to look vintage, a book obviously put together by someone who cares about these things, a nice hard back cover too. Not really a children's book despite the recipes, it's too sophisticated. The recipes are plentiful & achievable, some you can find everywhere & some new (to me). This would make a lovely present but not a book you will part with if you buy it for yourself, however, your friends might borrow it & not return it. If you love sweets, this is probably the definite book for making them

This book is nor only useful and fabulous but also lovely to look at. Had compliments from people just looking at it on the shelf!!

Great recipes good advice on practical tips to sweet making and where to get the necessary equipment and ingredients.

Very easy to read pictures good The kind of thing you could do with children They would enjoy As it concentrates on the vintage sweets different to other receipes for sweets so nice to have a different angle on cooking

I love this book .Great ideas for sweet making .It is beautifuly illustrated throughout .It would make a fantastic present for anyone who Loves Angel and has a sweet tooth of course .

Very disappointing. I bought a different book but gave it to my daughter and when I went to reorder one for myself it had sold out so I bought this instead. The recipes are hard to follow and the book is filled with all kinds of daft ideas and illustrations that have little to do with sweets. So it is going to be returned.

beautiful book if you like vintage snd terrific service

This is full of old fashioned sweet recipes and Angel’s vintage tips and things to make Another great addition to her other books

This book is beautiful and has so many old favourite classic sweet receipts, highly recommend.

I liked this book because i happened on the British television series on Escape to the Chateau. The British husband and wife rescued a French chateau. With their work and creativity they opened it for weddings and special food weekends. This book reflects her fun, creative talent, and provides the basic how-to with the recipes, a two-way treat.

This is great for ideas, and nice to read about different things to do and look out for, I would recommend this book of you are into vintage, also looks good On coffee table for guest to see

Was bought as a gift.Was very well received.

great book and quality exactly as described

oh my this book does not disappoint by Angela ( my hero ) suberb lovely classic old fashioned sweets. Amazing x

Lovely book with great tips and recipes

The only reason I couldn't give this book 5* is because the artwork and craft projects are not to my taste, scary looking fox puppets, why? Brilliant range of recipes with clear instructions and ideas for packaging. Would suit both novices and the more experienced sweet makers. I bought the mini size version and its not that much smaller than most of the cookbooks on my shelf.

Really lovely book!

It's a great book.

Great quality book great delivery

Beautiful book full of fab ideas and recipes, colourful photos and easy instructions a great addition to anyone who loves a tea party

Absolutely love this book, it's quality inside and out

Gorgeous book from Angel!

Love this book Great illustrations

Wife loved the set of Angelas books i bought her.

Great book

ONce agin another lovely book from Angel. Not sure i will ever make any of the sweets in it but it is just so nice for flicking through. A lovely coffee table book. If you really do love baking then that's a bonus.

Loved this book - now have all 3 of Angel Adoree books. Plenty of ideas for displaying vintage and great recipes.

I adore Angel's work, her books are so dreamy and amazingly put together. Her ideas are superb and the photography and illustrations are just wonderful. I own all her books and hope she continues to publish more and more and more!!!

Fabulous book, excellent condition, very very pleased with the book and service, arrived before suggested date, thank you x

Brilliant

Vintage sweet Book.

What an absolutely beautiful book , it’s like a work of art in its self . As well as having yummy recipes.

Good book has all your favourite sweets in it with clear and precise instructions on how to make them. Good book overall.

Great book

A beautifully written and presented book. It is full of things to make and do. Love it ❤️

Lovely book, beautiful illustrations. Great price!!

Fabulous present for a fabulous friend.

I adore Angel! However her first two books were much better. This one just lacked a little something. The production was bland compared to the other two

Perfect present.

This was a present. The recipient was very pleased.

Exactly what my daughter wanter for Christmas. Beautifully printed and easy to follow.

Beautiful book

Lovely clean copy of the book, no damage, brilliant fast service delivered within 2days of ordering

Fab book....takes you back down memory lane!

love it

Perfect! Quick delivery! Favourite sweets!

Very nice

I Love the book and all of the Angel Adoree series, she truly understands retro. I highly recommend this book!

Good book!

The book came quickly as a gift for my Mum and it’s absolutely beautifully done! I suggest this for anyone interested in all Fabulous things vintage, lovely, tasty and classy! :)

Love it!

It’s a beautiful book. But not what I needed. Well done angel.

I love this book. The illustrations and recipes are adorable. Arrived quickly.

LOVE this book!

Beautiful book, a lot of great recipes and presentation tricks

Beautifully presented. Such talent

Loved it so many inspiring ideas

Very Nice book

I love this book! So far, I have tried the fruit jellies (a bit of a disaster as I had the wrong ingredients!) and jazzies (really easy and scrummy to boot!). I'm going to try the other recipes as my diet allows.... The sweets in this book would make lovely gifts for Christmas or Easter. You could make up a sweetie hamper full of all your handmade goodies. Or, the book itself would make a lovely gift for a keen cook. It's beautifully designed (the illustrations are gorgeous) and there is a great list of stockists/websites for the ingredients you aren't likely to find in the aisles of your local supermarket.

So fun. Fantastic ideas and great artwork!

I have bought this for a Christmas present, I have had a look through and it looks good, I think it could have done with more recipes, a page per recipe sometimes 2 pages!!

All my purchases were for my daughter and she says she has had the best Christmas ever. She is looking forward to making sweets that we currently buy. The ingredients should be found in supermarkets.

なんと言っても、中身が本当に可愛いです♡ インテリアにもぴったりでした♡ありがとうございます！！

Rubish do not recomend you buy it. I wanted s recipe book for sweets but it shows you have to make b0xes tp put them in plus other stuff not recipes

From 'Your Journey': 'The importance of sweets throughout childhood, sprinkled with family life and a love of giving, has inspired the pages ahead of you.......' When 'The Vintage Sweets Book (Homemade sweets and party treats for friends and family)' arrived, I was pleased to see the familiar cameo cut-out cover revealing our lovable Angel Adoree and her pals. The current photo above indicates otherwise, and I think this touch adds that extra signature - that individual 'something special' - which Angel aims to achieve in her work at all levels. If one refers to the three 'Thank You' pages - packed full - it is obvious that a number of people and organisations have been involved in this project, from its inception to publication. The 'sweet' (pun intended) and thoughtful acknowledgements are indicative of the moving nature of this lady, e.g.: * 'Mum and Dad I've always thanked you for the years I remember, but I have a new appreciation now for all the years I don't remember. You are wonderful parents and amazing grandparents. I can see the way you look at Arthur (Angel's son) and know that's how you looked at me - unconditional love. I'm the person I am because of you both. I know you tell me how proud you are of me, but I am of you both, too.' Colourfully illustrated throughout, the book measures in around 19.5 cm x 25 cm. That cute hardback cover opens to 160 high quality matt pages, split into main sections: 1) Sweet beginnings (pg 20 - 53) (suitable for a beginner and the recipes do not need investment in a sugar thermometer) 2) Softball, firmball & hardball sweets (pg 54 - 89) (suitable for the more confident) 3) Soft-crack & hard-crack sweets (pg 90 - 153) (more advanced) sandwiched between an introduction, with a 6-page section entitled 'Sweetie know-how' and a useful 'Resources Page', all completed by the 2-page index (with italics denoting illustrations). Before I opened the book, I guess it never really crossed my mind to make my very own 'Marshmallows', 'Candy Floss', 'Cola Cubes' and 'Rhubarb & Custards', especially with the recent return of the old fashioned 'Sweetie Shoppe' to some parts, coupled with the 'retro sweets' at the checkouts in some well-known High Street stores. The recipes for Angel's versions of all of these are here, along with a plethora of others, which will whisk many readers (or their parents/grandparents) back to that sweet shop on the corner, with its jars galore - jammed full of those you love, and, those you love to hate (Cough Candy?)! The 'Sweetie know-how' section has all you really need to know about how sweets are made and what you need to create them, including paragraphs on the more technical side - sugar temperatures & characteristics, namely: * The thread stage * The softball stage * The firmball stage * The hardball stage * The soft-crack stage * The hard-crack stage The informative 'Useful Techniques' include: * Caramelizing sugar * Removing sugar crystals * Creating your own sweet moulds (Cubic/Hemispherical) * Personalizing your sweets * Filling sweet moulds * Pulling sugar The format follows that of my overall favourite Angel book -

Gorgeously produced book, with a lovely texture to the beautifully illustrated cover -- this would make a nice gift. There are further drawn illustrations and cut-outs inside. It's really nice. Unfortunately I don't think I have the patience to make most of the sweets within. I think that I was hoping they might be a bit easier! A number of them aren't vegetarian either as they involve gelatine etc (although most are fine, it's worth noting if you are vegetarian). Still, I've kept the book for ages on my coffee table and I do like looking at it. Which is, let's face it, part of the great pleasure of cook books! And this one really delivers the goods on that front.

This is one of the most adorable books that I have had the privilege to review. Not only is it full of recipes for the sweets that have certainly been part of my life (check the teeth!!) but it is so lavishly illustrated I was instantly reminded of the annuals I used to get at Christmas when I was a kid. There is a resurgence of sweetie shops on the High Street with dazzling colourful lozenges in jars ready to be weighed into twists of paper for sharing (or for hoarding)and here is a book that encourages you to start your own bonbon emporium! Angel Adoree (what a cheeky sweetie name)guides you through a wonderland that even Mr Wonka would have envied,from sugared mice and nuts to Parma violets ~ one of the most elegant of cachous, love hearts (who doesnt have a story about them?)Easter eggs, Turkish delight ~ how my head swims at the mere mention of some of these sweetmeats ~ marshmallows and fudges to make the taste buds tingle with anticipation. Liquorice, gumdrops, Edinburgh rock ~ help me before I fall into a sugar-induced coma!! Nougat, toffees, buttered brazils....... The adorable Angel Adoree also gives suggestions for presentations of these delicious confections. By the time I reached the rose lollipops and candyfloss I was overdosing on the blatant luxuriousness of it all. There are even templates for Harlequin puppets to hang over your sweetie stall at your local fund raising fair. I have to admit to never ever experiencing the like of this deliciously brought together volume of wanton decadence. More please!!

A lovely if slightly left-field addition to the by now groaning bookshelf marked speciality foods. Mid-way between recipe book and lexicon of love, The Vintage Sweets Book is, noticeably more than most personalised cookbooks, a paean to the author's obsessions. Fixations which, as is probably true of most people when the subject of sweets comes up, hardwired to memories of childhood. Take some 'how do they do that' recipes, ranging across sherberts and sweets and, taking things adult, themed cocktails; a clutch of craft instructions, then mix in a healthy fascination with shabby chic (on the turn towards vintage), and you've got this book. A delightful, if a bit thin and, if I'm honest, underwhelming dedication to sweet shop confection of the post-war years. Far from comprehensive enough to be a historical record; nor full or varied enough to attract a crossover baker, I'm not really sure how much mainstream appeal this book will have. But then, I guess the author wasn't in it for massive sales figures. Personally, I was disappointed. It reminded me of a Christmas annual - where, from the outside, it offers so much; but once you start reading, it's over in twenty minutes. Corresponding to some of the recipes, there are a lot of craft ideas, for making, say, faux-vintage tins; or cocktail decorations or place mats. But, unless you're thus inclined, you'll (like me) just flick over them looking for the next recipe. It would, however, suit a late-teens girl who loves her sweets and obsesses over vintage (and, most likely, has her hair dyed a bonkers colour) - or a confectionery loving lady of older years, who isn't of the cocoa variety. Nice but, like most sugar based treats, once the contact buzz has passed, it's ultimately a bit hollow.

The author of this book may be remembered as Angela Newman by viewers of TV's 'Dragon's Den' where her concept business was first publicised. That business is now located in East London, tucked away behind a busy shopping street and it offers a retro tea-time experience to interested groups, primarily of women. Part of the experience is not just to enjoy the foods and dishes from the past but to become immersed in the atmosphere, as its staff are also immersed. Those old enough to remember the tea shops of the 60s and prior will feel quite at home. Although cakes and baked confections feature in its dishes, so do other confections. It is the latter that are central to this book. The business is mentioned in the Introduction but isn't itself central to the subject matter. The presentation is light and whimsical and, in many ways, reminiscent of children's books with non-contextual illustrations scattered across its pages. The cut-out in the cover and the illustration on the frontispiece that it partly reveals may reinforce those thoughts. However, the book is far more serious than that and provides recipes and instructions for many favourite and now rarely seen confections, mostly from the 30s or 40s but some much older. Also included are several pages of general advice for those who may have little or no prior experience of sweet-making. There is a modest range of recipes within, sufficient to tickle interest in those doing the preparation and those likely to benefit from the results but not enough to overwhelm. The variety of ideas covers all major groups from softball (less cooked) to hardball (heavily cooked) sugarwork. Unlike most other books on this subject, the author is British and is writing for British readers and you will not find unobtainable ingredients extensively used in its recipes. Most should be available in your local supermarket. Confectionery-making need not be difficult and it is the aim of this book to encourage involvement and creativity. It succeeds.

First impressions were that this is a beautiful book to look at, the layout, illustrations and photographs are all extremely attractive - if not always functional. The recipes are a good mixture of old fashioned sweeties, vintage cocktails and craft projects to complete the "party" theme. The recipes and projects I have attempted so far have been a success. The sugared nuts and toffee slab worked out well following the clear instructions, the cheese safe was a great craft project and the jazzies cocktail was a delight to make. I do feel the recipes were not separated into clear chapters an its very much a messy mixture of sweets, crafts and drinks. The book would benefit from cleared themed "chapters" or sections. This is my only grumble about this book as overall it is beautiful, fun, informative and would make an excellent gift for someone with a sweet tooth. I look forward to using this book again but meanwhile it will look beautiful on the kitchen shelf.

The Vintage Sweets Book is a treasure trove of recipes and sweet-related nostalgia. Created and laid-out in a combination 1860s-1940s styles, with suitable fonts, photos and illustrations, and bound in a super-thick cover with a cut-out like children's books sometimes used to be, this is a book which makes no mistake about what it is for: creating the imagined tastes of the past. There is a lot of technically necessary information in this book about how sweets are made, as well as the relatively simple recipes used to create a wide variety of sweets once you've understood the science part. However, this isn't just about sweets: mixed in with the Turkish delight and the nougat are instructions on how to make a secret sweet stash in a second-hand book (this troubles me slightly), how to make harlequin bunting, scratch cards, decorated tins and a host of other non-sweet goodies. This is a lovely book. It is completely twee and cutesy, but, then, it's intended to be -- and it works very well indeed.

I already own and love

Oh what fun this book is. Got on a whim - I'm not *that* interested in cooking - turned out that I was immediately drawn in to it recipes and accessories. Flicked through a few pages and then read it from cover to cover. kept telling long-suffering wife "I'm going to have to try that" or "we could do that !" She with patience borne of years nearly rolls her eyes and imagines the mess. But home made toffee, sherbet - Sherbet!! Most exciting a way of making Candy Floss found me desperately trying to find moderately exotic ingredients on new year's day in Asda to no avail. Still those self-manufacturered palma violets are in reach. Wonderful, wonderful. Great book for grown-ups and kids. especially 59 y.o. ones. Like me.

This isn't your typical sweets and confectionery book in that the presentation is a little unusual The style is very much "vintage scrapbook" and feels like a walk down memory lane for anyone who has a love for childhood sweets. I don't think this will appeal to the very serious cooks out there but if like me you own lots of cookbooks this is a lovely addition. I see myself dipping into it for special occasions - and when I feel I have the inclination to try something new. I personally really liked the recipes included and look forward to trying a few of them out. They seem straightforward enough and for those who may not be sure there are useful guidance tips on the skills. Note- some recipe do require a bit more in the way of skill and equipment but I think there is something for everyone in here! Nice book!

I have to say what a brilliant book this is,it has some old time sweets with how to make them,the book is beautifully illustrated with so many pictures and loads of information in. I have to say i have always wondered how they made Parma Voilets and this book not only had the recipe in it also gave you some information on the sweets,being a little older you often wonder why we still do not have the selection available now. This book has some really good information on the old type sweets with the history and the recipes,this also has the odd cocktail recipe chucked in for good measure. I would suggest that you have a look at this one it has given the family quiet a bit of entertainment and of course some time down memory lane, like i have said it really is a gorgeous book and the cover is really colorful, well worth the time reading even if you just want to look at the pictures it is great.Would recommend to anyone for the nostalgia and for the interest.

Bought this book as a gift for a friend more to reminisce over the past sweet experiences but am confident that the friend will cook recipes from the book as it is well laid out.

If you're a fan of retro, 50s and 60s culture then you're going to like this book. Random pictures and cutouts make it a hybrid of 50s women's weekly and Ladybird books-style straightforward presentation. Angel appears to live her subject (I bet she wears stockings) Its a whimsical guide to sweet making, with fairly simple recipes for traditional sweets. Minimal equipment required, but you will need a sugar thermometer unless you have the knack of judging when things will set. I prefer softer sweets and especially recommend the rum and raisin fudge which turned out very well but there is a range of sweets to try including hard sweets. What was particularly interesting was finding out what goes into some of these sweets - once you know then you can identify why they taste the way they do - particularly Parma violets!

OK, I love finding something different for the people that I love at Christmas, and having heard about how certain sweets were better in their day (my parents who still have fond memories of sixpences etc) love to remind me about thier favourites from bygone times. This book brings them back to life with an easy to follow set of instructions for creating your own, with the weird and wonderful Rhubarb and Custard, gumdrops and of course Candy Hearts recipes within, alongside a lot of other bygone favs. All round I was more than happy to get this book for my Mum and i know that this Christmas, she's going to be the type of person who'll be back in the kitchen making some of these classics for her grandkids. Great stuff.

This book of old-fashioned sweetie recipes is just one aspect of Angel Adorees business flogging '30s retro foodiness- she owns, I believe, a teashop and a business creating Woosteresque corporate events. That may sound unutterably twee, but this book shows a design sensibility that is inarguably charming, with the recipes supported by period scrapbook prints and photographic scenes. The recipes aren't too challenging - there are only a few basic ways to make sweets - and most of the ingredients are to be found in a decent supermarket. You would need to invest in a few pieces of equipment if you've never made sweets before. Very useful if you want to make beautifully presented gifts for friends and family, and I can see a few people deciding to launch their own small businesses inspired by this book.

Do you remember all those jars in the confectioners? Getting a 1/4 of this, or a packet of that? Now you wonder where they went and can you get them anymore? Well now you can, some you can even make yourself! In this colourful and exciting "How To" book everything from Parma Violets to hard core Candy crunchers is included. To make them yourself is not as daunting as it may have once appeared. A little patience, some small skill, and in these woefully health conscious days, lashings of sugar are the main ingredients. A joy to try, a delight to eat, and a wonderful way to rekindle your childhood memories. And a wonderful reminder to all parents that cooking doesn't have to be worthy and healthy all the time, it will even encourage your kids to help in the kitchen. Buy. Make. Enjoy.

This is a beautifully presented book, full of mouth-watering pictures of sweets and other confectionery. It starts by telling you about the different stages of heating sugar in order to make different types of sweet such as soft-crack, soft-ball (for fudge), hardball (Nougat and marshmallow) etc., along with the other essential techniques for making your own sweets. The first recipe is a very simple one for sugar mice, with brilliant results as I've made them to my family's great delight - the only trouble I had was getting hold of mice moulds. Beyond that there a recipes for marshmallow, Turkish delight, bon-bons, ice-cream, and even cocktails. This would make a lovely gift for someone who enjoys cooking as it is a cookery book with a difference.

This is a great cookery book which focuses on sweet things. There is a fantastic array of recipes ranging from the usuals such as fudge and Turkish delight through to the more unusual items such as Rhubarb and Custards, Jelly Sweets and the occasional dessert such as baked bananas with Rum and Raisin Ice Cream. Each recipe is accompanied by a photo as to what the dish looks like and the instructions are clear and easy to follow. In short, this is an excellent book which is such to provide hours of pleasurable cooking and even more eating of the treats it contains.

This book really came into its own whilst having visitors who were instantly taken by the cut out portion on the front. It was they a case of who remembers and they had a very pleasant time recalling the old fashioned sweets described on each page. What also fascinated was the recipe to make the sweet and really it is the combination of nostalgia and recipe that makes this book such a treat. I can also imagine the recipes being ideal for children to be involved with. Good quality printing and colourful illustrations.

Angel Adoree's vintage concept has been well used in all her books, and this one is very much in the same vein as those she has previously released. This isn't a strictly functional cookbook - it does have good recipes, but there is a lot of emphasis on styling. I really enjoyed it and I have tried a few of the more accessible recipes already. They all worked fine, although I am not sure how easy it will be track down all the required ingredients locally. Hurrah for the internet! Looking forward to more yummy tasting. Highly recommended.

I just love this book. The 'retro' artistic production is just superb. It is like entering a wonderland of forgotten delights. Full instructions for all kinds of old fashioned sweets are included, as well as delightful cocktails to make from them. And, even more surprisingly, details of how to make vintage wrappings and boxes. Even puppets! It would make a superb gift for anyone who likes having fun in the kitchen, as well as for those who might be wanting to make quantities of items to sell on stalls etc. It could provide the start of a new career!

This book has the most stunning illustrations I have seen in a recipe book. The layout is very easy to follow. Each recipe uses the minimum amount of tools and ingredients but turns out stunning results each time. The instructions for the non food makes are clear and easy. Even if you never make a single thing from this book you will love having a look through it.

This is a great coffee table book but also it should find its way into the kitchen. This will make a sweetie man of you for sure. The recipes arent simple in what you need but if you take the time to get the ingredients everything else will fall into place. The book is like willy wonkas manual, its colourful, its electric, its brilliant.

After reading this, and Angel's vintage tea party book I have come to the conclusion that these books showcase style over substance The pictures are stunning, and I liked the little crafty projects, but the majority of the recipes again fail to appeal to the standard cook. Many of the sweets need specialist equipment, and practically all of the cocktails require unusual and hard to find liquors etc. It just seems that to make anything interesting from the book it would be a major hardship, and a costly experience to find all the necessary items. After trying a few of the simpler recipes with normal tools you would find in the kitchen, I really didn't think they were worth all of the effort. They tasted okay, but nothing special and certainly nothing like the original sweets. To be honest there are several great websites out there that stock vintage and retro sweets at a reasonable cost, so I won't be making anything more from this book. The recipes are just to much hassle and too costly to make. Overall. it's a pretty coffee table book. Not practical, but looks nice.

This book is more than just a collection of yummy recipes for making your own sweets. The illustrations are awesome enough on their own and then there's the added extras such as ideas for decorating and making presentation boxes/tins and other fun items like paper spinning tops and bunting.

I cannot even begin to tell you how much i love this book. From the cut out cover to the illustrations on the pages, the whole book is just stunning. I had so much fun just looking at it, the pages are just gorgeous. There are some fabulous recipes, and shockingly they are so much simpler to make than you think. I made cola cubes 1st and was shocked they contained no cola lol The main ingredient is a sugar thermometer and you wont believe how little other ingredients you need. I made rum and raisin fudge this morning, and it is so fabulous i will never go back to shop bought fudge ever again, mind you i did sneak a little extra rum in there lol My sister in law has come for coffee and wants to steal this book and she isnt having it, but if it ever goes missing i will know where to look lol On a serious note, this would make a fab gift for anyone that likes to create in the kitchen and it would also be a fantastic way for parents and kids to cook together, and for kids to have home made sweets, at least you know there will be no added enumbers and god knows what else they put in them nowadays. Buy it..

I have the original angel adoree tea party book which is a sweet jumble of recipes, crafts and cocktails but has some impractical or rather 'over the top' recipes for the average person. This is pretty much the same vein, taking into account different types of sweets such as soft ball and hard ball sugar working, chocolate and fondants etc and accompanying cocktails or crafts or a blend between such as crafting origami boxes from rice paper for an interpretation of flying saucers. However, the cocktails gave ingredients not in the average (or even reasonably expanded) liquor cabinet such as violet liqueur for the Parma violet cocktail which can be annoying for those that want a touch of fun but without spending out on a specific bottle of liqueur plus p&p and syrups etc to try one cocktail in a book they might not even like. (Her tea party book was more practical in this regard) this May be fun to some but annoying to other who wish to start trying stuff out immediately from their store cupboards. It also seemed lacking the personality of the Tea Party book in places seeming rushed or impersonal and other places flowery in introductions to recipes. Overall the recipes seem to reflect standard approaches and recommend a sugar thermometer etc and it is a beautifully stylised book for those interested in vintage or crafty things. However if you want good recipes for old fashioned sweets I would most certainly turn to Hope & Greenwoods books over this, which are comfortably balanced between charmingly retro styling, and good solid instruction in a down to earth way from professional confectioners over a over stylised book from a popular caterer.

First things first, I love sweets. I have a serious sweet tooth, and still get nostalgic about the little corner shop in our village which no longer exists (sad) - all the beautiful sweets, and so many you could buy for 20p. So when I received this book my mouth was watering. This book is perfect if you've always wanted to make your own sweets (not an impossible goal, either - the basics are sugar, water, a pan, and a sugar thermometer (which are actually inexpensive)) - the book explains the science bit (temperatures needed for each stage) at the start and some essential tools you would need. I would start by getting hold of a sugar/jam thermometer though, as I'd hate for you to get it wrong and burn your kitchen down! The book then takes you through basic recipes like sugar mice and love hearts, alongside yummy cocktail recipes and ideas for decorations, before taking you onto recipes which involve the soft ball, hard ball, soft crack and hard crack stages of making sweets. There's even a recipe for seaside sticks of rock in here which look seriously impressive! I have already marked out my first recipe from the book: marshmallows! Angel Adoree has done it again! The photography is beautifully vintage, the illustrations are charming and I just want to dive into the book and eat everything! I'd recommend this to anyone who has ever wondered how to make sweets, or are a bit like me and still get nostalgic about their childhood sweet shop.

There are several features that make this book stand out from the crowd for me. The first is that this goes way beyond the standard staples of fudge and peppermint creams, giving you recipes such as cola cubes and parma violets so you can genuinely recreate the nostalgic treats of your childhood at home. The next is the fab Alice-In-Wonderlandish art work and photography that gives this book a slightly surreal edge. The third that you are provided with endless templates for boxes, decorations and invitations so your sugary offerings will look uber professional. I loved the playing card-themed boxes for the heart, club, diamond and spade shaped wine gums, and also the fairytale woodland deer box for nougat. Additionally, the author provides a weblink where you can download many more designs. There are also cocktail recipes that make use of some of the sweets featured in this box, although I don't know that having gone to all the trouble of making them I'd be very happy about melting them down again or crushing them! Still, it's good to have options. One derivative I did absolutely love though, was the recipe for rum and raisin fudge being transformed into an ice cream. I give this book a five nom rating :-)

This book hits a huge win on ever level. It's utterly beautiful to look at, full of (reasonably) simple recipes and methods for classic sweet shop sweets, and - this is the big winner for me - gorgeous templates and styling guides for presenting your lovingly made treats. The sweets themselves are 1950s to late 1970s/very early 1980s classics, so if you don't have a frame of reference within that time frame you'll probably be completely lost looking at the sweets and wonder why on Earth anyone would want to make them. But if you've had the childhood experience of buying a quarter of Cola Cubes and 10p worth of sugar mice this book is an absolute treasure. The recipes themselves are reasonably simple, and only a handful require ingredients you might struggle to find in a small supermarket. Most do require a couple of sweet making kitchen tools (sugar thermometer, silicon mat), but these can easily be picked up for a couple of quid. The downside (if you can call it a downside) is that you do need to want to make the sweets, these aren't the kind of recipes you can just throw together whilst watching TV, you do need to really focus on heat, timings and the safety of working with hot sugar. This really is one of the most beautifully styled recipe books I've ever seen. To be honest, even if you never make the sweets the book is eye-candy in itself. It's lovely to hold and flick through, and the photography and drawings are enchanting. Its simply a gorgeous book to own.

Got this for my wife's 60th birthday and it's a really nice little book that not only covers making traditional British sweets like sugared mice, sugared nuts, fruit jellies (pastilles), Parma violets, fudge hearts, seaside rock, cola cubes, love hearts, toffee slab, brandy balls, and saucy cubes (flying saucers), but also shows how to make decorated tins, bags & boxes, Easter eggs, sweet drinks (e.g. Gin fizz, Rose lollipop cocktail), and liquorice, baked bananas, marshmallow, nougat, Turkish delight, table coasters, and Harlequin puppet bunting. It's fact it's full of sweet related ideas, pretty hand drawn illustrations and attractive 'vintage' looking photos. There's also templates whenever needed (e.g. for boxes/bags). The books all about soft/hard sugar sweets, so there's no chocolate or biscuit recipes. In the beginning of the book there's a short history of the authoress's interest in old fashioned 'childhood favorites' sweets (she runs a bespoke parties company providing no doubt a lot of vintage sweetstuffs). Then there's pages of kitchen info on the tools and techniques for working with sugar (which can be nasty stuff when hot). All in all a very elegant book of 160 pages with an index in the back (it's 25x2x20cm in size). Although ideal for the Women's Institute/Girl Guiders set, the book also would suit young adults who are interested in history and have visited places like Beamish or National Trust Properties, or just likes cooking. Not much low-cal, good for the teeth/weight stuff though, so I guess if you over-indulge in the sweeties you will get the full Victorian experience. But a fun book to peruse with many non-food craft ideas as well. We had the 4thNov hard cover with the large cutout and good looks, but that costs £16 as I write, although there are cheaper £10 slightly plainer hardcover options. All in all good value at tenner, and really (really) sweet, so 5*.

Let me turn my usual review style around and do recommendations first: This book is for 1) the lovely bookshelf of the chef 2) The candy aficianado 3) somebody wanting to have a go. 4) Somebody running the candy store of your local folk museum. This is a lovely book to look and savour. The candies jump out and hit you in the eye of your memories, making you think, where have I had that before? My kids have never tasted butterscotch and I do occasionally despair. Heck, I haven't had it in probably ten years or so. I blame you, Haribo! The waves of nostalgia that hit me for such a specialist book was unique. Some of the recipes and the ingredients sourcing aren't meant to be easy, and for something to taste and look this good, I guess it depends on the effort put in. Along with sugar. I think this is a great book and the results are well worth the effort the author and you put in it together. Insert joke about Willie Wonka here.

This is a brilliant book for people who are new to sweet making. Angel Adoree brings her signature style to sweet making mixing the vintage with the quirky. Many of hers (and mine) childhood favourite sweets are in here and my home made love hearts Taste just as good as the tubes you can buy. (Page 44) Cleverly organise by the stage you need too reach with your sugar boiling (eg soft ball, firm ball, hard crack etc) this book allows you to master the basic techniques by helping you to recognise how sugar changes as it is heated. But Angel goes a step further by providing templates for boxes and presentation ideas as well as some very nice cocktail recipes for that grown up twist on the sweet shop. The Jazzie chocolate cocktail was very popular at Christmas. (Page 42) If you want to start sweet making try this book! Simple too read, beautiful to look at and the result is amazing. I would also recommend a sugar thermometer if you are just starting out.

This is a lovely looking book and would make a great present for someone interested in making sweets and/or craft-y things. Angel Adoree, the author, is married to the television presenter and environmentalist Dick Strawbridge, he of the walrus moustache. She starts off with a sweetie know-how section explaining the thread stage, the soft ball stage etc. Gives tips on useful equipment (I must buy a silicone mat)and talks a bit about colourings and flavourings. She will give you recipes for Sugared Mice and add in a How to Make a Cheese Safe. There are recipes for everything from Candy Floss to Cola Cubes, which, she informs us sadly, have nothing to do the the cola drink. There are cocktail recipes some utilising sweets you have made others not. She shows you how to decorate sweet tins and how to make coasters. Cough candies, nut brittle, Edinburgh rock all this and more. An interesting read that will inspire you to give something a go, make presents for friends or for your local cake and candy stalls. And it is a very pretty book too.

I was excited about this book as I love to bake and I am a fan of anything retro. I didn't see the episode of Dragon's Den that Angel Adoree was featured on and I hadn't heard of her first two books so this was my first experience of Angel. The first thing I realised was that Angel's style was not quite the same as mine. It was very in your face, over stylised vintage and her book was definitely the same with lots of imagery, cooky pictures and evidence of a very creative imagination. Having said all that, I gave this book to my sister who absolutely adored every picture contained within. I suppose it's horses for courses. The recipes within the book are definitely a blast from the past and there is definitely something that everyone will enjoy. The recipes range from the quick and easy through to the more intricate and complicated. Some have some fairly unusual ingredients and some require quite a lot of equipment. Having said all that, if you're willing to take the time and effort, you can get some fantastic results. I'm only giving the book 3 stars because, personally, I thought it concentrated on style over substance. However, my sister would definitely give it 5 stars so don't let my review put you off buying it if you look at it and instantly feel like Angel is a kindred spirit.

After reading (and loving!) other books by Angel Adoree, namely The Vintage Tea Party Book, I was keen to get my hands on this latest offering -- and it did not disappoint. I cannot tell you how much I love this book! The book not only contains tasty recipes, it is also visually stunning, finished to a high quality with brilliant photos, pictures and illustrations enough to make your mouth water! The recipes themselves are surprisingly easy in some cases, neatly laid out with clear instructions and vivid photos, so even the most inexperienced confectioner has the confidence to leap in and get started. In addition to the recipes themselves, the book also contains ideas for other fun things to make, such as toy puppets and table decorations, as well as general information on the art of sweet-making. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone with a love of all things vintage, or anyone wanting to try their hand at making some retro sweets to elicit memories from their own childhoods.

Having both The Vintage Tea Party and the Vintage Tea Party Year, and liking them very much, I was looking forward to receiving this book. I have not been disappointed. Continuing with Angel Adoree's unique vintage style, it is illustrated throughout with pretty water colours of animals . Most of the sweets (but unfortunately not all) are also represented with a full page photograph. Some of the sweets are a little bit harder to achieve than others, but there are enough simple recipes for any novice to have a go. There are a few pages at the beginning that are really invaluable, as they lay out all the technical information that you need for your foray into sweet making. The recipes themselves are also easy to understand and very informative too. This book would make a great present for a friend, or even as a treat for yourself.

The Vintage Sweets book is full of recipes that will conjure up childhood memories for many people. I was particularly excited about the toffee bonbons! There are also lots of intriguing cocktail recipes which are either flavoured like a particular sweet or use sweets as ingredients. I thought the recipe instructions were simple and easy to understand, even for a beginner in many cases. The book also contains some craft projects, including ideas to package your sweets. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes holding themed parties or giving homemade sweets as gifts. The thing I especially liked about this book is how stylish it is. The photography and artwork are absolutely beautiful and really add to the nostalgic feel of the book.

I loved looking through this book and remembering all the old sweets from my childhood and was very excited with the recipes available for me to recreate these. Also the various hints and tips supplied within the book are very useful. Instructions are clear and precise. The one thing I didn't like about the book was the front cover and all the illustrations inside; I felt this let the book down and didn't show it off to its best intentions. If I had seen this book in a book store it wouldn't have enticed me to pick it up and have a look inside.

This is a weird but brilliant book, there's plenty of sweets to try and you only need a few basic bits of kit to get you going. The styling of this book is lovely and it makes a good read even if you never make any sweets, nice illustrations throughout but plenty of actual pictures of what your sweets should look like in the end. I would recommend this as a gift as it's just so lovely to read.

A pretty book but not a lot of use to the average cook as the sweets are all very complicated and use a LOT of equipment. I cannot really see myself using the book as a recipe book. The results are all copies of traditionally-bought sweets and mostly don't taste the same as the originals (I tried the Love Hearts), so it seems a little bit pointless. Nice to look at and nice to own but not a recipe book.

This is a lovely book to look at and I was keen to examine the recipes. However, I've been a bit put off by the sheer quantities of sugar involved (yes, I know it's a sweet book!), in the sense that I like to know that recipes work before I commit to big quantities. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to having a go, and perhaps halving the recipes in the first instance.

I really have enjoyed the previous vintage books in this series and this one continues on this trait. it is a beautifully published book, with lots of great text and photographs. It takes lots of old favourites from the good old sweetshop and gives them a modern day twist. it gives lots of fantastic ideas for a grown up tea party or things to help you reminisce about the good old days.