Non-Fiction Book Review - 'The Wicked Baker: Cakes and treats to die for' by Helena Garcia

It is my 1050th review!

And what better way to celebrate yet another momentous, starry occasion than by reviewing something surprising, something of a type that I have never read and reviewed before after 1049 of these:

A cookbook.

In keeping with my style and tastes (heh), it is not just any cookbook, but a witchy cookbook - a Halloween cookbook - so it's right up my eccentric alley. It's a Halloween baker's dream.

A tasty treat, indeed.

For 2025, two of my new year's resolutions are: learn to cook and bake, and write shorter book reviews fat chance. And 'The Wicked Baker: Cakes and treats to die for' by Helena Garcia, the author of 'My Mummy is a Witch', is indeed wicked, Halloween-y, and macabre, as well as scrumptious, and so darn creative.

I love all the photographs (so gothic and Victorian, and there's tea!), and I can't wait to try to make: The Witch is in the Princess Cake!, Red Riding Wolf Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes, a Haunted Yule Log, Vanilla Coffin Cakes, Yummy Mummy Eclairs, a Moon Witch Blackberry Pie (looks like it'll be a favourite! and I'm sure it'll work well with strawberries, too), Devilish Donuts, Brain Cinnamon Rolls (WTF? but also I wanna try it!), Gingerbread Twins, Meese's Pieces, Vampire Macarons, Dragon Scream Eggs, a Midnight Flight Cocktail, and a simple Pumpkin Spice Latte.

How creepy and cool!

Garcia writes with a great sense of humour and fun. She includes bakes influenced by pop culture as well as Halloween/paganistic culture (and with a Victorian art aesthetic), such as 'Beetlejuice', 'The Addams Family', 'The Shining', and 'Alice in Wonderland'.

The book is not just for kitchen witches, and these recipes are not just for Samhain. They are for everyone.

They can be for a Happy Halloween, and a Happy Witchmas!

'The Wicked Baker: Cakes and treats to die for' is for anyone who is a baker or is interested in baking. It doesn't matter if they are a witch, a "weird person" or a "nutter" (nuttier than the recipes), or are squeamish.

Delicious, delightful, and enchanting. My mouth is watering as I write this! I am enjoying writing my 1050th review, and now I want a cookie and a cupcake. (I did eat a custard cream and a Cherry Bakewell tart earlier today, actually. Screw dieting.)

Quotes from Helena Garcia in her introduction:



'I have spent hours in the kitchen developing delicious recipes as well as fun and bizarre projects. This means that if you feel like making a delightful chocolate-peanut butter cake, buttery cookies or a vegan dessert, you can refer to this book. You see Mr Hollywood, style and substance are in one place!'


'Since I was a teenager, I have been fascinated with all things strange and obscure. Learning that most of our festivals and celebrations come from pagan traditions opened a whole new world for me when I was younger. A world I felt connected to.'


'Halloween is a holiday which brings me immense joy throughout the year. It is present in everything I do, how I dress, the way I decorate my house and, of course, my baking style.'


'I tend to see beauty where others see darkness, but I find that if you apply a little touch of humour to macabre concepts, the result is an array of opportunity.'


'I just hope these bakes bring you as much joy as creating them have brought me.'



I hope to feel more connected to Garcia and other people like her as I put out my witchy aesthetic and self out there, like when I cook and bake as creatively as she does.

Thus ends my 1050th book review, and my first cookbook review. I hope it read and tasted adequately, and not terribly and decadently.

Did I succeed in writing shorter reviews? Time will tell.

Final Score: 4/5

Non-Fiction Book Review - 'The Witch-ionary: An A-Z of magickal terms and their meanings' by Deb Robinson

A useful little dictionary for magical beginners, though as accessible and bitesize as it is, it is insightful and a must for any witch's shelf. It is as informative as its length allows.

'The Witch-ionary: An A-Z of magickal terms and their meanings' by Deb Robinson is very much focused on nature, as well as spirituality and meditation, and the moon and moon phases. It also contains emotional self-healing spells, confidence spells, boundaries spells, banishing spells, cleansing spells, and spells for a magical and healthy home environment.

A witchy little casket of a book (born from the author and her daughter's subscription box, Witch Casket, and a culmination of all her life's work and experiences). Going to more natural, earthly, spiritual, calming means in life sounds great, doesn't it?

I'd love to be a crystal witch. As well as an eclectic witch, a moon witch, a Dianic witch, or just a sorceress, and an empath.

However, I don't like how the book mentions white and black magic, as good and evil magic respectively, when magic should be neutral - it is nature and it just is - and whatever it's used for depends on the intentions of the caster. Nor do I like how debonair it is about enchanting, bewitching, and binding another person, and using a love spell - essentially influencing and violating them, taking away their free will. This is despite the fact the author talks about the Threefold Law, and mindfulness, goodness, helpfulness, and "do no harm", and yet at best she cautions that witches who choose to hex or curse someone should "be careful", and spells meant to harm others are "controversial", when in fact these are not good ideas and should be avoided as necessarily as possible.

That aside, 'The Witch-ionary: An A-Z of magickal terms and their meanings' is a mystical gem and gift. An abridged, charming, magical, blessed divinity of an info guide for witches/craft users, to put on one of their shelves, in their bag or satchel, and in their dress or robe pocket.

Final Score: 4/5