The Art Of Baking Blind

It’s that time of year again – Wednesday nights are sacrosanct and anyone who dares to whisper a hint of spoiler is shunned from my social circle. The Great British Bake-Off is back and I’m in baked goods heaven. The success of Bake-Off…

The Boy Who Bakes

One of the surprise TV hits of last year was the BBC2 programme The Great British Bake-Off. A baking competition with knowledgeable, constructive judges and hosts who were genuinely enthusiastic about the contestants and their entries….

The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

A delicious bakery book with amazing photography

I thought I’d do something a little different with my book review today. Instead of a novel or autobiography or the usual kind of books I review I’m going to share one of my hobbies with you – baking. I’m not a great baker, for that you have to visit my friend at Annie Bakes Cakes, but I find it relaxing after a stressful day and I love the end result. When I was a student my specialities were macaroons and biscuits, now I’m much more of a cupcake girl and my favourite recipe comes from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook.

For those not in the know, The Hummingbird Bakery is a trendy London cake shop with branches in Notting Hill, Soho, Kensington and Spitalfields. Celebrities flock there including some you would swear had never seen a cupcake in their microbiotic lives like Gwyneth Paltrow. To capitalise on the success of the bakery and its PR positioning as a luxury lifestyle brand, The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook was launched in 2009, sharing recipes and hints from company founder Tarek Malouf and the Hummingbird Bakers.

The first thing you notice is the fantastic appearance of this book. The photography by Peter Cassidy is more than simply an illustration of the recipes, it is the hook that makes you want to make your own versions of these delicious creations….

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