Baking Book Breaks Records. We love Jane’s Patisserie.

Posted on October 19, 2021 by Catherine Balavage

* Jane’s Patisserie becomes fastest-selling baking book of all time

* Début book from blogger and Instagrammer Jane Dunn is instant UK number one bestseller

* Fans rocketed in lockdown

* Sales are ahead of débuts by the likes of Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and Paul Hollywood

Jane’s Patisserie, a début book from baking blogger Jane Dunn, has become the UK’s fastest-selling baking book of all time. I can definitely see why this book is so popular: it is full of delicious and easy-to-make treats. Get a copy now. My mouth was watering as I turned the pages. I will be doing a lot of baking.

28 year-old Jane launched her blog and Instagram whilst training at cookery school, as a creative space for her to share her love of everything sweet, and her fans rocketed in lockdown. Her first book has gone straight to the number one in the UK Nielsen BookScan bestseller chart, selling a record 44,444 copies in just three days on sale. That makes it one of the fastest-selling non-fiction books since records began, ahead of first books by the likes of Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and Paul Hollywood.

As more and more people turned to baking to seek comfort and create joyful food over the last 18 months, Jane’s down-to-earth nature and simple, customisable recipes have hit the spot. Her blog now has over 350,000 subscribers, alongside her 750,000 Instagram and 490,000 Facebook followers. Her mission is to make baking easy for everyone, to share, inspire, and spread a little joy.

Jane’s giant, gooey NYC-style cookie recipe has had over 1.5 million blog views, and her Mini-Egg version went viral over Easter. Her fans, including Stacey Solomon, Mrs Hinch and Zoë Sugg, love to make and share her recipes.

Jane’s Patisserie (Ebury Press, £20) includes 100 cakes, bakes and sweet treats, combining the iconic classics from her blog – NYC Cookies, No-Bake Biscoff Cheesecake, Salted Caramel Drip Cake and more – with new and exclusive recipes requested by her followers.

Jane started her blog in 2014 whilst training at Ashburton Chefs Academy, and she now spends all her time developing recipes and sampling sweet treats. Her recipes have been featured in Fabulous, Cosmopolitan and Heat, and she recently made her NYC Cookies on ITV This Morning.

Jane says: “I have always been obsessed with baking and all things sweet, so it’s such a joy to see people sharing and loving my recipes and drawing so much comfort from them.”

Find her at Janespatisserie.com on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter @janespatisserie

Looking For Things To Do in Lockdown? Little Cooks Co is here to help.

Posted on September 17, 2020 by Catherine Balavage

Some of the happiest memories of my childhood are of baking with my parents. We were taught to bake and cook at a young age. There are few things more bonding than baking with your children. A lack of time can make things hard I find. Enter Little Cooks Co, a subscription box recipe kit for children. Subscriptions boxes are huge now and this is one of the best.

The recipe is easy to make and there are activities in the box to do as well. I like how all of the ingredients are organic and everything is as healthy as possible. My kids loved making their rocky road. This a subscription box that will make lots of memories, and nothing is more important than that.

Little Cooks Co is a monthly subscription based recipe kit that’s posted through the letterbox, direct to kids, in a neat 100% recyclable box with compostable packaging. The box is packed with all the natural and healthy dry ingredients of that month’s delicious and nutritious recipe for kids to bake in the home.

So if you’re at home, or it’s a rainy summer day then Little Cooks Co is the perfect activity guaranteed to bring excitement to any child and parent / carer, promising to teach children to love cooking (an important life skill), the importance of healthy eating and to create happy family memories along the way.

Little Cooks Co Subscription

Month by month (cancel anytime) £12.99 incl postage

3 months (renews after 3 months, cancel anytime) £35.99 incl postage

6 months (renews after 6 months, cancel anytime) £59.99 incl postage

12 months (renews after 12 months, cancel anytime) £99.99 incl postage

Kits come complete with all of the dry, organic ingredients perfectly measured to make each recipe and also include a small activity or craft for children to enjoy while making their yummy bake.

Each recipe is fun and easy to make and has been designed by a registered nutritionist, so is free from all refined sugar and processed ingredients.

The recipes are designed to keep interest at heart, and take no longer than an hour to make from start to finish, so whether it’s Mum, Dad, Granny or Grandpa or favourite Uncle or Auntie – it’s a perfect monthly activity to break up a rainy day or simply to spend quality time with the little one you love.

Give and feel good

What’s more Little Cooks Co is a business with purpose. Every box bought pays for a vulnerable school child in the UK to receive a healthy breakfast through its partnership with the charity Magic Breakfast.

Little Cooks Co won an award for Children’s Gift of the Year 2019 by the Giftware Association and Best Kids Subscription Box 2019.

For more information visit www.littlecooksco.co.uk.

Festive Foodies

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Kesh

Whether it’s foodie gifts you’re after, or just some fabulously indulgent additions to your kitchen cupboard this Winter, we’ve narrowed down our favourite yummy treats that we are pulling out this December.

Christmas Whiskey Bomb RRP £40

Konditor and Cook;

As well as producing some of the most delicious hampers and mince pies, (voted the best in the UK), why not purchase a show-stopping cake as a centrepiece for your Festive celebrations. Konditor and Cook have gone all out this year and have many tasty creations for you to try but we reckon the Whiskey Bomb is bound to wow your guests. Based on their original Whiskey Bomb the Christmas Whiskey Bomb is a festive blend of chocolate, orange and whiskey cake adorned with sugar paste stars and white chocolate balls. Because quite frankly, what says Christmas more than Whiskey and Chocolate Orange. This award winning cake.

Festive Scone Bake Kit RRP £25

The English Cream Tea Company;

If you fancy trying your hand at a little baking for your guests or want the perfect gift for a star baker, we simply loved the Festive Scone Bake Kit provided by The English Cream Tea Company. Supplying you with all the components you need to produce your own festive tea-time treat, the set is complete with decorations for your plump scones all in a handy tin to keep. As well as this, The English Cream Tea Company also have a Giant Xmas Tree Brownie for you to order online, because we all need a tree which is edible as well as beautiful.

englishcreamtea.com

Fine Food Specialist-White Truffle Oil. Prices from £8.55

Fine Food Specialist;

The foodie online shop of dreams, the Fine Food Specialist offer luxury food goods designed for a gastronomical feast of dreams. Specialising in luxury products such as Caviar, Wagyu beef and other specialist food items, they have you covered. If it’s gifts you’re after, they have a variety of goods including hampers both large and small. We love their own brand White Truffle Oil as a perfect stocking filler this year. This extra virgin olive oil is infused with the rich aroma of premium white truffles. Available in a variety of sizes, this special gift has a five star rating which will guarantee to make the recipient of this very pleased indeed. Check out their website for a host of other treats including their handy canapé guide which will be firmly saved into our favourites tab.

finefoodspecialist.co.uk

Christmas Roast Dinner Box RRP £21

Ross & Ross Food;

Focused on British flavours and fresh local produce, Ross & Ross have won multiple awards for their high quality and unique artisan products. Best known for their BBQ and curing kits, they have a passion for big and delicious food. Their Christmas shop this year features a host of meaty hampers including the I Heart Bacon Gift set which includes a bacon curing kit and I Heart Bacon apron. We also love their Christmas Roast Dinner Box. Winner of the 2018 Christmas Gift of the Year food award, the box contains a Roast Potato Oil, a Pigs In Blankets Dust, a Brussel Sprout Dust and a Roast Turkey Rub. This box is perfect for self-gifting if you want to impress your dinner guests! The box is also an amazing present to give to someone who loves Christmas dinner, and who doesn’t love Christmas dinner?!

rossandrossfood.co.uk

Simnel Cake Recipe

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Frostie

Makes: 1 x 20 cm round cake

Equipment: 20 cm round, deep, loose-bottom cake tin

This Simnel cake goes down a treat in the lead up to Easter. Apart from upgrading many of the ingredients for better health, our twist is the addition of goji berries and a few of our favourite spices. The use of dried berries and fruits adds chew and important fibre. Don’t put too much on your plate – this is a rich one!

175 g unsalted butter

175 g coconut sugar

3 eggs

175 g spelt flour

175 g sultanas

90 g dried cranberries

30 g dried goji berries

zest of 1 lemon, grated

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp mixed spice

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

pinch of salt

To Decorate

Raw marzipan (see below)

Honey or melted butter, for brushing

Edible flowers, such as nasturtiums and

violets, to decorate

1 Preheat the oven to 170°C/fan 150°C/

Gas mark 3–4 and line a 20 cm round, deep,

loose-bottom cake tin with baking parchment.

2 Put all the ingredients into a large bowl.

With an electric whisk, beat them together

until well combined.

3 Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and

smooth the top. Bake for 1V–2 hours until

a skewer inserted into the middle comes

out clean.

4 Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes

and then turn out onto a cooling rack.

5 Once it’s cool, use the cake tin as a template

to cut out a round disc of raw marzipan.

6 Brush a little melted butter or honey over

the top of the cake and lay the marzipan

disc on top.

7 Use the remaining marzipan to make

11 equal-size balls to decorate the top of

the cake. You can use honey to stick these

on as well.

8 Top the cake with edible flowers such

as nasturtiums and violets.

raw marzipan

Raw Marzipan

GF, DF, V

Our raw marzipan is quick and easy to make, with the maple syrup helping to keep the delicious almond flavour. If you particularly like your marzipan, and I really do, you can also add a few drops of almond extract.

340 g ground almonds

3–4 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

2–3 drops of almond extract (optional)

1 Mix all the ingredients together to form

a dough. Wrap in greaseproof paper and chill

until ready to use.

2 Roll out the dough between two sheets of

baking parchment to 2–3 mm. You don’t want

to use flour to stop it sticking to the surface,

and the paper will also make it easier to

pick up.

Modern Baker: A New Way To Bake by Melissa Sharp with Lindsay Stark (Ebury Press, RRP £26). Photography by Laura Edwards. Available from amazon.co.uk

Maison Blanc Easter Chick | Awesome Things

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Frostie

An easter arrival landed on the Frost HQ doorstep, a delivery from Maison Blanc. Sigh. Inside the classy box is the cutest Easter chick. Almost too cute to eat. Well, we said almost. He has been devoured now and was yummy indeed.

From Maison Blanc

Fiona Cairns’ Christmas Baking Tips

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Frostie

Forward Planning – Lists
I am a great believer in making lists, and part of Christmas for me is planning my baking, writing lists and enjoyable hours in the kitchen. You can’t start early enough and this way you really cut the stress in half. Choose a few of your seasonal favourite recipes, maybe factor in a couple of new ideas which have caught your eye. Think about how much time you have, don’t be over ambitious and remember to know your skill limitations.

Store Cupboard
Read through the recipes and check your store cupboard. Stock up on the longer life ingredients you might require such as dried fruits, nuts, sugar, flour and spices.

Freezer
The deep freeze does come into its own for Christmas. Unbaked goods especially can be stored and baked off freshly as required – little and often.
Clear space and ensure you have plenty of freezer containers with lids, labels, foil, freezer bags etc.

Baking Ingredients – Prepare
The temperature of your ingredients when baking is so important. Remove butter at least a few hours, or even the night before from the fridge. Stand uncracked eggs in a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes or so if chilled.

Fresh Bakes – Anytime
I always make a big batch of gingerbread men and festive shaped shortbreads (stars, hearts and Christmas trees are my favourites). I roll the dough, cut the shapes out and layer with silicone paper and store in large containers in the freezer. Defrost and bake a batch when required, your family and guests will be so impressed. The house will have a delicious aroma too. Some cakes e.g. chocolate cake freezes especially well, although freeze buttercream separately. Chocolate ganache is best freshly made.

Enjoy
Why not arrange a “Christmas bake in day” or an afternoon with a few friends or family members. I do this every year with a few girlfriends it gets us into the festive spirit and its great fun.

Bake Ahead
The Christmas cake, pudding and mincemeat can be made as early as October and the earlier they are made the better they will taste.

Edible gifts
Delight family and friends with beautifully packaged little boxes of gingerbreads, seasonal biscuits, a Christmas cake, batch of cupcakes, or a jar of mincemeat. Start collecting and recycle ribbons little boxes, bags etc. I do this all year so by Christmas I have a wonderful assortment.

Christmas cake
A traditional rich fruit Christmas cake is not for everyone, children often don’t like it. Bake a delicious chocolate cake, cupcakes or roulade too, or light airy meringues, or even a tropical fruit pavlova as alternatives.

Cheat
If you really don’t have time (or the inclination for that matter) why not buy a cake. It could be iced or un-iced, add a little booze, perhaps a fabulous ribbon, a few candles, a bundle of cinnamon sticks, candy canes or deep red and white roses for decoration.
Do remember a simple design is often the most effective.

Fiona Cairns has a delicious selection of cakes available from Waitrose.com. You can find out more about her at www.fionacairns.com

Wicked Cupcakes By Luisa Zissman Book Review

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Frostie

Cupcake fans rejoice. On the 17th July 2014 Luisa Zissman’s Wicked Cupcakes! book is released. Thankfully we got an advance copy and have reviewed it for you. Read on.

There are tons of amazing cupcake recipes in Wicked Cupcakes! and even a selection of low-fat cupcakes recipes, tips and tricks on how to make and decorate your creations. The book covers everything about making cupcakes, starting from the mix, flavourings, buttercream, hand made decorations, lining tins and how to deal with disaster.

A few of my favourite recipes are the indulgent chocolate, apple crumble, cookie and cream, pink champagne, jelly shot, pina colada, Pimm’s Layer cake, ice cream cupcakes…actually I need to stop now. The list will get too long. If you love cupcakes, buy the book. It is full of brilliant ideas and great tips. Highly recommended.

Luisa Zissman shot to fame when she became the runner-up in the 2013 series of the BBC’s The Apprentice. A baker by trade, Luisa has been running her hugely successful St Albans cake shop, Dixie’s Cupcakery, since 2011. It is her mission to show the world that you don’t need a lot of time or complicated ingredients to create show-stopping cupcakes like hers.

In true Luisa style, her cupcakes are bold and brassy – a treat for the eyes as well as the tastebuds. Whatever the occasion, she has a cupcake that’s the perfect fit: cocktail cupcakes for a girls’ night in; ooh la la cupcakes for romantic liaisons; Dixie cakes, which are perfect cakes for busy mums to cook with their kids; vintage cakes for a stylish soiree and quirky cupcakes with unusual flavours, such as the genius Love Me Hate Me Marmite and Chocolate cupcake.

Packed with helpful advice on how to make and decorate your cakes, Luisa’s book will put the fun and sparkle back into your kitchen!

Wicked Cupcakes! is available here.

Chocolate and Raspberry Cake

Posted on June 16, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

Baking cakes is one of the best pleasures in life and they are so easy to do. All you need to have is the basic foundation ingredients and you can simply add whatever the devil you like. We love a good chocolate cake but sometimes you need to have a few fresh and new ideas up your sleeve. Not that chocolate ever gets boring. This recipe is totally delicious and perfect for those who are Lactose intolerant.

So very easy and delightful on the taste buds.

You will need:

250g Plain flour
250g Dark brown sugar
175g pure Cocoa
2 eggs
250ml of lactose free milk
1 tbs Vanilla essence
1 tsp of baking podwer
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tray of fresh raspberries
2 tbs icing sugar
150g Dark chocolate

Place all the dry ingredients into a large bowl along with the eggs.

Bash up the chocolate while its still in the wrapper.

Drop it into the bowl and mix well, then add the raspberries. Leaving a handful to garnish later.

Place this into a lined greased large cake tin and level off.

Pop this into the oven for about 35-50 minuets depending on how soft and gooey you want it to be in the middle.

Take out of the oven and leave it to totally cool before dusting with icing sugar and serving.

All done within an hour too! Let us know how you get on making this, and how long it takes to devour the entire lot!

Follow me on Twitter @sarahbacchus for more food and fun updates. For all our Fashion and style check out www.slbstyle.com and for all interest in the photographic side of my work head to www.sarahbacchus.com

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Tag Archives: baking

Baking Book Breaks Records. We love Jane’s Patisserie.

Looking For Things To Do in Lockdown? Little Cooks Co is here to help.