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The Violet Bakery Cookbook
Violet is a bijou cake shop and café in Hackney, east London. The baking is done with simple ingredients including wholegrain flours, less refined sugars and the natural sweetness and muted colours of seasonal fruits. Everything is made in an open kitchen for people to see. Famed for its exquisite baked goods, Violet has become a destination.
Owner Claire Ptak uses her Californian sensibility to devise recipes that are both nourishing and indulgent. With real thought about taste and using the purest ingredients, she has created the most flavoursome iterations of classic cakes, as well as new treats for modern palates. Over 100 recipes include nourishing breakfasts, midday snacks,
teatime treats, puddings to share, pantry preserves, and stylish celebration cakes. For example:
Morning – Buckwheat Granola or Cinnamon Buns
Midday – Squash, Brown Butter and Sage Quiche or Mozzarella, Rosemary and New Potato Tarts
Teatime – Butterscotch Blondie or Ginger Molasses Cake
Desserts – Cherry Cobbler or Fig Leaf Ice-cream
Party Party – Loganberry-vanilla Birthday Cake or Coconut-cream Trifle Cake
This book is about making baking worth it: simple to cook and satisfying to eat.
Owner Claire Ptak uses her Californian sensibility to devise recipes that are both nourishing and indulgent. With real thought about taste and using the purest ingredients, she has created the most flavoursome iterations of classic cakes, as well as new treats for modern palates. Over 100 recipes include nourishing breakfasts, midday snacks,
teatime treats, puddings to share, pantry preserves, and stylish celebration cakes. For example:
Morning – Buckwheat Granola or Cinnamon Buns
Midday – Squash, Brown Butter and Sage Quiche or Mozzarella, Rosemary and New Potato Tarts
Teatime – Butterscotch Blondie or Ginger Molasses Cake
Desserts – Cherry Cobbler or Fig Leaf Ice-cream
Party Party – Loganberry-vanilla Birthday Cake or Coconut-cream Trifle Cake
This book is about making baking worth it: simple to cook and satisfying to eat.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 5, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
November 26, 2019
Wow. Some excellent recipes that think outside the normal bakery items...
October 11, 2015
I absolutely love this cookbook. It's vibrant, easy to follow, and full of amazing sounding recipes. The year is almost over, and this is so far one of the best cookbooks I've gotten to review in 2015.
It's sorted by the time of day and the type of event. There's also an introduction, a guide to a mise en place, tips, tasting tips, and even notes on foraging for fresher ingredients.
A nice touch to this book is the amount of personal stories that are inside. It makes the book clear that it's written as a labor of love, and that the authors really care about food and cooking. The directions are written concisely, and are easy to follow. That makes it pretty approachable for any skill level of cook. There's a nice blend of both sweet and savory recipes, which I wasn't expecting but nonetheless it is a pleasant surprise. There's also conversions on each recipe page for American use. I really appreciated this method, instead of shoving a chart in the back. This way, I wasn't constantly switching pages back and forth in order to know what I'm supposed to be doing.
The photography included in The Violet Bakery Cookbook is absolutely stunning. It's one of those books that's damn near art, it's aesthetically pleasing enough to just flip through and look at the pictures, if we're being honest. But just as importantly, there's also a lot of photos included. This is a huge plus for me- I don't buy a cookbook if I know there's little to no pictures inside. I like knowing how my food is supposed to look when it's finished!
I really like this book because there's a lot of elegant, light, and floral flavors. I love cooking with flower ingredients, and I'm happy to have more in my baking arsenal. The three dishes that I'm most excited to try from this book are: Honey and Rose Water Madeleines, Olive Oil Sweet Wine Cake, and Fig Leaf Ice Cream.
All in all, I think that this is a great baking book for anyone who likes to bake, no matter if it's sweet or savory. I look forward to using this for one of my teatime parties! I received a copy of this guide in exchange for my honest review.
This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
It's sorted by the time of day and the type of event. There's also an introduction, a guide to a mise en place, tips, tasting tips, and even notes on foraging for fresher ingredients.
A nice touch to this book is the amount of personal stories that are inside. It makes the book clear that it's written as a labor of love, and that the authors really care about food and cooking. The directions are written concisely, and are easy to follow. That makes it pretty approachable for any skill level of cook. There's a nice blend of both sweet and savory recipes, which I wasn't expecting but nonetheless it is a pleasant surprise. There's also conversions on each recipe page for American use. I really appreciated this method, instead of shoving a chart in the back. This way, I wasn't constantly switching pages back and forth in order to know what I'm supposed to be doing.
The photography included in The Violet Bakery Cookbook is absolutely stunning. It's one of those books that's damn near art, it's aesthetically pleasing enough to just flip through and look at the pictures, if we're being honest. But just as importantly, there's also a lot of photos included. This is a huge plus for me- I don't buy a cookbook if I know there's little to no pictures inside. I like knowing how my food is supposed to look when it's finished!
I really like this book because there's a lot of elegant, light, and floral flavors. I love cooking with flower ingredients, and I'm happy to have more in my baking arsenal. The three dishes that I'm most excited to try from this book are: Honey and Rose Water Madeleines, Olive Oil Sweet Wine Cake, and Fig Leaf Ice Cream.
All in all, I think that this is a great baking book for anyone who likes to bake, no matter if it's sweet or savory. I look forward to using this for one of my teatime parties! I received a copy of this guide in exchange for my honest review.
This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
January 6, 2016
Violet Bakery Cookbook includes recipes from a London bakery of which I was unaware until the opportunity to review the book. The book begins with the story of how the bakery came to be, and some advice on the ingredients. Then follows the recipes, organized by meal from breakfast through dessert, including a section of pantry recipes that are used as ingredients in other recipes. Most recipes are for sweet items, though there are a number of savory items such as scones, sandwiches, quiches, tarts, etc.
The recipes each begin with a short description, including its popularity at the restaurant. There are many photographs, which are beautiful. There is also a chapter on foraging ingredients from nature, as this book is less about traditional baking than of adaptation and recognizing the breadth of a variety of ingredients and historical techniques. That being said, one thing I wished the book included was a glossary to explain less conventional ingredients. At first I interpreted the ingredient ground almonds as almond paste, then realized it was almond meal or flour. Very different.
I made two recipes from the book: Chocolate Oat Agave Cookies, and Coconut Macaroons. I found myself making a number of substitutions for the oat cookies, using several different gluten-free flours. However, the cookies still turned out very tender and tasty. Often gluten-free items are crumbly, these are soft and feel easy to break, but aren't crumbly. They are a bit dense, but are also satisfying and not overly sweet. The macaroons are delicious. The touch of honey adds a depth to the sweetness that isn't usually there.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for recipes from the restaurant, as well as those looking for a bit of variety, who want to experiment with some of the alternative ingredients that are more common today, or who have gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan friends but don't want to buy a book dedicated to those diets.
The recipes each begin with a short description, including its popularity at the restaurant. There are many photographs, which are beautiful. There is also a chapter on foraging ingredients from nature, as this book is less about traditional baking than of adaptation and recognizing the breadth of a variety of ingredients and historical techniques. That being said, one thing I wished the book included was a glossary to explain less conventional ingredients. At first I interpreted the ingredient ground almonds as almond paste, then realized it was almond meal or flour. Very different.
I made two recipes from the book: Chocolate Oat Agave Cookies, and Coconut Macaroons. I found myself making a number of substitutions for the oat cookies, using several different gluten-free flours. However, the cookies still turned out very tender and tasty. Often gluten-free items are crumbly, these are soft and feel easy to break, but aren't crumbly. They are a bit dense, but are also satisfying and not overly sweet. The macaroons are delicious. The touch of honey adds a depth to the sweetness that isn't usually there.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for recipes from the restaurant, as well as those looking for a bit of variety, who want to experiment with some of the alternative ingredients that are more common today, or who have gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan friends but don't want to buy a book dedicated to those diets.
October 2, 2015
Next time I am in London i am definitely visiting Violet Bakery! All the recipes described just sounds very mouth-watering and after scrolling through the book pages one feels like he should bake any of the recipes! Also I love that the baking is unconventional, creative and using the cosmopolitan combinations (with a bit of preference towards the French "cuisine"). Also some of the recipes are gluten free and using different types of flour, which is welcome when one is on a healthy lifestyle train but still in for a treat.
I will try for sure Bacon and egg buttermilk biscuits.
As for practicality, all the measurements are both in European and American way (grams vs. cups), so the book can reach wider audience. Authoress preaches the high quality ingredients and I agree.
Authoress usually includes some tips or little stories into every recipe, which is a nice touch. I like to understand things, so some explanations helped me in knowing why "things" are behaving in certain way.
Another kudos for photos, this is almost an art.
On the minus side, I think this is a book for quite experienced baker. The authoress is really trying to be helpful when explain, but this is for sure book for foodies. I would also love to have more preparation pictures - there are some accompanying some recipes, but i would welcome then with every recipes. I have said this is for foodies, haven´t I? :)
All in all, the book is lovely. And as I said, I will visit Violet when in London - I might be not a foodie, but lover of a nice treat I am!
I will try for sure Bacon and egg buttermilk biscuits.
As for practicality, all the measurements are both in European and American way (grams vs. cups), so the book can reach wider audience. Authoress preaches the high quality ingredients and I agree.
Authoress usually includes some tips or little stories into every recipe, which is a nice touch. I like to understand things, so some explanations helped me in knowing why "things" are behaving in certain way.
Another kudos for photos, this is almost an art.
On the minus side, I think this is a book for quite experienced baker. The authoress is really trying to be helpful when explain, but this is for sure book for foodies. I would also love to have more preparation pictures - there are some accompanying some recipes, but i would welcome then with every recipes. I have said this is for foodies, haven´t I? :)
All in all, the book is lovely. And as I said, I will visit Violet when in London - I might be not a foodie, but lover of a nice treat I am!
March 15, 2015
This lovely cookbook has over 100 recipes for everything from breakfast/brunch fare to a decadent dessert. The photographs are enticing, so don't read on an empty stomach!
The only thng that keeps me from giving the book five stars is the fact that there didn't seem to be anything new and inventive that I haven't seen in a multitude of other books. Maybe part of the allure of the book is the association with The Violet Bakery. Since I have never been there to visit, I may be missing that connection.
If you emjoy cookbooks, this is a beautiful choice.
I was given a digital copy of this edition by NetGallery in exchange for my fair and honest review.
The only thng that keeps me from giving the book five stars is the fact that there didn't seem to be anything new and inventive that I haven't seen in a multitude of other books. Maybe part of the allure of the book is the association with The Violet Bakery. Since I have never been there to visit, I may be missing that connection.
If you emjoy cookbooks, this is a beautiful choice.
I was given a digital copy of this edition by NetGallery in exchange for my fair and honest review.
July 2, 2015
I love this book! This cookbook, based on a bakery in London, has an abundance of delicious recipes! Many are sweet but there is a nice amount of savory recipes too. I tried the sweet potato, coconut, date and rye muffins, sweet Ron and roasted tomato quiche, and the olive oil sweet wine cake. All were fabulous! I'm looking forward to making apricot kernel upside down cake and the mozzarella rosemary and new potato tarts. There is a great section on pantry items. Overall, this is an excellent bakery cookbook!
Read
May 9, 2023This has been my new favorite baking book - worth it for the oatmeal and candied orange cookies alone. They have the best texture and flavor of any oatmeal cookie I've eaten. They require homemade candied orange peel, but if you make some the rest can be frozen for future use, or dipped in chocolate and given as gifts. I love the technique of baking the dough from frozen. In the proportions given, it creates an amazing texture as it cooks from the outside in. This is also how you do several of the other cookies, including the famous double yolk chocolate chip cookies. The result is huge, decadent, and special as a dessert item.
I also appreciate her creative use of healthier ingredients such as whole grains, similar to Roxana Jullapat - they're not items you're cleverly sneaking in, they're the highlight of the recipe, and they really make the baked good special, as with the rye brownies.
Other recipes I've tried from this book are the prune and earl grey scones, blueberry/spelt/oat scones, comte and chutney toastie, buckwheat butter cookies, coconut macaroons, sweet potato/coconut/date/rye muffins, and quinoa/hazelnut/cherry granola (the only one I wasn't crazy about, because it turns out I don't like quinoa flakes.)
A few recipes have certain ingredients that are difficult to source, like plum petals, rose geranium, apricot kernels, and angelica. but the majority have very accessible ingredient lists. And some of the special ingredients are worth noting, such as the fig leaves for fig leaf ice cream. I had no idea they were edible, and it's exciting to think of the flavor combinations they might provide when I get my hands on them.
I also appreciate her creative use of healthier ingredients such as whole grains, similar to Roxana Jullapat - they're not items you're cleverly sneaking in, they're the highlight of the recipe, and they really make the baked good special, as with the rye brownies.
Other recipes I've tried from this book are the prune and earl grey scones, blueberry/spelt/oat scones, comte and chutney toastie, buckwheat butter cookies, coconut macaroons, sweet potato/coconut/date/rye muffins, and quinoa/hazelnut/cherry granola (the only one I wasn't crazy about, because it turns out I don't like quinoa flakes.)
A few recipes have certain ingredients that are difficult to source, like plum petals, rose geranium, apricot kernels, and angelica. but the majority have very accessible ingredient lists. And some of the special ingredients are worth noting, such as the fig leaves for fig leaf ice cream. I had no idea they were edible, and it's exciting to think of the flavor combinations they might provide when I get my hands on them.
August 18, 2020
Purchase The Violet Bakery here for just $12!
There’s a recipe for chocolate chip cookies in here that alone is worth the price of purchase. I made the mistake of baking them for my partner and now he keeps slipping Cadbury baking chips in with our groceries. In all seriousness, this is a fantastic book. For a novice baker like me, even the most complex recipes were laid out and explained simply – and the results are mouth-watering. Definitely a lockdown favourite!
Steph - The Book Grocer
There’s a recipe for chocolate chip cookies in here that alone is worth the price of purchase. I made the mistake of baking them for my partner and now he keeps slipping Cadbury baking chips in with our groceries. In all seriousness, this is a fantastic book. For a novice baker like me, even the most complex recipes were laid out and explained simply – and the results are mouth-watering. Definitely a lockdown favourite!
Steph - The Book Grocer
June 1, 2023
A bit pretentious, lots of highly specific ingredients. And weird pan sizes, like 12x8. I like the British influences—she has inspired me to try scones and keep them unbaked in my freezer to enjoy fresh whenever I want.
I didn’t flag too many of the recipes as “need to try” but that’s okay. It was a decent read; I did like some of her background notes and how she started the bakery.
Perhaps I will add this to my list when I return to London one day!
I didn’t flag too many of the recipes as “need to try” but that’s okay. It was a decent read; I did like some of her background notes and how she started the bakery.
Perhaps I will add this to my list when I return to London one day!
December 31, 2017
I love good cookbooks. Claire Ptak shares her background and experiences along with wonderful recipes and beautiful photography.
There are helpful hints to make your efforts more successful.
I found myself running into my kitchen to see if I had a needed ingredient to make a particular muffin immediately!
There are helpful hints to make your efforts more successful.
I found myself running into my kitchen to see if I had a needed ingredient to make a particular muffin immediately!
January 20, 2019
Beautifully photographed with ingenious recipes and technique! Although some ingredients are hard to source (plum petals, quince, loganberry, fig leaves), the recipes are promising. Ptak's recipes are balanced and not cloyingly sweet, too. I'm also impressed with the book is organized: by time of day. Recommended!
December 12, 2021
This book was a pleasant surprise. Original recipes, with a nice dash of rarer ingredients. Spelt, buckwheat, quince etc make regular appearances. The cookbook covers a wide assortment of baking as well, biscuits, quiches, bars, cakes scones and much more.
February 18, 2022
Excellent cookbook. The recipes read very well, the photographs are lovely and the story behind the book is unique. I love making recipes from this book. They turn out delicious, beautiful and as described. Thank you Claire for sharing a little piece of you in this wonderful book.
September 28, 2017
This sounded like a good cookbook. It turned out to be more of the same.
January 8, 2018
4,25 stars - English hardcover -
Enjoyed these recipes with other sugar suggestions.
Enjoyed these recipes with other sugar suggestions.
March 9, 2019
I want to cook everything from this book. And I quit sugar six years ago!!
December 8, 2019
I thought this one would be good, but it turned out to be pretty bougie, if you want it straight. Just not my style.
January 1, 2020
I've tried sweet and savoury recipes and all have been delicious. The cheddar leek scones and caramel blondies are particular favorites.
February 14, 2020
loved this
Read
March 22, 2021A lovely read of a cookbook. You can smell the bakes through the pages. Evocative and enticing this book comes with narrative as well as recipes making it a good read as well as a practical manual.
September 19, 2021
Want to try the Red Plum Victoria Sponge, Summer Spelt Almond Cake, and the Coconut Cream Trifle Cake recipes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2022
go to baking book, if you want to be a baker this book is for you
March 10, 2022
Lovely.
October 23, 2024
I enjoyed the use of different flours/grains, flavor combos, photography, and little tips (like soaking anything in earl grey tea makes it taste more like itself).
March 23, 2015
Violet Bakery Cookbook – Claire Ptak. I read this courtesy of Netgalley.
This was a sparkling gem of a cookbook.
The intro by Alice Waters drew a word picture of the London Violet Bakery. Then the author gave some nice background info on her path to operating the Violet Bakery. A natural progression of some training led to doing stagings. What are stagings? Apparently, restaurants who encounter a cook who is simpatico with their style of cuisine, will invite that person to work in their kitchens for a short period of time. Then Claire did food stylings. After working at Alice Waters restaurant, she went to London, where she started baking out of her home and selling in a farmer’s market. Finally she opened a shop.
Just before reading this cookbook I had begun a book by a doctor which bashed carbs/gluten. I was open to changing my intake of carbs and gluten but there were no appealing recipes in that book. One of the first recipes I saw in the Violet Bakery Cookbook was one for quinoa granola. Not presented as a health food bandaid, it was simply a recipe in this book that offers all kinds of baked goods recipes.
I loved the pictures, which were very casual chic. The recipes were arranged by: Morning, Mid-day, Afternoon (kind of tea time, which reminded me of the hobbits asking if Aragon had ever heard of second breakfast), Evening and Party Time. Besides the quinoa granola, I chose a few other recipes I will be giving a try. The prune oat and spelt scones where the prunes are soaked in earl grey tea sounded enticing. The strawberry/ginger/poppy seed scones; apple galette; chocolate/prune/ whiskey cake are also on my to-try list. In some cases, there are techniques/ingredients I just want to try – not the whole recipe. For instance, the author writes so well about the aromatic roasted fig leaves for a recipe that, although I won’t attempt the recipe, I want to try roasting fig leaves just to see what they smell like. Oh, and I’ll be using coffee in my confectioner sugar frostings in the future.
Even though most of the recipes are not gluten free, I would recommend this cookbook to people who want to try gluten free options. And regular cookbook collectors will enjoy this little gem since it presents recipes that are a little more than run-of-the-mill. These are very approachable ideas with a little twist.
This was a sparkling gem of a cookbook.
The intro by Alice Waters drew a word picture of the London Violet Bakery. Then the author gave some nice background info on her path to operating the Violet Bakery. A natural progression of some training led to doing stagings. What are stagings? Apparently, restaurants who encounter a cook who is simpatico with their style of cuisine, will invite that person to work in their kitchens for a short period of time. Then Claire did food stylings. After working at Alice Waters restaurant, she went to London, where she started baking out of her home and selling in a farmer’s market. Finally she opened a shop.
Just before reading this cookbook I had begun a book by a doctor which bashed carbs/gluten. I was open to changing my intake of carbs and gluten but there were no appealing recipes in that book. One of the first recipes I saw in the Violet Bakery Cookbook was one for quinoa granola. Not presented as a health food bandaid, it was simply a recipe in this book that offers all kinds of baked goods recipes.
I loved the pictures, which were very casual chic. The recipes were arranged by: Morning, Mid-day, Afternoon (kind of tea time, which reminded me of the hobbits asking if Aragon had ever heard of second breakfast), Evening and Party Time. Besides the quinoa granola, I chose a few other recipes I will be giving a try. The prune oat and spelt scones where the prunes are soaked in earl grey tea sounded enticing. The strawberry/ginger/poppy seed scones; apple galette; chocolate/prune/ whiskey cake are also on my to-try list. In some cases, there are techniques/ingredients I just want to try – not the whole recipe. For instance, the author writes so well about the aromatic roasted fig leaves for a recipe that, although I won’t attempt the recipe, I want to try roasting fig leaves just to see what they smell like. Oh, and I’ll be using coffee in my confectioner sugar frostings in the future.
Even though most of the recipes are not gluten free, I would recommend this cookbook to people who want to try gluten free options. And regular cookbook collectors will enjoy this little gem since it presents recipes that are a little more than run-of-the-mill. These are very approachable ideas with a little twist.
October 17, 2015
DISCLAIMER: I received this copy for review from NetGalley.
There’s a really lovely forward by Alice Waters; if she approves of Claire Ptak (who worked at the venerable Chez Panisse), that’s already a good thing in my book. There’s mentions of Jaime Oliver and Ottolenghi, too; she doesn’t do it to name-drop, but rather to talk about her influences and her career growth. Great start.
I completely agree with Ptak’s perspective: taste should come before appearance. I hate it when it’s any other way. Don’t worry, the visuals aren’t compromised; the photography is stunning, and there’s shots of everyday life interwoven with all the food.
There were some recipes I probably wouldn’t make, but I found very interesting: an apricot kernel cake with the kernel from the inside of an apricot actually in the cake, an ice cream with plum tree petals and fig leaf, as well as a grape, loganberry and violet icing. Definitely never seen any of these combos before.
Her apricot almond cornmeal muffins and braised fennel, olive and caper bread pudding have been bookmarked for later. Can’t wait to try them out! Did I mention that her blondies have caramel in them?? And I promised myself that I’d be faithful to Joanne Chang (of Flour in Boston, MA fame)’s chocolate chip cookies, but these ones look so great and sound fabulously rich and dense and chewy from the yolks that I bet they’ll sneak their way into my kitchen.
I saw a number of places that mentioned “tk cups” as a measurement. Not sure if that’s a typo in all versions or just the ARC I saw, or if it’s an actual measurement. A quick search led to a lot of results about K-cups. Um, not quite. This wasn’t a huge deal, since there are grams included, so you can either use a scale (I still haven’t been converted; there’s always a ton of dead batteries whenever I seem to need to use the scale) or convert it into cups.
My major issue: everything sounded good, nothing sounded great. Nothing that made me want to run in the kitchen and bake now, responsibilities and commitments be damned. I’ll try the ones I bookmarked eventually, but there isn’t any sense of urgency.
There’s a really lovely forward by Alice Waters; if she approves of Claire Ptak (who worked at the venerable Chez Panisse), that’s already a good thing in my book. There’s mentions of Jaime Oliver and Ottolenghi, too; she doesn’t do it to name-drop, but rather to talk about her influences and her career growth. Great start.
I completely agree with Ptak’s perspective: taste should come before appearance. I hate it when it’s any other way. Don’t worry, the visuals aren’t compromised; the photography is stunning, and there’s shots of everyday life interwoven with all the food.
There were some recipes I probably wouldn’t make, but I found very interesting: an apricot kernel cake with the kernel from the inside of an apricot actually in the cake, an ice cream with plum tree petals and fig leaf, as well as a grape, loganberry and violet icing. Definitely never seen any of these combos before.
Her apricot almond cornmeal muffins and braised fennel, olive and caper bread pudding have been bookmarked for later. Can’t wait to try them out! Did I mention that her blondies have caramel in them?? And I promised myself that I’d be faithful to Joanne Chang (of Flour in Boston, MA fame)’s chocolate chip cookies, but these ones look so great and sound fabulously rich and dense and chewy from the yolks that I bet they’ll sneak their way into my kitchen.
I saw a number of places that mentioned “tk cups” as a measurement. Not sure if that’s a typo in all versions or just the ARC I saw, or if it’s an actual measurement. A quick search led to a lot of results about K-cups. Um, not quite. This wasn’t a huge deal, since there are grams included, so you can either use a scale (I still haven’t been converted; there’s always a ton of dead batteries whenever I seem to need to use the scale) or convert it into cups.
My major issue: everything sounded good, nothing sounded great. Nothing that made me want to run in the kitchen and bake now, responsibilities and commitments be damned. I’ll try the ones I bookmarked eventually, but there isn’t any sense of urgency.
May 17, 2015
I found this to be an interesting cookbook. It felt like a mix between healthy and indulgent, artistic and homey and basic.
The recipes are divided into morning, midday, afternoon, evening and party. Each section is then divided again into subgroups, such as cookies and bars, tea and loaf cakes and tart in the afternoon section. Most of the recipes are sweets or baked good, but there are also a nice collection of quiches in the midday section.
There are some very interesting recipes in this book. Take the prune, oat and spelt scones or the chocolate oat agave cookies. I found that a number of the recipes would require a special trip to the shops, while others would be completely impractical for me, such as fig leaf ice cream. Other recipes were simpler and used basic ingredients, such as the chocolate sandwich cookies. But my favourite part of this book was the last two sections. The party party collection of recipes are indulgent and delicious, and I liked the range of icing recipes included, such as coconut milk or loganberry icing. The very last section was also helpful. Entitled The Violet Pantry, it includes basics such as making vanilla extract, candied citrus peel and a range of jams.
The publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Find this review and more like it on my blog Madison's Library.
The recipes are divided into morning, midday, afternoon, evening and party. Each section is then divided again into subgroups, such as cookies and bars, tea and loaf cakes and tart in the afternoon section. Most of the recipes are sweets or baked good, but there are also a nice collection of quiches in the midday section.
There are some very interesting recipes in this book. Take the prune, oat and spelt scones or the chocolate oat agave cookies. I found that a number of the recipes would require a special trip to the shops, while others would be completely impractical for me, such as fig leaf ice cream. Other recipes were simpler and used basic ingredients, such as the chocolate sandwich cookies. But my favourite part of this book was the last two sections. The party party collection of recipes are indulgent and delicious, and I liked the range of icing recipes included, such as coconut milk or loganberry icing. The very last section was also helpful. Entitled The Violet Pantry, it includes basics such as making vanilla extract, candied citrus peel and a range of jams.
The publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Find this review and more like it on my blog Madison's Library.
May 25, 2015
I have a large collection of cookbooks and very little room for more, so a cookbook has to be really special to take up space in my kitchen. This one definitely is.
Besides fulfilling a need (and I do mean need!) for baked goods in my life, the author has improved on the offerings and made them special with quality ingredients and whole grain flours that you know you should try, but don't know what you should do with them.
Here's a selection of the recipes you will find in this cookbook: Quinoa, hazelnut and cherry granola; Apricot and almond cornmeal muffins; Blueberry, spelt and oat scones; Sweet potato, coconut, date and rye muffins; Bacon and egg buttermilk biscuits; Cinnamon buns; Chocolate croissant bread pudding; Ham, cheese and leek scones; Tomato and marjoram tarts; Squash, brown butter and sage quiche; Chipotle, cheddar and corn muffins; Sour cream, chive and feta scones; Banana buttermilk bread; Coffee cardamom walnut cakes; buckwheat butter cookies; Lemon drizzle loaf; Ginger molasses cake; Wild blackberry crumble tart; Chewy ginger snaps; Chocolate sandwich cookies; Rye chocolate brownies; coconut macaroons; Summer pudding; Alice Water's apple galette; Cherry cobbler; Chocolate devil's food cake; Grandma Ptak's red velvet cake; Carrot cake; Quince jelly; Candied citrus peel; Salted caramel sauce and quick jams.
This is a wonderful cookbook. I hope you try it!
Besides fulfilling a need (and I do mean need!) for baked goods in my life, the author has improved on the offerings and made them special with quality ingredients and whole grain flours that you know you should try, but don't know what you should do with them.
Here's a selection of the recipes you will find in this cookbook: Quinoa, hazelnut and cherry granola; Apricot and almond cornmeal muffins; Blueberry, spelt and oat scones; Sweet potato, coconut, date and rye muffins; Bacon and egg buttermilk biscuits; Cinnamon buns; Chocolate croissant bread pudding; Ham, cheese and leek scones; Tomato and marjoram tarts; Squash, brown butter and sage quiche; Chipotle, cheddar and corn muffins; Sour cream, chive and feta scones; Banana buttermilk bread; Coffee cardamom walnut cakes; buckwheat butter cookies; Lemon drizzle loaf; Ginger molasses cake; Wild blackberry crumble tart; Chewy ginger snaps; Chocolate sandwich cookies; Rye chocolate brownies; coconut macaroons; Summer pudding; Alice Water's apple galette; Cherry cobbler; Chocolate devil's food cake; Grandma Ptak's red velvet cake; Carrot cake; Quince jelly; Candied citrus peel; Salted caramel sauce and quick jams.
This is a wonderful cookbook. I hope you try it!
June 14, 2015
I loved this book! I’m not sure what it is with cookbooks changing the way things used to be divided out, but yet again this is not broken down like your old fashioned cook book. Instead it is broken down according to when an item might be served. Morning, afternoon, evening, party, etc. I wasn’t sure this would work for me, but the more I read the more it reminded me of my own personal cookbook made up of recipes I received from friends or relatives. I really identified with it, for me it read like a friend’s cookbook from my home in the south. I could really see myself and a friend sitting down and pouring over their recipes that we are sharing back and forth. It invoked a strong feeling of nostalgia for me.
As for the actual recipes, they are all inventive and not the typical recipes that you will find in other cookbooks. I have so many recipes marked to try that I have a hard time deciding which one when I have the time. They all make whatever I am making just that bit more special and elegant. Although, I haven’t yet found the time to find the fresh ingredients and grind them myself as this book suggest. Maybe one of these days when I happen to have more time I will give it a go and try two batches of the same recipe, one with pre-ground spices and one made with fresh ground spices and see if I can tell a difference.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
As for the actual recipes, they are all inventive and not the typical recipes that you will find in other cookbooks. I have so many recipes marked to try that I have a hard time deciding which one when I have the time. They all make whatever I am making just that bit more special and elegant. Although, I haven’t yet found the time to find the fresh ingredients and grind them myself as this book suggest. Maybe one of these days when I happen to have more time I will give it a go and try two batches of the same recipe, one with pre-ground spices and one made with fresh ground spices and see if I can tell a difference.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
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