Receiving a cookbook for Christmas is a tradition established
in recent years to expand and improve my repertoire when cooking for the
children and for dinner parties. This year, having tried a recipe from it
already from a preview in a food magazine, I’ve chosen Annie Bell’s
Baking Bible. It has already been
bought,
signed by Ms Bell herself, and handed over until Christmas Day, but I
know where it’s hidden and will jolly well test it out in secret and give it a
review, for the benefit of other baking fanatics out there who may be
considering a Christmas purchase.
Annie Bell is an
award winning food writer who used to work as a cookery writer for
Vogue, and as a food writer for
The Independent. She is now principal
cookery writer for
YOU magazine and
has published several cookbooks. This
Baking
Bible is a passionate and comprehensive book in which Annie shares with us
her favourite cakes and bakes. Tweaking classic and favourite recipes, some
from her mum or her friends’ mums, some sourced from renowned restaurants and
recreated herself, and some simply learnt on her travels, she makes them
accessible to the novice baker and to the experienced home baker. She has
created or recreated over 200 triple-tested, simple yet impressive, methodical
and thorough recipes, and provides, quite literally, a bible for those of us
who yearn to create showstoppers for our friends, from nostalgic childhood
favourites such as Gingerbread Men and Rock Cakes to modern versions of
traditional bakes like Red Velvet cake and Lemon Meringue Pie. Decoration is
optional, giving the baker the choice of keeping it simple or indeed, going for
glory.
On opening the Baking
Bible, you are immediately filled with the desire to make everything in it,
and eat those delicious looking treats, entranced by the tantalising photos and
encouraged by the uncomplicated and seemingly fool-proof methods to bake, bake,
and keep on baking. My first attempt at emulating Annie’s genius stemmed from
when I was presented with a glut of bananas from a colleague who over-ordered
(12 bunches, instead of 12 bananas – you might think they would have queried
such an order, but no…), so the obvious choice was Napket’s Banana Bread.
Annie’s own introduction describes her own discovery of the perfect banana
bread and her triumph at acquiring the recipe. My replication was a discovery
of the perfect banana bread, and my triumph at creating a delicious cake from
seemingly nothing.
 |
| Banana Bread |
Next I made the banoffee pie. An ‘absurdly indulgent
creation’ with a convenient shortcut. ‘Out of this world’ was one reaction from
my banana over-loaded friend.
 |
| Banoffee Pie |
Any recipe you may
choose to look for is available online. By using but a few simple keystrokes,
any ingredient, any dish, any recipe you may wish to find is available. But
having a comprehensive, beautifully photographed archive of all the desserts,
cakes, biscuits, pancakes, and meringues you could ever wish to bake in one
book, with one simple aim – ‘Bake me!’, is invaluable. I cannot recommend this
book enough, and this is only from having owned the book for less than a week.
Roll on Christmas
Day and let this new Bible lead us
not into temptation but deliver us our daily bake.
Annie Bell is an
award winning food writer who used to work as a cookery writer for Vogue, and as a food writer for The Independent. She is now principal
cookery writer for YOU magazine and
has published several cookbooks. This Baking
Bible is a passionate and comprehensive book in which Annie shares with us
her favourite cakes and bakes. Tweaking classic and favourite recipes, some
from her mum or her friends’ mums, some sourced from renowned restaurants and
recreated herself, and some simply learnt on her travels, she makes them
accessible to the novice baker and to the experienced home baker. She has
created or recreated over 200 triple-tested, simple yet impressive, methodical
and thorough recipes, and provides, quite literally, a bible for those of us
who yearn to create showstoppers for our friends, from nostalgic childhood
favourites such as Gingerbread Men and Rock Cakes to modern versions of
traditional bakes like Red Velvet cake and Lemon Meringue Pie. Decoration is
optional, giving the baker the choice of keeping it simple or indeed, going for
glory.
