Cookbook club - September is GBBO month!

[ScienceRocks]

This is a thread for all those wanting to share their experiences of cooking from any of the recipe books or blogs written by the Great British Bake Off judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, and any of the contestants or spin off books.

For those not familiar with the MN cookbook club, the idea is to choose a couple of books each month and then cook a few of the recipes from one or both. The thread means anyone taking part can celebrate successes, highlight problems or mistakes in recipes, and pass on any tips or changes that others may want to incorporate when they cook the same recipe. And if course, we have tried and tested the MN cookbook Top Bananas!

In the past we have done books by well known cooks such as nigella lawson and nigel slater, searched through blogs by the likes of smitten kitchen and been wowed by the flavours of yotam ottolenghi and Thomasina miers. Some of us find it gives focus to our menu planning, others feel it is the encouragement needed to try something different, whereas for some people it is the push needed to dust down an ignored book from the kitchen shelf and leaf through its pages for inspiration.

All welcome!

[OhTheHugeManatee]

A bit late, but I made rice pudding from Mary Berry Cooks last night. It was lovely. Really quick (preparation, it's a long time in the oven) and idiot proof. I added some sultanas, at DH's insistence, but otherwise was faithful to the recipe. I can see it becoming a regular.

[ScienceRocks]

New thread

[ScienceRocks]

Elr, buy away! Jamie's comfort food is a book for October, plus anything by simon Hopkinson. I'll check if anyone else has started a thread and will do so if they haven't.

Taffeta, I do know what you mean about jamie. I have sat down and gone through it and am slightly perturbed by the fact that a lot of the recipes seem to feed so many people! It's also not very kid-friendly, but that might be just because Mary berry has got me into cooking for the family (rather than for the DDs and then me and DH later) quite a bit.

[Taffeta]

I bought Jamie's Comfort Food and have to say I'm a little disappointed.

It seems to be a collection of recipes that take hours - so the opposite to 15 and 30 minute meals I suppose.

There's a recipe in there for shepherds pie that looks like it takes about 5 hours.

[ELR]

Hi all not looked at the cookbook thread at all this month as been really busy but have made Mary Berrys blueberry muffins from how to bake a very good classic muffin recipe which would be easy to adapt. We also made her raspberry ripple scones which I cut out of a magazine years ago they were really nice. I also made her baked cod in tomato and caper sauce which I found online again really nice and very easy. Dd made jo wheatleys blueberry, coconut and line scones we thought they were ok but a little dry.
That's it from me what books are we doing for October? I quite fancy buying the jamie comfort food but can't justify it......well unless it's for a reason!

[Taffeta]

Zipping in to say I made this raspberry ripple cake from Ruth Clemens (GBBO finalist a few years ago ) Pink Whisk blog.

I make lots of cakes and this IMO ranks up there as one of the best. Light as a feather but rich at the same time - divine.

[LovingKent]

Agree Science that PH should stick to bread. Must confess mostly bought pies and puds as at the front it has how to make each kind of pastry with step by step photos! Mastering pastry has been my goal for this year.

Made stem ginger shortbread from GBBO How to Bake this week. Lovely. Just the right amount of ginger which cuts through the sweetness rather nicely. Happy to find a shortbread recipe gives you a decent size biscuit! Would be easy to customise too.

[Cantdothisagain]

Venison pie sounds good!

I made Jamie's mums smoked haddock with poached egg. V simple but very nice! I know I'm a month early (!).

[ScienceRocks]

Venison and chestnut pie from Mary berry cooks tonight. Very fine it was too!

[OhTheHugeManatee]

I have a Simon Hopkinson book I've never cooked from, so would definitely go for that. If some of the Jamie recipes are available online, I can do that too.

I've just picked Mary Berry Cooks up from the library so will peruse when/if the child deigns to nap!

[ScienceRocks]

Fresh yeast, Pantah? Take me back to home ec days at school...

I made the triple tomato risotto again last night, with tomato puree this time and the rest of the sundried tomatoes I had leftover from the beginning of the month. I wilted some peppers in a cooling oven rather than using jarred, and it went down well with the whole family. Not sure about her quantities though. I halved the recipe so it should have fed 2-3 (the original stated 4-6) and there was masses. 200g of carnaroli rice goes an awfully long way, and even the back of the back states 60g per person.

Me, complaining about portion size, I must be unwell.

[Pantah630]

I watched Jamie, well the first half before DH pinched the telly, he does always seem to deliver on taste, Jamie not DH, unless you're into mini kievs and chips!! I'm hoping his recipes are available online and Simon Hopkinson, I really shouldn't be buying any more books at the moment, though will make an exception for Thomasina, I can buy that for DS2 he loves Wahaca.

I'm doing rubbish this month, I did get some fresh yeast in Tesco at the weekend so the intention is there, I just need someone to recommend me a cinnamon bun recipe from one of the Bake off team please

[ScienceRocks]

Lovingkent, I have made that pie with the cider pastry from a recipe that came in a newspaper. I thought it was good, but I'm reluctant to get another book of PH's as I think bread is really his thing and he should stop trying to cash in but doing other things that are better done by other people.

Madamecake, Thomasina miers is a great fave of mine and of several other cookbook club regulars, and we have done her Mexican book in the past. So she might be better saved for another month and maybe simon Hopkinson plus Jamie's comfort food can be the books for October. Views appreciated!

[ScienceRocks]

Nolda, the casserole is in "family favourites". I think it is listed as a stew rather than a casserole.

[madamecake]

Made the red velvet cake from Edd Kimber this weekend, I'd only tasted shop bought (and not very nice) red velvet cakes before so I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but it was delicious. Nice, subtle cocoa flavour and the cream cheese frosting was lovely and not sickly considering the amount used.

Also, can I suggest a book/books for next month or a future month - I've got two of Simon Hopkinson's books that I've never cooked from but really should.
I'd also like an excuse to get Thomasina Miners new book Chilli Notes, was flicking through it in a book shop today and it looks great.

[LovingKent]

Joining in finally - bit late! Science I feel tired just reading what you have done!

I have a few books written by GBBO contestants / judges and follow a few of their blogs.

I have these books:-

Ruth Clemens Caking Making - made lots from this one, great cakes, easy to make, nothing fancy (finalist in first series of GBBO), I can really recommend it.
GBBO How To Bake - book of the second series. I agree with Pantah - some of the recipes don't have pictures and haven't baked a lot from this as a lot of the recipes are quite time consuming. I got it to learn how to make Tart au Citron! In the past I have made the Christmas shortbread and marizpan biscuits which were lovely (although I didn't properly seal them so the marizpan leaked out of the sides), the Banana and almond slice and the oat and raisin biscuits
Mary Berry's Baking Bible -have done a lot of the traybakes, cakes and biscuits. Everything has turned out well.
Paul Hollywood's Pies and Puds - recently got this so not done many.
Ed Kimber The Boy Who Bakes - just got this out of the library
Paul Hollywood's 100 Great Breads - DH makes bread and has done quite a bit from this. The guiness and treacle I think is the best - it goes with everything and keeps for ages.

Blogs wise I follow
Recipes from a Normal Mum (Holly Bell)
The Pink Whisk (Ruth Clemens)
Jo's Blue Aga (Jo Wheatley)

Today I made the meat and potato pie from Pies and Puds. Some of the potato is supposed to thicken the sauce which didn't really work so I had masses of liquid and had to drain it off and reduce it and I forgot to season the meat but the suet pastry came out really well and overall it tasted quite good. Next time I will put less liquid in and much less potato. At the end of August I made the pork, apple and cider pie which was really good although the cider pastry doesn't keep.
This week hoping to make the stem ginger shortbread from How to Bake.

[Nolda]

Science, which section is the casserole in? I have the book on Kindle and struggle with finding recipes [useless].

[ScienceRocks]

I'm on a roll this month. Last night I made the beef and mushroom casserole from Mary berry cooks though I didn't have porcini mushrooms. Very nice it was too, particularly with the mustard mash.

[madamecake]

And me. Loved the look of the osso bucco and sticky toffee pudding he made the other night.

[Cantdothisagain]

Me- I've been watching Jamie. Really like the look of some of the recipes shown: I would definitely be up for it.

I froze some tomatillo salsa - no idea if freezing it is ok or not - will find out!

[ScienceRocks]

Good call, cant. I must dig out that jar of tomatillos

Anyone got or been watching Jamie's comfort food? I was wondering if it should be a contender for October.

[Cantdothisagain]

Snap Science! Did Mary's choc tray bake for a coffee morning and it went down v well.
And yes - she is very traditional, and reassuringly so in a way.

I have a craving for tomatillo salsa again...

[ScienceRocks]

I haven't done his brioche Madame, I must give it a try.

Just remembered that I made a friend the chocolate traybake from Mary berry cooks last week (as a birthday cake). She has reported back that it was very good

[madamecake]

Well my sourdough starter doesn't seem to be very active, so I've not been able to make any of PH's sourdough recipes yet.
We did have his savoury brioche couronne with spicy squash salad for tea last night though.

The brioche was lovely, although by coincidence the good food channel was showing the bread episode the recipe is from just after I had put it in the oven. I now think the bbc online recipe was missing a step! On the programme PH said it was really important to chill the dough before shaping so the butter didn't melt, but this wasn't mentioned online so I just let it prove at room temperature then shaped at room temp too, no wonder it was so difficult to work with! It still came out well though.

Dh loved the squash salad, I thought it was okay but needed a better salad dressing. Not sure if I'd make the salad again but I'd definitely make the brioche, it was an easy recipe considering how impressive it looked.

[ScienceRocks]

The berry is very traditional, isn't she icsntdothisagain? But I'm quite enjoying it, though my Mexican ingredients are now calling me