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Original poster

The Hummingbird Bakery Book

58 replies

janeite · 23/07/2009 19:10

Has anybody got the Hummingbird book? If so, what do you recommend I start with please? Just been given it as a present.

The cupcakes all look rather too sweet and rich but I am willing to be persuaded otherwise!

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Original poster
janeite · 23/07/2009 21:15

Hopeful bump?

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fishie · 23/07/2009 21:16

i looked at it in waitrose. maybe cut down on sugar and put more aromatics in?

the bigger cakes looked interesting.

Katisha · 23/07/2009 21:19

I've bought it and failed to make anything yet.
But I fancy the lemon bars.

Wheelybug · 23/07/2009 21:21

I bought it at the weekend - and got some ingredients in weekly shop. Not had time to do anything though.

Was going to start with the brownies. Maybe try soem cupcakes just because they look fab (but agree will probably be too sweet but sure dd1 will manage !), then want to do a cheesecake and some savoury muffins and.. and.. and..

Will try and remember to report back ! Let me know what you do and how it is.

LynetteScavo · 23/07/2009 21:26

Oooh, I'm very [green] I really want that book!

slyandgobbo · 23/07/2009 21:27

I have made the chocolate cheesecake. I think it was quite nice but not nice enough to justify the astonishing calorific value. There's a carroty pineapple cake which looks good as did others of teh large cakes as fishie says.

Original poster
janeite · 23/07/2009 21:29

The carrot cake looks nice - and an apply nutty one looks v v v lovely indeed. Also carrot and courgette muffins sound interesting.

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LynetteScavo · 23/07/2009 21:29

Or even -

slyandgobbo · 23/07/2009 21:30

I q fancied the mississippi mud pie but have quite a high tolerance for the excessively sweet.

flatcapandpearls · 23/07/2009 21:33

I have just ordered this from amazon after spying it in smiths.

Original poster
janeite · 23/07/2009 21:33

Lynette - happy to post a recipe or two once I've tried some.

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Original poster
janeite · 24/07/2009 17:05

Bumping this - has anybody else cooked anything from it?

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Lobyd · 24/07/2009 17:07

I've just been bought it! But not used it yet. I have had something cooked from it though and it's the cupcakes that look red in the middle with the cheese icing - delicious!

Original poster
janeite · 24/07/2009 18:15

Ooh thanks - I love cream cheese icing!

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Wheelybug · 27/07/2009 18:47

This afternoon dd1 and I made the vanilla cupcakes and I made the brownies. The cupcakes didn 't go too well - didn't rise particularly well (but maybe because I opened the door int he middle by mistake) but cakes taste nice.

Icing didn't go too well either but that's because I am v. sleep deprived and made it with caster sugar instead of icing. I was wondering why it was so grainy

The Brownies on the other hand are lovely and v. easy.

Wheelybug · 27/07/2009 18:47

This afternoon dd1 and I made the vanilla cupcakes and I made the brownies. The cupcakes didn 't go too well - didn't rise particularly well (but maybe because I opened the door int he middle by mistake) but cakes taste nice.

Icing didn't go too well either but that's because I am v. sleep deprived and made it with caster sugar instead of icing. I was wondering why it was so grainy

The Brownies on the other hand are lovely and v. easy.

MollieO · 27/07/2009 18:56

This recipe is on the Amazon page.

MollieO · 27/07/2009 18:57

Here is the frostings recipe.

Original poster
janeite · 27/07/2009 18:59

Thanks Wheely - will try the brownies.

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Original poster
janeite · 27/07/2009 19:00

Ex-mil (who was utterly lovely) was not the best cook in the world, to be fair, and ALWAYS made buttercream with caster sugar - blah.

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Linnet · 28/07/2009 00:40

Blondies, so easy to make and so delicious.

I've also tried the brownies but I'm not sure that they turned out right. They were very gooey in the middle and i'm not sure if they are meant to be just that gooey.

I tried the banana cupcakes but they didn't work out very well.
One thing I've found is that almost every recipe says to bake at gas mark 3 I find that for my oven that is just far to low to bake anything. The brownies and blondies I baked at gas mark 4 and they came out fine, haven't tried the banana cupcakes again yet but I will sometime soon.

MadameCastafiore · 28/07/2009 00:43

The lemon loaf turned out like a big brick - DH liked it but it wasn't as nice as good old lemon drizzle cake.

I do find that cup cakes made with milk rather than a higher percentage of butter never rise as well and they tend to go a bit sticky.

Maiakins · 28/07/2009 09:08

I also made the banana chocolate cupcakes and it was a blooming disaster! I sent the book back to the library and am going to stick with the recipe for Devils Food Cake in Mary Berry's Ultimate Cake Book.

Such a disappointment because I love the Hummingbird Bakery, but have to be resigned to not being able to recreate it at home!

lucysmum · 28/07/2009 09:19

vanilla cupcakes better when cooked for a bit longer. Also recipe says make 12 but I made 9 and they seemed a more sensible size as they don't rise a lot. Loved the butter cream. Also made peanut butter cookies - makes loads - in fact I halved the ingredients and still got 24 normal size biscuits. they were yummy.

Original poster
janeite · 28/07/2009 18:31

Oh dear - worries. Maybe I should start with the peanut cookies then? But I am terrible at biscuits for some reason; much better at cakes.

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