Happy Wednesday! As part of the new posting schedule here on my blog, I’ll be bringing you a variety of different articles on a Wednesday, from Stop what you’re doing and look at this, to Loving right now, to one-off articles. This is one of the latter, about my favourite cookbook EVER (I may follow it up with other favourites too).
I first got a copy of How to be a domestic goddess when I was in my teens and it seemed just SO revolutionary to me at the time. Hard as it is to believe now, in the mid 90s, baking wasn’t exactly cool and the evocativeness of the title – how to be a domestic goddess – combined with the yummy recipes inside made (and still makes) me very happy.
I love the way she writes about establishing traditions for her children, like the smell of orange cranberry muffins on Christmas morning, or baking biscuits for the birthday cake in the shape of the child’s age – all sweet, simple ideas that can be adapted by anyone.
Tattered post it notes marking my favourite recipes!
THE most amazing chocolate brownies on the planet
Norwegian Cinnamon Buns… my copy falls open naturally to this page!
Some of my favourite recipes are
- Lemon and Almond loaf cake
- Norwegian Cinnamon buns (bastardized here with Nutella)
- Chocolate brownies
- Madeira cake (so simple, so good!)
- Christmas Cupcakes
Although there is still so much from the book that I still haven’t made, high on the list are the
- Dense chocolate loaf cake
- Chocolate peanut butter bars (I love the way Nigella writes that you would think that seeing what goes into them would put you off eating them, but it doesn’t – this is definitely my experience with baking!)
- Blackberry and apple kuchen
and her chocolate cherry cupcakes come highly recommended too!
If you’re inspired to cook like Nigella, check out Forever Nigella created by Maison Cupcake where bloggers bake Nigella recipes around a theme like ‘Summer’ each month.
What’s your favourite cookbook ever? And why do you think it inspires you so much/what do you love so much about it?
Finally, do you have an AMAZING Nigella recipe to recommend to me that I don’t already know about?!
x Kerry
The Vagabond Baker says
April 18, 2013 at 1:15 pmhahaha, your brownie page looks a lot like mine, except that I’ve scribbled notes on it too. That one recipe earned me the title Brownie Queen for a good long while. I became known for it.
I go back to it over and over again.
It’s not in HTBADG, but you have to try her Lemon Meringue Cake, it is on of those inspiring bakes, easy and sensational. http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/lemon-meringue-cake-109
xxxxx
Holly says
April 18, 2013 at 1:10 pmNigella’s Rocky Road – simple, easy and bloody good! It sells every day for us!
Sopho says
April 18, 2013 at 9:13 amMy favourite cookbook too! It’s in a different book, but if you haven’t already got a simnel cake recipe, hers is my family’s favourite!!! The brownies are also a favourite in my house, often wheeled out for birthdays, and sometimes just for fun 🙂
kerrycooks says
April 18, 2013 at 10:09 amBest brownies ever!!
Susannah Bianchi says
April 18, 2013 at 7:34 amLemon and almond loaf cake…hmm….that turned my head Miss Kerry. Cookbooks on a shelf always make me feel homey and warm. Bet you have quite a collection. This one looks dangerous. I can practically feel my waistband expand just looking at the cover…like they have printed on a huge sign at Greenbergs Bakery on Madison Avenue..’Life’s Short…Eat Dessert First 🙂
kerrycooks says
April 17, 2013 at 8:56 pmThanks Erin, I love the name of the ‘I want chocolate cake’ book – fantastic!
I actually have the primrose bakery book but I haven’t made anything from it yet – bad Kerry! I will get right on it 🙂 Hope you enjoy some sweet recipes from the Chocolate book soon!
erinorange says
April 17, 2013 at 8:49 pmI’ve used the Primrose Bakery book a lot – it’s one of those ones where the pages are kinda stuck together now I’ve used it so much – cupcakes are so delish! I also used to use this one called ‘I Want Chocolate Cake, and I Want It Now’ – the cookies are AMAZING and the sauce that goes with it – yum! The recipes all have funny names too – which is quite quirky!
I tried one of Mary Berry’s but was a bit letdown – unless it was just one of the recipes – I was disappointed by the cookies. My sister has just bought Eric Lanlard’s ‘Chocolate’ – it looks amazing!
di @ life of di. says
April 17, 2013 at 8:27 pmI’ve never heard of Nigella Lawson (ah -sorry!) but those recipes do sound good. My favorite cook books usually consist of quick and easy recipes! I love Martha Stewart’s Everyday Cooking one 🙂
kerrycooks says
April 17, 2013 at 8:57 pmHeehee, I think shes on american tv on a show called taste (if that exists?). I love martha too! And barefoot contessa.
bakearama says
April 17, 2013 at 5:19 pmI’ve not really looked at Nigella’s books but could be tempted now. When I was young my parents had Delia’s How to Cook, I’d still really like them now. Instead of googling every little kitchen query it would be nice to still look in books!
Jorie says
April 17, 2013 at 3:32 pmThis is so adorable that you loved this book as a teen! I’ve heard a lot about Nigella Lawson but never read or tried any of her recipes. I must make those brownies!
kerrycooks says
April 17, 2013 at 4:10 pmThanks Jorie for describing my post as adorable, I love that! It is packed full of great recipes and a real hybrid of classic british recipes like Madeira loaf cake with american ones like the pb choc squares!