Sunrise Senior Living Recipe Review

I get a lot of requests to review cookery books and to generally get involved with foodie related escapades. When I initially saw the email from Sunrise Senior Living, I initially thought it was jumping the gun a bit; I'm a tad young to be thinking of senior living! However, I took the time to have a look at the website, and loved what they were doing.

Sunrise Senior Living has launched their annual Taste of Sunrise to showcase the homemade meals served in their care homes every single day. They’ve launched a new recipe book with signature dishes designed by Michelin star chefs, which look pretty tasty whatever your age.

I knew the girl to put this through its paces; my very own Nigella, my buddy Lee. So off she trot with a shopping list and a twinkle in her eye...

I adore cooking, and have created a tradition of dedicating my Sunday afternoon to preparing a new recipe each week. When Rach asked me to have a look at the Taste of Sunrise recipes, I was intrigued. 

Sunrise Senior Living's annual Taste of Sunrise takes place 5th-13th March, giving an opportunity for the public to meet the staff, taste the lovely food, have a tour, and take a copy of the book home. With this in mind they have released some of their favourite recipes, designed by Michelin starred chefs. The meals are nutritionally balanced, created to maintain residents' interest in food, and ensure dietary requirements met. As well as doing all that, they have chosen some absolute crackers. After much deliberation, I had a plan.

I decided to treat my beloved to a Sunday tea of French Onion Soup followed by Salmon and Spinach Wellington. I prepared the soup earlier in the afternoon; the recipe was simple and clear, the result was a rich and velvety soup which went down a storm. Leftovers were just as good today.

I was very excited about the Wellington, as salmon features rather heavily in our diet, and I am always looking for new ways to prepare it. Again the recipe was easy to follow, and despite one small issue (me forgetting to put the spinach in, and having to open the pastry up again), the end result was fabulous.

I am now plotting the Winter Beef Stew and Bread and Butter pudding for next weekend. Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes Sunrise, your residents are very lucky indeed!

The nearest participating care home is in Bramhall, Stockport.

Giveaway: The Manchester Cookbook

I've been leafing through this little beauty over the last couple of days; I love it already. The Manchester Cookbook is a brilliant idea. It's packed with recipes and stories from 55 local restaurants, cafés, delicatessens, pubs, producers and suppliers. Contributor Aiden Byrne said “The vibe in and around Manchester is electric, the sense of positivity is contagious and the number of restaurants that are opening is proof of this.” Yes Aiden, we are indeed a city of cocktail drinking, food loving folk, who occasionally love to cook at home too.

Whether you live in Manchester or not, this is a little corker. If you are a native to the city, you'll adore this book, which is packed with recipes from some of your favourite restaurants, if not, it'll make you want to visit then recreate some of these dishes in your own kitchen. I'm already planning to make my own corned beef in an ode to Mr Thomas' Chop House! If you've never tried it, I must insist you correct this. Other highlights include The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon's Eton Mess Cake, and some some of Harvey Nic's favourite cocktails (see pics below).

What's even better is that I have three copies to give away! That's right, you could win one of your very own. It's currently sold out, but I'm assured more will be on their merry little way, very soon indeed.

Pictures: Meze Publishing

The Manchester Cook Book retails at just £14.95 and will be available soon in all of the businesses featured in the book as well as select local gift shops, book shops including Waterstones and online at www.amazon.co.uk.

How to Enter

• Simply follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter widget below.
• To be in with a chance of winning you must complete ALL the mandatory fields.
• All entries will be checked and verified before a winner is announced.
• Rafflecopter will pick three random winners.
• The competition runs until 12am on 31st December 2015.
• Please see the Terms and Conditions on the Rafflecopter widget for the rules and more information.

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Review: Pimp My Rice by Nisha Katona

So my tame little domestic goddess has been at it again. Lee's been putting Nisha Katona's new book Pimp My Rice through its paces. Here's her review with some lovely pictures of what she made.

Having visited Mowgli's new site in the Manchester Corn Exchange, I was already a big fan of Nisha Katona, and so jumped at the opportunity to give her recipe book 'Pimp my Rice' a try.

My favourite part of this book is the first few pages where she gives general advice on cooking and preparation methods. I have great form for undercooking or burning rice so this is a huge help.

The book is then helpfully broken down into five food types; breakfasts, lunch and snacks, mains, sides and puddings. There is an excellent selection of dishes in each section, and after much deliberation I chose to start with a recipe that combines two of my favourite things...gin and fish! 

That's right, Gin and Tonic Coriander Salmon. The recipe was clear and easy to follow, with delicious results. It's also worth noting that the rice cooking method in this recipe is the best ever and I have used it for all rice based dishes I have made since then. 

This recipe book is great fun, and I can't wait to try more from it. This weekend is going to be dedicated to the pudding section, bring on the spiced rice pudding!

Disclaimer: We were sent a copy of this book to review. This was actually before our trips to Mowgli, which just sharpened our collective appetites further.

Home Baking by Jo Wheatley

I've loved Jo ever since she first graced our screens on the Great British Bake Off. She's a humble home baker who writes about the food she makes for her family and friends. Her first book, A Passion for Baking is packed full of tasty bakes that anyone could have a bash at. This week I received a copy of her new book, Home Baking. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better... There are bundts in there!

This book is another absolute corker. My mouth was genuinely watering whilst flicking through! It contains the type of recipes that you want to have a bash at on a drizzly Sunday afternoon. Proper comfort food.

The book is split into

• Biscuits, Bars and Cookies
• Bread and Scones
• Cakes
• Baking with Children
• Crumbles, Tarts and Pithiviers
• Quiches, Pasties, Pies and Savoury Puddings
• Quick and Simple
• Special Occasions
• Supper Bakes
• Teatime Treats

My first reaction was to ask Jo whether I could move in with her. I'd also need a good surgeon as there is no way my metabolism could tolerate such gluttony. I think part of the appeal is the styling of the photography that accompanies the recipes. Everything looks hearty and home made. There's nothing more daunting than perfect pastry and evenly browned biscuits. Granted, we all want them to look like that but I'm put off recipes where things are too perfect. They scream 'test kitchen', not my kitchen.

Some of my favourite recipes from the book include the ground cinnamon buns, cheesy tear and share bread (above), Christmas cake (in a holiday bundt tin!) and the Portuguese tarts. I adore reading Jo's work and listening to her talking about her baking. She's such a lovely lady. You can just tell that this is a labour of love because it's what she's done for years. She's making cakes for her grand children that come from her own nan's recipes. She even has a section called Baking with Children to encourage readers to show their own families how to bake. My grandma taught me so I fully understand the desire to pass it on.

This is another beautiful book full of little gems from the lady who won our hearts by being a normal mum who bakes for her family. Here's to book number three.

Home Baking is available exclusively to Sainsburys.

A Passion for Baking by Jo Wheatley
Publisher: Constable & Robinson Ltd, 2013
Hardback, £16.99 but is currently on offer at Sainsbury's for £8!
Watch Jo talk about her new book on BBC Breakfast

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The Clandestine Cake Club Cookbook by Lynn Hill

This time last year I was bored. Really bored. Then I discovered the Clandestine Cake Club. Within a year it has transformed by life beyond recognition. I now run the Bolton branch; a tantalising mixture of bakers, all giddy about cake. Some always had the bug for baking. Most had little confidence in their own ability. Others heard of our venture and baked for the first time to join us. By September I was stood in front of the other organisers in Leeds doing a lecture on bundt cakes, and now we have a book.

We meet once a month in secret locations only revealed to attendees a few days before the event. We bake a cake on a specified theme and try a bit of each others. What is left is taken home in the cake 'trough' (as it's known in our house) and enjoyed later.

Nothing gives me more pleasure to review our very first book. Our creator Lynn Hill has worked incredibly hard to build the club up from a group of friends in a Leeds cafe to a menagerie of clubs spanning the globe. She sat back, and saw that it was good.

At cake club we love nothing more than to sit and have a natter over (several) slices of cake and a brew. We chat about our cakes, ideas, recipes and our general gluttony. It's not a competition. It's hugely supportive, and I can genuinely say that I have met some wonderful new friends. This is what life is all about. Sharing what you have with those around you in a happy environment.

I know Lynn has worked incredibly hard on this book. She gathered the recipes, made countless trips to the publisher in London, tested cakes (well you have to...) and probably the hardest thing of all... had to keep the recipes a secret for ages!
When I received the book I was flabbergasted. It's absolutely beautiful. I was a little concerned that by making our cakes in a professional kitchen, that it might lose some of our home made feel. I'm sure you'll agree that the pictures I have sampled capture all of the warmth, humour and utter unctuousness that comes with a club cake. There are tales of mishaps and wonderful little tips from each baker. They are all achievable. Every one.

The book is split into:

• Victorian Cakes - pretty bakes inspired by historical tales. Pastel Battenberg, floral concoctions and tales of the empire remind us of the very first meeting held in Leeds in 2010.
• Fruity Cakes - ahem... they're part of your five a day... A chapter jam packed with beautifully moist cakes including rhubarb, plums, pears and apples. Pretty as a picture!
• Global Cakes - we take inspiration from our friends overseas and look at everything from Finnish Christmas cake to Japanese tea...
• Chocolatey Cakes - the cakes we only ever manage a slither of at cake club, yet somehow have the strength to devour a whole slice later that night... Oozing centres and glossy ganache fill these pages.
• Celebration Cakes - it's all about the pomp and ceremony here! We celebrate all year round with a variety of wonderful cakes, including champagne, spices and of course some beautiful festive bakes.
• Creative Cakes - we love a bit of imagination at cake club! Our varied themes mean that we never get a plain sponge. Expect crazy colours, toppings and variations on a theme here.
• Classic Cakes - there is a very special place in our hearts for a classic which is well executed, perhaps with the baker's own little twist or finishing touch. Even the sponge in this section is listed as curious...
• Zesty Cakes - perfect for any occasion and a real crowd pleaser. So popular in fact, they have a section of their very own. 

We have all bases covered. There is a recipe here for every occasion; each one painstakingly created by a cake clubber ready for their meeting. And remember folks, we have done all the swearing so you don't have to! All the cakes in the book have been tested by us and the publisher's culinary wizards to ensure they are book-worthy. What's really nice is the recipe credits both the creator and the club they come from too. 

I have a ridiculous amount of baking books at home, and I can honestly say that none are as comprehensive or creative as this. There may be no competition at cake club, but we all take a great deal of pride in our work. I think it shows.

I know lots of cake clubbers have been waiting to see some of these fantastic pictures! These are only a tiny sample...

Please make sure you pre order a copy of the book which is out on 14th February. Amazon have it on offer at the utterly bargainous price of just £12.80 (RRP £20) at the moment. I think you'll agree it would be foolish not to buy a copy at such a price. No home baker should be without it.
Buy the book here

This review would not be complete without a huge thank you to Lynn. Without your vision, there would not be a band of baking enthusiasts meeting secretly every month, creating some weird and wonderful cakes. We've met new friends, supported our local businesses and learned new skills. Hopefully others can now share our passion and might be encouraged to join their local club, or indeed start a new one in their own area.

How to join the Clandestine Cake Club

More information on what happens at cake club

Please leave your comments below... x

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Publisher: Quercus, 2013
Hardback, RRP £20
Disclaimer: Although I am utterly biased because I am a cake club member and I have recipes in the book, I hope you all feel my genuine excitement that Lynn has put this collection of recipes together. We all hoped the publishers would do a good job, and they have. It's a beautiful book full of the joy and humour that is cake club.

Love Baking Magazine

I was recently sent a copy of Love Baking magazine. Although I am a huge fan of food magazines, I rarely buy baking ones as I find there isn't enough variety in them to hold my attention. What drew my eye to this one was the fact it is quarterly, so although you pay a little more for it (The Christmas issue is £7.99) you get more for your money. This issue also came with a free cupcake stand, matching cake wrappers and nutcracker decorations.

The magazine has a good mix of features and projects with some fantastic guest articles, including recipes by Peggy Porschen and Edd Kimber. There was a particularly nice piece in this issue about making your own edible Christmas presents; including what goodies to make but also what to package them in. Genius!

My picks from this issue are:

• Peppermint Delight cupcakes topped with candy stripe sweets (above)
• Berry Red cupcakes made with orange and cranberry sponge (above)
• Edd Kimber's home made truffles
• Time for Tea - a guide to some brilliant tea shops (below)
• Best Buys - the latest baking must haves
• Iced Treats with stencilled biscuits from Peggy Porschen (above)
• Edible Christmas Baubles
• Baker's Bookshelf - we're obviously on the same wavelength... some of my favourites are on here! (below)

I'll definitely be purchasing this magazine in the future, but this time I will allow myself more time to enjoy the fabulous projects! Love Baking is a great place to look for new recipes or just a little bit of inspiration. It's like the best bits of the food magazines written with bakers in mind. What you won't find is ten tonnes of sugar paste on every page. Because the magazine uses guest writers, there is a real variety of content meaning it kept my attention from cover to cover. Maybe a bundt article is calling...?

Buy the current issue 

Disclaimer: Love Baking sent me a complimentary copy of their Christmas magazine. However, I wrote about it because I genuinely enjoyed reading it and plan to use some of the recipes in the future.

Make Your Own Christmas Decorations - Cath Kidston

A few weeks ago I was sent a copy of Make Your Own Christmas Decorations by Cath Kidston. I was thrilled! I've been looking for an excuse to do a bit of the old Christmas crafting. About a week later, my friend Nicola asked if I fancied going to the Cath Kidston store in Manchester for a festive crafting evening. Do dogs pee up lamposts?! This was the perfect opportunity to try some of the projects included in the pack.

The book comes with all the materials you will need to make the decorations, except tracing paper, a needle and stuffing. It contains:

• Six sheets of felt in different colours
• Skeins of embroidery cotton in three different colours
• A selection of little pom poms
• Some waxed cotton cord for hanging

There are twelve little hanging decorations to make:

• Christmas Pud
• Angel
• Stocking
• Holly
• Present
• House
• Reindeer
• Robin
• Christmas Tree
• Father Christmas
• Dog
• Snowman

They range from the ridiculously easy to more challenging items, so there is something for all abilities. These type of decorations actually look good if your sewing isn't up to much, so don't worry about it being perfect. The book does talk you through running stitch, straight edging stitch, blanket stitch and French knots, but most things can be done without any fancy needlework at all. 

The book then gives to step by step guides to making each of the decorations, including a pattern. I decided to make a robin. Granted, I didn't finish my robin on the crafting evening, as I became unfortunately side tracked by shopping. A hundred pounds lighter, I decided to finish my robin at home... see below... 

From start to finish it probably took me about an hour and a half, and I haven't sewn much since second year technology at school! I'm just hoping I get the time to make a few more!

This is a great little book because it won't frustrate the hell out of you if you are a little less than crafty, but the finished products are fantastic. I can't wait to put my little robin on my tree!

Publisher: Quadrille, 2012

Paperback, £15.00

Disclaimer: I reviewed this book because I fancied a spot of Christmas crafting, and I am a huge fan of anything by Cath Kidston. Proper fan boy...

Please leave your comments below... x

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Meat London: An Insider's Guide by Tom Howells

Someone wrote a meat bible folks...

I love this series of books. They have to be one of the best ideas ever. For those of us who live outside London, finding somewhere good to eat can be a minefield. Okay, so you have the Michelin, Good Food, AA and Hardens guides but they tend to stick to fine dining. They do go a little beyond the white table cloth, but you rely on a score to tempt you. These books are like a very specific travel guide tailored to your preferred type of food. Earlier this year I reviewed Tea and Cake. This will be in my handbag when we visit London later in the month. Imagine my joy when I received a similar guide called 'Meat London'...

I don't know who loves this book more, me or my husband. It is rammed with wonderful pictures of what these places have to offer, tempting you like a meaty mistress! It's also in the same handy format as the other books, so it's easy to flick through for inspiration for any occasion; even if that means cooking at home. There's a really varied mix of high end restaurants and cheaper places too, so there's something for everyone regardless of the circumstance or budget. There's everything from Michelin stars to street food vans in here.

The book is split into three main sections for ease of browsing:

1. Restaurants and Pubs
2. Street Food
3. Butchers

Here are my picks from each section. Some I have already been too, but most are on the 'to eat' list...

Restaurants and Pubs

• Dinner by Heston Blumenthal - we went here not long after it opened and were flabbergasted by the steaks and their famous meat fruit.
• Hawksmoor - we still haven't got round to going here. Our London trips are always jam packed with restaurants, so it remains on 'the list'.
• Honest Burgers - I had never heard of this place before, but the pictures remind me very much of Roam in San Francisco. I have to go...
• St John - one of my husband's favourite meals ever. I expected offal-a-go-go here but was pleasantly surprised by their varied menu. Fantastic desserts too.

Street Food

• Daddy Donkey - authentic Mexican inspired by the owner's travels. He claims to be the daddy of burritos. Sounds right up my street!
• The Rib Man - inspired by the American deep South, this looks very 'Man vs. Food'. Yes.

Butchers

Not something I would usually purchase on a trip to London, however some of the pictures in this book have me considering a cool box...

• The Ginger Pig - this small chain of butchers has a simple ethos of raising well cared for, happy animals on the Yorkshire Moors. As a result, the quality of their meat has earned them an excellent reputation. The Hawksmoor even use their steaks...

This really is a great little book because it's a pleasant book to pick up and have a flick through, but it's also one I will actually use when planning future trips to London. 

Also available in the series is 'A Guide to London's Classic Cafes and Fish & Chips Shops'.

Publisher: Black Dog, 2012

Hardback, £9.99

Disclaimer: I reviewed this book because I am a carnivore. I received no payment from the publisher for doing so.

Read more about the authors at Black Dog.

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Bake Me I'm Yours... Chocolate by Tracey Mann

It's Chocolate Week, so imagine my excitement when this cheeky little number appeared! It's from one of my favourite series of books, the Bake Me I'm Yours range. Fun little books which combine tricks of the trade with brilliant recipes that give you the freedom to either follow a guide, or create something of your own. This one is by Tracey Mann, renowned cake maker and chocolate tousling goddess. These little books would make excellent stocking fillers too... Ok give me a break! I've been eating clementines and macaroons today so it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

True to form, this book starts with the basics. These are enough to turn you from sticky-fingered buffoon to chocolate tamer extraordinaire! It goes through:

• Tools 
• How to temper chocolate (I can hear the gasps and shrieks from here...)
• Dealing with chocolate paste
• Working with coloured cocoa butter

It then has a section with your basic stock recipes which will have you ready for chocolate action toot-sweet. They include:

• Chocolate sponge
• Cupcakes
• Brownies
• Chocolate Bites
• Ganache
• Truffles
• Buttercream

There are some fantastic little creations in here which are perfect for wrapping up as gifts too. Imagine... home made truffles in little bags with red ribbon. Yes...

Now this is where this fabulous little book will distill any fear of working with chocolate. It's had many of us swearing in our kitchens over the years, so Tracey has a step by step approach to her 'Decorations' section. These implements would ordinarily have a novice quaking in their boots, but the informative pictures are there to calm and sooth. She covers:

Chocolate flower using transfer sheets

• The sugar gun (think glue gun, only with sugar! Really!)
• A beadmaker
• Moulds
• Lollipops
• Transfer sheets (now these are nifty!)
• Flowers

Now comes the clever bit. Putting it all together into projects. I like this bit. In isolation, they are utterly terrifying. Broken down into stages they are totally achievable. These are in sections:

• True Love
• Wedded Bliss
• Birthday Treats
• Festive Indulgence
• More Excuses 

I really enjoyed flicking through this book with a cup of tea. As with all of this range, it inspires ideas as well as giving you projects to try.


Publisher: David and Charles, 2009
Hardback, £9.99
Purchase: To order please visit RUCraft and quote code R11785 upon checkout or call RUCraft on 0844 8805851.
Disclaimer: I reviewed this book because it's full of chocolate goodies, perfect for Chocolate Week.

Reader Offer Alert!

Dolly Bakes readers can order Bake Me I'm Yours... Chocolate for the special price of £2.99 (rrp ￡9.99) with free p&p (UK only). Bargainous!

Bake Me I'm Yours... Cupcake Fun by Carolyn White

Last week I got sent this little beauty in the post. I don't really do a lot of cake decorating as I find sugar paste a little fiddly, but this book shows you really simple ways of making everyone think you're really clever...

Next week is National Cupcake Week, so I though what better way to celebrate than with a cupcake book review! Celebrations start from 17th September through to 23rd. I'm not actually home for the festivities, so I thought it best to do something beforehand. This month's Calendar Cakes Challenge is cupcake related too, so it's a match made in heaven!

I really like the 'Bake Me I'm Yours' range. I recently reviewed Sarah Trivuncic's Sweet Bitesize Bakes version too. They all include great little bakes that look really impressive but don't take an age to make. Cupcake Fun follows a similar style to Bitesize Bakes. You are given an arsenal of simple yet tasty recipes, a series of techniques and then some ideas which you can either follow or use as inspiration.

The book teaches you how to:

• pipe buttercream
• make sugar paste more maleable using CMC
• colour suger paste
• make effects e.g. flames and sky
• create people and animals
• create special finishes e.g. lustres and water ripples
• make crafty display ideas
• transport safely (every cake clubber reading this just straightened up in their chair...)

It also includes really creative decoration ideas which I have never seen on commercial cupcakes. They fall into four categories:

1. Barnyard Fun - animals, including lambs, cows, sheep, dogs and blackbirds.
2. Spaced Out - aliens, astronauts, rockets, planets and stars.
3. Dressing Up - ambulances, fire, police, doctors and nurses, the army and pop stars.
4. Fairytales and Adventure - pirates, mermaids, fairies and knights.

Of course you could just use these as inspiration for your own ideas, as the techniques section will teach you all you need to know about creating the bits and bobs which combine to make a masterpiece. It even tells you how much sugar paste you will need. This is something I always massively underestimate when covering something and overestimate when making little things. 

If you fancy having a bash at a bit of decorating over National Cupcake Week, pick up this fab little book. Don't forget to enter your creations into the Calendar Cakes Challenge too!

Publisher: David and Charles, 2012

Hardback, £9.99 
Purchase at rucraft.co.uk

Disclaimer: I reviewed this book because it's perfect for National Cupcake Week.

Reader Offer Alert!

Readers can order Bake Me I’m Yours… Cupcake Fun for the special price of £7.49 (rrp￡9.99 with free p&p (UK only). 

To order please visit cupcake fun and quote code R11675 upon checkout or call RUCraft on 0844 8805851

The Great British Bake Off is BACK!

It's back... The series that revived baking in Britain returns to our TV screens on Tuesday 14th August at 8pm for the next 16 weeks. Set your Sky+, V+ or even the bloody video recorder this very instant!

Mary was my childhood inspiration. Ultimate Cakes has been the one constant on my baking bookshelf, so I was thrilled when the first series of the Great British Bake Off was announced. Every year I have seen the following grow along with the Nation's passion for home baked goods. My favourite thing about this show is that the contestants are real people. They bake at home for their friends and family. They have disasters, fits of nerves and hair-brained ideas just like we do. By the end of the series they are seen as baking gods. It just goes to show what is achievable with a bit of confidence in your own ability. This show is not about achieving perfection every time. It's about passion and sharing.

Then of course there are the wonderful books which accompany the series. That beautiful apple scone round from  the Great British Book of Baking... Next came The Great British Bake Off: How to Bake and that amazing Sticky Maple Apple Traybake (a huge hit at work). Then there were the books from those brave folk who entered the contest. Edd Kimber, Ruth Clemens, Jo Wheatley and Miranda Gore Browne have all brought out lovely books which sit on my shelves.

This year, the BBC have brought out a new book inspired by the show-stopper challenge called 'The Great British Bake Off: How to Turn Everyday Bakes into Showstoppers'. BBC Books kindly sent me a copy of this book to have a look through before the programme started. Everyone loves to be asked 'did you make that?!' and this book talks you through some simple yet effective tips to achieve the seemingly unachievable. The book has over 100 recipes in all disciplines of baking, including cakes, biscuits, pies, breads, tarts, desserts and puddings. It also includes the technical challenges if you fancy having a bash at home. Don't let the word 'showstopper' put you off either. Every level of baker is catered for here, each with its own variation on the showstopper theme. In each section there are bakes covering beginners, a little more time and a little more skill.

As my friend Michelle puts it, this book is all about the 'titivation'. It teaches you how to make every bake that much prettier, including decorating cupcakes, tricks with layer cakes, icing biscuits and piping meringues. The book guides you through techniques such as marbling and feathering, so that you are able to concoct your own creations using your new found skills. I can't wait to get cracking with this book! I think the Cinnamon Apple Doughnuts might be first on the list...

There is also a Great British Bake Off App being launched this year. It's available from the Apple App Store for just £2.99. The App includes a recipe search, 'touch free' technology which allows you to skip through recipe steps without touching your phone, a shopping list, favourites and even a link to Facebook and Twitter so you can share what you're up to. Click here to download.

The first episode sees the bakers attempt Rum Babas, a signature upside down cake and a showstopper with a concealed surprise on the inside. Good luck folks! We're all behind you!

• Great British Bake Off Season Three Trailer 
• Sneaky peak from the first episode: James faces possible disaster...
• If you live anywhere near the North-West, you can also see Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood at the Bolton Food and Drink Festival over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
• Follow on Twitter @BritishBakeOff with the hashtag #GBBO.
• More information is available on the BBC website.

Book Details:
The Great British Bake Off: How to Turn Everyday Bakes into Showstoppers by Linda Collister with Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry.
Publisher: BBC Books, 2012
Paperback, RRP £20

Please leave your comments below! x

Love Bakery by Samantha Blears

This little book screams 'look at me!' in a way that can only be achieved with a shocking pink cover with green glitter, inside covers emblazoned with a Union Jack made from cupcakes, and pages which include twinkly fairy lights. Love Bakery's Sam Blears claims to make cupcakes from the heart, and looking at the pictures in this book, on her blog and on Love Bakery website I'd say she's achieved that. The girl's living the dream!

It's an inspirational story which gives faith to those of us who have a split life... By day we work in offices. We deal with people, systems and contracts; but when we leave we are transformed into an army of bakers, high off icing sugar inhalation and fuelled by the adrenaline coursing through our veins from repeatedly muttering to ourselves...'is it done yet...?'

Sam Blears' story may start ringing some bells. She started baking when her children wanted a stall at the Halloween fair at school. Her stall sold out and the phone started to ring. She did the odd order for other parents, friends and family. Then came the local shops and delis. What I love about this story is the moment Sam recalls panicking about perfection, but found nifty ways (as we all do) of making something a little wonky into a picture of perfection. Buttercream faux pas concealed with a sugar paste flower and sunken cakes covered with a star shaped whip. La la la... nothing to see here... When her kitchen became too small for the orders, she moved to her own premises. She did everything herself, including the now iconic pink and green logo.

Nestled on King's Road in Chelsea, Love Bakery is all about fun; from it's bright pink shop front to alcoholic 'cuptails'. This book is definitely one for the cupcake lover. Not only does it have a broad range of recipes, but it has practical, achievable decorating techniques, that whilst are simple to create turn the bog standard cupcake into a little piece of happiness. It also includes recipes for whoopie pies, love pops, cake pops, giant cupcakes and giant doughnuts.

The book is split into seven sections:
Love Favourites - these are your basic recipes, which range from trusted vanilla to the increasingly popular Oreo flavoured.
Love Cake for Breakfast - a selection of energy boosting sweet treats including greek yoghurt and honey cupcakes to a Peruvian bear variety...
Love Fruit - luscious mango and strawberry to award winning rhubarb and custard.
Love Afternoon Tea - the quintessential staples in modern form.
Love Retro -  a nod to the past.
Love Being a (big) Kid! - 'fizzy whizzy' and oversized creations...
Love Cuptails - sophisticated cakes ideal for any occasion.

Between recipes, the book is also filled with handy hints, tips and sources of inspiration, such as gift wrapping ideas, how to pipe, mood-boards, templates and decorating ideas. You'll enjoy this book whether you're looking to follow a recipe to the letter or use it for inspiration. Let's face it, some of the best creations are made on the fly. I often flick through baking books purely to get ideas. This one is packed.

I decided to use pretty pastels, love heart sprinkles and sweets to decorate my Love Bakery cupcakes. I whipped up a batch of rose cupcakes from the Love Favourites section, and used the rest of the book as inspiration for the decoration. I dyed the frosting using pink and blue gel pastes (piped with a round nozzle) and decorated with heart sprinkles from Edible Glitter and good old Haribo.

Plate - Next Home

Case and cupcake box- Asda, Plate - vintage

Case - Laura Ashley

Recipes are set out clearly, with defined sections for both ingredients and method, splitting each step. There's a variation on almost every theme, so you can play around with your favourite recipes.

Buy this book if you enjoy experimenting or are on the hunt for inspiration. Recipes are easy to follow for beginners, but there is enough there to keep advanced bakers happy too.

Love Bakery by Samantha Blears

Publisher: Ivy Press, 2010
Paperback, RRP £16.99
Disclaimer: I reviewed this book because it's so darn pretty. I received no payment from the publisher.
Read more about the author at Ivy Press.

The Cake Parlour - Sweet Tables by Zoe Clark

I always get a little giddy when a charming little book like this lands on the mat. I've said it before. A pretty book invites you in. A beautifully styled book with lots of colourful pictures entices me to try its recipes much more than something that doesn't get the imagination racing. The shots in this book remind me of a parisian patisserie; perfect. However, stop right there if you think that everything in the book is beyond the muster of your average baker. Here it ticks another box... something for every level of skill. Amazing stacked tiers painstakingly covered in sugar-paste with an eye for detail that satisfies even the most rampant case of OCD are mixed with simple biscuits, vibrant cake pops and pastel meringues.

Sweet tables are the latest craze to sweep America thanks to the likes of Martha Stewart and Amy Atlas. Even over here, the sweet buffet is becoming a staple at fetes and weddings. A feast for the eyes and the belly.

The Cake Parlour shop is located in Wimbledon Park in London, and sells a whole host of confectionary delights from individually wrapped biscuits to wedding cakes. I'm a little drawn in by their lovely shop front too... I'm a bugger for pastel woodwork...

This is the type of book that you may flick through for decoration inspiration, even if you don't end up using their base recipes. The book is split into six sections:

1. The Candy Collection
2. A Romance of Ruffles
3. A Feast of Roses
4. Festival of White
5. Lullaby of Sweet Loves
6. At the Cake Parlour

The decorating chapters are then followed by your basics:

• Tools and Equipment
• Recipes and Techniques

Everything is covered. How to get your cakes level before embarking upon icing, how to use simple piping techniques to create a show-stopper, and recipes which make the magic so enticing.

I was inspired to make some chic cupcakes, after all I had spent the previous day making luminous monsters... Balance needed to be restored. Urgently. Sparkle, lustre, roses, pearls and sweeping swirls were my inspiration for this batch. Not an eyeball in sight... Not a trace of neon.

To make the cupcakes above I used lots of different techniques and decorations.

• Pearl Rose Cupcake - to create this I used a Wilton 1B nozzle and a quick spritz of Dr Oetker silver decoration spray.
• Lustre Quilted Cupcake and Gilded Spires Cupcake - these were both made using a Wilton 21 nozzle in short sharp bursts but in different directions, and covered in gold and silver Dr Oetker sprays.
• Pearl and Swirl Cupcake - this is a really simple swirl of buttercream using a Wilton 1M and Dr Oetker pearl dragees.
• Confetti Cupcake - again, really simple using a Wilton 1M but this time with strawberry chocolate 'confetti' curls from The Chocolate Cafe in Ramsbottom.

I used the book's simple vanilla cupcake recipe and one quantity of their vanilla buttercream dyed baby blue and petal pink using Dr Oetker food colour gels. The buttercream had a beautifully light consistency which I found piped well. I did however run out because I had been using so much per cake! Luckily I had a batch of Renshaw 'Snip and Swirl' in the cupboard for just such an emergency! Although this can be used straight from the bag, I popped it into a piping bag with a nozzle and off I trot. 

Buy this book if you love to make a masterpiece, need inspiration, love 'small and pretty', want a challenge or indeed just fancy a beautiful coffee table book. 

The Cake Parlour - Sweet Tables by Zoe Clark

Publisher: David & Charles, 2012
Paperback, RRP £14.99
Buy the book at RUCraft for just £11.24.
Disclaimer: I reviewed this book because it's excruciatingly beautiful. I received no payment from the publisher.
Read more about the author at David & Charles.

None of the companies listed above paid me for this post. Both Renshaw and Dr Oetker ave sent me samples to test out as part of my normal baking. I was delighted with the results from all products used.