Tuesday 20 May 2014

A Sweet Challenge

N.B. this is not a sponsored post, just a little bit of fun!

By my kitchen door I have a small bookcase full of cookbooks. I mostly cook without a recipe, but I often use them to add to my repertoire, even if I alter the recipe, and I have some favourite books that I cook from frequently. For my birthday this year Husband added this to my collection:


The background, in case you're wondering, is a beautiful fleece-backed quilt, sewn for Bob by a very talented friend. I have decided to challenge myself to work my way through the book and bake as many of the recipes as possible. Ideally, I'd like to bake one a week. Conveniently, the link above contains a complete list of the recipes in the book. They tend towards American style, as is the speciality of the bakery itself.


First up were the white chocolate and pecan "blondies." I didn't have the right size of tin, so split the batter between two, but I think I might have made them too thin. The blondies were very dry and biscuity, and would have been so even if I had made them thicker. They were very tasty though, and rapidly disappeared into lunch boxes and snack times.


The second recipe I tried was the New York Cheesecake. This was my first ever attempt at a cheesecake! I have a fear of cooking things that have to set, especially where gelatine or egg whites are involved. I altered this recipe slightly by mixing in some blueberries that I found at the back of the freezer. The cheesecake turned out really well, and the blueberries gave it a pretty purple tinge. It was really delicious, and I can't wait to try it again! Maybe a lemon one next time...


It would be an awful shame if my cookbook library sat there meal after meal and was never used. I am determined to make them work for me. What are your favourite cookbooks? Do you have any that sit unused on your shelf?

E

2 comments:

  1. I have never made a cheesecake before , my husband would love it so much if I did!! I have to be honest and say that most of my cookbooks just sit on the shelves.

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    1. It was easier than I thought, maybe HE should make one!

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