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Books : How to be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking
Rating: 
- Mixed results
I've only recently started using this book but am an avid baker. The production is wonderful and I enjoy Nigella's attitude to food. Some recipes are excellent but others are quite disappointing. I felt some basic information was left out i.e. size of moulds, adjustment for fan ovens etc. This may well have impacted on the outcome of some recipes. However, once you hit on a good recipe, it's a keeper! You'll make it again and again!
Rating:
- Great Christmas cake recipe - could easily double as pud!
I was drawn by the cake on the front of this book and used Nigella's recipe for latkes around Christmas a couple of years ago - they were lovely. This year I've used her Christmas cake recipe twice (second cake baked last week) and everyone who has eaten it has loved it! The first time it came out quite moist but I found that it came out really high when I left the fruit soak for about a week, topping up the sherry (Cork Cream) with a little splash of black (Seadog) rum and finished it with cognac (Hennessy) before mixing it. The cake could, I've been told, be served instead of pudding if you wanted to avoid steaming puddings. As with Delia Smith's book, my copy of this one has started to accumulate sticky finger marks on the pages from use - hope yours will too.
Rating: - Perfect for any Domestic Goddess!
It's quite simple. I have bought this book for many friends now, It's a super addition to any recipe collection. Perfect!!
Rating: - Comfort food at it's best
Just the most dreamy book, I just like to look through it sometimes as it cheers me up. The recipes are all yummy, easy to follow and love Nigellas approach. Would not be without this book, refer to time and again.
Rating: - Baking Flavoured Genius!!!
I absolutely love this book.
Mouth-watering recipes with honest & humerous additions and explanations to encourage you through them. Although some of the recipes look & sound a little advanced you never know until you try, and as the author explains some of the most wonderful recipes are created by mistake.
Admittedly i've mostly attempted sweet treats but the Cornish Pasty recipe was divine, I substituted the mince for butternut squash and made a vegetarian version. Thats another bonus of this book, many recipes have variations at the end, meaning once you've got your confidence you can experiment safe in the knowlegde that it wont ruin it by changing bits.
My book is covered in splashes of this & that and chocolate thumbprints as the recipes have been used over and over.
Theres a store cupboard chocolate orange cake, which again sounds scary when you discover the main ingredient is a jar of marmalade...but as my dad always said "try it before you screw your face up in disgust".
My favourite has to be the moist chocolate loaf which requires stirring in 250ml of boiling water!!! It did look very very watery and like a disaster waiting to happen.....but my god it was gorgeous!!! Have faith and attempt it more than once and you'll find you're constantly baking these favourites for everyone and their mother!!!
I've never managed to make a decent cheesecake and this book has a genius recipe for mini BAKED cheesecakes which turn out perfect every time - there's even advice on how to get the damn things out of the tins (which was as Nigella warned trickier if you're trying to eat them before they're cooled).
I love the little hints & tips - e.g. the butter cut out biscuits recipe makes absolutely tons of yummy biscuits (not a problem in our house) but as suggested you can put half the dough in the freezer and make a second batch later, it even explains how long to defrost it for! Also if she says use baking paper, dont think you know better! If it defies "non stick" for Nigella you and your supermarket brand bakeware wont stand a chance. But if you like eating your food straight from the baking tray or scraping it off into a messy heap...be my guest.
- Mixed resultsI've only recently started using this book but am an avid baker. The production is wonderful and I enjoy Nigella's attitude to food. Some recipes are excellent but others are quite disappointing. I felt some basic information was left out i.e. size of moulds, adjustment for fan ovens etc. This may well have impacted on the outcome of some recipes. However, once you hit on a good recipe, it's a keeper! You'll make it again and again!
Rating:
- Great Christmas cake recipe - could easily double as pud!I was drawn by the cake on the front of this book and used Nigella's recipe for latkes around Christmas a couple of years ago - they were lovely. This year I've used her Christmas cake recipe twice (second cake baked last week) and everyone who has eaten it has loved it! The first time it came out quite moist but I found that it came out really high when I left the fruit soak for about a week, topping up the sherry (Cork Cream) with a little splash of black (Seadog) rum and finished it with cognac (Hennessy) before mixing it. The cake could, I've been told, be served instead of pudding if you wanted to avoid steaming puddings. As with Delia Smith's book, my copy of this one has started to accumulate sticky finger marks on the pages from use - hope yours will too.
Rating:
- Perfect for any Domestic Goddess!It's quite simple. I have bought this book for many friends now, It's a super addition to any recipe collection. Perfect!!
Rating:
- Comfort food at it's bestJust the most dreamy book, I just like to look through it sometimes as it cheers me up. The recipes are all yummy, easy to follow and love Nigellas approach. Would not be without this book, refer to time and again.
Rating:
- Baking Flavoured Genius!!!I absolutely love this book.
Mouth-watering recipes with honest & humerous additions and explanations to encourage you through them. Although some of the recipes look & sound a little advanced you never know until you try, and as the author explains some of the most wonderful recipes are created by mistake.
Admittedly i've mostly attempted sweet treats but the Cornish Pasty recipe was divine, I substituted the mince for butternut squash and made a vegetarian version. Thats another bonus of this book, many recipes have variations at the end, meaning once you've got your confidence you can experiment safe in the knowlegde that it wont ruin it by changing bits.
My book is covered in splashes of this & that and chocolate thumbprints as the recipes have been used over and over.
Theres a store cupboard chocolate orange cake, which again sounds scary when you discover the main ingredient is a jar of marmalade...but as my dad always said "try it before you screw your face up in disgust".
My favourite has to be the moist chocolate loaf which requires stirring in 250ml of boiling water!!! It did look very very watery and like a disaster waiting to happen.....but my god it was gorgeous!!! Have faith and attempt it more than once and you'll find you're constantly baking these favourites for everyone and their mother!!!
I've never managed to make a decent cheesecake and this book has a genius recipe for mini BAKED cheesecakes which turn out perfect every time - there's even advice on how to get the damn things out of the tins (which was as Nigella warned trickier if you're trying to eat them before they're cooled).
I love the little hints & tips - e.g. the butter cut out biscuits recipe makes absolutely tons of yummy biscuits (not a problem in our house) but as suggested you can put half the dough in the freezer and make a second batch later, it even explains how long to defrost it for! Also if she says use baking paper, dont think you know better! If it defies "non stick" for Nigella you and your supermarket brand bakeware wont stand a chance. But if you like eating your food straight from the baking tray or scraping it off into a messy heap...be my guest.