my favorite cookbooks: the hummingbird bakery cookbook

It's been almost four months since my last 'Favorite Cookbooks' post, 

and I do have a lot of favorites, so let's go to the next one!

Today: The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook

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This is an (kind of) oldie, but a goodie! 

I always have a chuckle when I see the promotion quote by Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover, she hasn't always been the clean eater/ health freak that she is now.

The Hummingbird Bakery is a popular bakery in London which sells American inspired baked goods.

The cookbook shares the recipes of quite a few of their favorite and most popular items, and since the bakery isn't around the corner, I'm glad they're so generous!

Key lime pie, carrot cake, marshmallow cupcakes, pumpkin pie, cookies, brownies, New York cheesecake, you name it, there's a recipe for it.

I especially love their cupcake recipes. 

They're simple to follow, but also adventurous with the flavors.

Think of: lavender(surprisingly delicious), green tea, coconut and pineapple, peaches and cream or ginger.

But my favorite cupcake recipes has to be the lemon cupcake.

And because I like my readers (yes, you!) I thought I'd share the recipe here!

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Make sure to use organic lemons as you'll be using the zest in the batter and in the frosting.

If you love lemon just like me, you won't be sorry if you hollow out a bit of the baked cupcake and fill the hole with lemon curd. Cover your tracks with the frosting! Do it!

Hummingbird Bakery Lemon Cupcakes

1 cup plain flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 tbsp grated lemon zest , plus extra to decorate

3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

Lemon Frosting

2 cups icing sugar

5 tbsp butter, room temp

2 tbsp lemon zest

a couple drops of yellow food coloring (optional)

1 1/2 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to to 170C (325F).

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and butter in a large bowl and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined. Gradually pour in the milk and beat until just incorporated.

Add the egg to the flour mixture and continue beating util just incorporated (scrape the side of the bowl) and continue mixing for a couple minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix.

Spoon the mix into paper cases in a 12 hole muffin tin until 2/3 full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. If you’ve got a fan assisted oven, check the cupcakes at 12-15 minutes. Check to make sure the cupcakes are fully baked by inserting a wooden skewer into the center – it should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Lemon frosting: 

Beat together the icing sugar, butter, lemon zest and food coloring. Slowly pour in the milk and beat on slow until the milk is incorporated fully. Turn the mixer on high and beat until light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Frost the cool cupcakes and top with lemon zest.

Recipe source: Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

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Enjoy!

Love, Maria

to see my first 'Favorite Cookbooks' post click here

My favorite cookbooks: Flour

New blog post idea for the blog: 

My favorite cookbooks; A review + recipe.

Today: Flour

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I love my cookbooks, each and every one of them.

But my very favorite one for sweets and desserts is 'Flour', by Joanne Chang, owner of Boston's Flour Bakery and Cafe (oh, Boston, I'd love to visit you some day).

Her recipes aren't exactly for the beginning baker, you do need some baking know-how, some recipes are actually pretty challenging, like her recipe for croissants, which I haven't dared to try yet.

But that is what I like about 'Flour', I like the challenge and I've really improved my baking by using and studying it's recipes.

What I also love about the cookbook are Joanne's stories about the recipes and her insider tips and tricks she shares with her readers, I've learned so much about baking, just by reading her tips.

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A favorite recipe of mine from 'Flour' is the Intense Chocolate Brownie, it is actually one of the more simpler recipes, but not any less delicious than the challenging ones.

It's become a go to recipes for me whenever I'm asked to bring a dessert or something sweet to a gathering and I always get so many compliments for them.

This recipe is the best basic brownie recipe I've come across, it's decadent and fudgy (like brownies should be in my opinion) and delicious on it's own. Sometimes I top the brownies off with some home made salted caramel and I can only imagine how great they'd be with walnuts (just not for this allergic girl).

To ensure the best results, use the best ingredients, which is important for all cooking and baking I think.

And make sure not to over bake the brownies, they need to be a tad underdone!

Flour Bakery's Intense Chocolate Brownies

Yield: 9 x 13 inch pan of brownies

5.5 oz (155 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2.5 oz (70 grams) bittersweet chocolate (62-70% cacao), chopped

3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp (1 & 3/4 sticks/200 grams) unsalted butter, melted

5 eggs

2 cups (400 grams) sugar

1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Position the oven rack to the middle and preheat to 325°F(that would be 160 degrees Celsius). 

Butter and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. (I lined it with parchment paper, so I could easily remove them from the pan and cut them.)

Place the unsweetened chocolate and bittersweet chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Place over (not touching) barely simmering water in a saucepan and heat, stirring continuously, until completely melted and smooth. Remove from the heat, whisk in the melted butter until well combined and set aside to cool slightly.

Place the eggs in a mixer bowl and fit mixer with the whisk attachment. On low, slowly beat in the sugar for 1 minute, or until frothy and somewhat thick. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate mixture.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Using the spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture into the egg-chocolate mixture until thoroughly combined. Do not over mix. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread in an even layer with the spatula. (Batter will be thick)

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes- but start checking at about 20 minutes (so important!!!). They are done when a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few wet crumbs on it. If there is still liquid batter on the tester, they need more time. If the tester comes out clean, they are cooked through and will be okay too, just more cakey than fudgy. 

Let them cool for 2 hours. They are so moist, they need this time to firm up enough to cut.

Recipe source: Flour Bakery Cookbook

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I would definitely recommend this cookbook to anyone who loves to bake and is looking to improve their baking skills.

Love, Maria

(p.s. This is not a sponsored or endorsed post, just me sharing my favorite cookbooks with you. 

If you are reading along Joanne, I would't mind a box of baked goods as a thank you ;) )