Cookbook Book Club is my once a month most months “cooking from the same cookbook” meal with Jan and Jenn, and this month we baked from Edd Kimber’s Pâtisserie made Simple (which I reviewed here). I happen to have made a few recipes already from this gorgeous book – chouquettes, macarons and rough puff pastry apple tartlettes. and I’ve been a big fan of Edd’s work since well before he won the first series of The Great British Bake Off! Ture story, I was following his blog and all of a sudden he simply disappeared from his blog, resurfaced a few months later announcing he’d been in a TV show then we found out he won!
I know hosting a party where you deliberately bake treats goes against all idées reçues about what one should be doing in January (i.e. shouldn’t you be eating healthy, avoiding desserts etc…), but in fact this was just what the three of us needed on a chilly January night (especially this jetlagged, cookbook-writing teacher). Jenn prepared a simple, but tasty meal of squash soup with loads of lovely add-ins (feta, pumpkin seeds etc…) and we caught up on each other’s holiday activities. And then it was time for treats…
Jan brought Edd’s lemon-glazed madeleines….
These were pretty perfect (though some of them got the bump on top and some didn’t – one of the great pastry mysteries!) and the thin lemon glaze is perfectly crackly and tart – reminiscent of the madeleines you buy at Blé Sucré in Paris. Perfection and lovely and bright on a dull, chilly evening. Get the recipe for Edd’s lemon madeleines here.
Jan made Edd’s Gâteau Basque.
This is a wonderful buttery cookie/ flat cake filled traditionally filled with either pastry cream or black cherry jam. If it’s filled with pastry cream, there’s a crosshatch pattern on top but if it’s filled with jam, there’s a Basque cross made out of pastry and baked flat on top. In fact, Edd’s was filled with rum-soaked prunes which were totally delicious sandwiched between two buttery layers:
I brought one of my favourite French treats – financiers…
(if you make these, the sugar is missing from the ingredients list – you need 125g of icing sugar)
These were lovely and moist (some financiers can be a little dry) and they even worked in my new (silicone, which I’m not a huge fan of but these might have changed my mind). Also, perfect for breakfast the next day 😉
My tasting plate looked a little like this:
I mean, how can that NOT cheer you up on a cold, dark January evening?
And with big mugs of tea? I can’t think of a better way to spend a chilly Friday night…
If you are a fan of (French) pastries, you’ll need to buy this book. It’s gorgeous and the recipes are fabulous!
Buy Pâtisserie Made Simple on Amazon (this link should bring you to the Amazon store closest to you). Or for free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository.
Please note: The product links from Amazon, Amazon.ca and The Book Depository are affiliate links, meaning if you click over and purchase something, I will receive a very small percentage of the purchase price (at no extra cost to you) which goes towards maintaining eat. live. travel. write. Thank you in advance!
Interested in our Cookbook Book Club? So far we’ve enjoyed:
Dinner with Marcella,
Dinner with Nigella,
Dinner with Ottolenghi,
Dinner with Maria Speck,
Dinner with Naomi Duguid,
Lunch with Jamie Oliver,
A dessert party with Butter Baked Goods,
Dinner with Jacques Pépin,
Dinner with Smitten Kitchen,
Recipes from Rachel Khoo,
Brunch with Donna Hay,
Dinner with Mark Bittman,
A Gatherings-inspired baby shower brunch,
Dinner with Simple Bites,
Lunch from Food 52’s Genius Recipes,
Dinner from The Broad Fork,
A holiday “Food Gift Love” party,
Lunch with Mairlyn Smith,
Dinner with Seven Spoons
Lunch in David Lebovitz’ My Paris Kitchen.
Lunch with Ina Garten
Dinner with Ruth Reichl
Dinner from Food 52: A new way to dinner