As fans of the bright and colourful, picture-perfect bakes produced by Jemma Wilson (@cupcakejemma) we were excited to get our hands on the equally bright and colourful book. From easy blondies and brownies, cookies and cakes a plenty, we loved getting stuck in and trying out some of the iconic recipes from the team at the Crumbs & Doilies bakery. Read on to see how we did.
From the book
Crumbs & Doilies
90 colourful fan-favourite recipes for every occasion
From cakes and cookies to brownies and blondies
Packed with tips and tricks from the team behind the successful bakery
Who: Ellie Morley, Digital Marketing Manager PMJ
What I made: Birthday Cake NY Cookies
What I thought: As someone who is not a great baker, I found this recipe super straightforward and accessible for everyone who doesn’t possess the magical baking touch! I had to replace the white chocolate chips with milk chocolate chips as that was all I could find in my local supermarket, but this didn’t impact the creamy, delicious, gooey taste of the cookies. I also love that I’ve got 4 spare cookies stored away in my freezer in case of cookie emergencies! I would recommend this recipe to any baker, experienced or new, and I can confirm that they were a winner with my lucky flatmates. A mouth-watering result!
Who: Courtney Barclay, Marketing Executive at Michael Joseph
What I made: Raspberry White Chocolate Blondie
What I thought: Raspberry and white chocolate are a combo made in heaven, particularly when added to blondies! These were the most delicious and flavourful blondies; sweet, salty, chewy and gooey. I was initially daunted by the prep that was needed but it was all quick and easy, and you can definitely substitute ingredients if you don’t have time to make them from scratch! I also used the leftover fresh raspberry goo on granola the next day, so the extra prep definitely won’t go to waste! When I shared them with friends, someone actually said these are the best blondies they have ever had!
Who: Francesca Sleet, Marketing Executive
What I made: Banana Blondies
What I thought: When I saw this recipe I knew it was going to be a winner. Essentially the perfect fusion of banana bread and blondie, this easy bake is definitely going to become a regular sweet treat in my house. While it might seem like an unnecessary effort to make the burnt butter instead of using melted butter as is, I can confirm that the few extra minutes it adds to the prep time are 100% worth it; rich, slightly sweet, and utterly indulgent it adds a layer of complexity to the bake. I love the early chapter of the book that is filled with basics for additions to other recipes like the burnt butter, as well as vanilla sponges, various icings, meringues and fillings; a great resource to refer back to for baking in general.
Who: Hanifa Frederick, Marketing Assistant
What I made: Apple Crumble NY Cookies
What I thought: Honestly, it was quite difficult to make these since there were so many steps in the recipe. I didn’t realise that I needed to freeze the dough and the filling for 2 hours so everything took longer than I had originally thought. I failed at some of the more complicated parts, like making apple sauce and caramelising the white chocolate, but it was fun to make when I moved on from prepping and the cookies were delicious!
