Published by Ryland Peters & Small
2021 Jockeys Fields
London WC1R 4BW
www.rylandpeters.com
Digital edition 2011
Print edition 2009
Text Tarek Malouf and The Hummingbird Bakery 2009
Design and photographs Ryland Peters & Small 2009
The authors moral rights have been asserted.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
eISBN: 978-1-84975-242-8
A CIP record for the print edition of this book is available from the British Library
Design, Photographic Art Direction and Prop Styling Steve Painter
Senior Editor Cline Hughes
Production Manager Patricia Harrington
Art Director Leslie Harrington
Publishing Director Alison Starling
Food Stylist Bridget Sargeson
Hummingbird Bakery corporate branding and company graphic design Sue Thedens
Illustrations Debbie Adamson
authors acknowledgements
With thanks to all the Hummingbird Bakery chefs that have devised our recipes over the years, including: Joanne Adams, Jhanet Thyssen and Barbara Bachota. A very special thank you to Heath MacIntyre for her very hard and excellent work in sorting through all the recipes, writing them out, testing them and adapting them to make them work in a homebaking environment! Thanks to Steve Painter, Peter Cassidy, Bridget Sargeson, Cline Hughes, Alison Starling and all the team at Ryland Peters & Small for producing such a beautiful and special book. Finally, a big thank you to all the staff, past and present, that have made The Hummingbird Bakery such a success.
publishers acknowledgements
Thanks to the following for the kind loan of props for this book:
Something 58 Lambs Conduit Street Bloomsbury London WC1N 3LW www.something-shop.com
Jane Wicks, Kitchenalia Country Ways Strand Quay Rye East Sussex
blondie
Heres an alternative to brownies for those who dont like the rich taste of chocolate; these blondies are made with white chocolate.
150 g white chocolate, roughly chopped
125 g unsalted butter
150 g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
200 g plain flour
a pinch of salt
120 g shelled pecan nuts, chopped
a 33 23 5-cm baking tray, lined with greaseproof paper
Makes about 12 portions
Preheat the oven to 170C (325F) Gas 3.
Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water). Leave until melted and smooth.
Remove from the heat. Add the sugar and stir until well incorporated. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, stirring briskly so that you dont allow the eggs time to scramble. Dont worry if the mixture looks like it is starting to split. Add the flour, salt and pecan nuts and stir until well incorporated and the nuts are evenly dispersed.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for about 3540 minutes, or until golden brown and the centre is still soft. Leave to cool completely.
chocolate fridge cake bars
A crunchy treat that requires no baking.
400 g unsalted butter
200 ml golden syrup
100 g cocoa powder
800 g digestive biscuits, broken into small chunks
200 g raisins
a 33 23 5-cm baking tray, lined with greaseproof paper
Makes about 12 portions
Put the butter, golden syrup and cocoa powder in a large saucepan over medium heat and heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally.
Put the biscuit chunks and raisins in a large bowl and pour in the chocolate mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until everything is well mixed and the biscuits and raisins are evenly dispersed.
Press this mixture into the prepared baking tray, using a tablespoon to flatten and compress it. Cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper, then a tray covered in jam jars or tins to apply pressure on the cake and compress it even more. Leave to cool completely, then refrigerate for a couple of hours, or overnight if possible.
frosted brownie
Our alternative to the traditional brownie, this version is more cake-like, contains nuts and is topped with chocolatey cream-cheese frosting.
5 eggs
500 g caster sugar
120 g plain flour
100 g cocoa powder
250 g unsalted butter, melted
30 g shelled walnuts, chopped
30 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
frosting
200 g icing sugar, sifted
75 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
30 g cocoa powder, sifted
150 g cream cheese, cold
a 33 23 5-cm baking tray, lined with greaseproof paper
Makes about 12 portions
Preheat the oven to 170C (325F) Gas 3.
Put the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat with a handheld electric whisk until light and fluffy. Add the flour and cocoa powder and beat until all the ingredients are well mixed. Pour in the melted butter and mix through. Stir the walnuts and chocolate in by hand until evenly dispersed.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for about 3035 minutes, or until the top is firm but the centre is still soft. Leave to cool completely.
For the frosting: Beat together the icing sugar, butter and cocoa powder in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.
When the brownie is cold, spread the frosting over the top.