Jane Dunn - Janes Patisserie: Deliciously customisable cakes, bakes and treats. THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

Im Jane and I am the foodie, blogger and baker behind the blog Janes Patisserie. I have always adored cooking, baking and anything to do with food, and creating this book for you has been an absolute dream.

Ever since I was little, I have loved baking Apparently, I got it from my gran who also adored it. My mum tells me that I loved watching my gran make my first birthday cake and, even though I cant remember it, maybe thats where it all started! Growing up, I enjoyed the fun lessons on cooking in junior school, and when there was a bake sale I was always one of the first to put my name down as a baker. I never thought I was particularly good at it, but I just completely and utterly loved it!

When I went to secondary school, I found my love for designing things and all things arty so, when I started baking and cooking a bit more when I was at college, I was able to put those two things together. Getting to create bakes, planning decorations, and playing around with new ideas and flavours gave me confidence, and it soon became a passion. This made me wonder if cooking and baking was something I wanted to pursue as a career, and I am so glad I did!

After college, I started training at cookery school and really enjoyed the patisserie element of my course which inspired me to start my blog www.janespatisserie.com. I wanted to start a blog that could become my creative space, somewhere to share my love for everything sweet. At first, I just blogged about what I made. I would take a few photos and post the recipe, not expecting anyone to actually make the recipes I was writing!

Things have changed quite a bit since then, I now have millions of blog views every month, thousands upon thousands of followers and the ability to work for myself, and I cant thank my followers enough for that opportunity. I now have hundreds of recipes, covering all kinds of bakes, and I love nothing more than getting started on a new creation well, maybe the first bite when its done! I love to write recipes that anyone can bake. My recipes are designed to be easy, suitable for all levels of bakers, and something that you can make with your friends or family and enjoy sharing.

As you can imagine, the kitchen is my favourite room in the house, my happy place. I always gravitate towards it and I spend most days in there experimenting with new flavours and recipes that I know my readers will adore.

My hope is that this book can be your go-to for the special occasion bakes, for the bake sales, or just for that special something you crave. Ive made sure that every one of the recipes in this book is customisable, and Ive included simple tips to give you a little inspiration on how you can make each recipe your own. I want this book to give you the confidence to experiment and create bakes that make you and anyone you share them with smile! And remember, if your experiments dont always go to plan, dont worry baking is all about having fun and spreading a little joy!

Baking is a science, but that doesnt mean that it has to be complicated. Most of my recipes start from a basic recipe or just a few simple ingredients that can be customised and adapted to suit you. I love coming back to those iconic flavour combinations white chocolate and raspberry, chocolate and orange, coffee and walnuts but there are so many more for you to explore.

As you go through the book, youll see that Ive included a mix of the most popular recipes on my blog and brand-new exclusive recipes requested by my wonderful followers look out for this symbol and you might find just what youve been asking for! I hope this book inspires you to bake something you love, to enjoy with those you love.

Happy baking!

Jane x

You dont need a fully kitted out kitchen to make delicious bakes, but there are a few essentials youll need to get started, such as a decent set of weighing scales (to convert my measurements to imperial please see the conversion chart on ). These are my top pieces of equipment.

Weighing scales Measuring spoons Baking trays Cake tins Parchment paper Oven thermometer Timer Mixing bowls Rubber spatulas Hand whisks Sieve Stand mixer Electric hand whisk Food processor Large and small piping bags Piping nozzles Offset spatula Cake scraper Cookie scoop Rolling pin Clingfilm

I have a pretty well stocked baking cupboard and it really helps me to experiment with new ideas. If you are looking to stock up, these are the most useful ingredients to have at home.

Plain flour Self-raising flour Strong white bread flour Cornflour Cocoa powder Yeast Baking powder Bicarbonate of soda Powdered gelatine White granulated sugar Caster sugar Soft light/dark brown sugar Icing sugar Unsalted butter Baking spread Full-fat milk Full-fat soft cheese Eggs Oils Vanilla extract Ground spices Food colourings Dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) Milk chocolate White chocolate Salt Sprinkles Jams/preserves Nuts Dried fruits Fresh and frozen fruits Condensed milk A supply of your favourite chocolates and biscuits!

BUTTER:

Use unsalted block butter or a baking spread (I use Stork) for baking cakes, cookie bars, brownies etc. When you are decorating cakes, however, it is important to use block butter as spread is too soft.

SUGAR:

In cookies, I prefer to use granulated or soft light brown sugars, or a combination of both. Generally, I prefer not to use caster sugar in cookies. In cakes I use caster sugar or soft light brown sugar. In cheesecakes, you can use caster sugar instead of icing sugar if you prefer.

EGGS:

All eggs used in the recipes are medium, unless otherwise stated. I also always use free-range eggs, and organic where possible.

VANILLA:

The best types of vanilla to use are extract, bean paste, or pods. I dont tend to use vanilla essence as it is artificial.

CHOCOLATE:

For dark chocolate I recommend using one with a cocoa solids content of 70% or higher. You can use cooking chocolate in any recipe, but supermarket own brands are just as good too.

SOFT CHEESE:

When making a cheesecake, or anything using a soft cream cheese, it is important to use full-fat. The fat content is what helps make the cheesecakes set. You can also use mascarpone instead of soft cream cheese.

FLOUR:

In most of my recipes I use plain flour (for cookies, crumble toppings etc.) or self-raising flour (for cakes). You can make your own self-raising flour by whisking 2 level teaspoons of baking powder into 150g plain flour. However, if you use self-raising flour instead of plain flour, what you make will have a different texture due to the raising agents.

RAISING AGENTS:

Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda are different ingredients and should not be treated in the same way. When following a recipe, make sure you use the type listed, or the correct measurements.