Julie Jones - Soulful Baker: From highly creative fruit tarts and pies to chocolate, desserts and weekend brunch

To my dear mum
If only you knew xx

First published in 2017 by
Jacqui Small
An imprint of Quarto Publishing PLC
7477 White Lion Street
London N1 9PF

Text copyright 2017 by Julie Jones
Design, photography and layout copyright
Jacqui Small 2017

The authors moral rights have been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Publisher: Jacqui Small
Commissioning Editor/Project Editor: Joanna Copestick
Managing Editor: Emma Heyworth-Dunn
Editor: Abi Waters
Photography: Lisa Linder
Senior Designer: Rachel Cross
Production: Maeve Healy

Digital edition: 978-1-9111-2764-2
Hardcover edition: 978-1-9111-2724-6

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Recipe Notes

All eggs are medium unless otherwise specified.

All milk is full-fat, but substituting with semi-skimmed would be fine.

All butter is unsalted.

I generally use silicone-coated non-stick baking paper.

From highly creative fruit tarts and pies to chocolate, desserts and weekend brunch

Julie Jones

Photography by Lisa Linder

For me, baking has always been associated with emotion. Those precious hours set aside to unwind and spend quality time preparing something with love and care. I was first introduced to baking when I was very small, stood upon a stool working alongside my mother, her oversized apron folded in half and tied around my waist. I often think of her encouraging instructions and advice with affection, beat really fast otherwise the batter will curdle. No fancy or expensive equipment was used then, just a big ceramic bowl and a wooden spoon. Such happy days. Days I recreate with my own children now.

When my mum became ill, it was baking that helped us to stay connected for as long as we possibly could. Her dementia made her very frightened of everyday activities and other people, her confusion and anxiety becoming so extreme that it was best to stay indoors. To pass the time we would bake together, making anything from a Victoria sponge to a Swiss roll. Those hours spent baking were like therapy, for both of us her symptoms would ease dramatically and I would take comfort from having a sense of my real mum back by my side. It was so incredibly sad to see her beautiful soul being taken away by this cruel disease, so heart-breaking it was to hear her ask me who I was. I knew that our time was limited, I knew that she would soon no longer know me at all.

I started to make a photographic record on Instagram of these precious hours of baking something to look back upon and treasure. I started to use the space to express my emotions, my heartbreak at seeing my mum slipping away from me. I soon connected with others that were going through similar, those who could empathize and sympathize, offering words of support and encouragement. In turn I was being told that my posts were inspiring to others and this also gave me great comfort. Something good was coming from all of the sadness. I shall be forever grateful to those connections and friends that I have made through Instagram.

After my mum was taken into care, I turned to baking once more to help me through what I guess was grief. Its a strange thing to grieve for someone who is still alive. When the children were in bed I would immerse myself in creating pastries; never with a plan on how the finished bake would look, just going with the flow, being artistic and spontaneous, the creativity taking my mind away from losing my dear mother. I continued to post my creations on Instagram and was bowled over by the kind words of support, the growing following and the daily encouragement that I was given to continue. It gave me great confidence to be open to be me. I often receive pictures that I have been tagged in or sent pictures of lovingly created pies or desserts that claim to have taken inspiration from my posts. I cant tell you how much these messages and pictures mean to me; to know that I inspire others to bake and be creative really is very heart-warming indeed.

The recipes in this book range from the quick and easy to the more time-consuming and elaborate. Some were created within those quiet hours of mindful baking where I would have sudden ideas and flashes of inspiration; others are more nostalgic being fine examples. Pastry cases (shells) can also be made in advance, ready to be filled and topped closer to the time you want to serve them. It is often the case for me to do so, juggling daily life and children, visiting my mum and working means that I dont often have hours at any one time to concentrate on one thing alone. I often make a batch of pastry first thing in the morning, go through the rolling, resting and baking stages throughout the day when I get a spare 20 minutes here and there then on to the filling and decorating in the evening when all is quiet and the days stresses have eased. Being relaxed and being able to enjoy what you are doing will without doubt lead to a better result.

What is important, is to make these bakes your own, use these decorations as inspiration, as a starting point, but do go on to create your own patterns or finishes. It can be quite surprising what can appear in front of you when your creative side takes over! Be spontaneous, be unique, be authentic, be proud of what you are making and most importantly, bake with love in your heart.

xxxxx

Julie

To get the best possible results when making and baking your pastry it is always best to allow yourself plenty of time. The dough will be all the better for having a sufficient amount of time to chill and rest in the fridge in between the making, rolling and baking stages.