Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook [Hardcover]

Tarek Malouf (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2009

Tarek Malouf opened the first Hummingbird Bakery in London's fashionable Notting Hill district in 2004. This cookbook allows you to step inside this unique bakery and bring its trademark butter cream swirls, sprinkles, and layer-cake slices into your own kitchen. The Hummingbird's Cupcakes fly off the shelves faster than any other cake. Who can resist an adorable Vanilla Cupcake topped with candy-colored butter cream frosting and scattered with sprinkles? Take Cakes to the next level with some mouthwatering recipes. Red Velvet and Carrot are both favorites at the Bakery, and the Hummingbird Cake is a sweet, sticky triumph of banana and pineapple. Open Pies, pies with tops on, delicate pies and no-holds-barred pies: There's no shortage of options. Try Lemon Meringue with its mountain of golden fluffy meringue atop a rich, tangy lemon cream. You'll find favorite Pecan Pie here too. When you need a sweet fix, Brownies & Bars hit the spot. Rocky Road and Muesli Bars are always popular and make welcome additions to a packed lunch. There can't be much that beats a homemade Blueberry Muffin with your first cup of coffee in the morning. Finally, there's something childishly satisfying about a big, chewy Cookie studded with chocolate chunks--there's something here for every king of cookie fiend. *Classic bakes are back in vogue and this book provides 50 simple recipes for everyone's favorites--from Vanilla Cupcakes to Key Lime Pie. *"If you haven't tasted a Hummingbird Bakery look-too-good-to-eat cupcake, you've definitely missed out." Marie Claire

Editorial Reviews

Review

Cakes, pies, brownies, bars, cookies and muffins from London's bakery to the stars. Never has baking been so delightfully sweet and stylish. Peaches and cream cupcakes, rocky road bars and blueberry pie - how can you resist? --Sainsbury's Magazine

The book ... features recipes for a variety of cake and dessert recipes; most are wildly indulgent, like the Brooklyn blackout and coconut meringue cakes, and Mississippi mud and key lime pies. The cupcakes come in every creed and colour from vanilla to peaches and cream, lavender, ginger and the cult red velvet, a knockout rich red sponge cake with white cream cheese frosting. --The Independent

The Hummingbird Bakery is much beloved by the beautiful people and now the book means you don't have to brave the Circle Line to get your fix. --Buyer's Guide

About the Author

Tarek Malouf used to work for ABC news in their London bureau before deciding to open the first Hummingbird Bakery in 2004 in London's Notting Hill. There is also a branch in South Kensington with a third to open in Soho soon.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Ryland Peters & Small (March 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845978315
• ISBN-13: 978-1845978310
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #181,273 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book with a decent recipe!, May 15, 2009

By 

Pam "Crazy about cook books!" (London, UK) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook (Hardcover)

*EDITED*

There have been a number of mixed reviews about this book - in fact, there're quite a few negative ones that almost put me off trying to make anything from the recipes. I really wanted to know if this book was worth anything so I decided to prove it to myself. I am a decent baker; that is to say, I taught myself to cook and bake on a regular basis (often with good success!) but have no real culinary skills or knowledge. However, I do spend enough time in the kitchen to notice that the methods for doing various things in this book is quite different from most recipes that are commonly used. For example, the methods for mixing the cake mixture in Vanilla Cupcakes provide that you first combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and a bit of milk in one bowl; and some eggs, milk and vanilla extract in the other. Once thoroughly incorporated, the book tells you to mix the two together. Now, most recipes would ask you to first beat the egg and sugar in one bowl, add the milk and vanilla, follow by the dry ingredients. But I decided to stick closely to the recipes provided - using whatever amount of ingredients (which may seem "ridiculous" to many people) that the book suggests, and have my fingers crossed. The results? Well, the cupcake recipes (vanilla, chocolate and the velvet cupcakes) that I've attempted so far have turned out pretty good! They're all very tasty and do not appear to be "dry" or "inedible" in any way. My guess is that for those of you who are rather experienced would question the validity of the recipes and so instead of sticking to the book, would be tempted to do "what they think is best" - which is probably why there're more experienced bakers complaining about their various failures, etc. So my advice is for you to turn blind eyes and ears and just follow the recipes to the letter, even though your experience and "instinct" are telling you otherwise!

***The book itself is simply beautiful. It is well laid-out, divided into several sections like cakes, pies, tarts, cookies, etc. The recipes include: the basic vanilla/chocolate cupcakes, lemon cupcakes, red velvet cupcakes, strawberry cheesecake cupcakes, lavender cupcakes, hazelnut and chocolate cupcakes, coconut and pineapple cupcakes, banana and chocolate cupcakes, pumpkin cupcakes, marshmallow cupcakes, ginger cupcakes, hummingbird cake, carrot cake, brooklyn blackout cake, coffee cake, blueberry cake, spiced pound cake, banana bread, nutty apple loaf lemon loaf, New York cheesecake, icebox banana cheesecake, lemon meringue pie, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, mississippi mud pie, apple pie, brownies, muesli bars, rocky road bars, ham and mushroom muffins, spinach and cheese muffins, blueberry muffins, banana and cinnamon muffins, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, white chocolate and pecan cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, and gingerbread men. The photographs are all stunning, you get to see exactly what your cakes should look like.***

However, I must say that since I own over 200 books on cakes, cookies, ice cream and desserts, this book doesn't give you a very wide range of recipes - hence why I've given it 4 stars. The book is quite thin and it does have "enough" to keep you entertained for a while, but I prefer to have more choices so I usually have several books on very specific subjects. For example, if you're looking for a good book on cookies, I'd recommend "Martha Steward's Cookies", "The Good Cookie" and "Great Cookies"; for cakes, I'd recommend "Mary Berry's Ultimate Cake Book" and "Southern Cakes"; for cupcakes, I'd recommend "Cupcake Heaven", "The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake" and "Cupcakes: Luscious Bakeshop Favorites"; for general baking/desserts "Desserts by the Yard", "Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts", "Jim Fobel's Old-fashioned Baking Book"; for ice cream "Ices", "The Ultimate Book of Ice Cream", "The Perfect Scoops"; and for chocolate, I'd recommend "The Essence of Chocolate" and "Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts".

Overall, if you're truly passionate about cakes and are NOT looking for "healthy" cakes (whatever that means!), you'll love this book. It'll be a great addition to your cook book collection, although I wouldn't say that this will be the ONLY book you'll need, because the book just simply doesn't offer enough varieties in the long-run. I've also been to the bakeries in London and I am happy to announce that my most recent batch did taste rather closely similar to the "real" things! I can assure you that this book will give you some great ideas and the pictures will be able to keep you coming back to the book time and time again!

Recommended.

P.S. I've also noticed that a few people have been comparing this book with Magnolia Bakery Book. I own all of them (2 by Magnolia, 2 by Buttercup Bakeshop and The Hummingbird Bakery) - and I'd NEVER pick the Buttercup Bakeshop over the other two. In fact, The Hummingbird bakery book actually contains MORE cupcakes recipes than those Magnolia books! It should also be noted that none of these books offer "healthy" goodies! Have fun baking!

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good recipes, August 29, 2009

By 

beauty addict (Tampa, Fl, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook (Hardcover)

Just made the lavender cupcake recipe, and it was a hit. I do not know what everyone else is complaining about. I am an experienced baker, and although the recipes run differently than other cake batters I've made they do work and are quite tasty. I do agree with others that those that don't like the book tried reworking the recipes in to "traditional" mixing ways and that probably ended in disaster. Just follow the directions and you will have a delicious treat at the end. Someone mentioned frosting problems, with any homemade frosting recipe the type of climate you live in can change the consistency you come out with. More humid, more sugar needed. Drier or colder weather usually more butter or milk will be needed. That just goes with the territory of baking.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delicious. Decadant. Easy., July 31, 2009

By 

Ashley Peach (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook (Hardcover)

Thats right - Easy.

As a keen home baker I first read through the methods and thought, "Well, I can make them better than that..." and do you know what? I couldn't. I overcomplicated my first attempt at Lemon cupcakes, changing quantities, changing methods, and they ended in disaster.

Since then, I've followed each recipe to the letter and triumphed every time.

In suggesting you follow each recipe "to the letter", I would also recommend you do your best to overlook the amount of sugar in the cake bases - it looks like a lot, but the finished cakes are moist and most definatly not over-sweet. I know, as i've made most of them!

I would stress, however, that the cakes in here are most definatly `sometimes' foods. Ideal for afternoon teas or other special occasions where you want to impress your guests with something that sounds home-made, but looks and tastes store-bought (in a good way).

I can't help thinking, also, that the recipes are so simple they would probably be great for kids to get involved with also.