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A taste of each book. The full collection of forty recipes is in every book.
From The Cookie Sketchbook
Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk
Browning the butter turns it nutty and deep, like toffee. Chopped bar chocolate melts into puddles that bagged chips never will.
| Unsalted butter | 170 g |
| Dark brown sugar | 165 g |
| White sugar | 50 g |
| Egg | 50 g |
| Egg yolk | 20 g |
| Vanilla extract | 5 g |
| Plain flour | 250 g |
| Baking soda | 4 g |
| Fine salt | 4 g |
| Dark chocolate, chopped | 200 g |
| Flaky salt | to finish |
- Melt the butter in a light-coloured pan over medium heat. Keep stirring until it foams, the solids turn golden brown and it smells of hazelnuts. Pour into a bowl, scraping in the brown bits, and cool for 15 minutes.
- Whisk both sugars into the butter for 1 minute. Whisk in the egg, yolk and vanilla until glossy.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together, then fold them in until just combined. Fold in the chocolate.
- Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour. Heat the oven and line two trays with baking paper.
- Scoop 75 g balls, 8 cm apart. Bake until the edges are golden and the centres look slightly underdone. Sprinkle with flaky salt and cool 10 minutes on the tray.
Baker's note: The butter loses about 25 g of water as it browns. That is intended, so don't top it up.
Classic Chocolate Chip
The everyday cookie: crisp at the rim, soft in the middle, quick enough to make on a weeknight. Creaming the butter gives it a lighter crumb.
| Unsalted butter, soft | 115 g |
| Light brown sugar | 110 g |
| White sugar | 50 g |
| Egg | 50 g |
| Vanilla extract | 5 g |
| Plain flour | 190 g |
| Baking soda | 3 g |
| Fine salt | 3 g |
| Semisweet chocolate chips | 170 g |
- Beat the butter and both sugars for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the bowl.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt, add them to the bowl and mix on low until no dry flour remains. Stir in the chips.
- Chill for 30 minutes if you have time; the cookies spread less and taste richer.
- Scoop 55 g balls onto lined trays, 6 cm apart. Bake until golden at the edges and just set in the centre. Cool 5 minutes on the tray.
Baker's note: For bakery-crinkled edges, lift the tray and drop it on the counter once, 2 minutes before the end.
Double Chocolate
Cocoa in the dough and two kinds of chocolate in the mix. Dutch-process cocoa gives the darkest colour and the smoothest taste.
| Unsalted butter, soft | 115 g |
| Light brown sugar | 120 g |
| White sugar | 50 g |
| Egg | 50 g |
| Vanilla extract | 4 g |
| Plain flour | 150 g |
| Dutch-process cocoa | 35 g |
| Baking soda | 3 g |
| Fine salt | 3 g |
| Milk chocolate chips | 100 g |
| Dark chocolate chips | 100 g |
- Beat the butter and sugars for 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into the bowl and mix on low until combined.
- Stir in both chocolates. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
- Scoop 60 g balls onto lined trays, 6 cm apart.
- Bake until the edges are firm and the tops have just lost their shine. They will look soft; they firm up as they cool.
Baker's note: Dark cookies hide their doneness. Trust the clock and the edges, not the colour.
Oatmeal Raisin
Plump raisins, a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg, and a chewy oat base. Soaking the raisins keeps them juicy in the oven.
| Raisins | 120 g |
| Unsalted butter, soft | 115 g |
| Light brown sugar | 150 g |
| White sugar | 25 g |
| Egg | 50 g |
| Vanilla extract | 5 g |
| Plain flour | 125 g |
| Ground cinnamon | 3 g |
| Ground nutmeg | 1 g |
| Baking soda | 3 g |
| Fine salt | 3 g |
| Rolled oats | 150 g |
- Cover the raisins with hot water for 10 minutes, drain and pat them dry.
- Beat the butter and sugars for 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Whisk the flour, spices, baking soda and salt, then mix them in on low. Stir in the oats and raisins.
- Chill for 30 minutes.
- Scoop 55 g balls onto lined trays, flatten them slightly and bake until golden around the edges. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes.
Baker's note: Swap the raisins for dried cranberries or chopped dates without changing anything else.
36 more recipes in the book · Coming soon
From The Cupcake Sketchbook
Vanilla Bean
The cupcake everything else is measured against: a tender, buttery crumb and a cloud of vanilla buttercream. Use a real vanilla pod if you can.
| Unsalted butter, soft | 115 g |
| White sugar | 200 g |
| Eggs, room temperature | 100 g |
| Vanilla extract | 6 g |
| Plain flour | 190 g |
| Baking powder | 7 g |
| Fine salt | 2 g |
| Milk, room temperature | 120 g |
| Vanilla buttercream | |
| Unsalted butter, soft | 225 g |
| Powdered sugar, sifted | 360 g |
| Milk or cream | 30 g |
| Vanilla extract | 6 g |
| Vanilla bean seeds | 1 pod |
| Fine salt | a pinch |
- Heat the oven and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper liners.
- Beat the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the bowl in three parts, alternating with the milk, mixing on low only until combined.
- Divide the batter between the liners, about 60 g each. Bake until the tops spring back and a skewer comes out with moist crumbs. Cool for 5 minutes, then move to a rack and cool completely.
- For the buttercream, beat the butter for 2 minutes, add the powdered sugar in three parts, then the milk, flavouring and salt. Beat for 3 more minutes until light, then pipe a tall swirl on each cupcake.
Baker's note: Scrape the vanilla seeds into the frosting and add the empty pod to your sugar jar to make vanilla sugar.
Everyday Chocolate
Moist, deeply chocolatey and made in one bowl. Hot coffee wakes up the cocoa without making it taste of coffee.
| Plain flour | 130 g |
| Cocoa powder | 40 g |
| White sugar | 200 g |
| Baking soda | 5 g |
| Baking powder | 2 g |
| Fine salt | 2 g |
| Egg, room temperature | 50 g |
| Buttermilk | 120 g |
| Vegetable oil | 60 g |
| Vanilla extract | 5 g |
| Hot coffee or water | 120 g |
| Chocolate buttercream | |
| Unsalted butter, soft | 200 g |
| Powdered sugar, sifted | 300 g |
| Cocoa powder | 50 g |
| Milk or cream | 45 g |
| Vanilla extract | 5 g |
| Fine salt | a pinch |
- Heat the oven and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper liners.
- Whisk the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
- Whisk in the egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla, then stir in the hot coffee. The batter will be thin, which is right.
- Divide the batter between the liners, about 60 g each. Bake until the tops spring back and a skewer comes out with moist crumbs. Cool for 5 minutes, then move to a rack and cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat the butter for 2 minutes, then add the powdered sugar and cocoa in three parts, followed by the milk, vanilla and salt. Beat for 3 minutes until fluffy and pipe onto the cupcakes.
Baker's note: Use water instead of coffee for children; the cake will be a shade milder.
Red Velvet
A whisper of cocoa, a tang of buttermilk and that famous red, under a thick swirl of cream cheese frosting.
| Plain flour | 180 g |
| Cocoa powder | 10 g |
| Baking soda | 4 g |
| Fine salt | 2 g |
| White sugar | 190 g |
| Eggs, room temperature | 100 g |
| Vegetable oil | 120 g |
| Buttermilk | 120 g |
| Red gel food colouring | 8 g |
| Vanilla extract | 5 g |
| White vinegar | 5 g |
| Cream cheese frosting | |
| Unsalted butter, soft | 115 g |
| Cream cheese, cold | 225 g |
| Powdered sugar, sifted | 300 g |
| Vanilla extract | 5 g |
- Heat the oven and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper liners.
- Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
- In another bowl whisk the sugar, eggs, oil, buttermilk, colouring, vanilla and vinegar until evenly red. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Divide the batter between the liners, about 60 g each. Bake until the tops spring back. Cool for 5 minutes, then move to a rack and cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat the butter and powdered sugar until smooth, then add the cold cream cheese and vanilla and beat only until combined and fluffy. Pipe onto the cupcakes and keep them chilled.
Baker's note: Gel colouring gives a deep red without thinning the batter. Crumble one cupcake over the rest for the classic finish.
Confetti Birthday
Vanilla cake speckled with rainbow sprinkles and topped with a pale buttercream swirl. Instant birthday.
| Unsalted butter, soft | 115 g |
| White sugar | 200 g |
| Eggs, room temperature | 100 g |
| Vanilla extract | 6 g |
| Plain flour | 190 g |
| Baking powder | 7 g |
| Fine salt | 2 g |
| Rainbow sprinkles (jimmies) | 50 g |
| Milk, room temperature | 120 g |
| Vanilla buttercream | |
| Unsalted butter, soft | 225 g |
| Powdered sugar, sifted | 360 g |
| Milk or cream | 30 g |
| Vanilla extract | 6 g |
| Sprinkles, to decorate | a handful |
| Fine salt | a pinch |
- Heat the oven and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper liners.
- Beat the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the bowl in three parts, alternating with the milk, mixing on low only until combined, then fold in the sprinkles with a few strokes.
- Divide the batter between the liners, about 65 g each. Bake until the tops spring back and a skewer comes out with moist crumbs. Cool for 5 minutes, then move to a rack and cool completely.
- For the buttercream, beat the butter for 2 minutes, add the powdered sugar in three parts, then the milk, flavouring and salt. Beat for 3 more minutes until light, then pipe a tall swirl on each cupcake. Finish with more sprinkles.
Baker's note: Use long jimmies, not round nonpareils; round ones bleed colour into the batter.
36 more recipes in the book · Coming soon
From The Holiday Sketchbook
Linzer Cookies
Buttery almond and cinnamon cookies sandwiched with raspberry jam and dusted with snow. A classic from Austria.
| Unsalted butter, soft | 225 g |
| Powdered sugar | 100 g |
| Egg yolk | 20 g |
| Vanilla extract | 5 g |
| Lemon zest | 2 g |
| Almond flour | 100 g |
| Plain flour | 250 g |
| Ground cinnamon | 2 g |
| Fine salt | 2 g |
| Filling | |
| Seedless raspberry jam | 150 g |
| Powdered sugar | 20 g |
- Beat the butter and powdered sugar for 2 minutes, then beat in the yolk, vanilla and zest.
- Mix in the almond flour, flour, cinnamon and salt on low until a soft dough forms. Divide in two, flatten into discs, wrap and chill for 1 hour.
- Roll out 4 mm thick between two sheets of baking paper. Cut 6 cm rounds and cut a small window from the centre of half of them.
- Bake on lined trays until the edges are just golden. Cool completely.
- Dust the window tops with powdered sugar. Spread the solid bases with jam and press the tops on.
Baker's note: Dust the tops before sandwiching, so the jam stays glossy and red.
Pfeffernüsse
Little German spice cookies with honey, black pepper and anise, dipped in a crackly white glaze. Better after a few days in the tin.
| Unsalted butter | 60 g |
| Honey | 110 g |
| Molasses | 40 g |
| Dark brown sugar | 70 g |
| Egg | 50 g |
| Plain flour | 280 g |
| Almond flour | 30 g |
| Baking soda | 3 g |
| Ground cinnamon | 4 g |
| Ground ginger | 2 g |
| Ground cloves | 1 g |
| Ground nutmeg | 1 g |
| Black pepper | 1 g |
| Ground anise | 1 g |
| Fine salt | 1 g |
| Glaze | |
| Powdered sugar | 200 g |
| Milk | 35 g |
- Warm the butter, honey, molasses and sugar in a pan until melted. Cool for 10 minutes, then whisk in the egg.
- Stir in the flours, baking soda, spices and salt to make a sticky dough. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Roll into 15 g balls and bake on lined trays until firm and lightly cracked.
- Cool completely. Whisk the glaze until smooth and thick.
- Dip each cookie in the glaze, lift out with a fork and let it set on a rack for 1 hour.
Baker's note: Store them in a tin with a slice of apple for two days and they soften into the traditional texture.
Spritz Butter Cookies
Piped butter cookies in rings, swirls and stars. One dough, a cookie press and forty minutes to fill a tin.
| Unsalted butter, soft | 225 g |
| White sugar | 100 g |
| Egg yolk | 20 g |
| Vanilla extract | 5 g |
| Almond extract | 1 g |
| Plain flour | 280 g |
| Fine salt | 1 g |
| To decorate | |
| Coloured sugar or sprinkles | a few pinches |
- Beat the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the yolk, vanilla and almond extract.
- Mix in the flour and salt on low until just combined. The dough should be soft enough to pipe.
- Press or pipe shapes onto unlined, ungreased trays; the dough needs to grip the metal. Decorate with coloured sugar if you like.
- Bake until the edges are just golden. Cool for 5 minutes on the tray, then move to a rack.
Baker's note: If the dough is too stiff to pipe, warm the bag in your hands for a minute. If shapes spread, chill the piped trays for 10 minutes.
Walnut Apricot Rugelach
Flaky cream cheese pastry rolled around apricot jam, cinnamon sugar and walnuts. Crescent-shaped and dangerously easy to eat.
| Plain flour | 250 g |
| Fine salt | 2 g |
| Unsalted butter, cold, cubed | 225 g |
| Cream cheese, cold | 225 g |
| Filling | |
| Light brown sugar | 100 g |
| Ground cinnamon | 4 g |
| Walnuts, finely chopped | 100 g |
| Apricot jam | 120 g |
| To finish | |
| Egg, beaten | 50 g |
| Coarse sugar | 20 g |
- Pulse the flour and salt with the butter and cream cheese in a food processor until the dough just clumps. Divide into 4, flatten into discs, wrap and chill for 2 hours.
- Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and walnuts.
- Roll each disc into a 23 cm circle, spread thinly with jam and sprinkle with a quarter of the nut mixture. Cut into 12 wedges and roll each up from the wide end.
- Place on lined trays, brush with egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Chill for 15 minutes.
- Bake until deep golden. Cool on the tray for 10 minutes, as the jam is very hot.
Baker's note: Freeze shaped, unbaked rugelach on a tray, then bag them. Bake from frozen, adding 3 to 4 minutes.
36 more recipes in the book · Coming soon
From The Persian Sweets Sketchbook
Nan-e Nokhodchi (Chickpea Flour Cookies)
Tiny clover-shaped cookies of roasted chickpea flour and cardamom that dissolve on the tongue. No Nowruz tray is complete without them.
| Roasted chickpea flour | 250 g |
| Powdered sugar | 125 g |
| Ground cardamom | 3 g |
| Ghee or unsalted butter, soft | 125 g |
| Rosewater | 5 g |
| To decorate | |
| Pistachio slivers | a handful |
- Whisk the chickpea flour, powdered sugar and cardamom together.
- Add the soft ghee and rosewater and knead for a full 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly shiny. Wrap and chill for 1 hour.
- Pat or roll the dough 1.5 cm thick between two sheets of baking paper and cut small clovers.
- Press a sliver of pistachio into the centre of each and set them on a lined tray.
- Bake low until set but still pale. Cool completely on the tray; they are very fragile while warm.
Baker's note: Long kneading is the secret. Under-kneaded dough bakes into cookies that crumble instead of melting.
Nan-e Berenji (Rice Flour Cookies)
Snow-white rice flour cookies scented with rosewater and cardamom, topped with poppy seeds. A speciality of Qazvin.
| Ghee or unsalted butter, soft | 125 g |
| Powdered sugar | 120 g |
| Egg white | 30 g |
| Rosewater | 10 g |
| Ground cardamom | 2 g |
| Rice flour | 250 g |
| To decorate | |
| Poppy seeds | a pinch |
- Beat the ghee and powdered sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg white, rosewater and cardamom.
- Mix in the rice flour to a soft dough. Wrap and chill for 1 hour.
- Roll 15 g balls, flatten slightly and press a pattern with the tines of a fork. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.
- Bake until set but completely white; they should not brown. Cool on the tray.
Baker's note: Use the finest rice flour you can find. Coarse rice flour makes a gritty cookie.
Nan-e Badami (Almond Cookies)
Chewy almond cookies with crisp edges, made with egg whites and no flour. Naturally gluten-free.
| Egg whites | 70 g |
| White sugar | 150 g |
| Almond flour | 200 g |
| Ground cardamom | 2 g |
| Rosewater | 5 g |
| To decorate | |
| Almond slivers | a handful |
- Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then whisk in the sugar a spoonful at a time until glossy.
- Fold in the almond flour, cardamom and rosewater.
- Pipe or spoon small mounds onto lined trays and top each with a few almond slivers.
- Leave for 30 minutes to form a thin skin.
- Bake until pale golden at the edges. Cool fully before lifting.
Baker's note: The resting time forms the crackly top; don't skip it.
Nan-e Gerdooyi (Walnut Cookies)
Crisp-edged, chewy walnut cookies made with egg yolks. Simple, rich and a bakery classic.
| Egg yolks | 80 g |
| Powdered sugar | 100 g |
| Vanilla extract | 3 g |
| Walnuts, finely chopped | 200 g |
- Whisk the yolks and powdered sugar for 5 minutes until very thick and pale.
- Whisk in the vanilla.
- Fold in the walnuts.
- Drop teaspoon-sized mounds onto lined trays, well apart.
- Bake until golden at the edges. Cool on the tray before lifting.
Baker's note: Chop the walnuts finely by hand; ground walnuts turn the batter oily.
36 more recipes in the book · Coming soon