Gatherings by Flora Shedden

I didn’t mean to be gone so many days, but it was technical difficulties which the hubster has now managed to fix, after many a phone call to our provider. Will have to make him something special for being a star!

There has been much cooking going on from Mary Berry and Donal Skehan in my absence and also this new book out recently.

Gatherings recipes for feasts great and small by Flora Shedden. The much awaited debut cookbook from Flora Shedden, she of Bake Off fame. I loved Flora on Bake Off, she was full of character and produced terrific baking. I’ve read online that she is opening a bakery soon, be a definite place to visit for us.

Anyhow, it is a fabulous book, an eclectic mix of recipes with a writing style as readable as Nigella and recipes in the manner of Diana Henry. This is just to give you an idea of Flora’s style, because she is most definitely her own person.

The chapters are *Mornings Quick and Slow *Small Plates* Food to Fling Together* Everything Baked* Food to Take Your Time About* Drinks and Other Things to Celebrate With* Sweet Plates and Puds*  and *Essentials.  The style of the book is airy and natural. Some of my list of to make recipes are: toasted coconut oats, rye waffles, apple and celeriac soup with basil oil, pearl barley and mushroom risotto, speedy spicy tacos,  apple cheddar and oat scones, strawberry and hibiscus Victoria sponge, wardrobe cake, wedding parcels (tortellini piacentini), clementine and vanilla marmalade and rhubarb and honey compote. To name but a few!

The first two recipes I’ve tried both involve chocolate. No surprise there then, ahem. There were cocoa nib brownies, they come out very fudge like, and were really lovely warmed up for dessert. I liked the seeds on top, and didn’t add cocoa nibs as they give me migraines!

Second is hot chocolate, this should be chilli hot chocolate, but I omitted the chilli. The blueprint recipe is very good, just perfectly balanced, we as a family all liked it. Will be my go to one from now on.