About the author
Miranda was on the first series of The Great British Bake Off and I think we all remember her for the ‘soggy bottom’ comment from Mary Berry! I also remember her as the ‘queen of iced biscuits’. Such attention to detail – a girl after my own heart!
What I also liked about Miranda is that she made food which was down to earth and achievable and that’s exactly what this book is about.
It’s a book written by someone who wants to pass on a gift
You get the feeling that she really master this delicate craft. It starts with some great basics that cover ingredients. Sounds really simple but Miranda goes through the key ingredients used in biscuit making and adds her hints and tips and of course some great detail such as timings for toasting different types of nuts! Brilliant!
There is then got a lovely list of useful equipment for biscuit baking and some insight into recipe steps. For example how critical chilling dough is for helping biscuits get that perfect shape and not fall apart while baking. She chills the dough and then the biscuit shapes before putting them in the oven.
She moves on to troubleshooting which I found incredibly useful as mine tend to have ‘Goldilocks Syndrome’ – too hard or too soft – never just right.
The recipes are divided into nine chapters
It starts with Biscuits for Beginners – Rusks for Rascals, Fruity Little Teds and Sweetie Biscuits. All such wonderful names for biscuits that my girls loved baking on their own like these Chocolate Toffee Melts...
Chocolate Toffee Melts which ooze gooey toffee!
She moves on to A Cup of Tea and a Chat Biscuits. These really are the ones you fancy when you’ve friends over for that girlie chat – Chocolate Bourbons, Bakewell Biscuits and Fudgy Nut Conversation Stoppers to name a few.
Next up some Seasonal Biscuits such as Elderflower Moments, Bonfire Crackers and Mini Christmas Puddings and Outdoor Biscuits suited to long walks as they’re full of brown sugar and oats to give that added energy boost. We are looking forward to trying Coat Pocket Biscuits, Biscuits for Adventurers and Sledging Biscuits in particular but fell in love with the Rhubarb Crumble Biscuits. No sooner had they come out of the oven, a new batch was being made!
Rhubarb Crumble Biscuits
For those of you who don’t have such a sweet tooth, you’ll love the Savoury Nibbles which include classic Stilton and Walnut Nibble, Pesto and Pine Nut Pieces and Sesame and Spelt Thins – all great for cheese I’d say.
I love the next chapter of Almost Healthy Biscuits. Make no mistake. Super Berry Heroes and Agave Nectar and Hazelnut Boosters sound healthy but the ingredients are just as decadent as the rest of the recipes!
Miranda has a lovely family and a beautiful little baby who I know will enjoy the Children’s Party Biscuits as much as we did. This chapter is full of ideas like simply dipping Chocolate Fingers in Sprinkles. So simple but my girls LOVED them.
Quick and easy children’s party treats
The final chapter is Petit Fours – elegant and decadent biscuits exclusively for adults. Macrons, Milk Chocolate Pecan Thins and Salted Caramel Sandwiches and not forgetting the Prune and Almond Cantucci.
And last but not least, biscuit dough recipes for Miranda’s infamous iced biscuits as seen on The Great British Bake Off series 1. I’m yet to try these. I’m not a fan of the fiddly but I am tempted by the butterfly moulds I recently saw in my local cake decorating shop. Maybe this weekend…
What I love about this book is a depth of knowledge. There are so many little pieces of advice, notes of variations and common sense tips in this book that it could be a standalone biscuit making class manual.
Congratulations Miranda on a wonderful achievement and thank you for sending me your marvellous book.
Book details
Hardcover: ISBN: 978-0-091-94502-2 : £14.99
Published by Ebury who also produced the lovely book that accompanied the second series of The Great British Bake Off that I took part in.
The book is available on Amazon and Waterstones.
Scrummy!