The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
Review by Kristin Ewing
The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
by Tarek Malouf and The Hummingbird Bakers
2009, Ryland Peters & Small, Inc.
ISBN: 978 1 84597 831 0
Marie Claire magazine informed its readers “If you haven’t tasted a Hummingbird Bakery looks-too-good-to-eat cupcake, you’ve definitely missed out.” With only locations in London, I’m not sure how many of you can afford to fly there in this economy. I know I can’t. Although it is not completely the same as purchasing one from the actual bakery, Tarek Malouf and The Hummingbird Bakers have provided the recipes to make their delicious treats in our own homes with The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook.
At first glance, I couldn’t decide what recipe to test first. Everything sounded and looked amazing. Peter Cassidy did an excellent job with the photography of every item in the book. I settled on the marshmallow cupcakes considering the bakery is known best for cupcakes and I have never been able to turn down anything with marshmallows. This recipe was easy to follow with one exception. Most ingredients called for conventional measurements, but other ingredients called for a specific amount of ounces. Without a scale to weigh the ingredients, I’m not sure how accurate I was at combining the correct amount.
The marshmallow cupcakes were absolutely delicious and my favorite of everything I made. The cupcake base was not too rich and balanced nicely with the marshmallow filling and frosting. As I ate the cupcake, I remembered my childhood and how we always had cupcakes as birthday treats in school. The best thing about cupcakes is that unlike a traditional cake, you are not supposed to share them. The cupcake is all for you to savor.
The overall favorite with everyone else was the raspberry cheesecake brownies. I found these to be too sweet for my taste, but they certainly did not last long around my friends. As I made the brownie batter, I found myself wanting to eat the entire bowl based on how good it smelled. I had difficulties making the cream topping. Although I followed the directions, I could not get the cream firm enough and it ended up quite runny, despite even trying to freeze it. I’m sure that after a few more attempts (like I need another reason to make brownies), I will master this to perfection.
The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook provides recipes for all types of treats in both traditional and original recipes. Some more traditional recipes include banana bread, sugar cookies, lemon meringue pie and cupcakes. The more original recipes range from lavender cupcakes, ham and mushroom muffins and of course their hummingbird cake.
Katherine Lynch
As the editor of Dine South Florida and the publisher of Dine Magazine, Kate is usually extremely busy. She'll taste anything once and loves taking adventures in food whenever possible.