Book Review:
Leon ~ Baking & Puddings. Book 3
Recipe Review:
Hannah’s Banana Bread
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| Hannah’s Banana Bread ~ photo by Karen S Booth |
By: Claire Ptak and Henry Dimbleby
Imprint: Conran Octopus Ltd
Format: Hardback
Size: 253 x 193 x mm
Pages: 304
ISBN: 9781840915792
Published: 12th September 2011
Format: Hardback
Size: 253 x 193 x mm
Pages: 304
ISBN: 9781840915792
Published: 12th September 2011
£20.00
Leon: Baking & Puddings is the third book in the Leon Restaurants cookbook collection; it tantalises, promotes and promises delicious recipes of the “sweet and stodgy” variety but in a delightfully new, healthy and modern way. At least two thirds of the book suggest recipes that are sugar, dairy, wheat or gluten free ~ it would appear that you can have your cake and eat it.
The book is divided into two sections:
Part one ~ Everyday and Part Two ~ Celebration. I find this to be a wonderful way to search for recipes, rather than wading through sections that may not be suitable for a particular event. In part one, Everyday, there are chapters that cover Breakfast, Power Snacks, Tea Time, Puds, Cooking with Children, Bread & Yeast and Sweets. The respective chapters showcase all sorts of indulgent treats and cover all types of sweet and savoury delights ~ indeed the photos entice with cakes and pies bursting out of cake tins and pie dishes ~ a veritable feast for the eyes. I particularly liked the use of spelt flour in much of the quick bread and yeast bread recipes; spelt flour apparently helps with lactation for nursing mothers ~ now there’s a useful snippet of information.
Spelt Bread and Variations
In Part Two, Celebration, the recipes cover a wide selection of celebratory events………Wakes jostle for position with Christenings and Valentine’s Day, whilst the more popular and larger feasts are represented well with Christmas, Easter, Hogmanay, Mother’s Day and dads also get a shout with Father’s Day. I was particularly pleased to see St Georges Day mentioned as well as Wimbledon, Halloween, Bonfire Night and Birthdays. The celebratory section also covers chapters for Thanksgiving and Eid with a final section called Extra Helpings. With such a diverse and interesting range of celebrations covered I am sure most people will find something seasonal to suit a special occasion.
Glenys’s Desperate Dan Steak Pie for Father’s Day
The book design is an exciting mix of retro almost Art Deco images and graphics with photos of the restaurant staff, restaurants and even some of the guests ~ the overall “look” is vibrant and colourful with a buoyancy that conveys the message and ethos of the Leon restaurant chain ~ that food should be fresh and healthy, but in no way boring. From the tattooed lady on the front cover to the contents page shown printed on a flour packet, the book is excitingly artistic in a varied sense……the artwork, graphics and photos in no way detract from the main business of the book, the recipes, which are well written and easy to follow. I also love the fact that each and every recipe has helpful, and some cases very personal notes printed alongside them. Hannah’s Banana Bread was so named after a guest left a written “wish” in the drawer of the Ludgate Circus branch stating that she wished she had a cake named after her ~ et voila! The “horns” on Glenys’s Desperate Dan Steak Pie are apparently optional ~ thank goodness!
Eccles Cakes for St George’s Day
The book assumes an air of modernity insofar that a great proportion of the recipes are very traditional and are well known to most of us, but many of them have “The Leon Twist” such as reducing the dairy or sugar content and using wheat and gluten free products, this results in making it a very adaptable and useful book for modern cooks, in essence representing their food interests and requirements of today, but in an exciting and yet realistic manner. The book suggests all manner of recipes and not just for everyday and celebration, but for different times and occasions throughout the day ~ from breakfast to afternoon tea and then to a power snack in the evening, it’s all there for most people’s daily requirements. The Cooking with Children chapter is particularly refreshing and covers a multitude of tasty treats to make with your children in the kitchen, thus igniting their interest in cooking, ingredients and food.
Roasted Quince Compote
If you love your baking and puddings but want to reduce your sugar and dairy intake, or you have a wheat intolerance, this is certainly the book for you ~ however, if you are not that worried about your weight and are lucky enough to have no food intolerances or allergies, this is still the book for you ~ it is packed from cover to cover with delectable and enticing treats from the bakers oven and pudding stove ~ pies, cakes, biscuits, tarts, pizzas, cereals, fruit breads, savoury breads, puddings, ice creams, cold and hot desserts are just a small snapshot of what is on offer and with the additional benefit of a second index at the back of the book where recipes are listed according to their ingredients. This is a “happy” and unconventional book brimming with treats that fit into most dietary requirements whilst also offering visual excitement for the bedtime reader!
I wholeheartedly recommend this book ~ beautiful, dynamic, modern, alternative and vibrant it may look, but the recipes have been tested and are diverse and pleasing, as well as easy to follow. This book is now an essential batter spattered member of my Baking and Pudding cookbook library and will remain so for many years to come.
Karen S Booth
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| Hannah’s Banana Bread from the book |
Hannah’s Banana Bread ~ Recipe Review
When deciding what to make from the book as a recipe review, I was led very rapidly to Hannah’s Banana Bread ~ for two reasons, my daughter is called Hannah and I love banana breads and cakes. Here are some images of my banana bread, as made from the book, and with my tasting tips and cooking notes.
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| Hannah’s Banana Bread ~ photo by Karen S Booth |
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| Hannah’s Banana Bread ~ photo by Karen S Booth |
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| Hannah’s Banana Bread ~ photo by Karen S Booth |
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| Hannah’s Banana Bread ~ photo by Karen S Booth |
This is a dark and yet surprisingly light textured banana bread; the advice on the recipe is not over mix this, and I agree ~ under mixing quick breads gives better results and you will not have a rubbery textured loaf. I made the recipe exactly as stated and was rewarded with a nutty flavoured and moist textured banana bread. The banana on top is supposed to sink into the cake on baking, mine stubbornly refused to sink, but I think it adds to charm of the cake and was wonderfully caramelised and slightly sticky. I would definitely make this cake again as the technique was easy with no rubbing in or excessive creaming; the cake did take 10 minutes longer to bake than suggested, but this is a common area for difference in recipe writing; ovens are notoriously difficult to standardise and are very different ~ mine must be a little slower than Leon’s ovens. A very delicious 9 out of 10 for this banana bread; it was just slightly in the sweet side for me ~ but that is personal taste, but other than that, it was perfect ~ I loved the use of spelt flour and dark sugar, which made for a dark and very moist bread.
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| Hannah’s Banana Bread ~ photo by Karen S Booth |
Hi Karen, what a super review. I like the approach Leon takes in its cook books. Very humourous and unconventional. Could just tuck into that Banana Bread now with a cup of tea!
What a great review Karen, I'm ordering the book today! Particularly looking forward to the chapter of cooking with children!
Squee!!! I totally want that book! How often does one come across a cookbook that has sections for Wakes, St George's Day and Hogmanay? Not very often in the United States, that's for sure. Off to go put this on my amazon list…
I have their first book, which I quite enjoyed as well as their second. Dare I buy yet another cookbook? Hmmm . . . the jury is out, but that banana bread looks pretty good!
Thanks Jacqueline ~ it is a great book ~ you will love the cooking with children section.
Jude ~ it is such a refreshing book and the cooking with children section is great.
Lauren ~ this is YOUR kinda book! You will love it.
It is a great book for alternative ideas for traditional puds and baking Marie!
I feel famous, a banana bread was named after me!x
Hello Hannah! Yes you are famous ~ you have a Banana Bread named after you……
Mum
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Looks very good. Lots of lovely puddings.
Mmn, a lovely review. I adore this book and am just cooking from it at the moment too. It certainly doesn't disappoint and I am learning a lot as I go along too. Hannah's Banana Bread was a great one to try, I love the look of the banana across the top of the loaf.
Good review. I've only seen the first one, but I was so impressed with it I bought it for everyone last Christmas – stupidly not one for me though.
Fab review. And the slice of banana is totally cool.
I have Book One and Two; this Third one will now be on my 'Cookbook Wish list'.
Oh my gosh. I would buy this book for the banana bread alone! Lovely! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this cookbook. So helpful!