the hummingbird bakery Home Sweet Home!! {book review}

I have been anticipating this book for ages! I love Cake Days, first book was just okay, but Cake Days was amazing. Everything I baked from it turned out exactly as I expected it too! So, it was no surprise to anyone that I pre-ordered this one the minute Amazon allowed me too! 

The Hummingbird Bakery is mostly cupcakes with a few other treats on their counters. Their books allow them to show what else they can do. Home Sweet Home is broken down into categories of type of bake: Cupcakes; Cakes, Cheesecakes, & Roulades; Cookies & Biscuits; Pies & Cobblers; Traybakes; Sweet Treats & Classic Puds; Savouries.

Here are some of my must bakes:

Jaffa Cake Cupcakes* (picture)

Chocolate & Coconut Cupcakes

Eton Mess Cupcakes

Crème Brulee Cupcakes

Rhubarb & Custard Cupcakes

Sweet Dough Lemon Loaf

Chocolate & Cherry Cheesecake Swirl Cake

Cookies & Cream Cake

Banana & Brazil Nut Loaf

Pumpkin & Cream Cheese Roulade

Peanut Butter & Jam Pinwheel Cookies (picture)

Soured Cream Pie

White Chocolate & Macadamia Nut Pie (for Glen^)

Chocolate Custard Squares (Nanaimo Bars)

Apple & Almond Bear Claw Pastries

Parmesan Shortbread

Cheese Straws (picture)

This book has definitely lived up to my expectations and I can’t wait to get baking from it. The American influences are evident and are only a good thing! My only gripe is the Mallow Cups (page 252). I am an American and I can tell you Mallo Cups are not biscuit marshmallows covered in chocolate. They are a creamy marshmallow filling covered with a chocolate and coconut cover. I love Mallo Cups, been ages since I've had one. I think I will have to adapt this recipe to make real Mallo Cups! ;0)

I also love how cupcakes are not their only focus. Don’t get me wrong there are some amazing looking cupcakes in this book, but I am really impressed with the variety!

notes: *See my Jaffa Cake Doughnut War and myobsession with chocolate & orange!

^ Glen is my brother-in-law who loves white chocolate & macadamia nuts together I made him these cookies (at bottom of post)! Mallo Cups!! Where to buy Home Sweet Home: Amazon UK & USA (kindle edition); Sainsbury’s (at the moment is only 7.49 in store it won't be at this price for long so grab it now!); the hummingbird bakery if you're lucky enough to live in London you can grab one at any location!

update: Made Peanut Butter & Jam Pinwheel Cookies: they were a big hit! Very yummy!! Made Parmesan Shortbreads not 100% sure I liked them....