Baker boys

I took a huge swag of baking books home from the library last week, looking for some buttery, floury, sweet inspiration.   Have you met Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito?  Forging new frontiers from their bakery in Brooklyn, they are the cutest sweet tooths in New York.  I've been having fun with whoopie pies and butterscotch tarts and most importantly, their famous brownie.  So moist, dense, chocolaty and totally delicious, and, had I remembered to include the recipe's vanilla and espresso powder, I reckon they'd be even better.

Across the Atlantic, you might know Yotam and Sami from London's Ottolenghi.  Their first eponymously titled cookbook is full of modern, smart recipes.  I've been baking their famous giant meringues with cinnamon and hazelnuts, my favourite among a host of other baking goodness.

A little closer to home, the hefty book of Paul Allam and David McGuinness from the landmark Bourke Street Bakery in Sydney's Surry Hills is beautifully photographed and full of recipes for the most perfect breads and pastries.   From the easy pizza dough, to the mixed berry muffins, so far, everything has worked a treat. It brings back memories of queueing for tasty sausage rolls and crusty sourdough loaves when we lived in Sydney.  A bit more practice is required, but I fully intend to nail the amazing sweet shortcrust pastry of theirs.

So many cookbooks, so many tasty things to bake, so little time.  I will be sad when I have to take this lot back to the library, and I hope the librarian doesn't notice the floury, buttery, sticky pages.

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