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Squires Kitchen ‘BAKE School’ magazine review

Have you seen this magazine on the shelves yet? I got my hands on the second issue this week and it’s really, really good. I don’t buy many baking magazines – if I started I don’t think I’d stop and what with all the interiors titles I buy for work I’d be drowning in piles and piles of paper!

Squires kitchen, for those of you who don’t know, is a baking shop/school/ haven. It’s based in Farnham in Surrey and has people coming from all over the world to learn how to master the art of decorating cakes and cookies, modelling, sugarcrafting and much, much more. Their baking ingredients and equipment are so readily available the chances are you already have a ton of it in your baking cupboard without even realising it. They have had a fantastic  Wedding magazine for a while but this new ‘Bake school’ is right up my street and so probably yours too.

So what’s in it?

Recipes to start with, and lots and lots of them. Most are by the Squires tutors but there’s also a few experts thrown in for good measure, Mary Berry, Edd Kimber and Carlos Lischetti to name but a few. There are also tons and tons of tips. Really simple things that make a difference to being a successful baker. How to line a cake tin, how to colour icing, how to pipe a cupcake, which nozzle give which effect etc

The features in this issue

Biscuits

There are loads of recipes as well as beautiful decorating ideas from stencilling and embossing to flooding and stained glass effects

Cupcakes

Recipes including very vanilla, triple chocolate and some basic how to’s on piping buttercream to more complex designs. I love the butterfly cupcakes with the iced cookies in them and the cupcakes that really look like roses. They’re incredible.

Cakes

Raspberry Victoria Sponge anyone? Or a pretty layered cake, like the one on the cover? Yes, please!  There are also some dairy free, wheat and gluten cakes as well.

Chocolate

Well what can I say. You will want to make all of these recipes from Mud cake to chocolate chilli cupcakes, Chocolate fondant puddings to chocolate and walnut brownies to name but a few.

Dessert

I love desserts. In fact I nearly love them more than cakes – but don’t tell anyone! This is one chapter that I have folded down the page corners on every page! Swiss Meringues that are so pretty, Eaton Mess Meringue cakes, Mango tart, yum, yum, yum!

Bread

I’ve only recently discovered the fun of baking bread. I have loved making pizza bases this week. They are so much better than shop bought ones. George Thomopoulos, Squires expert bread baker, shares his tried and tested recipes for brown malted loaf, bloomer and rolls and Focaccia – this is what I’m making next.

Also worth checking out ….

  • Susanna Righetto’s sugarcraft flowers. You could sell them in a florists shop they look so real.
  • The interview with Edd Kimber, winner of the first series of The Great British Bake off.
  • Plum chutney and a jam recipe to accompany other recipes.
  • In the kitchen with Carlos Lischetti – this man makes models from modelling clay that are incredible. They are so beautiful you could put them on a shelf as an ornament. They are the epitome of perfect.

Bake school is available from WHSMith, Sainsbury’s and selected newsagents for £5.99 or you can buy it directly from the Squires on line shop, but beware, you’ll come away with a lot more than you bargained for if you let yourself loose in the shop. It’s a treasure trove of baking goodies!

Do you buy baking magazines? Which ones are your favorites and why? I’d love to know what to look out for.

enjoy!

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EmmaMT from CakesBakesAndCookies.com

Follow me at www.cakesbakesandcookies.com for inspirational cake design, recipes and cake decorating tips.

16 Comments

  1. You tempted me with the rainbow cake (you made one not long ago, wasn’t it? Pink though). My husband and I started a diet last week, but the children doesn’t have so suffer the consequences! 🙂

    Will stop on WHSmith on my way home this evening……

    1. EmmaMT from CakesBakesAndCookies.com says:

      I did make one a few months ago, but it was all pink colours. On seeing this magazine my daughter Beau has asked for it for her birthday this year. She changes her mind every time she sees something new! There’s just too much choice for an 8 year old!

  2. Penny smith says:

    I cannot find this magazine anywhere WHSmiths have never heard of it or stains bury and I do not know where to get it from

    1. EmmaMT from CakesBakesAndCookies.com says:

      Hello,

      I’m sorry to hear that you are having problems finding this mag. I went to check out my local WHSMiths and they didn’t have it either, but then they didn’t have Delicious or Olive either! I’ll get onto the press office and find out if there’s a distribution problem. It may be that it is really new and hasn’t reached the shelves everywhere yet.

      In the meantime you can get it on line from Squires shop

      http://www.squires-shop.com/ibf/index.php?p=product&id=9314&parent=329

      I’ll let you know as soon as I know.

      EmmaMT

      1. I (eventually!) bought it on my local Sainbury´s (have tried WHSmiths, Tesco and Asda before, unsuccesfully)

      2. Penny smith says:

        I still have no luck finding this book I know I could get of website but it then adds a 2.50-2.95 postage on top witch takes it too nearly 10 pounds just wish I could get it in Walsall or Wolverhampton or surrounding areas 🙁

      3. EmmaMT from CakesBakesAndCookies.com says:

        Sorry you’re having trouble finding it. I’ll get back onto the PR!

      4. EmmaMT from CakesBakesAndCookies.com says:

        Hello again,

        I’ve just heard back from the PR for Squires Kitchen and she says

        “Squires Kitchen Bake School should be available to buy from two Smiths News stores in Wolverhampton, Wednesfield. One is on Long Knowle Lane and the other on Rookery Street.
        In Walsall, it should be available in Smiths News on Reedswood Way.”

        Hope that helps

        EmmaMT

      5. Penny smith says:

        Thanks Emma will try again tomorrow

  3. Hello Emma

    I keep thinking on the rainbow cake for my husband’s Birthday later this month (especially now that I have the magazine!). Kids are excited with the idea of organizing a surprise party (luckily it falls on a school day but on the day of the week I do not work….) and of course the rainbow cake is a paramount piece planned for the day.

    A rare sparkle of creativeness is taking over my brain and instead of keeping the whole thing simple, I am thinking of complicating my already busy life with a rainbow checkered cake. Haven’t used that tin before though. Is avaible from Amazon but before getting it, would like to ask your wise advise, once again?

    (can’t believe it – ME thinking on a coloured cake…… this is totally insane!)

    1. EmmaMT from CakesBakesAndCookies.com says:

      I know what you mean. It’s my birthday at the end of the month (a big one!) and I’ve been thinking about making a chocolate rainbow cake. What with everything else I’m supposed to be planning! At least mine’s not a surprise party. That’s too much for me to plan.

      I haven’t used a checkered cake tin before. The Amazon one (if you mean this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wilton-2105-9961-Checkerboard-Cake-Set/dp/B000I0TWJ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349642886&sr=8-1) looks great fun. I wish I had one to play with. Maybe it’s time to drop Wilton a line and see if they have some to test run with! It looks pretty straight forward. Did you check out the customers photos? The cakes look fab.

      Good luck and let me know how you get on.

      EmmaMT

      1. Penny smith says:

        Hi Emma just a quick one I’ve been to those two shops and they said they never stock them help please 🙁 🙁

      2. EmmaMT from CakesBakesAndCookies.com says:

        I’m really sorry. I’ve been on to the press office and that’s where they say it’s available from. I had no idea it would be so difficult to find. Where are you? I’ll ask them again!
        EmmaMT

      3. Penny smith says:

        Hi Emma yes I live Walsall/ Sandwell border I been to sainsbury too no luck they must know I’m coming for it and say no not heard of it lol

      4. EmmaMT from CakesBakesAndCookies.com says:

        Leave it with me!

      5. EmmaMT from CakesBakesAndCookies.com says:

        Hello, I’ve been in touch with the press office and this is what they said…

        “Sainsburys in Reedswood Way, Walsall and Rookery Street, Wolverhampton have all stocked the magazine as well as an independent newsagent on Long Knowle Lane, Wolverhampton.
         
        All the stores mentioned above received stock of the magazine so it’s likely that they have now sold out. The best thing to do is for your reader to order directly from http://www.squires-shop.com.”

        So, I’m sorry to say that you’ve been beaten to it! Ordering on-line is now your best option.

        EmmaMT

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