I like a good play on words, just look at the title of my blog for instance. So when I was asked to review a copy of Bake in Black by Eve & Dave O’Sullivan, I couldn’t say no. Bake in Black is a music-inspired baking book that has delights such as ‘Battenburg Out of Hell’ for Meatloaf fans, ‘Whiskey in the Bar’ Brownies by Thin Lizzy and the Metallica debut album inspired recipe I’ve made here called ‘Bake ‘Em All’.
The book is full of some amazing recipes, I was really impressed with how much is packed into this compact book. It covers biscuits, large cakes, desserts, doughnuts and smaller cakes.
I chose this recipe because it’s a baked doughnut and I have wanted to try these for a while now. This is a like a version of the classic American jelly donut. Bursting with raspberry and redcurrant jelly and coated with butter and caster sugar, this does a very convincing job of making you believe it’s deep-fried.
There’s so many other recipes I want to try in this book. There’s a Nirvana Cheesecake that looks amazing and some Ginger Baker biscuits that are very tempting. The great thing about this book is that you really don’t need any special equipment to make any of the recipes. The instructions are very clear and concise and the ingredients used are very easy to get hold of. There’s also a list of stockists and suppliers in the back of the book.
Eve O’Sullivan one of the co-authors of this book, is a well-known freelance food writer. She regularly writes the Guardian Reader’s Recipe Swap column and is the Editor of Cooked.com. Dave O’Sullivan is a musician and Bake in Black started life as a food blog that they both worked on.
This book is available to purchase here, but you can also enter my competition to win a copy, along with £25 of musicroom.com vouchers.
BAKE IN BLACK - A REVIEW AND A GIVEAWAY
Ingredients
- ***For the doughnuts***
- 500 g Plain Flour
- 7 g Sachet Fast Action Yeast
- 40 g Caster Sugar
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 300 ml Milk
- 50 g Butter
- 1 Egg beaten
- ***For the Jelly***
- 250 g Raspberries frozen is fine
- 250 g Redcurrants frozen is fine
- 350 g Jam Sugar
- ***To finish***
- 100 g Unsalted Butter melted
- 200 g Caster Sugar
Instructions
- To make the jelly put the fruit in a saucepan and simmer over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until the fruit has broken down. Take off the heat and strain through a sieve, keep the strained liquid and discard the fruit pulp.
- Put the liquid back into a saucepan, add the sugar and bring to the boil, stirring regularly so the liquid doesn't stick. Once thickened place in an airtight container and leave to cool completely.
- To make the doughnuts pour the milk into a saucepan and warm gently. Add the butter, stirring until melted, then take off the heat and allow to cool to lukewarm.
- Mix the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the egg to the milk mixture and mix thoroughly.
- With a dough hook fitted, turn on the mixer and slowly add the milk until a dough forms. Knead the dough in the mixer for 5-7 minutes.
- The dough will be sticky, place it in an oiled bowl cover with a cloth or cling-film and leave to rise somewhere warm for an hour until doubled in size.
- Take the dough out of the bowl and knock back a little. Divide the dough into 14 balls and shape them into rounds with the seam on the bottom, flatten the top slightly. Place the doughnuts on two baking trays that are lined with baking parchment, cover with cling-film and allow to rise somewhere warm for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/375F/gas mark 4, then bake the doughnuts for around 15 minutes until golden.
- When cooked place them on a wire rack to cool a little and place the sugar and the melted butter into two separate bowls.
- Brush or dip the doughnuts in the melted butter and then roll them in the sugar and place back on the rack to cool.
- To fill the cooled doughnuts, make an incision in the side of each one. Place the jelly in a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle. Insert the nozzle into the hole and fill the doughnuts with jelly. Stop when the doughnut starts to swell and the jelly leaks out.
If these doughnuts aren’t enough for you, take a look at this Toffee Apple version. If you have an abundance of redcurrants try these scones with red and black currants. If you’re in the mood to make more jam, or you want to use it as an alternative this plum and amaretto version would make a great filling.
Win A Copy of Bake in Black & £25 of Musicroom.com vouchers
Bake in Black & £25 Musicroom.com vouchers Giveaway
– One winner will receive the following: A copy of Bake in Black and £25 of Musicroom.com vouchers
– The giveaway open to UK residents over the age of 18 only.
– The giveaway ends on the 11th of September at 11:59:59 AM.
– Entries using an automated process or software to create bulk entries will be disqualified.
– The winner will be randomly selected, announced in the Gleam giveaway box and contacted via their provided e-mail address shortly afterwards. Please claim your prize within 4 days of being notified.
Silvia
Hello!! I would like to know how long will they keep, if made ahead. I would really like to do them for my kids’ birthday next week-end, but I need to organise timings 🙂 Thanks!!! Sílvia.
Jodie Dodd
What a brilliant book! And oh my, Nirvana cheesecake sounds divine. I’m not a huge fan of jelly doughnuts but the toffee apple version sounds delish. Btw, love the photos, especially the one with the doughnut on the music sheet!
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thanks Jodie, I had so much fun with these pictures 🙂 I think toffee apple would be great. I thought jelly doughnuts were huge in America!
Jodie Dodd
Jelly doughtnuts are huge here. Probably as American as apple pie. I’m just not a fan of jelly, not even on my peanut butter sandwiches. 😀
sally johnston
Coffee & walnut cake with Michael Buble Mmmmmmmmm
Andrew Seaman
Elieen Barton – If I knew you were coming I’d have baked a cake x
trevor linvell
Whiskey n the bar Brownies to Bon Jovi
Denise Walker
Ginger Baker biscuits – to Ed Sheeran
Rebecca Smith
The nirvana cheesecake sounds amazing!
Donna Caldwell
Would love to make whiskey in the bar brownies sound fantastic
Julie B
The Nirvana cheesecake sounds awesome
Victoria Prince
What a fab idea for a book, and those doughnuts look naughty but oh so good – I’ll have to give them a go! I love the puns, so appeals to me. I think my music inspired bake would be “I Owe You Muffin” by Bros – not sure what type of muffin yet though, would have to work on that 🙂
Anna Davison
The battenberg out of hell sound good!!!
Lizzy Cooper
I’d love to make some ‘moulin rouge’ inspired musical bakes, they would be awesome
lindseyxxx
I love cheesecakes so would have to give the Nirvana cheesecake a go.
Jo Bryan
George Ezra Crumpets 😉
Maxine
Ooh, some cute cupcakes whilst singing “The winner bakes it all”
Michelle Banks
Red Velvet cake to ac/dc
Kelandab
Jammy donuts to Jimi Hendrix
kim neville
Chocolate brownies to David Guetta
Laura Lou Denman
These doughnuts if I’m honest – my office and lab would love them and me!
Martina Evans
Red Velvet cake with cream cheese + Queen
Rosie Dunningham
Mmm the Nirvana cheesecake! Rosie x
Samantha Loughlin
Banana cake to foofighters
Claire Richards
The Nirvana Cheesecake sounds awesome, I always love a cheesecake! Thanks!
juliebooth
Baking a large sticky chocolate cake to Abba
Lyn Bosomworth
I think the “Whiskey in the Bar” brownies look fab
Pete Cleasby
banana cake to Tina Turner`s Simply the Best!
Tracy K Nixon
Summery songs during the Summer and Winter songs during the Winter. I love pop music – I listen to it whilst I bake, iron, do housework etc – I hate silence!
Tracey Peach
I’ve never thought about it but I can see the charm of this If in a bad mood make a big sticky chocolate cake!
Beeta @ Mon Petit Four
Your jelly doughnuts look fantastic, Angela! Now I’m craving one! :p Also, the cookbook seems really fun; I love the idea of using the songs as titles for different recipes. I think the “Whiskey in the Bar” brownies would be right up my alley 😉
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thanks Beeta! The cookbook is really good fun. I wanted to make the battenburg, but one of the tins I needed was in the freezer full of some more no-churn ice cream I’d made! For another time, I will definitely bake from it again. Are you a big whisky fan?
Hannah Hossack-Lodge
They look fantastic, I am interested in the idea of baking rather than frying doughnuts – it seems like less faff so its nice to hear that it works well. I also love the sound of the book, I always listen to metal when I bake so some metal themed recipes would be great!
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thanks Hannah. This is such a good book, you would love it! I always listen to music when I bake too, it calms me. I don’t know how they cope on #GBBO!
Hannah Hossack-Lodge
I’ve had so many people tell me I should apply for the bake off….but I think I would just HATE it! No music, camera crews getting in your face, time pressure, the judging…and as soon as I know am being watched when I’m doing anything I start making stupid mistakes…I’m kind of worried that someone is going to apply for me :/
Lucy Parissi
I always bake with music. And work with music. And pretty much anything with music. These doughnuts look beyond amazing. Right now I am so stressed I could eat the entire plate. Probably not a smart idea. But I like the sound of the book!
PatisserieMakesPerfect
The book is so much fun Lucy. There are some truly inspired recipes. I will definitely be making more from this book. I overdosed on these yesterday, I had so much sugar I was nearly hanging from the ceiling!
Hannah Butcher
Baking + Metallica. Yes, yes, yes, yes! I could go on. Oh and doughnuts. Lovely stuff Angela x
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Congratulations on the name change Hannah, hope the wedding went well! These are so fun aren’t they? It very liberating ‘stabbing’ my food too!
hem64
‘Whiskey in the Bar’ Brownies sounds interesting, hubby would certainly like them, though not if I used his best single malt!