WHISK — Cookbooks at VOLUME - A Sweet Summer

*These are not the small red plums mentioned, but another variety waiting to be processed. The plum season continues….

It’s been a summer of trying out new recipes and different cuisines. The abundance of fresh vegetables and heavily laden fruit trees (what a year for plums!) has had me looking for fresh ideas. If you haven’t tried the baked plum recipe in SWEET (by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh), this is highly recommended. (It’s the fruit accompaniment to the Almond Butter Cake.). It worked for our small red plums and our small tart yellow plums. And was delicious on its own or with a little crème fraîche or yoghurt. I was surprised to see a fancy New Zealand-inspired Louise Cake recipe. A very nice, but usually hardly exciting traditional cake given a successful uplift to become a celebratory standout. I haven’t delved into this cookbook much (yet) as some of the recipes looked complicated, but, in fact, I was surprised by the clarity of instructions, and while some of the recipes have several steps (this is not quick after-work baking), it’s not at all daunting — great for delving in on your days off or for special occasions. Saying that, there are also biscuits and moreish snacks. And the aforementioned plums are quick to prepare and even quicker to eat.