Afterword

Much of what we think of as skill in baking depends on accurately executing techniques. In fact, the ‘essentials’ that follow most of the recipes in this book often give the reasons why you’re mixing, rolling or cutting in a specific way that’s essential to success. Yet baking is undoubtedly a creative pursuit. If it weren’t, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the millions of variations - just think of how many different cheesecakes or brownies exist.

The truth is that creativity in baking carries some responsibility with it. You can infinitely vary the flavour of buttercream or the type of fruit you use in a tart, but you really can’t do much to alter the way you keep track of the temperatures in your buttercream or how thin you roll your dough. With this in mind, I’ve added variations where appropriate, though you needn’t stop with my suggestions. Take off on your own and remember that creativity in baking, as in all the arts, is governed by experience and a certain degree of restraint. And above all, enjoy the process.