I'm delighted to report that Mary Berry’s Baking Bible arrived, however, not as delighted as my daughter Charlie.  She has been checking the post box on a daily basis for the last week, wondering, waiting and ever so slightly whining - and finally it arrived on Friday.

The book gives a detailed forward which I made Charlotte read before we began – she poured over it and has been quoting snippets at me all day…Yikes what am I creating?   Needless to say, she now knows the tips and hints backwards – shame her 8 times table didn’t go in quite as easily.    We talked about how we wanted to tackle the book – should we just begin at the beginning or should we begin each chapter, do the first recipe in each and then rotate?  The latter seemed a little complicated so, even though we might get a little bored just doing cakes then just doing something else we will get more practice this way. The book is just lovely, its separated into 19 categories including Tray bakes and Flapjacks, Tarts and Pastries, Soufflés and Meringues and of course Classic Cakes which is the first Category and where we are going to begin

Here we go, chapter 1 Classic Cakes and the first recipe Madeira Cake. ”Oh No!” moans Charlotte we don’t have a 7-inch round deep cake tin! – Not to worry I say, lets use either my 6-inch or 8-inch tin.  Obviously this is not a reasonable solution in my 10-year-old eyes, Mary says it must be a 7-inch tin, so nothing else will do! We need a little shopping trip.

 I think I should explain about baking supplies in Holland – they range between difficult to source to down right impossible.  Little things like Baking Powder or Bicarb are just not readily available and if you are looking for ground almonds, then you will really have a hunt on your hands.  I am lucky enough to have access to a Horcea Handle, which is a catering wholesaler.  They do stock catering sized Icing Sugar, Baking Powder and if you look in the Asian section, you can find Bicarb.  I think the reason for this absence of baking supplies is purely the lack of demand – The Netherlanders just don’t “do” baking and if they do, it is generally in a packet mix.  They don’t eat cake the way the British or Americans do, they like flat tarts or lattice topped pies – delicious but just not the same.

 However, never say never, I need a 7-inch tin and I'm going to find one.  We set off and a couple of hours later, we found ourselves in a converted watermill in a small village that sells a range of pet supplies, gold fish, and unbelievably baking paraphernalia.  Charlotte spotted the baking tins and we managed to find a lovely, deep, spring release 7-inch tin, 2 fluted scone cutters, baking beans and the most fabulous cupcake carrier – my good friend would describe this as baking porn, and I have to say, I know where she’s coming from.  I have a feeling the smiling lady in the windmill will be seeing a lot more of us over the coming weeks and months - now home to bake!