While the rest of us have been scrapping over who ate the last biscuit, or who forgot to put French Fancies in the online shopping basket, baker, food writer and blogger Kimber has been deluged in cake.
Any hint of a sweet craving and he can just "pop into the kitchen, because there's 17 different things I could have," he casually points out. Bradford-born Kimber has been baking professionally for a decade now, since winning the first ever series of Great British Bake Off back in 2010, and has, over that time, "realised that the amount of questions you get about equipment is very high".
Most food writers or bakers, he says, overestimate what home bakers have in their cupboards - and so his latest cookbook, One Tin Bakes, only requires either a short rummage for a single version of the classic and ever popular brownie pan, or a small investment in one. It means whatever level of baker you might be, you won't need to "go out and buy 300 different types of bakeware".
As we speak, Kimber has a tin of the book's tahini babka buns ("A modern take on a cinnamon bun") in the oven, and is just as regularly found cooking up a batch of his turtle brownies (a rye brownie with caramel, pecans and dark chocolate), or the oatmeal raisin cookie bar with a caramelised white chocolate ganache on top. One Tin Bakes also features rather grand treats, like a giant Portuguese custard tart, a slab of an Eccles cake, and entire tray of burnt Basque cheesecake.
Kimber grew up baking mince pies and scones with his mum, and those scones are still "one of the things that I don't even think about making, I just do". As One Tin Bakes goes out into the world, he hopes it can exist as a similarly ongoing and enduring guide for bakers.
"Say this is the first baking book you ever buy, you will be able to bake from it for years as you get better and better and better, and you're willing to try harder and harder things," he says, enthused. "I like books to be able to live with you for a long time."
Espresso cacao nib morning buns
Ingredients:
(Makes 6)
1 batch of brioche dough (see below - made with just 75g unsalted butter)
Plain flour, for dusting
1 egg yolk, beaten, for glazing
For the coffee butter:
150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1tbsp (heaped) instant espresso powder
For the coating:
100g caster sugar
1tbsp cacao nibs
1tsp instant espresso powder
For the brioche dough:
265g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
25g caster sugar
3/4tsp fine sea salt
5g fast-action dried yeast
60ml whole milk
2 large eggs
75g unsalted butter, at room temperature, diced, plus extra for greasing
NOTE: The brioche dough needs to chill overnight, so start this recipe the day before you want to bake it.
Method:
1. Make the brioche dough. Place the flour, sugar, salt and yeast into the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and mix briefly to combine. Pour in the milk and eggs and mix together to form a shaggy dough, then on low-medium speed, knead for 10-15 minutes until smooth and elastic. With the mixer still running, add the butter, a piece or two at a time, working it into the dough, then knead for a further 10-15 minutes until smooth and elastic and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Press into a flat disc, cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.
2. For the coffee butter, beat the butter in a bowl using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon until soft and creamy. Mix in the espresso powder. Draw a 20cm square on a piece of parchment paper and turn it over. Scrape the butter into the middle of the square and spread into an even layer within the lines. Fold the parchment paper over to enclose the butter and neaten with a rolling pin. Refrigerate overnight.
3. Remove the espresso butter from the refrigerator 10-15 minutes before the brioche dough to soften it slightly. Roll out the brioche dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 20 x 40cm rectangle. Place the espresso butter on one side of the dough and fold the second side up and over the butter. Pinch the seams together to enclose the butter. Gently press the dough with a rolling pin to flatten it a little before rolling out into a 20 x 50cm rectangle.
4. Fold the dough in thirds like a business letter, then wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Repeat this rolling, folding and chilling twice more, refrigerating for a final 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line the base of the baking tin with a piece of parchment paper.
5. Roll out the finished dough into an 18 x 28cm rectangle. Trim the edges and cut into six even squares. Place the buns into the prepared baking tin, cover with cling film and set aside in a warm place until the buns have almost doubled in size, about one hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6.
7. Brush the top of the buns with the beaten egg yolk, then bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Pulse the sugar, cacao nibs and espresso powder in a food processor until finely ground.
8. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before tossing in the cacao nib sugar. Best served warm on the same day, but these buns will keep for one to two days in a sealed container.
Classic birthday cake recipe
Ingredients:
(Serves 12-16)
For the sheet cake:
170g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
320g plain flour
3tsp baking powder
1/2tsp fine sea salt
350g caster sugar
3 large eggs
2tsp vanilla extract
175ml sour cream
For the chocolate fudge frosting:
340g unsalted butter, at room temperature
120g icing sugar
2tbsp golden syrup or clear honey
60g cocoa powder
80ml hot water
80ml sour cream
1tsp vanilla extract
200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), melted and cooled
Sprinkles of your choice, to decorate
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease the baking tin and line the base with a piece of parchment paper.
2. For the cake, place the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and whisk briefly to combine. Add the butter and sugar to a separate large bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat together on medium-high speed for about five minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until fully combined before adding another. Add the vanilla and mix briefly to combine. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and level out. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating
with the sour cream, starting and finishing with the flour.
3. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake springs back to a light touch. Leave to cool in the tin.
4. For the fudge frosting, place the butter in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat on high speed for a couple of minutes or until creamy and smooth. Add the sugar, golden syrup (or honey) and cocoa powder and beat on high speed for five minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the hot water, sour cream and vanilla to a small jug and whisk together. Add the sour cream mixture to the bowl and mix on medium speed until combined. It will look separated for a while but will come back together as a smooth frosting. Add the melted chocolate and beat briefly until smooth and silky.
5. Spread the frosting over the cake, finishing with a generous amount of sprinkles, which as far as I am concerned are mandatory. Cut into squares to serve. Store in a sealed container for up to three days.
Grapefruit meringue pie
Ingredients:
(Serves 10-12)
1 fully baked 23 x 33cm tart case (see below)
For the custard filling:
350g caster sugar
50g cornflour
Finely grated zest of 2 ruby grapefruits
Finely grated zest of 3 limes
360ml ruby grapefruit juice (from 3-4 large grapefruits)
90ml lime juice (from about 4 limes)
4 large egg yolks
160ml double cream
30g unsalted butter
For the meringue topping:
4 large egg whites
300g caster sugar
1/4tsp cream of tartar
1tsp vanilla bean paste
1/4tsp grapefruit (or other citrus) bitters
For the pastry case:
300g plain flour
50g icing sugar
1/4tsp fine sea salt
185g unsalted butter, diced and chilled
1 large egg
Method:
1. For the pastry, place the flour, icing sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse briefly together to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then add the egg and pulse until the mixture starts to clump together. At this point, you can either use the dough as a press-in crust or chill it and roll it out. If rolling it, tip the mixture on to the work surface and bring it together as a dough with your hands. Form into a rectangle, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.
If using as a press-in crust, tip the mixture directly into the baking tin and loosely spread evenly to cover the bottom of the tin. Press up the sides of the tin to create the tart sides, then firmly press the remaining pastry over the base. Dock with a fork and refrigerate for at least an hour before baking.
If rolling, roll out between two sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle, roughly 30.5 x 40.5cm. Transfer to a baking tray and refrigerate for another 30 minutes to firm up. Lightly grease the tin and line the base with parchment paper.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4.
3. Peel the parchment paper from both sides of the pastry and carefully drape the pastry into the baking tin, gently pressing it into the corners and up the sides. Trim off the top edges then line with a piece of crumpled parchment paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the paper and beans/rice and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the base is set. Set aside.
4. To make the custard filling, place the caster sugar and cornflour into a large saucepan and whisk to combine. Add the remaining ingredients, except the butter, and whisk to combine. Cook over a medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a simmer, then cook for a further two minutes until thick. Remove from the heat, stir through the butter until melted and smooth, then pour the custard into the baked tart case. Press a sheet of cling film on to the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Leave at room temperature for an hour, then transfer to the refrigerator for at least four hours.
5. For the meringue topping, place the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar into a large, heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water underneath) and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. You can tell when this mixture is ready by rubbing a little between your fingers. If it feels smooth it is ready, if you feel grains of sugar cook for longer. Remove the bowl from the heat and, using an electric mixer, whisk until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Add the vanilla and bitters and whisk briefly to combine. Scrape the meringue on to the tart and spread evenly over the filling. Using a blowtorch or under a preheated hot grill, burnish the meringue until toasted.
6. Kept in the refrigerator, without the meringue, this tart will keep for a couple of days, but my preference is to serve it as close to making as possible to keep the pastry at its crispest.
One Tin Bakes by Edd Kimber is published by Kyle Books.