I would love some more vegan/plant-based bakes to make for my friends with dietary requirements! Or a deep dive on some of the many cardamom scented bakes from Scandinavia!
I’d love a great peanut butter cookie that uses natural style peanut butter (the just peanuts & salt kind). All the good ones use the processed sugary peanut butter which isn’t what I’d ever put on my toast (and hence don’t buy). I’ve tried many times without success so far!
Amazing! Ok, so I find the world of cookies so expansive - do you mean like a bakery, chewy style peanut butter cookie (similar to a choc chip cookie) or more of like, a soft, thick one? I am v on board!!!
OOH - I'm so glad you're up for tackling this!! I'd say my ideal is the sort you'd see with a fork criss cross pattern on the top. I'm thinking kind of in between what you've described - It's on the thicker side - but definitely with a bit of chew - that's more important than thickness, but importantly not dry or crumbly, and truly peanut-y flavoured.
I’m here for all of this. I bake every week for aprés yoga ( I started this, now it’s a thing) I’d like recipes that can be mixed and left in the fridge overnight then whacked in the oven in the morning for around 12 people. I’m kind of cookied out.
OOOH, great idea. love baking ahead of time. Do you like enriched doughs etc or have time to let it proof in the morning, or are we talking straight from fridge to oven?
Hi Nicola! I think something along the lines of a hosting series: how to host a brunch/ lunch/ dinner on a seasonal basis. This will be interesting to create a small set menu and play around with produce, textures.
Otherwise a lot more sourdough and sourdough laminated pastries :)
That's a great idea!!! I know sometimes we all bake so much, so great to have a guide of how to host and distribute. Would you want savoury recipes, too, or more baking? Kinda like, host your own coffee shop in your house kinda thing?
I've always shied away from sharing sourdough recipes, but maybe this is the year I kickstart it! Do you make bread often? I have never made fully sourdough leavened croissants or enriched doughs (other than panettone at the bakery years ago), rather they have been yeast based and then sourdough enriched! BUT I really like the idea of a sourdough column... I might have a think of someone I can ask to do that!
One of my resolutions is simply to bake more!! I love reading these but do the baking so rarely. I love learning new things.
On another note - KP hive mind - it’s my birthday tomorrow, I’ll be in London - where can I get a slice of cake / bun / dessert worthy of celebration? Any advice welcome ☺️🎂
omg, sarah! happy birthday. So sorry I didn't see this til now. Are you still in London? One dessert i've always LOVED is the cheesecake at cake & bubbles. It's in town, and a bit chichi and mayfair-y, but it is so good. Are you still here? AGH wanna get recs to you!
Danish butter cookies are the one I know when I was growing up, I like those fewer ingredients, pure butter cookies, no frosting, no icing, no decorations, just like shortbread, which is a kind of dry to me. So ingredients are the key here to make the best cookies, especially butter. Have you ever had the best butter cookies?
There is a gluten-free baking special coming up in a few weeks, but it isn't to do with laminated goods, so I'll make a note to commission / work on that!
Nicola, thanks for this post and all your writing and your vibe, love your Kitchen Projects! I'd like more recipes that are savory and maybe a savory pie deep dive would be cool? Smth like quiche or shepherd pie? I find that although i always had a sweet tooth with age preferences change and now i'm looking for more savory taste to balance our all the cakes and cookies i'm baking already. thanks!
one more thought, ingredient and ratio are the key to make the best butter cookies, do you all agree? that is why we are here, need some expertise help.
I totally think that a great place to start is 1:2:3, sugar, butter, flour. I also think you can intensify that butter flavour by using clarified butter in your cookies - have you ever tried that?
I first want to say that I absolutely love Kitchen Projects ! It is the favorite of all the baking and pastry sources I read. Thank you for the in-depth sharing of your recipe development process. I would love if you do a dive into making cremeux and different ways to serve it. Also, I love Pannatone. I have made it every Christmas for the last 5 years but my results are inconsistent and only once have I gotten the result I really want.
absolutely!!! Cremeux is a great topic, it's one of those kinda 'what it is' things, and has become such a catch-all term for things, it'll be great to look into it more deeply.
you know, I have been trying to twist my friend Adam's, who makes amazing panettone, arm to do a series called 'club panettone' for the months leading up to christmas, from buiding the sweet starter to actually making the thing. This is a great reminder for me to text him and make it happen in 2026
Thanks for your response. I love your idea for a ‘club panettone’ - keep twisting! Starting in the months before Christmas would be perfect!
I am glad you said Cremeux is a ‘what it is’ kind of thing. I have it twice and both time was delicious but each were different and directions are high variable.
Love this comprehensive roundup for the year ahead. The soggy bottom problem is something I battled with for years until I realized the key was really about proper blind baking temps and weighting the dough correctly. Definitely agree that mastering a reliable tart shell unlocks tons of dessert possibilites, from classic lemon to savory applications. The physics of moisture migration through pastry layers fascinates me way more than it probaby should.
I would love some more vegan/plant-based bakes to make for my friends with dietary requirements! Or a deep dive on some of the many cardamom scented bakes from Scandinavia!
I think a Cardamom Bun deep dive is well due! great idea. And yes, more plant-based! gotcha.
I’d love a great peanut butter cookie that uses natural style peanut butter (the just peanuts & salt kind). All the good ones use the processed sugary peanut butter which isn’t what I’d ever put on my toast (and hence don’t buy). I’ve tried many times without success so far!
Amazing! Ok, so I find the world of cookies so expansive - do you mean like a bakery, chewy style peanut butter cookie (similar to a choc chip cookie) or more of like, a soft, thick one? I am v on board!!!
OOH - I'm so glad you're up for tackling this!! I'd say my ideal is the sort you'd see with a fork criss cross pattern on the top. I'm thinking kind of in between what you've described - It's on the thicker side - but definitely with a bit of chew - that's more important than thickness, but importantly not dry or crumbly, and truly peanut-y flavoured.
I’m here for all of this. I bake every week for aprés yoga ( I started this, now it’s a thing) I’d like recipes that can be mixed and left in the fridge overnight then whacked in the oven in the morning for around 12 people. I’m kind of cookied out.
OOOH, great idea. love baking ahead of time. Do you like enriched doughs etc or have time to let it proof in the morning, or are we talking straight from fridge to oven?
Depends on how horrific my hair is.
Please can you do carrot cake? :)
SOMETHING CARROT-Y THIS WAY COMES IN JUST A FEW WEEKS!!
Yesss!!
I like this idea too! Carrot cake!!
Second this!
Thanks for a year of delicious posts! Looking forward to 2026, cheers!
<3 me too! happy new year
Hi Nicola! I think something along the lines of a hosting series: how to host a brunch/ lunch/ dinner on a seasonal basis. This will be interesting to create a small set menu and play around with produce, textures.
Otherwise a lot more sourdough and sourdough laminated pastries :)
That's a great idea!!! I know sometimes we all bake so much, so great to have a guide of how to host and distribute. Would you want savoury recipes, too, or more baking? Kinda like, host your own coffee shop in your house kinda thing?
I've always shied away from sharing sourdough recipes, but maybe this is the year I kickstart it! Do you make bread often? I have never made fully sourdough leavened croissants or enriched doughs (other than panettone at the bakery years ago), rather they have been yeast based and then sourdough enriched! BUT I really like the idea of a sourdough column... I might have a think of someone I can ask to do that!
One of my resolutions is simply to bake more!! I love reading these but do the baking so rarely. I love learning new things.
On another note - KP hive mind - it’s my birthday tomorrow, I’ll be in London - where can I get a slice of cake / bun / dessert worthy of celebration? Any advice welcome ☺️🎂
Happy birthday! I've always wanted to try the patisserie at the Connaught - but I am very out of touch with London.
omg, sarah! happy birthday. So sorry I didn't see this til now. Are you still in London? One dessert i've always LOVED is the cheesecake at cake & bubbles. It's in town, and a bit chichi and mayfair-y, but it is so good. Are you still here? AGH wanna get recs to you!
So many delicious things! Where to start?! 🤤🤤
real butter cookies, taste of butter
Any cookies that you already love??
forget to mention i love Liner cookies, the one makes of almond meal not the shortbread one.
Danish butter cookies are the one I know when I was growing up, I like those fewer ingredients, pure butter cookies, no frosting, no icing, no decorations, just like shortbread, which is a kind of dry to me. So ingredients are the key here to make the best cookies, especially butter. Have you ever had the best butter cookies?
Can’t wait to see your lamination bakes and see what can be used for GLuten-Free.
There is a gluten-free baking special coming up in a few weeks, but it isn't to do with laminated goods, so I'll make a note to commission / work on that!
Thank you! I’ve been frustrated w/laminates for several years. Got the taste right but not a tendency to “explode’ during oven spring. FYI my Substack is https://thesourdoughsolution.substack.com/publish/home?utm_source=menu
The Soggy Bottom Boys! 😂❤️
https://youtu.be/08e9k-c91E8?si=8vxaH9ECuUfHq_6w
i LOVE that movie!
Nicola, thanks for this post and all your writing and your vibe, love your Kitchen Projects! I'd like more recipes that are savory and maybe a savory pie deep dive would be cool? Smth like quiche or shepherd pie? I find that although i always had a sweet tooth with age preferences change and now i'm looking for more savory taste to balance our all the cakes and cookies i'm baking already. thanks!
Amazing! I love the idea of introing a few choice savoury deep dives. As for quiche, this is a good place to start - https://kitchenprojects.substack.com/p/kitchen-project-30-buttery-onion - but I think it's a great idea to revisit it!
ooh! looks amazing, thank you!
one more thought, ingredient and ratio are the key to make the best butter cookies, do you all agree? that is why we are here, need some expertise help.
I totally think that a great place to start is 1:2:3, sugar, butter, flour. I also think you can intensify that butter flavour by using clarified butter in your cookies - have you ever tried that?
I first want to say that I absolutely love Kitchen Projects ! It is the favorite of all the baking and pastry sources I read. Thank you for the in-depth sharing of your recipe development process. I would love if you do a dive into making cremeux and different ways to serve it. Also, I love Pannatone. I have made it every Christmas for the last 5 years but my results are inconsistent and only once have I gotten the result I really want.
absolutely!!! Cremeux is a great topic, it's one of those kinda 'what it is' things, and has become such a catch-all term for things, it'll be great to look into it more deeply.
you know, I have been trying to twist my friend Adam's, who makes amazing panettone, arm to do a series called 'club panettone' for the months leading up to christmas, from buiding the sweet starter to actually making the thing. This is a great reminder for me to text him and make it happen in 2026
Thanks for your response. I love your idea for a ‘club panettone’ - keep twisting! Starting in the months before Christmas would be perfect!
I am glad you said Cremeux is a ‘what it is’ kind of thing. I have it twice and both time was delicious but each were different and directions are high variable.
I am so excited for your Substack!! I’ve legit been baking through your entire book. A masterpiece!
Thank you so much - i'm so happy you're enjoying it!
Love this comprehensive roundup for the year ahead. The soggy bottom problem is something I battled with for years until I realized the key was really about proper blind baking temps and weighting the dough correctly. Definitely agree that mastering a reliable tart shell unlocks tons of dessert possibilites, from classic lemon to savory applications. The physics of moisture migration through pastry layers fascinates me way more than it probaby should.
I'm totally with you! Blind baking also takes so much longer than most recipes are willing to admit. It's the caramelising onions of baking, ha!