October 2025 - the first edition!
Welcome
Hello everyone and welcome to the very first edition of my new monthly newsletter. This past year has been super busy, with a little one under a year old, moving house and starting a new job, not to mention keeping up with some baking - it's all kept our hands very full. And then I decided I wanted to launch a website as well!
I have wanted to create my own website for a long time and originally we planned to launch it during the spring. But in my naivety, I underestimated the amount of work that goes into creating a website so it took a lot longer than I expected to get everything ready. However, now it is up and running and a lot of this is down to Andrew who I worked with on creating the site - and who became a good friend while we were working together. Many thanks go to him for his patience, the nudges to help me get on with writing the recipes and for making it all happen.
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​​The focus of my website will always be to help people with their baking without losing any of the fun and enjoyment. Baking still brings me so much joy and that's what I want to share. I am certainly not claiming to be the best baker in the world, because I am not. I am still learning about baking, cooking and overall, about myself. And I think that the best possible way to learn is to share and teach other people what you have learnt. This is my approach towards life. If I can inspire at least one of you reading this newsletter to get into baking, I would consider this is a big success and well worth the effort.
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I also knew that I wanted a regular newsletter to be a part of my website. This newsletter is a summary of what I have been doing over the past month. Looking ahead, it is going to be a mix of baking, personal news, social news etc. It will include my ‘Bake of the month’ recipe and some more recipes for you to try. All the recipes on the site include a downloadable PDF - I hope those will be useful for you and hopefully they will make their way to your recipe collection and will be baked in your kitchen again and again.
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Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to read my newsletter - and thank you so much for your support. It really means a lot to me.
Bake of the Month
Another regular feature that I knew I wanted to include on my website and in my newsletter was a 'Bake of the Month' - a special, brand new recipe that I am proud of and hope you will want to try for yourselves. Don't worry - I'll continue to post more than just one recipe per month but this is the one I want to highlight.
This Chocolate & Pear Cake provides a great combination of flavours and looks special enough to standout on any occasion. Three rich chocolate sponges are baked with pieces of pears in them. The juicy fragrant pears cut through the sweetness of the chocolate beautifully. The chocolatiness of the cake does not end there as the sponge layers are sandwiched and encased in a white chocolate buttercream. The crowning glories are the caramel drizzle decoration and the soft, poached pears on top. Simple, elegant and irrestible!
Catching Up with the Bake Off Family, Past and Present
​​​I always enjoy meeting up with members of the extended Great British Bake Off 'family', not just the contestants in my series but everyone who has appeared on the show. We all went through such a unique experience that can’t be compared to anything else in the world. Over the years, things may have changed with the production - presenters, people, venue etc - but one thing that every baker always agrees on is that the fun, excitement, friendships and companionships that are built in the tent will last forever. Not only with the other bakers, but with everyone involved in the production.
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One of the newest Bake Off family members, Hassan lives not too far from our new house, about a 30 minute walk away. It is always exciting when you have a friend living nearby. It may sound strange but the first time I met Hassan, I felt I had known him for ages. And that is the kind of feeling I always had meeting anyone from the Bake Off family. You can't help but be enthusiastic and even invade their personal space, but it is hard to resist!!!
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​​​This August, I also went to Edinburgh to be a part of Peter’s show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It was incredibly enjoyable and such an honour to be asked to take part.
Originally, the plan was to travel to Edinburgh with Shreya and Deveshi and stay for the weekend. However, that turned out to be far too expensive, hence I made a day trip. It was great fun being on stage and baking cakes with Peter, all in front of live audience. Later, he took me and his parents for a lovely lunch with a mini tour of Edinburgh. Thanks a lot to Peter and family. It was a very memorable day indeed.
Autumn, the Ideal Baking Season
For me, autumn feels like the ideal baking season. As the evenings become darker and the weather turns cooler, what could be better than getting cosy in a nice warm kitchen and creating some delicious, comforting autumn bakes? I'm actually running a series of Autumn / Fall Bakes on my Instagram at the moment - the Chocolate & Pear Cake above was part 2 - but here are some more suggestions for you...​
​Pumpkin Bread
Autumn is the season for soups and breads. These little pumpkin-shaped loaves are flavoured with turmeric and paprika which also provide the beautiful, vibrant colours. They'd look great on a dinner party table - or just bake them as a treat for yourself and enjoy with a knob of butter, dunked into some warming soup.
​​Pumpkin Spiced Bat Biscuits
Of course, October means spooky season and adding some Halloween theming to your bakes is always fun. These bat-shaped biscuits flavoured with pumpkin spice. The dough is very easy to make and perfect for this time of year. With the colder weather crawling in, it's great to have a little heat and spice, especially to dunk into your cuppa in the evening. If you don’t have a bat-shaped cutter, not to worry - just use any cutter you have. You might not get the full Halloween experience but you'll definitely end up with something that will make you warm and cosy on any autumn evening.
​​COMING SOON - Chocolate & Fig Tart
As I mentioned, I've just started a series of autumn recipes with videos on Instagram. One of the recipes that will be coming soon is this delicious Chocolate & Fig tart. Figs are such a great fruit to cook with - they have such a rich, deep flavour and a firm texture that makes for a hearty bake. Look out for the recipe on my Instagram page and here on the website, SOON!
The Great British Bake Off Series 16 - My Thoughts So Far
​​A question I am often asked is: "Do you still watch Bake Off?" and the answer is: "Of course - yes!"
It is such a lovely show that always makes you feel fuzzy and warm inside. I mean fuzzy in a good way, of course, like the feeling that comes from watching a good romantic movie. That might not be the best example, but hopefully you get the point! It is a ‘feel-good’ show. Among all the negativity and uncertainty in the world at the moment, for me, The Great British Bake Off is certainly the ‘spoonful of sugar’ we all need.
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And now we're into series 16 with the latest dozen of talented contestants being put through their paces in the tent as they all become a part the Bake Off family.
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So, what do I think of the bakers and the series so far? Well, firstly I'd like to thank and congratulate the casting team responsible for selecting the contestants. They always do such an amazing job and this year is no exception - they are all so talented. If I could, I'd like to send them all home with that winner's cake stand because I honestly think they've all been brilliant so far.
I’m particularly enjoying the challenges in this year’s series. They seem to have the perfect balance of creativity versus complexity. From the very first Signature Challenge in Cake Week, adding in the inlay design to a swiss roll was a great idea and gave the bakers such creative freedom. I must say that Iain's 'Fift-Queen's University' Swiss Roll was spectacular! In that same week, the Showstopper Challenge to create a ‘landscape cake’ was extraordinary – kudos to the producers for that idea. So many bakers shone in that challenge, particularly Nataliia with her Ukraine landscape.
In the following weeks we’ve seen this balance play out again and again. The challenges are not so ridiculously complicated that you wouldn’t dare try them at home but there’s always a clever twist that adds in a new level of difficulty. Making a biscuit construction is always tricky but Pui Mann's 'Jumbo Boat' Showstopper in Biscuit Week was great and in Back to School week we saw the humble flapjack transformed into some amazing bakes, especially Tom’s apple domes and Aaron’s earl grey and lemon flavouring. The Technical Challenges have seen some really good twists as well – selecting your own ingredients to create your own version of a white chocolate tart in the latest episode was a great idea.
​Onwards to episode 7 next week - Pastry Week! Good luck to all the remaining bakers. We are already halfway through so not long before we get to find out who this year’s winner will be.
Check Out Channel 4 Served
Channel 4 Served is a great new online cookery and baking service from Channel 4. You can find them online on social platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube Shorts. It features a wide range of bakers and chefs who create quick, easy-to-make dishes and meals.
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The service has its own dedicated studio in Leeds and I was recently invited to visit and do a little something. I can't say any more than that at the moment. Details will be shared on the socials in October. Keep your eyes peeled for more news!​ In the meantime, here's a link to Channel 4 Served on Youtube...
Not Home Alone!
​​As I have mentioned, we moved house recently. I will be honest, moving is a lot of hard work! It is taking an absolute millennium for us to unpack and get everything organised. But have faith in us - we will get there! Now Shreya is currently away in India for her Masters' exam, and also to spend some time with her parents and sister.
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But don't worry - Deveshi and I haven't been left home alone! I'm so glad that my parents are visiting us. It is currently the month of Durga Puja, the biggest Bengali festival. We all went to take part in a celebration at Elsecar Milton Hall, where lots of Bengalis and Indians gathered to celebrate Durga Puja over the course of a few days.
I'll leave you with a photo of me, Deveshi and my parents attending the celebrations.
Until Next Time...
​Well, that's it for now. I hope you've enjoyed the first edition of The Monthly Mix. Thanks again for stopping by. I'm looking forward to catching up with you all on Instagram and in the next edition. Have a great October!