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May 27, 2014

Review & giveaway #19 – Patisserie book

Giveaways 198 Replies

This book is serious. It’s more than serious, it’s almost deadly. A weighty tome that had to be picked up from the post office – it was too big and serious for my postbox. I have to admit to being slightly frightened of this book when I first opened it. It’s very old school. Now that’s no bad thing. It has very detailed explanations of many French patisserie techniques that I have barely heard of, and certainly can’t pronounce.

Having said all this there’s no way on earth I’m giving this book to anyone. It’s staying with me. It’s the book I wish I’d had when practising for the Bake Off. I can’t tell you how many books I had to buy, borrow etc to find all the techniques I thought I might need for GBBO. So, whilst it’s highly unlikely I will make a whole recipe from this book, I will certainly dip into it to learn techniques and find a little reassurance.

Things I liked: It’s serious. No messing about, this is written by professionals though oddly, there’s an absence of ego. Big tick.

Things I didn’t like: The recipes can feel a bit 80s (could be the very fiddly nature of some of them reminding me of all that trendy mini food of the 80s?) though I am not sure if that’s the photography as well.

I have 2 Patisserie books by William and Suzue Curley worth £40 each up for grabs. (The book was officially released on 22nd May and is published by Jacqui Small.) There are lots of ways to enter – see the Rafflecopter form below. The first way is just to leave a comment on this post. Easy peasy. Closing date 12th September 2014. How to enter:

  • Complete the Rafflecopter form below to confirm your entries made via blog comments, Twitter, Facebook etc.
  • This giveaway will close on 12th September 2014.
  • Please read the rules below.
  • Winners are announced on the Rafflecopter form after the prize has been claimed by the winner.
  • First timers: Please watch how Rafflecopter works (video)! It is 46 seconds long. It explains everything.
  • If no form is showing, hit refresh and it should appear.
  • Complete the form – or your beloved entries will not go into the draw. And that would be such a waste of time.
  • Mandatory entries need to be completed first – so leave a blog comment before you try and complete any of the other methods of entry.
  • Want more chances to win? Come back daily after tweeting about the giveaway and fill the form in again.
  • If you are viewing this by email you will need to click through to enter.

Rules and things:

  • Open to anyone over the age of 18, UK & Europe only. Sorry to anyone younger or further afield.
  • There are 2 Patisserie books RRP £40 each available. There’s no cash alternative to the prize and the prize is not transferable. No part or parts of the prize may be substituted for other benefits, items or additions.
  • Instructions form part of the terms and conditions. Entries using any software or automated process to make bulk entries will obviously be disqualified. The winner will be picked at random using software and then contacted by email. If you win and then don’t respond to this email within 7 days then another winner will be picked so check your emails and your spam! The goodies will be delivered to the winner as soon as possible after you have sent me your delivery address.
  • I am running this giveaway on behalf of Jacqui Small Publishers who will be responsible for sending the prize to you by post should you win. Their decision is final and binding and no correspondence will be entered into.
  • This is where I get all stern – please don’t say you have liked the post and followed me on Twitter and Tweeted away like a Tweety thing if you haven’t as guess what? If you win I will check you did do the things you said you did. It’s only fair after all. And I do like fairness.

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198 comments

  18. I can only imagine the recipes inside must be divine going off that lovely dessert on the cover *drool*

  30. Wow looks fantastic, I bake a lot of cakes but would like to broaden my horizons a bit, this may be a good place to start :)

  46. I’ve wanted this book for quite some time. I love William and Suzue Curley. I have attempted one of their recipes on my blog and it looks like such a great reference tool.

  65. looks really fiddly, but I’d love to have a go at patisserie now. Getting a bit bored of cookies, cakes and pies!

  82. Would love to win this, popped into waterstones to try and find it, they hadn’t got a copy maybe an omen

  116. perfect as i’m trying to learn how to cook/bake more now! :) faye

  117. I love cook books especially ones tha help you with techniques so I’d really love this one

  136. I’ve got their book on chocolate and it’s great would love to add this one to my collection

  138. Love the look of this. Seems great for getting ideas, even if I don’t feel confident enough yet to go for the really technical recipes.

  147. I want to win this book. But if I do your next giveaway should be a book with 0-calorie recipes…

  150. Thinking about signing up to a patisserie course at the moment and love William Curley, so this would be lovely!

  151. I do all the baking at home so this would be a great addition.to my cookbook collection!

  154. Great prize ! This would be great for my partner, he is an aspiring cake maker !

  155. I would love to achieve some skill at patisserie – this might be a first step and good bedtime reading!

  184. Well, its not going to help my Slimming World journey, but having this book would make me happy – and I guess just looking at the pictures doesn’t have any calories?

  185. That’s my kind of book! I like reading about difficult techniques, nobody needs to know that you never actually executed them.

  193. I would love to win a copy for my talented DIL Sophie who makes the most amazing pastries and cakes.

  194. I need to improve this aspect of my baking, this book looks as if it would do the job

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Holly Bell
I’m a mum of 3 boys, a cookbook writer and also a finalist on the 2011 Great British Bake Off. I’ve decided to record the recipes I use, partly to save them somewhere and partly in case someone else might like to use them... [Read more]

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