When I see the word “thrifty” in the title of a cookbook, it always makes me think I’m going to have to compromise on taste. However, when I saw that the cookbook was by Hermine Dossou I knew it would be okay. Watching her on the Great British Bake-Off, it was clear that Hermine doesn’t compromise on taste.

I was right! These recipes are amazing! 

I received a free eArc of this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What to Expect from this Cookbook

The book starts out with some really helpful tips to save money when you are baking. (There is a tip on how to use residual heat to finish a bake in an electric oven, which is brilliant!) She also tries to limit bakes to short time periods to use less electricity. Beyond the oven and electricity, she talks about ingredients and cooking equipment and when it is better to spend a bit more if you can and where you can definitely save. There are even detailed pictures to teach readers how to make their own muffin cups and piping bags out of parchment. 

Her money-saving tips were really very practical and easy. Other than the muffin wrappers, none of them add much time or effort to the baking process. 

Tips on tempering chocolate, saving buttercreams, browning butter and more are also located at the beginning of the book. 

The recipes are all labeled at the top to let you know how much the recipes will cost per portion. They run from 65 cents to $1.85 per serving. Compared to what you would pay in a bakery or pre-packaged, these are very reasonable costs.

The recipes are broken down into the following sections:

• breads
• cakes for tea
• biscuits and cookies
• pastries and tarts
• desserts
• special occasions
• quick and convenient

What I Like About this Cookbook

• The book is filled with mouth-watering photos.
• Almost every recipe has additional tips for preparation or ingredients.
• The directions are clearly written and easy to read.
• Measurements include both metric and the American standard.
• I didn’t note any ingredients that were so esoteric that I couldn’t locate them in my grocery store. 
• There are savory as well as sweet options available.
• Most also include suggestions at the top on how you can adapt the recipe to make it more your own.

Experience Level Needed

There are recipes here that can be made by bakers at all levels.

Testing Recipes

Every single recipe looked delicious!

I started out with the Microwaved Peanut Butter and Jam Mug Cake.

The cake had a nice crumb to it, but the jam swirl provided a sticky and gooey component that I found irresistible. I followed her recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. This is an ideal recipe for those of us who want our sweet treats fast. Her recipe said it would take 7 minutes and it took me exactly 7 from start to the first spoonful.

I have also made the Chocolate Hazelnut Mug Cake. It was fudgy and sweet with the texture of a very slightly underbaked brownie. The timing on this one was less accurate for me because I used mugs that weren’t the same size and wasn’t careful about dividing the batter evenly. Still delicious!

Review 5/5

About the Author

Hermine Dossou was one of the finalists of the Great British Bake Off in 2020. She was born and raised in Benin, where she often helped her mother with baking. Her first attempt at baking on her own was at the age of 8 and she has been a committed baker since then. She now lives, works and raises her young son in the UK.

Cover photo courtesy of NetGalley. Food pictures by me.