The Violet Bakery Cookbook — By Claire Ptak — Foreward by Alice Waters

Yes, this is the same Clair Ptak who created the beautiful and had-to-be-delicious Lemon and Elderflower Royal Wedding Cake for the wedding of Meghan Markle to Prince Harry. And, yes, this is the wonderful cookbook for her  popular East London destination, the Violet Bakery.

The video below is of the Claire Ptak meeting with the media on the Friday before the Royal Wedding as she is making THE cake, made with 200 Amalfi lemons, 500 organic eggs from Suffolk, 44 pounds of butter, 44 pounds of flour, 44 pounds of sugar, and 10 bottles of elderflower cordial, made from the elderflower that grows at The Queen's residence in Sandringham. The cake was decorated with fresh flowers, including three kinds of peonies, a favorite of the bride. Below the video is a photo of Claire's finished work of art for the bride and groom.

And, here is what Meghan Markle wrote about The Violet Bakery Cookbook when it was first published and she was writing her lifestyle blog, before she met Prince Harry on a blind date:

“Pastry Chef Claire Ptak has hit the nail on the head with her London bakery serving up delightful treats that have garnered a cult following (in that ever so civilized British way) in the UK and beyond.” 
— Meghan Markle, The Tig 

This is design-forward cookbook for sweet and savory baked goods from The Violet Bakery that focuses on quality ingredients, seasonality, and taste — you can hear Claire in the above video say that Meghan and Harry share those same interests —  (as opposed to just science) as the keys to creating satisfying, delightful homemade pastries, tarts, sweets, and more. 

You also can go to our Recipes page and find two from The Violet Bakery Cookbook — for Lemon Drizzle Loaf and Nutty Chocolate Barbados Biscuits

WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING:

“Unlike so many baking and pastry books, which are merely eye candy, this one includes nourishing and intriguing recipes like Loganberry and Geranium Jam; Sweet Potato, Coconut, Date and Rye Muffins; and Roasted Quince. Its homespun aesthetic will make this a fixture on your kitchen counter.”
— Georgia Pellegrini, The Wall Street Journal

“Ms. Ptak, a pastry chef who once worked at Chez Panisse, applies a modern, seasonal and decidedly Californian sensibility to the proper British baked goods in her London bakery. […] They are just the kind of intriguing yet unfussy sweets I can see making all year long as the different ingredients come in and out of season.”
— Melissa Clark, New York Times 

Claire is one of my all-time favorite cake-makers, and all her baking is seasonal, beautiful, achievable, real, and of course, totally delicious.”
— Jamie Oliver

THE DETAILS:

• Author: Claire Ptak
• Condition: New, Hardcover
• Edition: Published September 29, 2015
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press
• ISBN-13: 978-1607746713
• Pages: 272
• Dimensions: 6-1/2" inches X 9-5/8" inches x 1.2" inches
• Rating:★★★★ 1/2 (See FAQs)

MEET CLAIRE PTAK:

Claire Ptak, a California native, worked as a pastry chef for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse before moving to London. She staged in restaurants including Moro and St. John before starting Violet, her cake stall on Broadway Market. Claire opened the Violet bakery in 2010. Claire is also a food writer and stylist whose work includes Ottolenghi’s Guardian column, as well as writing for Observer Food Monthly, Jamie Magazine, Kinfolk, and Vogue. She has written three cookbooks.