She's the queen of baking and the picture of the quintessential English lady, so naturally Mary Berry is the right woman to publish a cookbook filled with recipes for the warming heart of the traditional family kitchen – the Aga.The Great British Bake Off judge teamed up with cookery writer Lucy Young at the end of last year to pen The Complete Aga Cookbook, which boasts traditional recipes with modern ingredients, all adapted to the Aga way of cooking.
We have baked recipes from the kitchen tome – salmon en croûte with asparagus and pear frangipane tart (that should be served warm) – that are perfect for those chilly winter evenings. Plus a pistachio and raspberry pavlova, that's an all-year-round winner, so that you can try your hand at one of Mary's famous dishes.
As the 80-year-old says, an Aga rapidly becomes the centre attraction of the kitchen, acting as a warm focus for family, friends and animals – but those baking with conventional cookers needn't worry as the recipes can be used for those too.
The cookbook comes 15 years after Mary Berry's New Aga Cookbook, when the baking expert showed fans how to cook contemporary and delicious food instead of classic stews and casseroles.What Mary Says about making a pavlova: "They are such a great dessert for making ahead and for serving lots of people, as you can make them any shape or size you wish."
Mary's pavlova tip: "It is so important to whisk the sugar well into the egg whites. You can exchange the pistachio for hazelnuts or almonds if you prefer."Mary's frangipane tart tip: "This is a great tart to serve for a party. Always serve it warm."And a time-saving tip: "Use a bought 500g (18 oz) pack of shortcrust pastry if time is short."
