The Elephant In The Room.
Why I moved my recipe content over from Instagram PLUS my Roasted Strawberry, Basil & Almond Baked Cheesecake & a *BONUS* no churn Coconut & Mango Ice Cream.
Before we dive right into it, I just wanted to start off newsletter #2 by saying THANK YOU for subscribing to the Last Bite. I did a super naff job at plugging it properly over on Instagram last week and gave you all about 2 days’ notice before I actually went live. So yes, whilst my launch strategy could have been a touch stronger, I’m glad the teeny tiny bit I did do bought you over here.
Truth be told, I was nervous as hell going live with this new project. How do I convince everyone to sign up? Will anyone sign up? Will it just be my mum loyally subscribing out of obligation? I’m thrilled to say relations aside, there’s more than just my Mum here now and I hope you have enjoyed reading through some of the posts so far because I am bloody buzzing at the thought of not having a word limit. It is tap city over here - every post so far has been like a mini dissertation and I’m not even sorry about it. I am itching to tell you everything, teach you all I know and overload you with recipes like the feeder I am (sorry, it’s in the genetics).
Talking of getting stuck in, we have Bake Off back on our screens soon and you can bet your ass on me spilling some tea week after week – Paid Subs make sure you check out the new thread where you can Ask Me Anything. This could be anything from tips on cake making, decorating and stacking to advice on building your social media and growing audience or maybe you just want to know if Paul Hollywood’s tan is natural (even though I think we all know the answer to that). All acceptable questions, so hit me with what you’ve got.
Time to address the elephant. I have had a tonne of DM’s on insta about my move over to Substack. A lot querying why, some asking if my recipes will still be available there and others wondering what’s the benefit. There were a fair few reasons why I was motivated in moving my personal recipe content over here but I think lying at the tippity top of the pile was the niggling desire of ownership. Not of my audience but of my own content.
Being over here grants me the freedom of posting what I want, when I want, without the shackles of algorithms or being restricted to only post at a certain time when majority of my audience are live (8.30 to 9pm, fyi). It also means I am not at the liberty of a new food trend (still haven’t done the baked feta pasta) or succumbing to doom whenever Instagram decides to lose it’s mind and the service goes down. Disclaimer: I go full Michael Scott when this happens.
On top of that, the time it takes to test my bakes to doubly/triply ensure that a recipe works is wholly CONSUMING. It’s a real full time love affair that soaks up every inch of my tiny pea brain and energy. A bake I attempted last week saw me going through 20 + eggs, 3 litres of milk, 2 tubes of vanilla bean paste and over 1.5 kg in flour…and it was STILL a fail (RIP bank balance). But ya know what, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
That is the beauty of baking and recipe testing - one day you’re killing it and have convinced yourself you’ve done something groundbreaking and then the next day, the bake has gone to shit and the ground is just breaking beneath you, sucking you into new depths of despair. Tomayto, tomahto, ya know.
I am still obsessed with it all but less content, more quality is the move forward. I like to think that in these 5 years that have passed since Bake Off (yes 5!!), that I have learnt a thing or two when it comes to social media.
Don’t bite back at trolls. Which is way harder said than done. Taking the high road doesn’t have that same taste of satisfaction as telling someone to do one does. The urge to go full Logan Roy (where’s my succession fans at?) can occasionally be very strong - especially when someone is insulting something you have spent hours toiling over.
Don’t look at the messages lurking in your hidden folder. People’s obsession with bare feet is incredibly worrying – I was recently informed that I have a web page on Wikifeet and out of 36 ratings, 4 have classed them as ugly. Now this would be wounding to some but I am incredibly surprised this number isn’t higher as they are notoriously my worst feet-ure. Please do not google this as I am almost certain curiosity has most definitely given this cats laptop a virus.
Be authentically you. I know it can be cringe when people talk about this on socials but in a world where everyone compares themselves to the next, being you is the only thing that sets you apart. I remember whining to my sister about how baking is a saturated niche and she responded by reminding me that your market is only saturated if you are following everyone else. I hate it when she is right. It happens far too often.
Don’t stress over the numbers, the likes, the views, the comments – find enjoyment in what you are doing and people will enjoy it with you. My series where I am baking cakes from around the world started as a move towards producing content where I am having fun - even when things go to shit. I wanted to take a step back from the sponsored posts and just provide 60 seconds of light relief on something I love. AND I LOVE that you all love it as much as I do. It’s really the first time that I have been wholly me on social media and whilst my dry wit isn’t for everyone, I am glad it is for you.
Lecture adjourned and onto the fun stuff: I have so much goodness planned for you that I CANNOT wait to share. Coming up soon is an on-going mini series which will only be available here: The Last Bites’ Basic B*tch Baking Course (gutted I couldn’t think of a fifth B to nail the alliteration). Here you’ll have super short video snippets where we’ll go through Word of the Week and explain those puzzling terms that you occasionally see in recipes such as: Emulsifying, Autolysing and the difference between Creaming, Beating and Mixing.
And then for my Paid Subs, we’ll go a little deeper and I’ll give you an overview on technique, so you truly understand how to fold ingredients, how to laminate dough, how to crumb coat like a pro and how to decorate your cakes with all that fancy piping work (it’s easy, I promise!).
T H E - G O O D - S T U F F -
Waffle done. Let’s get to the recipes making an appearance this week. I don’t quite know if it was a mild case of sunstroke or the promise of autumnal cosiness knocking on the door which spurred on this last-minute act of generosity but either way, everyone is in for a treat.
We have barely had a Summer here in the UK (it is THE go-to topic whenever you meet someone new – nothing quite breaks the ice like weather chat) so I was gearing up to post a load of soul warming, belly hugging recipes. But as the weather has now decided to have a late resurgence, much to the dismay of my autumn yearning heart, I am now bringing you two of my summer faves.
First up we have a tropical, Solero inspired no churn ice cream. It’s just the tonic for impending sunburn, sweat moustaches, screaming kids in the garden and the inevitably incessant chat over the weather being too hot (I told you, weather convo is ALL the rage). Whether you cone it, bowl it, sandwich it between biscuits, sponges or meringue – you are going to love the simplicity of this one. The base is laden with vanilla bean and has a healthy addition of white chocolate to really knock up the yum levels a peg or two.
I can already hear the coconut haters getting ready to queue up so I want to firstly say that I don’t get you, I don’t understand you and I don’t agree with you BUT if for some bonkers reason, coconut and mango aren’t your jam, get fun and fruity and mix it up.
How about switching out the mango for passionfruit?
Or what about a nice classic raspberry ripple with white chocolate and pistachio?
For something delightfully fresh, you could go for lemon zest, lemon curd and a smidge of basil. You could also top this with some crushed up shortbread biscuits (legit drooling at the thought of this one rn) for a real decadent affair.
And for my super sweet, toothed sinners - how about a Nutella, salted caramel and cookie chunks sorta number?
Whichever tickles your pickle, here’s how you make my no churn Coconut, White Chocolate & Mango Ice Cream.
Recipe Makes: 1 x 2lb / 900 g Deep Loaf Tin (so…a lot)
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