Cookbook Book Club: #brunchwithDonnaHay

It’s been a while since I reported on the Cookbook Book Club (my once a month “cooking from the same cookbook” meal with Jan from Family Bites and Jenn from Chocolate Shavings). our January date is creeping up on us yet I somehow had not managed to write about December’s edition! So far, we have enjoyed dinner with Marcella, dinner with Nigella, dinner with Ottolenghi, dinner with Maria Speck, dinner with Naomi Duguid, lunch with Jamie Oliver, a dessert party with Butter Baked Goods, dinner with Jacques Pépin, dinner with Smitten Kitchen and last month enjoyed some wonderful recipes from Rachel Khoo!

In December, we made time for a relaxed brunch together where we explored recipes from Donna Hay.

I own a few of Donna’s books and have to admit I was bookmarking recipes here, there and everywhere – there are so many great (and easy!), beautiful dishes it’s easy to get lost in the pages!

Jenn brought our starter which was a gorgeous Caramelized Shallot, Brie and Pancetta Tart:

and up close:

We loved this – the combination of savoury and sweet was perfect (plus, it was stunning to look at, Jenn does wonders with food!).

Get the recipe for Donna Hay’s Caramelized Shallot, Brie and Pancetta Tart here.

For the “main course” I had toyed with an egg dish and had even picked out a few contenters. But then a few days before the brunch, I saw this Glazed Root Vegetable Tarte Tatin on Jamie Oliver’s site and knew I had to try that…

It was pretty easy to pull together – first you roasted the veggies and set them in a dish with the “glaze” (caramel):

then you popped some puff pastry over the top and set it to bake…

et voilà:

Not as pretty as Donna’s (and I forgot the thyme!) but it was so tasty – bordering on a little too sweet (I should have served a bitter greens salad with it) but what a fabulous technique… I’ll be making this again for sure!

Get the recipe for Donna Hay’s Glazed Root Vegetable Tarte Tatin here.

Jan brought the pièce de résistance – Coffee Cake with Mixed Toffee Nuts:

The recipe for this delectable cake comes from Seasons by Donna Hay. We loved that you coud actually taste the COFFEE in this cake (as you so often can’t) and I enjoyed the substance that the nuts lent to it. A small slice was enough and kept you going (thanks to the protein of the nuts) – the perfect mid-afternoon snack. Also, gorgeous!

Purchase Donna Hay’s Seasons for yourself on Amazon or Amazon Canada. Or for free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository.

This month, we’re cooking from Mark Bittman’s recipes – be sure to check back in a couple of weeks to see what me made!

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Please note: The product links from Amazon, Amazon.ca and The Book Depository are affiliate links, meaning if you click over and purchase something, I will receive a very small percentage of the purchase price which goes towards maintaining eat. live. travel. write. Thank you in advance!

Canadians – win a copy of Ultimate Food Journeys! Contest closes January 14th 2015. Details here.

Canadians – win a copy of The Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers Cookbook (and read my review) over on Recipe Geek! Contest closes today, January 12th 2015. Details here.