Self-publishing our new recipe book
As you may have seen, we have just self-published our second recipe book, aptly titled ‘Honeybuns All Day Cook Book’. Here Emma discusses the journey she made self-publishing…
What made you want to write another cookery book?
Readers of our first book, Honeybuns Gluten free Baking (published by Anova) were really supportive in their comments. They loved all the sweet recipes and at the same time, were vocal about wanting help on making gluten free savoury dishes too. We’re often asked for tips on how to make gluten free breads and this started the ball rolling.
Why did you choose to self-publish this time?
It offered us greater freedom to do exactly what we wanted in terms of content and design. As well as helping readers to create gorgeous gluten free dishes, the book serves as a creative outlet for us. We could have fun working with our chosen photographer, designer and others to create something really fun and heartfelt. We photographed the recipes here using all our own props.
What makes the ‘Honeybuns All Day Cook Book’ different from other free from cook books?
Seeded Loaf with Aubergine Spread
I think it’s the accessibility of recipes balanced against the option to use slightly more “out there” ingredients too. We explain why we use certain flours and at the same time point out that a standard gluten free flour is fine too. We give the readers choice. Many of the recipes also work with your choice of certain sweeteners. This is explained in the books introduction where we emphasise how flexible the recipes are.
What is your favourite recipe in the book and why?
After baking sweet things for a living for over 20 years I yearn for all things savoury. It’s a toughie to choose either the aubergine dip (Seeded Loaf with Aubergine Spread page 51) which is insanely moreish or the super easy to assemble foccacia (Herby Fried Egg on Triangle Toasties page 31)
Explain the different sections in the book and how to get the most out of it?
Photoshoot locations at Honeybuns
Reading the introductory sections are pretty vital. In there we lay out the options you have for substituting certain ingredients if you prefer. For instance we explain the various interchangeable sweeteners you can use as well as showing you how to convert a recipe to be dairy free or nut free. There’s a lot of really handy tips and technical know-how which we were keen to share.
What did you learn from the experience of self-publishing and would you do it again?
If we could ever face the challenge of another book I’d definitely want to self-publish. This was an intense and immersive learning experience and the satisfaction of creating something to our own brief has been extremely rewarding.
‘Honeybuns All Day Cook Book’ by Emma Goss-Custard. Available to buy in our online shop, Amazon and all good book shops.
