Founders Collection

Welcome to the new home of FoodStak!

I have drawn a line under 2025, along with all the pain and sadness of a sudden family loss. I am determined not to let it define me, nor will I let it hold me back in the years to come. I need to keep busy with a project on my house, gardening as soon as spring arrives, and build a long term project with this website, FoodStak. Moving away from social media, including SubStack, which is where the germ of FoodStak, a spin off from FoodStack Library, began.

While the name and look have changed from Vintage Home Baking, the mission remains the same: providing you with a "stak" of reliable, easy to make recipes that you can make at home, how-tos and guest posts. To celebrate the relaunch, I’ve put together a Founders Collection from the original Vintage Home Baking site.

Note:I have moved all my interview archives "Other People's..." series to a new home! In the FoodStak Legacy Files, FoodStak will now focus on all things baking.

From vintage British bakes and traditional afternoon tea ideas, consider this your ultimate roadmap for delicious and enjoyable baking.

🍰 The Sweet Stak: Cakes & Traybakes

These are the recipes for Sunday afternoons and "just because" moments.

• Easy Dorset Apple Cake Recipe: A true heritage classic that never goes out of style.
• Chocolate Traybake with a Chocolate Glaze: The perfect "crowd-pleaser" for bake sales or birthdays.
• Manchester Tart (Without Banana!): A nostalgic school-days favourite, kept authentic and simple.
• Strawberry Butterfly Buns: Light, airy, and filled with memories (and buttercream).
• Easy Mincemeat Crumble Traybake: A clever way to use pantry staples for a cosy treat.
• Beetroot and Chocolate Brownies: For when you want something deep, comforting and incredibly fudgy.

🍪 Cookies, Blondies & Small Bites

Perfect for filling the biscuit tin or "stacking" in a gift box. The Peanut Butter Cookies should come with a moreish warning!

• Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Blondies: Fudgy, salty, and sweet.
• Wholemeal Vanilla Shortbread: A fibre-rich twist on a buttery classic.
• Chocolate Melting Moments: Truly live up to their name with these decorative toppings.
• Easy Peanut Butter Cookies: In one word, moreish.

🍞 The Bread & Savoury Stak

The foundation of any good kitchen is a great loaf of bread. I make one large loaf every couple of weeks, recipes to follow.

• Buttermilk Soda Bread: No yeast? No problem. This is the ultimate beginner’s loaf.
• Hot Cross Bun Loaf: All the spice of a bun in a sliceable, toastable loaf.
• Vegetable and Lentil Pasties: Hearty, portable, and perfect for a mid-week lunch.
• Cheese and Bacon Turnovers: Golden puff pastry meets a savoury filling.

🎓 The "Science of Baking" Guides

At FoodStak, each recipe will have easy to follow step by step instructions, hints and tips.

• The Easy Way to Make Buttermilk: When there is none left in the fridge, make your own.
• How to Make Your Sourdough Bread Rise: Avoid making a frisbee, use this tip.
• Pastry Crimping Technique: Give your homemade pies a professional, vintage finish.
• The Best Way to Freeze Summer Fruit: A guest guide by Sarah Frison on preserving the season.

Lynn H. x