Cosy Cooking by the National Trust

This book is full of comforting recipes that suit a wide range of tastes- perfect for family life. As a family with two teenage boys, we’ve really enjoyed cooking our way through some of the simple yet delicious dishes. So far, we’ve tried Shakshuka, Salmon in Pastry, Treacle Tart, Focaccia, and Fruit Crumble, all of which have been a hit.

The recipes are clearly written and easy to follow, which makes them accessible not just for me but also for my boys, who will be able to cook from this book on their own.

A lovely collection for anyone who enjoys home cooking with a cosy, family-friendly feel.

For me, visiting a National Trust property is the promise of a tasty meal or snack, especially the cakes.
This book offers a nice range of recipes from their menus. It is all comfort food and suitable for every taste. There are lovely soups to make (the carrot and ginger and the super green soup with cashew cream sound delicious). The mains are going from classics (like the Lancashire hotpot, the shepherd pie or the fish pie) to more exotic ones (the coconut and lime prawn curry and the butter chicken are mouthwatering) and offer also great options for vegans and vegetarians (I liked the idea of the lentils and mushroom lasagna and I thought the vegan macaroni and cheese sounded nice, and I will definitely make the roasted cauliflower korma). There are also many desserts and cakes to choose from, and everyone who has been to a National Trust property has enjoyed a millionaire shortbread, a lemon drizzle cake, a mincemeat and frangipane tart and many others the book offers.
The presentation is very colourful and pleasant (although I would love also some pictures of the finished recipes). The recipes are very detailed, with many really useful tips, and there is a good closing chapter of basics such as a recipe for shortcrust pastry, onion gravy, hollandaise sauce and more.
This is a lovely and well presented book with a very cosy range of very precise recipe one can make with simple ingredients. Nice to have and nice to gift. Another beautiful National Trust Publication.

Thank you to NetGalley and National Trust for giving me the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

Cosy indeed

This is a very nice cookbook to leaf through, with simple, easy to follow - and most importantly- tasty recipes.

The illustrations and colour schemes throughout bring the book to life and I can't wait to try these out 😋🤤



Thanks to Netgalley and National Trust Books Macmillan Mantle for providing me with an advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

I have all the books in this series by the National Trust. None of them have pictures, only illustrations, which I have now become used to. The recipes are often ones you see for sale in the National Trust excellent restaurants and a lot of them vegetarian and vegan.
I’m looking forward to making the Hot Honey Halloumi with Roasted chickpeas for my daughter when she comes to stay with her vegetarian family along with the Cauliflower Korma. I’ve eaten the apple and blackberry flapjacks in the restaurant and now have the recipe.
It also has recipes containing meat and fish and a handy chapter at the end which covers basics such as crispy shallots and sauces..

I was so excited to receive an e copy of Cosy Cooking by National Trust Books and it’s exactly what I hoped for - simple, comforting recipes that make you want to slow down and enjoy being in the kitchen.

The recipes were proper seasonal dishes, with old-fashioned favourites, and a nice balance between sweet treats and warming mains. Nothing overly fancy, just real comfort food with heart. The kind of recipes that make your kitchen smell amazing on a rainy Sunday!

This book would be perfect for anyone who loves traditional British comfort food. It has clear instructions and staple ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard.

Perfect if you want to cook slower, more mindfully, and enjoy the process.

This cookbook serves familiarity, cosiness and sustenance. It's a collection of 80 recipes, based on the National Trust's cafes menu as well as well-known and loved favourites.

What I appreciate about this recipe collection is that it's representative of my household: a mix of omnivores and vegetarian/vegan individuals, therefore everyone can find a favourite set of dishes to make and enjoy. The formulations themselves are budget-conscious which is also a plus. The dishes don't require highly specialised ingredients or equipment and are so accessible.

Yes, many recipes are not innovative and are nothing that you wouldn't find with a simple google search for free. But... each recipe comes with a set of tips and some also suggest substitutions, for example if you want to make a recipe plant-based, clear out your fridge or be more what's currently in season-forward.

Beautifully illustrated, "Cosy Cooking" will make a great addition to a cookbook collection or a great gift to someone who enjoys cooking.

I was a little disappointed by this one. The idea of “cosy cooking” really appealed to me, but the recipes themselves weren’t particularly exciting or original — mostly very familiar comfort food with little to set it apart from other similar books. The presentation is lovely, as you’d expect from the National Trust, but overall it felt more decorative than useful, and I don’t see myself reaching for it very often.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is a review of recipes from the National Trust: Cosy Cooking.

There are 5 main chapters of recipes plus an introduction:
- Soups & Light Meals
- Mains
- Puddings
- Cakes & Bakes
- Basics

Each recipe has a list of ingredients in both metric and imperial measurements, how many it serves, prep & cooking timings, if its suitable as a vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free dish and steps to follow. Some recipes also have a Tip or Tips for changing up the recipe a little bit. There are no actual photographs, just some illustrations of ingredients or the dish.

There are plenty of what I would class as classic English homemade mains such as Roast Pork Belly, Coq au Vin, Pork Stroganoff and also some international recipes too . One that sounds interesting is Bacon and Leek Roly Poly - I'm definitely going to try that one!

In the Pudding front, there's Spotted Dick, Sussex Pond Pudding, Treacle Tart; with cakes there is a no bake Chocolate Crunch Slice, Lardy Cake.

The Basics section has recipes for Croutons, Crispy Shallots, Sauces to accompany some of the dishes.

Overall its a nice book of classic dishes, but you'd think if some of these recipes are also adapted for use in the National Trust tea rooms, why do I not have a photograph?

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

Definitely going to have to get a physical copy of this! Such good recipes woven in such a beautiful book!

A beautiful cookbook full of delicious cost recipes that I can’t wait to feed my family .The photography is gorgeous a pleasure to look at.This would make a perfect gift.# NetGalley # cosycooking

So many easy to follow recipes including some classic recipes like bubble and squeak to beetroot risotto. The illustrations in this book are beautiful.

What a lovely book and cookbook with great illustrations and fun. cosy recipes that can be made and enjoyed by anyone and everyone. I have already started cooking me way through this book and will be cooking more over the coming weeks, months and years. The recipes are easy to follow, the food is cosy and warming and I enjoyed all the hints and tips included as well.

We need more cookbooks like this and I thank you again for bringing such a lovely cookbook to my attention.

Thank you NetGalley and Collins Reference/National Trust Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

a great cookbook absolutely jam packed with comfort food recipes and ideas. Perfect for wintry nights or family dinners. The recipes are well set out and easy to follow

This is a decent and fresh cookbook with easy to follow recipes with accessible ingredients, and recipes of food served at National Trust sites.
It was refreshing to see illustrations rather than photos.
There were a couple of recipes that I found inspiring.
The tips and extra information were handy and plus, this would be quite handy for entire beginner cooks.

I really like this book! Recently I have been bored by a number of new cookbooks but this had many recipes I am keen to try (Hot honey halloumi with squash and chickpeas sounds amazing). There were a lot of vegetarian options and even some vegan recipes.

Each recipe has a short but helpful introductory explanation, and there are tips and suggestions at the end of the recipes too. The instructions are presented in a clear and easy to read way, with helpful notes stating preparation and cooking times. Nothing sounded too unusual or complicated.

Although I normally like and appreciate photographs of recipes, I didn't actually miss them in this book - the hand drawn pictures scattered through are cute.

I love that at the top right of every recipe, there is a box that lists out the number of servings, prep, and cook time, and if it is vegan or gluten-free. The recipes themselves are approachable, with easy-to-follow instructions and ingredients that are easily found for a standard home cook. The tips at the bottom of each recipe are also appreciated.

In my opinion, the sign of any good cookbook is photography. A good photo can inspire and get someone excited about what to cook, rather than it being a chore flipping through the pages trying to figure out what to cook. The lack of photography in this cookbook was disappointing, especially as the recipes themselves are standard mainstays, but well written and thought out.!

The National Trust are reliable publishers of quality books and this one is no exception. I really enjoy their range of cookbooks which are always very enticing, beautifully illustrated and full of straightforward recipes using ingredients you’re already likely to have in your cupboard. This one is full of things I want to make, especially during autumn and winter, and there’s a really excellent range of vegetarian recipes which all look equally as delicious.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

I really like National Trust cookbooks predominantly for their design and this one is no different. The illustrations match so well with the ‘cosy vibe’.
I liked the mixture of recipes, both old school and some new to readers, and found the recipes easy to read and follow. I’m looking forward to trying some of the recipes out!