I’ve tried and tested more delicious dishes than I could count over the years.
From freshly caught bass to a piping hot helping of paella, to a creamy gelato, there is a line-up of foods that have wowed me since I began expanding my palate.
But sometimes all you need, in the words of my grannie, is ‘a fine piece’. I’m sure a lot of you could vouch for that.
Originally residing in Banff, I spent a lot of weekends during my childhood at her humble abode which overlooked the picturesque Banffshire coastline.
It was a sight to see and a home that will forever be engraved in my mind. But another aspect I admired about these visits involved us venturing to the local cafes and parlours to enjoy, you guessed it, a fine piece.
I recall entering the same venues time and time again, but still being in awe at the rows of colourful, tempting home bakes in front of me to choose from.
And despite being treated enough, grannie always made sure to stock up on butteries (or rowies, as she prefers to call them). Even those with the greatest willpower would have struggled not to, given how tempting they always looked…
The Food
Despite verging on 21, I still get excited every time I enter a bakery – and I’m sure this will never leave me. I hope not anyway.
Just as I remember it (pre-pandemic), Home Bakery was flooded with a diverse range of sweet and savoury goodies. From yum yums, cream-filled doughnuts and chocolate cripies to a variety of pies and turnovers, I had to take a few moments to soak everything in.
The venue also has a lovely little cafe area too, known as Bakehoose Cafe. This has been closed for some time due to coronavirus, however, one of the employees did assure me that they hope to reopen the space in the near future.
First things first, I requested two rowies to set aside for my grannie and I to enjoy during our next catch up. They were hot when bagged and handed to me, so there was a lot of temptation to snack on my one during the journey home… But don’t worry, I resisted.
I went on to request a selection of goodies for me (and my family, of course) to sample along with a nice cuppa.
Unbagging the items, I’d brought the aromas of the bakery home with me. Other than the two rowies (again, still intact), I opted for a cheese and bacon turnover, cinnamon swirl, yum yum, millionaire’s shortbread and chocolate crispie.
The cheese and bacon turnover was heated up slightly before eating. The cheese, lovely and sweet, teamed well with the bacon, which boasted a slight saltiness to top off the flavour. It wasn’t messy to eat either, which is always a bonus in my eyes. With savoury done and dusted, it was time to shift all focus to the sweet options – and there were plenty to choose from…
Impressibly large, the cinnamon swirl was the first thing that caught my eye. The melt-in-the-mouth pastry had been coated in a glaze that was sticky and lip-smackingly sweet. It was an ooey, gooey masterpiece.
Dense and hearty, the interiors comprised a buttery dough with warming flavours of cinnamon and nutmeg that danced on the tongue. The treat had to be split amongst us. But don’t get me wrong, if I were to wake up one day in desperate need of something to feed my sugar cravings, I could eat the lot.
The yum yum doughnut’s pastry was similar to that of the swirl, but a tad lighter and springy to touch. The twisted treat was flakey and stretchy, dripping with gloriously sweet icing. Requiring a little bit of contrast, I added a thin layer of sharp strawberry jam – a controversial move, but one I don’t regret.
Everything was going down well with our teas and coffees, but now it was time for the traybakes.
The chocolate crispie treat had a hefty bottom layer of Rice Krispies combined with creamy milk chocolate and melted marshmallows, which was soft and chewy. And it was topped with a coating of milk chocolate – perfect for those with a sweet tooth.
There was also a hint of nuttiness, adding a different (but inviting) flavour. It tasted lovely dunked into my coffee, allowing the chocolate to melt ever so slightly.
Finally, the millionaire’s shortbread – aka, the star of the show. The crumbly biscuit base was topped with, like the chocolate crispie, milk chocolate, and sandwiched in between the two was a layer of velvety caramel. This was the treat that disappeared the quickest – I only wish I bought I second.
It wasn’t until the following day that I sat down and indulged in my rowie, along with my grannie as planned.
After heating them up for 10-15 seconds in the microwave, I prepared our toppings. The pair of us like to keep things simple, so I lathered a thick layer of salty butter on top of the (already salty) treats.
I watched as the creamy butter soaked into both pastries, making for a heavenly consistency when devoured. They were a decent size, so proved filling.
The Verdict
After revisiting Home Bakery, I couldn’t help but smile. I have and always will treasure those quaint eateries in Banff and Macduff – there’s something about the area that brings back so many happy memories.
I had no doubt in my mind that I would enjoy the baked goods I chose, but I didn’t quite know the extent I would. The venue exceeded my expectations and I know for a fact I’ll be stopping by again during my next visit to the town. Hopefully, the cafe area will have made a reappearance by then.
For those that love traditional home bakes (and rowies), I’d highly recommend visiting Home Bakery. You won’t be sorry!
Price: £6.65
Address: 18 Duff Street, Macduff
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.