1. Round up your best recipes
Start by gathering your recipes. Either write them from memory, or make copies of the ones you already have. If you’re fortunate enough to have old, handwritten recipes, scan them to preserve their original look, grease stains and all.
You can also ask your family members to contribute their favourite recipes, sharing memories associated with the dish, such as who it came from and when it was served.
Once you have compiled your collection, divide them into categories like breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, or separate by seasons.
2. Test your dishes
Now that you have your recipe collection, it's time to cook! This is the fun part, and one hungry members of your household will also enjoy. It will also help you refine your recipe by making a note of details such as measurements, cook times and temperatures, including any tips and tricks that help bring it to life.
3. Take beautiful photos
Now that you have perfected your dishes, it's time to capture them in all their glory. Bringing them to life deserves some attention.
4. Share your stories
Including some family history and celebrating the people and places behind the recipes you love will make your book extra special. This could be warm or funny blurbs contributed by various relatives about their fond memories of the dish, and/or your own associations with the meal.
5. Pick a design
Now that you have your recipes, photos and stories, it's time to put them all together. Start by picturing how you want your book to look. Will your recipes be uniformly typed out or handwritten?
Take inspiration from recipe books you already own, craft projects and mood boards. Don't worry if you're not a graphic design whiz, there are plenty of easy templates available for free on sites like Canva, or online directories such as Fiverr to easily match you with a freelancer to design it for you.
Alternatively, use a recipe journal like this one from from Hard to Find, which contains blank template pages so you can record and store all of your favourite baking recipes.
Write down the required ingredients and method, personalise with photos and keep as your own archive or give as a gift to friends and family.
