The Hebridean Baker

February 17, 2025
Kilt-clad social media star MacLeod (The Hebridean Baker at Home), who grew up in a “wee village” on the Isle of Lewis, produces a heartfelt paean to dùthchas, a Gaelic word for the connection between place, people, and traditions. Classic Scottish treats include treacle tart and sweet butter tablet squares. Recipes and anecdotes overflow with charm. Even the names are enchanting: Who could resist a “rumbledethump fish pie” with a topping of cabbage, potatoes, and turnip or “feather fowlie,” a creamy chicken soup? Unfortunately, the chapter logic confounds. Why, for example, does the chocolate and ginger bundt cake appear in the “I’ll Bring the Cake” chapter, while a similar “nostalgic chocolate gateau,” modeled on a Sara Lee product, appears in the final chapter, titled “What’s for Pudding?” The section on supper features savory dishes like salmon topped with cream cheese and baked in phyllo, and shakshuka turned Scottish via the inclusion of black pudding, but also includes drinks and its own smattering of desserts. Despite this chaotic organization, MacLeod’s appealing persona carries the day, with a music playlist for the kitchen and mini-essays about Scottish culture (including one on a famous 1940s drag queen) that feel genuine and personal. Tapping into an unusual niche, this breezy tome will appeal to anyone curious about Highland cuisine.