Cookbook inspired by her Bulgarian grandmother is being launched by a chef near Leamington

A new cook book inspired by her Bulgarian grandmother has been launched by a chef near Leamington.

Doroteya Goundry said she wanted to put together tasty recipes that were not overly filled with highly-processed and refined sugars.

"As the recipes grew in number, and I got requests from others to share them, I realised there were others who too wanted to enjoy sweet treats without feeling guilty," she said.

"That's where the cookbook 'The Good Stuff' was born.

Doroteya, who lives in Bishops Itchington, said the inspiration for her book came from her grandmother (Baba in Bulgarian), Mika, who had something delicious coming out of the oven every day.

"The warmth and homeliness that her baking brought to our childhood is as vivid in my memory today as it was 40 years ago," she added.

"And that’s the power of home baking, to bring comfort, warmth and love into any home.

"This book is dedicated to her because she still inspires me today to remember that life is simple if we want it to be, and baking and delicious, homemade food can quickly remind us of that."

Doroteya said that one of the mottos of her book is 'lower in sugar, bigger on flavour'.

She added: "My mission is to show people that baking healthily by using natural, wholesome ingredients (no refined sugar or genetically modified flour) doesn't have to mean compromising on flavour or appearance.

"As a chef for three decades, I have been creating delicious bakes that bring love and warmth into the home. However, as a parent, I wanted to also ensure that what I baked for my family was not overly filled with highly-processed and refined sugars.

"I therefore started working on recipes that made the most of natural ingredients, ones that ensured bakes were delicious without affecting our health or leading to a dependence on sugar."

The book includes 54 recipes with ingredients that are easy to find in the supermarket.

Doroteya added: "When I was about 13, my mum bought me a book about baking. I loved looking through the pages and choosing a recipe I was able to make. I would love you, your child and your grandchild to be able to do the same with this cookbook.

"This book is written from the heart, and I hope it inspires you to try something different. I’ve had lots of fun writing it. I hope you too have fun baking my recipes. Let me know how you get on; you can find me online at @BabaMikaBakes."

'The Good Stuff - Baking the Way Nature Intended' will be available on Amazon from November 18.