Those of you who live and work in Notting Hill may have been lucky enough to come across Cookie Girl and her delicious cookies and cupcakes in real life. And now here’s your opportunity to further enjoy her wonderful creations!

Australian actress-turned-baking entrepreneur Xanthe Milton came up with the idea of baking cookies and selling them locally as a way of making extra income (not to mention using her baking skills, well-honed since childhood). Her first experience saw her prepare a batch of 100 Belgian chocolate cookies and hit the streets of Notting Hill, selling them door to door to homes and businesses. With all of the cookies snapped up within a few hours, Cookie Girl was born to become an instant success with a legion of fans – including names such as Belinda Carlisle, Will Young and Take That – following.

As Cookie’s Girl popularity grew, a regular column in Notting Hill’s Grove magazine followed, before TV appearances on Masterchef and Market Kitchen – as well as having her cookies stocked in Selfridges. Today, Cookie Girl – Xanthe – also runs cupcake decorating classes; see her website www.cookiegirl.co.uk for further details, on which you can also order her cookies!

Xanthe’s success has now seen her publish her first book – Eat Me: The Stupendous, Self-Raising World of Cupcakes & Bakes According to Cookie Girl. This wonderful book includes 80 amazing recipes of cupcakes and cookies organised according to season and occasion (Halloween, Valentine’s Day), interspersed with a some beautiful photographs. This is the kind of book you’ll curl up on the sofa with and read – before even trying any of the recipes – which is not something that can be said for many cookbooks!