Kim-Joy on her love of cats and the power of baking for your mental health

The previous Bake Off star tells Katie Wright why a feline-themed cookbook was her purr-fect mission.

It has been an eventful few months for former Bake Off contestant Kim-Pleasure, who obtained engaged final summer season and married shortly after in a spontaneous ceremony in Las Vegas.

“I didn’t really want to do the whole engagement thing, because we’d already talked about it, so I thought we were just going to get married,” says Kim-Pleasure, whose associate of 9 years, Nabil Homsi, popped the query of their kitchen.

“He kept asking where my favourite place is, and I kept saying the kitchen… now he feels like it’s some sort of weird sexist thing, but I’m like, ‘No! That’s what I want!'”

Leaving all the pieces to the final minute, whereas on vacation in America the couple headed to a marriage chapel on the Vegas Strip and tied the knot in entrance of an Elvis impersonator, the beaming bride donning a brilliant orange mini gown for the event.

Returning home to Leeds, the newlyweds continued to renovate the home they’d purchased collectively, whereas Kim-Pleasure put the ending touches to her debut graphic novel (extra on that later) and her newest recipe ebook.

“I definitely went a bit bonkers and I couldn’t really sleep for a while – but it was all worth it in the end,” she says of the home transformation, which options decor as vibrant as her culinary creations.

Bake Me A Cat sees Kim-Pleasure combining two of her nice loves. “Baking and cats make sense collectively as a result of they’re each so stress-free, and each are actually good to your psychological well being.”

The pun-filled ebook options cute feline fancies, akin to marshmeowlow cats, miaowringues and pudgy 3D cookie cats.

Every recipe is stamped with a paw print ranking, displaying the issue from one (paw-fect pancakes, for instance) to 5 (akin to purrfect doughnuts that want deep-frying and adorning).

Not that it is advisable recreate every recipe to exacting requirements, insists Kim-Pleasure, who’s proud mama to fur infants Inki (so referred to as due to his black coat) and Mochi (named after the Japanese dessert).

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“I don’t like things that are all the same or really uniform – it takes a bit of life out of them,” she says.

“I wanted this book to be full of life, full of the quirkiness and weirdness of cats, to capture that within the bakes.”

The Belgium-born baker – who was runner-up within the 2018 sequence of Bake Off – labored as a psychological wellbeing practitioner earlier than collaborating within the present, and has been open about her personal psychological well being struggles.

“I grew up with mental health issues, and still have social anxiety,” she says, explaining why baking will be such a soothing antidote throughout tough instances.

“Baking can be a mindful activity, where you can totally lose yourself. There’s structure within it, too, which makes me feel a bit safe.

Plus, offering a batch of brownies or a homemade cake to a loved one can be its own reward: “It makes you assured as you are studying new abilities and likewise with the ability to convey happiness to different individuals.”

Volunteering with Leeds social enterprise The Wren Bakery, which provides disadvantaged women with baking and barista training, she’s seen firsthand how developing new skills can be so beneficial.

“I see plenty of girls initially after which on the finish, and the transformation is superb.

“One woman was in the first cohort, now she mentors new trainees. I think it’s because it’s something that makes you feel useful.”

On an identical theme, forthcoming fictional graphic novel, Turtle Bread, tells the story of a bunch of buddies who meet at a baking membership.

“The main character is kind of based on my experiences,” Kim-Pleasure explains.

“The characters all experience loneliness in different ways, but they join together and bond through baking.”

Named after the reptilian bread she made on Bake Off, the title is “a metaphor about stepping out of your shell – having that armour up, which prevents you from being vulnerable and connecting with others.”

The fantastically illustrated story is not all sunshine and rainbows, nonetheless.

“I love cute and happy things, but I like sad stories, too,” Kim-Pleasure says.

“It’s more like real life, in that you bake and things are a little bit better, but it’s not always good. It’s about how we keep going.”

Bake Me A Cat by Kim-Pleasure is revealed by Quadrille, priced £16.99. Images by Ellis Parrinder.