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Stars send girl cupcake recipes for Great Ormond Street charity book
Jamie Thunder10 Jan 2011
Dozens of celebrities have dug out their favourite sweet recipes to help a schoolgirl raise money for charity.
Georgie Sussman, 12, set out to raise £20,000 for a new ward at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where her four-year-old friend had treatment.
It is to be called the Cupcake Ward — so Georgie took that as the theme for her fundraising. But instead of baking “thousands” of cupcakes, she decided to compile a cookery book.
Georgie, who attends St Margaret's School in Hampstead, began by asking family and friends for their recipes and then started writing to her favourite cooks and celebrities.
She got replies from Nigella Lawson, Antony Worrall Thompson and Raymond Blanc. Others who sent recipes included Pixie Lott, Boris Johnson, Fearne Cotton and Richard E Grant.
Each recipe says who it is from and includes a note from them to Georgie. She said: “It started with my mum and dad's close friends and then we wrote to celebrities' agents, and they got the recipes from the celebrities.
"I didn't think any of them would reply so I was really surprised when they did.”
Georgie is raising money for beds for parents to sleep in at Great Ormond Street, after visiting her friend, Lucy, who has had treatment for a rare brain tumour in Arizona and specialist care in London.
“They're building a ward at Great Ormond Street for people with this tumour,” said Georgie. “They have money for the children but not for the beds for the mums to stay in overnight.
“I wanted to sell lots and lots of cupcakes but we realised that I'd have to sell thousands. So I decided to do a cookbook.”
More than 250 copies of the book have been sold so far, and sales and donations have raised £3,000.
Britain's Got Talent presenter Amanda Holden said she was “absolutely amazed” by Georgie's effort.
“I sent Georgie the recipe I use with my daughter,” she said.
“They never turn out as pretty as they should do though — I can't believe I'm in there with all these other people who can actually bake.”
Georgie's father, Neal Sussman, said he and her mother Meg were very impressed by their daughter: “For a grown-up it's an amazing achievement, so for a 12-year-old it's outstanding.”
The Cupcake Ward Cookbook costs £10 and is available from Mystical Fairies and Beauty Boutique in Hampstead, The Bookworm and Joseph's Bookstore in Temple Fortune, and Daunt Books in Marylebone High Street.
They can also be bought from www.bunnyandboo.net and www.splatcooking.net
Celebrity sweets for Great Ormond Street cookbook
Pixie Lott – Pixie's Coconut Ice
“Well done Georgie, such a lovely and caring idea to raise funds for the Cupcake' Ward at Great Ormond Street and for your friend Lucy.”
Nigella Lawson – Snickerdoodles biscuits
“You can't help wanting to cook a biscuit with a name like this. They're verging on cakes, but only in the sense that they're neither crisp nor flat.”
Boris Johnson – Damson Jam
“Here is my recipe for the only sweet type of thing I know how to make. Good luck with your fundraising effort and please pass on my best wishes to Lucy.”
Antony Worrall Thompson – Mocha cupcakes
“Happy to help out on this occasion; good luck with the fundraising.”
Reader views (2)
This is a really fantastic book and Beverley Glock and the Splat Cooking team are so pleased that sales of the book are going strong - we are also delighted that our friends David Greenwood-Haigh, chocolatier at Divine Chocolate and pastry chef Neil Mugg from the Gleneagles Hotel also contributed truly tasty recipes!
- victoria whittard, London, 14/01/2011 14:42
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What a wonderful idea from such a sweet and caring little girl. It is amazing what you can achieve once you put your mind to it! Take note university fee thugs!
- ashlyn, London, 10/01/2011 11:06
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