Cherry, Ginger and Macadamia Christmas Cake
Tuesday, December 19, 2023Good things take time, so start this recipe at least 1 day in advance to macerate the fruit and allow additional time for cooling. Traditional fruitcake is such a joy at Christmas time. Dense with brandy-soaked dried fruit and warming spices, this means a little goes a long way! This recipe adds a delicious yet modern twist on a classic fruitcake by using candied ginger, dried cherries, physalis, barberries, macadamias, coconut suguar and ginger shot to the batter. If you don't bake with alcohol, then replace it with apple or orange juice.
Christstollen Traybake
Sunday, December 03, 2023Loaded with dried cranberries, apricots and chunks of marzipan, this well spiced holiday traybake is quick and easy to make, perfect for sharing and gifting. Those stollen bites have all the wonderful festive flavours of German Christstollen without going to the effort of making the real thing. A festive and delightful treat that is sure to please and impress. I used less sugar than the original recipe calls for and used more orange juice, so the batter won't be too dry. You can also replace some sugar with applesauce.
Maple Pecan Tart
Thursday, November 09, 2023Wow your family and friends with this golden pecan tart with a blind-baked pastry case for a crisper finish for a dinner party dessert, teatime treat or holidays' celebration. Using coconut sugar and maple syrup to sweeten the filling enhances the caramel flavour and works beautifully with the texture of the nuts and buttery crust. It's perfect served with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.
Classic Buttery Hamantaschen
Friday, September 15, 2023Hamantaschen, triangular-shaped cookies stuffed with any of a variety of fillings, are a traditional treat often served during the Jewish holiday Purim. But you can always bake them any time when those cravings hit. They are most often filled with fruit preserves, chocolate, or poppy seed fillings.
The dough is easy to make and yields a rich, buttery, lemon-scented cookie that is full of flavour. It keeps the shape during the baking, as long as you don’t overfill your cookies and your filling has the proper thick texture. Another tip to keep hamantaschen in shape is to CHILL them overnight before baking. You can use any hamantaschen filling you like, poppy filling is our favourite.
Fig and Walnut Hot Cross Buns
Tuesday, March 28, 2023These popular Easter bakes are made sweet, juicy with dried figs and coconut milk, aromatic with cinnamon and nutmeg, crunchy with walnuts, and sticky with maple syrup. Top these beauties with lashings of butter for a satisfying treat that is perfect with a cuppa. Or you can follow the original recipe and serve them with cinnamon butter.
Purple Sweet Potato Bites with Creamy Horseradish Sauce and Caviar
Friday, March 24, 2023Striking colours and bold flavours packed into these small, delicious bites – the perfect starter for your holiday dinner party.
Purple sweet potatoes are fun to cook with and can be used in many of the same ways as the regular sweet potatoes. They add a fantastic pop of colour to food and are high in Vitamin C, potassium, fiber, flavanoids and anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants and have been linked to reducing dementia and maintaining brain health. The violet hue comes from anthocyanins, the same pigment that gives red wine, berries, purple carrots & cabbage, and other vegetables their colour.
Purple sweet potatoes have a rich, creamy texture. They are denser and more floury than regular sweet potatoes, which is why you need to cook them longer than you would a regular sweet potato (from 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 180C/350F). They are so easy to prepare, but not so easy to find and will cost a little more.
Aspic Jelly Eggs with Ham, Sweetcorn and Sweet Pepper
Thursday, March 16, 2023Aspic is a clear, savory jelly, traditionally made with a clarified meat / fish broth, sometimes with added gelatine, flavoured with spices, herbs, peppercorns and vegetables. It is rich in amino acids and minerals. This colourful, fun and make-ahead aspic jelly appetizer looks great on a festive holiday table at Easter, Christmas or any brunch buffet. These aspic jelly eggs are made of homemade beef broth, ham, bell peppers and sweetcorn and not only look appetizing, they also taste super delicious.
Christmas Fruit Cake
Friday, December 02, 2022A slice of moist, rich fruit cake is synonymous with the Christmas feast. Get the jump on your Christmas baking by making this festive whisky-soaked fruit cake now. Wrap it well and it will be perfect to serve, or give as a gift, during the Advent!
Orignal recipe calls for using a 22cmx7cm round cake pan and baked at 160C/320F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I am using a 26cm springform pan and it took about 85 minutes for the cake to be done. For the fruit, I used a mixture of dried apricots, currants and golden raisins, but any blend of dried fruit (dried cranberries, glacé cherries, or dried figs) would work beautifully. I also decorate the cake with an extra layer of blanched almonds.
Easy Puff Pastry Heart with Poppy and Hazelnuts
Monday, February 07, 2022Nothing says true love like a homemade dessert :-))This pastry heart makes the best dessert for someone special. It's basically just some twisted puff pastry straws rearranged in a heart-shaped baking pan. Perfect for pre-dinner nibbles or as the dessert and for when you are short on time because it's so quick and easy to make. It's beautiful and amazing enough for a special occasion like Valentine's or a birthday party while simple enough for an easy weekend treat.
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- In a medium bowl, mix together the poppy paste, all egg except 1 tablespoon for the topping and chopped hazelnuts. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Lightly grease a 24-cm heart-shaped baking pan or line with a baking paper.
- Unfold the pastry sheet and spread the poppy mixture evenly on the pastry. From the short end fold over and cut the folded pastry into 1cm strips.
- Twist the strips and arrange them, from inside to outside, into the prepared form. Brush with the reserved egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake in the middle of the hot oven for 20 minutes until golden brown. Let the pastry cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Garnish with pink peppercorns, rose petals and rosemary.
Quick Gingerbread Loaf with Hazelnuts
Sunday, December 12, 2021A nutty version of the classic gingerbread that's wonderfully moist and full of flavour. It's spiced with ground ginger and allspice and sweetened with raw sugar and molasses. The earthy toasted hazelnuts complement this tender, robustly flavoured gingerbread perfectly. The use of molasses adds real depth of flavour and creates a slightly sticky exterior that's just irresistible. Enjoy on its own or with custard or a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. You can also take this holiday cake up a notch with this 6-Week Long Maturing Spelt Gingerbread Loaf if you could plan ahead and so you're not trying to do it all at the last minute!
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- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease and flour a 20x10cm loaf pan or line the pan with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan, combine the butter, raw sugar, molasses, and milk. Bring to the boil, then remove from heat and set aside.
- Sieve the flour, ground hazelnuts, ginger, allspice and baking soda into a large bowl. Stir in the boiled mixture until just blended. Fold the roasted hazelnuts into the batter and pour into the prepared pan.
- Turn down the oven to 160C/320F and bake for about 70 minutes or until the top of the loaf springs back when lightly touched and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.