Hi everyone!
Sorry it has been such a while since my last post, I’ve been getting all doctor-ified! Yes, you read right – I have finally graduated from my PhD! Woohoo! You can call me Dr Cake now. 😉 Continue reading “Chocolate Orange Zebra Cake (eggless)”
One thing we fell in love with on our Easter trip to Lisbon was the amazing custard tarts. Still warm and enjoyed while taking a well deserved rest in a leafy park, they became a daily tradition. We discovered it was definitely worth getting a couple each, as one was simply not enough! Continue reading “Portuguese Custard Tarts (Pasteis de Nata)”
Welcome back… to you and to me!
It has certainly been a bit of a hiatus since my last blog post. It was not really intentional, and it didn’t reflect a lack of baking, but rather an increasing devotion of all my writing energy towards my thesis. But I’m very pleased to say that I submitted that beast in February, and then spent the following month and a half in the UK/Europe. My husband was temporarily working in Hull, and we travelled to Edinburgh, Dublin, York, London and Lisbon. It was a fantastic trip and I have been inspired to try and bake some of the delicious treats I ate over there.
There’s nothing quite like a thick slab of fruit loaf with a steaming mug of tea. Especially when you’re chained to your desk writing a thesis. I really adore this loaf because it is so moist, so filling and so downright rich you don’t even notice that it’s vegan.
I also love this loaf because it’s flexible. If you hadn’t noticed by now, my favourite recipes have a little wriggle room and can be readily adapted for what’s in the pantry. Continue reading “Rich Vegan Fruit Loaf (dairy-free, egg-free)”
Hey folks!
Whenever I bake cookies I always seem to end up raving about how much I love baking cookies… and this post is no exception! These biscuits really are great, especially because they are soooooo flexible. You can add whatever you want, and you can make the dough in advance, and just bake ’em when you’re ready! When I made these, I prepared the dough on the weekend (which really doesn’t take very long) and kept it in the fridge so on a weeknight I could quickly whip up fresh cookies to take to work the next day. So easy! Continue reading “Oat Fruit & Nut Cookies”
Hello friends!
Sorry it’s been a bit quiet on the blog lately, most of my spare writing energy is channelled into thesis writing these days. I had a great time in the USA, although that feels like ages ago now. I enjoyed exploring San Francisco, the conference was excellent, and I spent a couple of days in Yosemite National Park, which was stunning! I did try one snickerdoodle in the States, but I have to say, mine were nicer. Perhaps it wasn’t so fresh.
Now, as I’ve mentioned before on the blog, I’m fairly skeptical of so-called ‘healthy baking recipes’ as they tend to be oversold by people who have forgotten what butter tastes like. But I’d seen this one extolled by people I trust (such as my friend Jess), and my curiosity was piqued. I finally got around to making it, and I have to say, I was impressed!
I wouldn’t say it tastes identical to a regular Chocolate Caramel Slice, but it’s pretty damned good, and so pleasing to know that it’s not totally bad for you. Even my husband thought it was delicious! It is easily made dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan and depending on the dark chocolate you use, can have no refined sugar! Amazing!
——————-UPDATED, ORIGINAL POST BELOW——————-
Welcome!
I decided that since this was the most popular recipe on my blog, it was probably time it got updated with some slightly nicer photos! I’m really not that into food photography (who has time for that?! I want to taste my food, not look at it!). I know this post is only getting so many hits because I’m kind of piggy backing off Dame Alison Holst’s reputation, but I honestly mean this as a respectful tribute to her. So, thanks for stopping by my blog, I hope you find this recipe helpful. It really is delicious!
This slice consists of a shortbread base with a sticky lemon topping. Very tasty.
I wrote this post when I had found out that Dame Alison Holst, the great Kiwi cook, had dementia and was no longer cooking. I grew up learning to cook and bake from her recipe…
View original post 826 more words
Well, it seems that I’m on a bit of an American kick with my baking lately. Possibly because I’m off to San Francisco in a couple of weeks for a conference. I can’t wait!!!
Limes are normally so expensive, so when I saw a big bag of them at the Chinese supermarket for $4, I couldn’t resist! The aroma of lime brings to mind so many fond memories, largely involving cocktails! 😀 I decided it was high time I made my first Key Lime Pie. Continue reading “My first ‘Key’ Lime Pie”
Hello all!
Introducing a biscuit with the most bizarre name… the Snickerdoodle! Before joining the baking blogging scene, I had never heard of these tasty little treats. In the last 17 months (!) I’ve seen recipes for these pop up in my WordPress reader now and again.
I knew they were biscuits, but that was about as far as it went. Despite the crazy name, my curiosity was not sufficiently peaked. Americans have all sorts of foodstuffs with weird names that are not amazing, why should these be any different? Continue reading “Snickerdoodles”
For most of my life, there has been one thing, and one thing only, that I associate with prunes. Can you guess what it is?! 😉
Fibre. Yep, prunes have always been strongly associated in my mind with the gut, and getting things moving. So when I noticed that two of my newest cookbooks contained recipes for Chocolate Prune Cakes, I was intrigued. Could I really eat prunes without it being for dietary reasons? Continue reading “Chocolate & Prune Cake”
Keep Calm & Cake 