I grew up in New Zealand eating toasted muesli with milk for breakfast. I never liked the untoasted kind, it just didn’t taste as good to me. As far as I know, we didn’t have granola, that was more of an American thing (which I didn’t discover until adulthood). Both muesli and granola are made with nuts,…
Recipes
Hot Cross Buns
Hot cross buns are a staple at my house during Easter. My Mum is a big fan of them, however it wasn’t until I became an adult that I got a liking for them. I was one of those children that used to turn my nose up at anything with raisins in it. I’d eat the raisins by themselves, but if they were in a muffin, I wouldn’t touch it. How times have changed! Now I can’t get enough of cinnamon raisin bread and hot cross buns.
Salted Peanut Butter Cookies
If you read my food reviews, you’ll recall a recent post about Ovenly and how sinfully delicious their baked goods are. Especially their salted peanut butter cookies! I was so taken aback with how good these cookies were, that I knew I had to find the recipe and try to recreate them myself. Well I did it! It wasn’t such a hard task, thanks to Ovenly having this recipe in their cookbook. Smitten Kitchen featured the recipe on their website, so I was only a short amount of time away from having these amazing cookies baking in my oven.
For this recipe to be successful, you need to use a processed peanut butter such as Skippy or Jif. The natural peanut butters are too runny so don’t be tempted to make these cookies more healthy. Just enjoy them for what they are: pure peanut butter heaven. To achieve the shape seen in the photos, you will need to use a cookie scoop. Freezing the dough is mandatory if you want to get the pretty striations on top of the cookies.
Valentine’s Shortbread Cookies with Guava Jam
Valentine’s Day is almost here. Whether you celebrate it or not (let’s face it, it is very commercial), it’s a great excuse to eat heart shaped treats and to spend it with a loved one, who doesn’t need to be your boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife. If you’re single, a fun get-together with the ladies in your life is probably a much better option than an awkward date. I wanted to put a spin on the usual heart shaped cookies, and instead of filling them with strawberry or raspberry jam, I went with guava. I love the flavor so much, and it pairs so well with the rich, buttery shortbread.
Pancakes with Caramelised Bananas & Maple Syrup
In 2010, 2 years before I came to live in NYC, I read about Clinton St. Baking Company and how famous they were for their breakfast items, especially the pancakes. I went on Amazon and ordered their cookbook so I could make these, along with other specialties, at home. These are quite simply the best pancakes you can ever have. Neil Kleinberg, co-owner and chef at Clinton St. Baking Company, perfected the recipe entitled ‘Neil’s Pancakes’ and made them classically authentic – something delcious, wholesome, truly satisfying and as natural as can be. Two flavors were put on the menu: blueberry, using tiny wild Maine berries, and banana-walnut. After weeks of experimenting, Neil came up with his now famous pancake base: fluffy, chewy and crispy on the edges, with all the complexity of a yeast-risen cake.
I wanted to put my own spin on this amazing recipe, so I decided to caramelise bananas using coconut sugar, cinnamon and a touch of coconut oil for frying – keeping with the natural tradition of Clinton St. Baking Company
Maple Cinnamon Christmas Cookies
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying some quality time with loved ones. For those back home in New Zealand, it’s already Christmas Day & here in New York City, it’s Christmas Eve. This year in New Zealand, my family will all be gathering at my cousin’s farm. She has two children, and I’m going to miss not seeing their faces light up when they open gifts. And of course, it goes without saying I will really miss the delicious feast, which usually involves a roast lamb with all the trimmings, and my favourite pavlova for dessert. For those not familiar with pavlova, it’s a meringue cake that has a hard shell and is soft and fluffy on the inside. It’s then topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Since it’s Summer there, strawberries are a popular topping.
Christmas Tree Brownies
This past weekend I had a Christmas party at my place and I wanted to make a dessert that was festive and easy for people to grab and eat. These adorable brownie trees are perfect for placing on a platter. The brownies are rich and fudgy, with chocolate chips and miniature marshmallows to take them to a 10 out of 10. The green swirl is created using candy melts, sprinkles are the trees decorations, and the candy cane serves as the trees trunk.
Spiked Eggnog Cake with Rum Glaze
A cake that not only has rum in it, but rum in the glaze also? Yes please! Plus eggnog? Sign me up! I’m a huge eggnog fan. Which wasn’t always the case, as you can’t buy it in New Zealand, and I never knew anyone who made their own. Now that I’m living in New York, I’ve really gotten a taste for eggnog during the holidays, and I like to have it as a treat after dinner. Or whenever I want something sweet. I was very surprised when buying the eggnog at my local supermarket, that 5 out of 6 varieties contained high-fructose corn syrup. This is a nasty replacement for sugar, but it’s cheap so that’s why companies use it. I had to pay a bit extra to get the natural eggnog that has real sugar & no artificial ingredients, but at least I feel better about drinking it. The brand I got is called Organic Valley, and I can highly recommend it as one of the best tasting eggnogs I’ve tried. Of course, one of these days I’ll have to make my own.
Apple Crumble
Apple crumble (aka apple crisp) is a dessert that has always been close to my heart. My mother would often prepare one to have after a roast dinner. There was nothing more satisfying on a cold night than to relax with a plate of warm apple crumble and whipped cream. I like to make mine with granny smith apples so the apples have a tartness to them which pairs perfectly with the sweet crumble. This recipe is highly adaptable: use a sweeter apple if you prefer, and maybe include walnuts in the crumble topping. If cooking for a larger group, you can double the recipe to fit a 13×9 inch pan.
Pecan Pie
Pecan Pie. I first tried this special dessert when I came to New York a few years ago. I fell in love with the strong flavor of the toasted nuts, mixed with the deliciously rich, sweet, chewy filling. But let me tell you: I am no expert when it comes to making pies! Pies and cakes are two totally different animals. But for anyone out there who, like me, is more accustomed to making cakes than pies, this pie crust recipe is great for beginners. It contains cream cheese, which gives the crust a slightly tangy flavor and rolls out quickly and smoothly. I think this pie is best made with a mixture of chopped pecans for the filling and halved pecans for the top of the pie. It is even more decadent served with a side of whipped cream or ice cream. You can also add maple syrup (1 & 1/2 tablespoons) to your whipped cream for a taste sensation. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!