If you like your cake loaded with fresh berries, you’re going to love this Blueberry Lemon Cake! The blueberries literally burst in your mouth with each bite, which is a glorious feeling. I’m relishing everything that has to do with Spring at the moment, and that includes eating slice after slice of this Blueberry Lemon…
recipe
Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Quick Bread
This Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Quick Bread makes for a delicious snack any time of the day. And let’s be honest; who doesn’t love cinnamon and chocolate together? This quick bread has it all: it’s soft, tender, moist and has an irresistible ripple of cinnamon, and lots of chocolate chips. We’ve been having some very…
Blueberry Coconut Baked Oatmeal
If you’re in need of switching up your breakfast game, give this Blueberry Coconut Baked Oatmeal a go! It’s special while not being fussy, and can be mostly prepared the day before if desired.
I’ve always loved having oats in some form for my breakfast, whether they’re in porridge, granola or overnight oats. But baked oatmeal is a game changer! Packed with nuts, chia seeds and fruit, this breakfast will keep you going and give you lots of energy to go about your day.
I must admit, my first experience with baked oatmeal several years ago was not a good one! I found a recipe for strawberry rhubarb baked oatmeal and followed it exactly as written. Unfortunately, instead of the outside being delightfully toasted with a soft center, my baked oatmeal turned out to be a sloppy mess. There was way too much liquid and juice from the fruit, and I didn’t touch another baked oatmeal recipe for a long time after that! Fortunately, I decided to give it another go and got the consistency right.
Cherry Poppy Seed Loaf
Is anybody else in disbelief that the summer is drawing to an end?! I feel like it only just started. Summer is definitely my favourite of all the seasons. I live for the beach, swimming pools and dining al fresco. I couldn’t let the summer pass without baking a cherry recipe. Cherries are one of my most-loved summer fruits and I can never get enough of cherry desserts. I love this cherry poppy seed loaf because it’s not overly sweet and has a lovely lemony flavour that goes so well with the poppy seeds. The sugar and lemon zest are rubbed together with your fingers to release the oil in the zest, which in turn gives a richer lemon flavour. This cake is just the thing to use up the last of your summer cherries. If you don’t have fresh cherries, you can substitute frozen ones. You could also use different fruits in this recipe, such as plums or raspberries.
Blueberry Lime Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
I’m so excited that Summer is almost here, and all the beautiful berries and other Summer fruits are coming into season. I just wish this crazy NYC weather would sort itself out! One day it’s hot and sunny and the next (like today) it’s a lot cooler and raining. There is so much fog today…
4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
This has been one crazy week, to say the least! I left New Zealand on Tuesday to return to New York City and I was feeling a range of different emotions. Even though my Mum has made an amazing recovery in the past 7 months, I still worry about her a lot and it was very hard to leave her. For now, we will have to make do with phone calls and video chats. It eases my mind somewhat to know she has a great support system around her. We really made the most of our last few weeks together, including a trip down to Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. The beaches down there are among my favourites, and we took her dog Jessie with us, and she was loving all the bush and beach walks.
Lemon Drizzle Cake
If you’re looking for the perfect, no-fuss cake to serve with tea or coffee to your houseguests, look no further! This lemon cake is packed full of flavor, isn’t too sweet, and has an irresistible lemon syrup poured over it instead of icing. It’s quick, easy to make and your guests will love it.
Crepes with Almond Butter & Raspberries
Crepes are one of the easiest and most versatile things you can whip up in the kitchen. You can make them sweet or savoury, and top them with just about anything you fancy. Since Valentine’s Day is upon us, I wanted to make something with raspberries & chocolate, and these crepes were born. Perfect for either breakfast, brunch or dessert, these crepes get a protein boost and will keep you fuller for longer thanks to the almond butter.
I used the almond butter from Forty Thieves and I absolutely love it. The almonds are dry roasted in small batches and have no added sugar, salt or preservatives. So it’s as natural as it gets! Made here in New Zealand, the Forty Thieves brand also includes salted macadamia butter, cacao hazelnut with toasted coconut and cashew butter.
Italian Almond Cake
Ahh Italian Almond Cake! If you’ve had the pleasure of eating it, then you will know just how aromatic it smells. I once made it for my boss who served it at his dinner party. The next day he told me that before being eaten, the cake was passed around the table for everybody to inhale the intoxicating almond scent. It’s like almond heaven! I didn’t have too much trouble buying almond paste when I was in New York. But here in Auckland, it was a different story. I called every specialty store close to home and nobody had it. I tried looking online but the shipping made it far too expensive. In the end, the easiest (and also cheapest) way was to make it myself with a food processor. I have attached a link with the recipe I used. Keep in mind that almond paste is not marzipan. Marzipan has twice as much sugar as almond paste and is not as delicate. So to get the best bang for your buck, I definitely recommend making your own. Almond paste gets better after sitting in the fridge, so I suggest making it at least a day or two before you want to make the cake. Then let it come to room temperature before using it. Another thing to note is the sliced almonds that go on top of the cake: the first time I made this, most of the almonds sunk inside the cake while baking and very few were left on top. I rectified this by only placing half of the almonds on before putting it in the oven, then sprinkling the rest of them on in the last 10 minutes of baking. Best enjoyed with a hot cuppa. Enjoy!
Coconut & Mango Chia Pudding
We’re almost at the end of 2017! It’s been a very dramatic year for me, I can only hope 2018 will be a lot calmer. Still, I am very thankful to be ending the year on a high, and with my beautiful Mum by my side. The past week has been super indulgent for me,…