Sweet Fusion
It’s no surprise that coating puffed rice in chocolate would become an iconic family favourite, because after all, who doesn’t love chocolate. However, it wasn’t just the crispy puffed chocolate pieces that were the hero at breakfast time, it was also the chocolate milk left behind in the bowl. This secondary hero right there is the inspiration for this Chocolate Shake Cheesecake recipe.
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Puffed honey cereals are quintessentially kiwi and have been enjoyed up and down the country (as well as over the ditch) since its creation many years ago. I also feel honey in general gives the connotation of health, nature and of course, fun. So this cereal feels somewhat like a comfort food and a homely staple in the pantry growing up.
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I remember seeing these brightly coloured and fruit flavoured cereals growing up, unfortunately for young me, these fun cereals were never on a parents shopping list. So during my younger years, they almost seemed somewhat of a mythical cereal that you hear about, but never actually get to experience. But guess what, now as an adult, I can now buy whatever cereal I want!
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If it wasn’t to enjoy a bowl of humble puffed rice in the morning with plenty of sugar as a child, then it would have been made into the sought after rice crispy treat at birthday parties! I’m pretty sure back then it was mixed through with kremelta… Luckily I believe those days are long gone and today we now use plenty of marshmallows instead!
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The flavours of the hummingbird (not the actual bird, but the cake) celebrate the flavours of banana and pineapple. If that wasn’t enough, it’s then warmed up with cinnamon and packed full of walnuts or pecans for added crunch and flavour. I wanted to bring all of these awesome flavours and textures into a new recipe, but I knew I wanted to make it healthier and I knew I wanted it to be a cheesecake. So let me introduce my Raw Hummingbird Cheesecake, which also happens to be gluten free, refined sugar free and vegan too!
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Gingerbread is definitely a fan favourite when it comes to the biscuit world. They’re easy to make, versatile all year round, go perfectly with a hot cup of tea or coffee and when cut into little people, there’s even a childhood song and fable. So when it comes to Gingerbread it’s hard to go passed the ‘Gingerbread Man’, which then makes me think of Christmas time with intricately decorated gingerbread houses. However Christmas in New Zealand is hot and summer evenings cry out for cool desserts, especially if it’s cheesecake. If it’s not Christmas, winter is also a great time to enjoy the warming flavour of ginger too.…
Christmas is better spent enjoying the warm weather and time with family. But if you’re anything like me, everything is left until the last minute and then becomes a mad panic. To be honest I’d actually really enjoy being super prepared for once, so this year is all about maximum impact with minimal effort. There are plenty of great products at the supermarket which have already done the work for you and only need dressing up on Christmas Day. Countdown have a great selection of Christmas staples that I believe are necessities, such as their in-house traditional fruit mince pies, self-saucing puddings and brandy snaps. I’m also a sucker for shortbread, Corinthian wafers and fresh fruit, so it’s easy to put together a platter of finger treats to cater to everyone’s cravings. If you’re actually after some more Christmas recipe inspiration or want to use some of these Countdown items as a base, jump on over to their recipe section ‘here’.…
Warmer weather calls for cool drinks and cool desserts. So when I think cool desserts, I can’t go past the classic cheesecake. And if you asked me what one of my favourite cocktails for the summer season were, I’d always say mojito! There’s something so fresh about lime and mint that gets me every time. Also don’t forget the splash of rum too!…
There’s something quite kiwi about the thought of a hot fruit crumble with a side of cold vanilla ice cream or fresh cream. Growing up, fruit crumbles were a weekend staple. My mother’s go to crumble was always a hot apple, topped with lots of delicious spiced crumble. This later led to experimenting with different fruit such as feijoas or sneaking in the odd berries now and then.…
There’s always the demand to do things quicker, have more energy and live a little healthier. When it comes to baking or a little something sweet, we sometimes feel these same pressures. Luckily it doesn’t always have to be this way and occasionally we are allowed a little indulgence. …