A lot can be learnt from the French when it comes to baking and cuisine. I’ve long been drawn to romantic ideas of luxurious pastries, bread and desserts, all made with butters, creams and flavours of faraway lands. Living in New Zealand and having a sweet tooth, my imagination can only but go wild thinking of these delicacies.…
Giveaway
Sconut
I can hear you saying, what on earth is a Sconut? Well, let me tell you. It’s the fusion of a scone and a donut, taking the best parts of both to form one. Inspired by New Zealand’s love for hot cups of tea, freshly baked scones and morish donuts, how could I not create something new with an exciting name to match.…
Behind the Scenes – Pic’s HQ
It quickly became evident that Pic’s Peanut Butter has grown to be a very popular household name, sought after in supermarkets and winning hearts across the country. So on a recent trip down south to sunny Nelson, I really wanted to take a visit to Pic’s HQ and learn a little more about this growing peanut butter star. Don’t forget to read right to the bottom to check out an awesome giveaway too.…
Orange Chocolate Almond Cake
Orange and chocolate is such a popular flavour combination, especially here in New Zealand. So when these flavours are used in a cake, it’s hard to turn down a slice. However, if you have reservations about a slice of cake being a little bit on the ‘naughty’ side, you’ll be pleased to know I’ve approached this recipe with a slightly healthier goal in mind.…
Anzac Golden Syrup Tart
Throughout the years the Anzac biscuit has been a family favourite all over New Zealand. Perhaps it’s the comforting flavours that remind us of home, or what Anzac personally means to you. The flavours of a good Anzac Biscuit are also staple ingredients that everyone should have in the pantry, this is probably another good reason why it’s so popular.…
Pavlova Cheesecake
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’.…
Orange Chocolate Tiramisu
You can feel it in the air as summer approaches, with promises of warm weather, end of year festivities and evenings outside eating until dusk. There’s nothing quite like spending this time of the year with friends and family around the barbecue, it screams out salads and cold desserts. I’m a huge fan of desserts to finish off a night, or even to get one started. So when I heard that Nespresso had joined the festive table, embracing the season of nostalgia and excitement, I was immediately inspired.…
Fairy Bread Brioche
There’s nothing like being young again and looking forward to attending a friends birthday party. Celebration then seemed to be a little more low key and the party food was all about the favourites such as cocktail sausages, caramel popcorn and fruit! One of my favourite treats to find on the table however, was fairy bread. I know it was colourful and had the word ‘fairy’ in it, but I didn’t care. It was always a treat because we rarely had it back at home. The whole idea of fairy bread is that it’s fun, colourful and full of sugar. In essence it’s simply white bread, margarine or butter and sprinkles. How could you go wrong!…
Donut Truffles
Everybody loves a good donut now and then, especially myself. They are delicious, easy to eat and can come in virtually any flavour combinations under the sun. Regardless of your favourite, I decided to come up with a twist on the classic donut and think a little outside of the box. So if you’re planning on entertaining and want to whip up something a little fun or fancy when it comes to an after dinner treat, look no further. These donut truffles also make easy gift ideas or even a great project to work on with the young ones.…
Berry Crumble Cheesecake
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.…
