I believe there are certain recipes everyone should know how to cook: roast chicken, spaghetti with Bolognese sauce, a decent frittata. Macaroni and cheese if you’re in the USA. Milanesas and empanadas if you’re in Argentina. Bacon & egg pie and whitebait fritters if you’re in New Zealand. In the sweet department, in my opinion …
Almond Cake
This recipe is hands down one of the best I’ve made from the book so far (I know I’ve only made 11 out of 160 but this cake is so good that I feel confident enough to make that statement). It’s really easy to make and absolutely delicious. Moist, tender, doesn’t even need any embellishments. …
Banana & Sultana Bread
It was bound to happen at some point. All of the recipes I have baked so far have turned out great, except this one. #myfirstfail I will start this tale by saying that I’m always suspicious of “healthy” recipes. Butter and sugar are typically two of the best ingredients in baked goods in my opinion, …
Almond Biscotti
I am allergic to nuts. The problem is, I’m not sure which ones. Every time I’ve had an allergic reaction I’d always been eating mixed nuts, hence why I don’t know which ones my body hates. I’m a Nutella fan, so I know hazelnuts are ok. So are peanuts, almonds and walnuts. The rest, I …
Steamed Date Pudding with Homemade Vanilla Custard
To some people, New Zealand is like ‘the UK in the 60s’. I have never been to the United Kingdom so cannot confirm nor deny this statement. I do know there are several similarities between the two places: the English language, right-hand drive cars, the Queen. They also have a similar culinary culture, like Sunday …
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Oat Cookies
I have realised that New Zealanders love oats. Kids have porridge for breakfast. Adults also have it for lunch. There are a thousand different types and brands of oats at the supermarket. I think it’s pretty safe to say that you can find a packet of oats in most households! It’s a Kiwi pantry staple. …
Meringues
I decided to make this recipe basically because I had leftover egg whites from the summer berry tart. I had never made meringues before, they were very easy to make and the end result was a light, crisp, delicious treat. The recipe says to serve them with seasonal fruit and whipped cream which is a …
Summer Berry Tart
Crème pâtissière (pastry cream) is one of my favourite things to make (and eat). I like watching it magically transform from a runny mixture into a creamy custard. This tart is filled with pastry cream mixed with meringue. I believe that is all the introduction this recipe needs! To make the shortcrust pastry, put flour, …
Apricot Crème Brûlée
Whenever I come across a crème brûlée, I inevitably think about that scene in Amélie, the one where the narrator talks about her small pleasures in life and how one of them is cracking the top of a crème brûlée. I love that movie. But I digress. New Zealanders love apricots, both in sweet and …
Pavlova
There is a long-running argument between Australia and New Zealand over who invented the pavlova. The meringue dessert was named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who visited both countries in the 1920s. I did some research and apparently the Oxford English Dictionary says “the first recorded pavlova recipe appeared in New Zealand in 1927” …
The Great New Zealand Baking Book Project 