Sweet things

Yummy cake and sweet things.

Macaroons Is it just me or is the world going macaroon crazy? Cupcakes are no longer the cake du jour, these delicate little sweets are quickly taking over the foodie world. Things stepped up a notch after Delicious featured them in the March issue and it seemed everyone in my office would bring in a batch […]

Dense orange and almond cake You need to bake this cake. Perhaps the most perfect afternoon tea cake. Ever. Not only is it moist, aromatic with citrus and dense with ground almonds; it actually improves with age.

Chocolate and hazelnut cookies These chocolate cookies from Nigel Slater are ludicrously easy to make and after demolishing one too many I realise, ludicrously moreish. The reason for this struck me this morning, its because they taste like brownies in cookies form. Was there ever a better combination? So why not just make brownies? Well, apart from the obvious, […]

Afternoon tea During my time in Oxford, afternoon tea was a regular fixture. It had to be at The Rose, a delightful cafe with proper leaf tea, homemade scones and plenty of clotted cream. We often went for lunch, they do outrageous club sandwiches, and squeezed in a scone or two afterwards. These days, we rarely go […]

Sticky ginger and banana bread This quick banana bread is sticky and sweet and full of gingery kick.

Apple and olive oil cake A light and airy cake packed full of apples, lemon zest and olive oil. The olive oil is not overpowering at all but adds a wonderful complex flavour.

Carrot and Pecan Cake This carrot cake is a mish mash of flavours, yoghurt and oil for moistness, chopped dates reduce the amount of sugar needed and add a touch of caramel, a hint of orange and plenty of chopped pecans.

Banana, Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins I’ve taken to freezing bananas whenever there’s a stray overripe one lying around. It renders them almost completely useless, as they turn into a sludgy mess when defrosted. However, looks aside, they do make perfect banana bread and that way I can freeze a banana every so often until I have enough in the freezer […]

Carrot and Coconut Cake A tropical carrot cake packed with dessicated coconuts, raisins and carrots. Perfect for an afternoon pick me up and I’d imagine all the better with some cream cheese frosting.

Chocolate Brioche pudding There’s this Nigella recipe for Orange Scented Brioche Pudding and it is AMAZING. Brioche, spread with marmalade, squished into a dish, topped with custard and baked until golden. This is the bread and butter pudding. So, when I spotted these little chocolate brioche rolls in the supermarket, I thought I’d make a chocolate version. Yes, […]