Life can be a messy, wonderful and challenging affair; rather like making a wedding cake for the very first time. Sometimes, the curd will split. You’re not sure which recipe is the right one. You’ll worry that the whole thing is about to topple over, but then you’ll realise the structure is stronger than you…
Spiced Gingersnap & Balsamic Rhubarb Cheesecake Jars
It’s rhubarb season in my corner of world right now. After passing over its crimson stalks at a many a farmer’s market, I finally decided to cook with rhubarb for the first time and do some recipe testing at the same time for an upcoming edition of my food and wine column over at Latte…
Xmas Candy Cane Ice Cream Cake
Yes indeed, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. It’s party season in my corner of the world – how about yours? I dreamt up this Christmas themed ice cream cake on one hot summer afternoon recently in Melbourne. It followed a rather trying attempt at shoe shopping in middle of the Christmas rush….
A homemade movie about mulberry “backyard” pie
Back in October when I was in the thick of uni assignments and exams that I thought were never going to end, an unexpected gift dropped into my comments box. A simple message accompanied the gift. “I have a mulberry tree in the backyard and decided to cook a pie. I found this recipe and…
Celebration Blackberry and Goats Cheese Ice Cream
There’s nothing more satisfying than reaching that elusive light at the end of the tunnel is there? I’ve just finished 16 long weeks of my last university semester for the year and can scarcely believe I’m already half-way through my writing degree. Phew! It’s a lovely feeling of relief, especially on the weekends when I…
Phillippa’s Raspberry Coconut Tea Cake
One of the lovely things about writing a magazine food and wine column is that I get to regularly meet and interview local artisan producers and inspirational entrepreneurs. Amongst those are fabulous women like Phillippa Grogan who so generously gave me her time to answer a few questions for the spring edition of Latte Magazine….
Quince, Coconut and Roasted Almond Crumble
There’s a little hint of autumn floating around like the golden flecked leaves that crunch around my feet as I walk to work now. I’m already dreading pulling myself from underneath cosy covers and flannelette pyjamas in the morning, but not to worry. While my favourite winter coat and scarves hang impatiently in my wardrobe…
Meringue Mango Passionfruit Pots
You know Summer is well and truly on its way when sweet fragrant mangoes begin to appear at the markets along with other tropical fruits such as passionfruit, pineapple and rockmelon. Here in Melbourne its especially exciting when mangoes can be bought for as little as $1 each – which is really great for making…
Tart Au Chocolat Class & Recipe
According to Elaine Young, head chocolatier at Cacao Fine Chocolate Melbourne, the perfect Tart Au Chocolat is a combination of a silky smooth ganache, a golden crisp short crust and a simple garnish of cocoa powder for aesthetic pleasure. Last week I took Elaine’s class in a quest to learn how to make the perfect Tart Au…
Halloween Monster Slime Cakes
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of a visit and some Aunty sitting duties with my niece and nephew aged 6 and 3. When I suggested we make monster cakes with green slime and exploding eyeballs in honour of Halloween, the excitement of my favourite little monsters was palpable. RRRAOOOOOOORRRR!! my nephew replied in…
Canadian Beavertails Eh?
“You’re going to make what AND put them on your blog?” This was the confused/horrified reaction of a few friends when I told them I was cooking up ‘beaver tails’ for my next post. They thought I had gone completely mad, and no doubt were also wondering where, in fact, I would find some beaver…
Valentines Sweetheart Cake
My Grandad, Powell fell in love with my Grandma, Doris one day, spying her as he rode his bike past her front garden on his way to work one morning. “She was a good sort your Grandma” he would tell me with always with a little twinkle in his eye, “Oh yes, and she could…