This is a finger-licking-good pudding. The dates add a lovely layer of sweetness and the caramel sauce oozes throughout to make it truly sticky! Doesn’t matter the type of weather, this little beauty will go down a treat with those who love dates and caramel. You can make it a couple of days ahead of time and keep It in the fridge or even freeze it, defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently in the oven when you are ready to indulge!
I wanted to make an apple tarte tatin for dessert the other day, but my husband requested an Apfelwähe, Switzerland’s beloved open-faced apple pie. This recipe is very delicious and definitely much healthier than a tarte tatin! There’s a secret layer of crushed hazelnuts at the bottom of the buttery pie crust and a delicious custardy filling is poured over the apples before baking. Get your Swiss on and give this recipe a try!
I bake bread for my family at least twice per week using my trusty Thermomix to make the dough. It’s so much cheaper and tastier than grocery store bread. This is one of my go-to breads. It yields a generous loaf, although my family almost devours it as soon as it comes out of the oven. The tender loaf, a Cookidoo recipe, is very soft with a beautifully crisp, golden crust thanks to the cast iron pot it is baked in. I prefer to use maas instead of buttermilk as I find that buttermilk is quite runny nowadays
My youngest almost-four-year-old twin was hiding in the corner at the Tupperware cupboard yesterday morning (straight after breakfast), her mouth smothered in chocolate – not suspicious at all. She had stolen two chocolate brownies from the freezer, taken a bite and was trying to pack the rest in a lunchbox for school! Can this recipe get a better testimonial than this?! They are actually THE BEST BROWNIES I HAVE EVER EATEN. And let’s face it, brownies can get you so excited and suddenly bring you to tears when the first bite is either too dry or too gooey with no crust and chunky bits. You know what I’m talking about! I borrowed this recipe from my #culinarydiva friend, Alida, who in turn borrowed it from a guy who owns a deli in the Midlands. I made a few upgrades along the way: I use either Lindt Couverture Surfin Piccoli 52% Cocoa or Callibaut 33,6% milk callets for the milk chocolate and Lindt Couverture White Piccoli 36% for the white chocolate. Yes, it’s expensive, but trust me it’s worth it. The store-bought run-of-the-mill chocolate doesn’t melt properly. I quadrupled my last batch (at one stage it looked like a chocolate CSI crime scene in my kitchen!) to make sure I had a decent-sized batch in the freezer (don’t do this, the batter is too big for any normal kitchen equipment!). Make sure that you cut them with no-one around to you get all the off-cuts, because they are so more-ish that they will disappear in no time! Enough said: let’s bake!
These cheese puffs are so light and airy you may be tempted to eat the whole tray by yourself! Watching them puff up in the oven is nothing short of a miracle!
Bao buns are a delicacy throughout many parts of Asia. I think of them as an Asian-type burger, just healthier than the versions we are used to! When filled with slow-cooked and pulled pork shoulders complimented by barbeque sauce, spring onions, coriander, onions, sesame seeds and the compulsory chilli, the result is a sticky mess to devour with your hands. Definitely not first date food! Or maybe it should be?!
