Delicious, easy recipes by Jay Wadams

Welcome to
Days of Jay

I'm Jay, cookbook author and food photographer.

Days of Jay is my website, where I share easy, delicious recipes for home cooking.

My recipes are packed with photos and useful tips and tricks to help you as you cook. They are all inspired by healthy, seasonal ingredients and my travels across the globe, especially in Germany, Italy, Cyprus, and Australasia.

Welcome to
Days of Jay

I'm Jay, cookbook author and food photographer. Days of Jay is my website, where I share easy, delicious recipes for home cooking.

My recipes are packed with photos and useful tips and tricks to help you as you cook. They are all inspired by healthy, seasonal ingredients and my travels across the globe, especially in Germany, Italy, Cyprus, and Australasia.

I am so excited to have you here, so let’s dive in and get cooking!


It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!


Well, the countdown is until the year’s end, and Christmas is just around the corner. Check out some of my most popular Christmas and festive recipes below!

German Christmas Stollen Title card showing two pictures of Stollen.

German Christmas Stollen is always a real treat during the holiday season. Made from an enriched yeast dough, loaded with rum-soaked fruit and candied peel, Stollen is delicious served with a cup of coffee or a warming mug of Glühwein.

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My Mulled Wine Cheesecake is full of Christmas’s rich spices and flavours. A deep-red, almost black mulled wine jelly on top of a creamy citrussy filling with a deliciously spicy base. This fabulous no-bake cheesecake is Christmas heaven!

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Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies

With perfect spirals of chocolate and vanilla, my melt-in-the-mouth Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies are as good to look at as they are to eat. Made from crumbly, buttery shortbread they make a perfect and beautiful Christmas gift, though they are delicious any time of year!

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Speculaas Dutch Spice Cookies

Speculaas or Dutch Spice Cookies are a wonderfully old fashioned Christmas treat and so delicious! These light and crisp cookies are full of fragrant and exotic spices, perfect for the festive season.

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Homemade Irish Cream couldn’t be easier to make, tastes streets ahead of the commercial stuff, can be adjusted precisely to suit your sweet tooth and makes an excellent gift for friends – if you are prepared to share it!

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Chewy, creamy, perfect caramels with a delicate hint of honey, my recipe for Soft Honey Vanilla Caramels is super easy and dangerously addictive.

Lusciously soft, chewy and gently flavoured with a hint of honey, Honey Vanilla Caramels are pure pleasure. Homemade candy is easier to make than you might think!

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Biscotti or Cantucci are a deliciously crunchy Italian treat. My recipe for Almond and Apricot biscotti is so easy and perfect for the festive season. Serve with a strong espresso or a glass of Italian vin santo.

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Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti Title Card.

Crisp, nutty and deeply chocolatey, my Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti are so simple to make and absolutely irresistible! This classic Italian cookie (known as Cantucci in the motherland) is ideal for Christmas baking and makes a perfect edible gift.

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Christmas Fruit Mince Tart

There’s nothing quite like the delicious aroma of a freshly baked Christmas Fruit Mince Tart to let you know the festive season has really begun. With brandied fruit mince and a buttery almond pastry, this recipe is perfect for a Christmas feast.

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Mini Berry Pavlova title card.

My simple recipe for Mini Berry Pavlovas with lots of tips and techniques to make sure you get the perfect Christmas pavlova!

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The Latest Recipes From My Kitchen

Discover my latest and greatest recipes below, or use the search function to find exactly what you’re looking for.


Iced Coffee Panna Cotta

Cool, creamy and with a wake-up kick, Iced Coffee Panna Cotta are a fantastic sweet to serve after a heavy meal. Prepare the night before for a no stress dessert!
Lamingtons are made from squares of tender sponge cake dipped in chocolate and coconut.

Classic Australian Lamingtons

An Australian icon, Lamingtons are made from squares of tender sponge cake dipped in chocolate and coconut. These delicious tea-time treats have been popular for generations and are a guaranteed hit for afternoon tea or at your local fair.
Zigeuner Schnitzel or Gypsy Schnitzel on a plate served with french fries and a glass of beer

Zigeuner Schnitzel

One of the most popular schnitzel recipes in all of Germany! Zigeuner Schnitzel or Gypsy Schnitzel is a delicious combination of crumbed pork cutlets and a lightly spiced sauce made from tomatoes and fresh peppers.
A picture of Imam Bayildi, roast Turkish eggplants stuffed with tomatoes and onions in a white bowl

Imam Bayildi

Made from meltingly tender roasted eggplants, stuffed with a spicy tomato sauce and lashings of olive oil, İmam bayıldı or ‘the Imam fainted’ is one of the most famous of all Turkish dishes.
Buchteln German Sweet Dumplings filled with fresh cherries and served with vanilla sauce

Buchteln (German Sweet Dumplings)

Buchteln or German Sweet Dumplings are pillowy soft rolls made from a buttery yeast dough and filled with fresh fruit or jam. Sometimes known as Rohrnudeln, my Buchteln recipe is a family favourite. Serve these sweet yeast rolls with plenty of vanilla custard sauce. Yum!
A picture of a classic Italian Lasagne al forno served with fresh green salad and a glass of white wine

Lasagna al Forno

Quick and easy, my foolproof Lasagna al Forno recipe is great for feeding a crowd. With layers of rich bolognese sauce, creamy bechamel and pasta, this recipe is guaranteed to have them coming back for more.
Beetroot and Feta Pasta

Beetroot and Feta Pasta

Bursting with colour and the sweet earthy flavour of fresh beetroot, this delicious recipe for Beetroot and Feta Pasta is sure to impress. It’s a lovely vegetarian meal and so quick and simple to prepare.
Red Currant Crumble Cake

Red Currant Crumble Cake

A delicious combination of tangy summer red currants and buttery, crumbly streusel. This classic German Red Currant Crumble Cake is perfect for serving with a cup of strong coffee.

Recipes By Meal Type


light-bites
Main Event
Sweet Things
cocktail hour

Marillenknödel – Austrian Apricot Dumplings
Wurstsalat (German Sausage Salad)
Easy Cherry Tomato Tart
Zwetschgendatschi (Bavarian Plum Tart)
Homemade Chocolate Popsicles

Looking for Dinner Inspiration?


Below are some of my most popular dinner recipes. Quick and easy with simple ingredients and big flavours.

Creamy Salmon Pasta Recipe Title Card.
Packed with roasted peppers, tangy feta, fresh herbs and chewy orzo, this bright and beautiful pasta salad is a summer favourite. Orzo and Roast Pepper Salad gets better as the days go by, so make a big batch to take you through the week!
Herby Tomato Salsa Chicken Title Card.
Stifado Greek Beef Stew title card.
Herb Crusted Roast Lamb Title Card
Chicken and Farro Salad

My FAvourite German Cake Recipes

While people often associate Germany with pretzels and beer, it’s really all about coffee and cake!

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Easy German Cake Recipes