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!

Cinnamon Star Bread Title Card showing star bread from two angles. Text overly 'Sweet Cinnamon Star Bread'.

One of my favourite Christmas bakes is Cinnamon Star Bread. With the delicious flavour of cinnamon rolls, this sweet bread recipe makes a beautiful loaf to feed a crowd. It is also actually much simpler than it looks, relying on clever cutting and twisting of the layers of dough to achieve the beautiful design.

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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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Perfectly tender, rosy roast beef is easier than you think! Slow Roast Beef where the beef is seared before roasting at a very low temperature produces juicy, delicious beef every time.

Perfectly tender, rosy roast beef is easier than you think! Slow Roast Beef produces juicy, delicious beef every time.

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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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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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Fried Apple Rings Title Card.

Sweet, juicy and fragrant with a cinnamon sugar coating, Fried Apple Rings or Apfelkücherl are one of my favourite German Christmas market treats. You don’t have to stand around in the snow to enjoy them though, with my simple batter they are super easy to prepare at home.

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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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Beetroot Cured Salmon Gravadlax

We’ve landed back in beautiful Munich to the clear and crisp skies and very chilly nights of late winter. It’s not quite spring yet, but the promise of it hangs in the air, brightening the mood and sending the locals outside to soak up every last bit of available sun. I’m rather enjoying the opportunity…

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German Braised Red Cabbage title card.

No festive table in Germany would be without a big pot of braised red cabbage, flavoured with apple, cloves and juniper berries. Depending on where in the country you are, this could be called Rotkohl or Blaukraut and it is the perfect accompaniment to roast goose.

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Classic British Christmas Cake recipe title card.

Even though I grew up on the other side of the world in New Zealand, it wouldn’t be Christmas Day without a Classic British Christmas Cake. This dense and sweet cake, packed with dried fruit, spices and plenty of brandy is an absolute must for the festive season and is something I look forward to…

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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.


French Vanilla Custard Tart

French Vanilla Custard Tart

French Vanilla Custard Tart or Flan Parisiene is a heavenly treat made with creamy egg custard and tender pastry. My easy recipe will show you how to make this tempting sweet at home.
Easy Chicken Lo Mein Noodles 1

Easy Chicken Lo Mein

The ultimate Chinese take out! My Homemade Chicken Lo Mein Recipe is quick and easy to make, packed with healthy vegetables and can feed a hungry crowd.
Italian Beef Cannelloni Recipe

Beef Cannelloni

Fresh pasta tubes filled with a rich Bolognese ragu and smothered in creamy Bechamel sauce? We must be talking about Beef Cannelloni. Sometimes known as Manicotti, this traditional Italian recipe is a delicious crowd pleaser that the whole family are guaranteed to enjoy.
Cream Chicken Pie Title Card

Creamy Chicken Pie

My Creamy Chicken Pie recipe with buttery pastry, a rich and tender chicken filling and creamy sauce makes a fantastic family meal. Make in advance and reheat for a super simple dinner. One of my favourite easy dinners, this is pure comfort food.
Portobello Mushroom Burgers with salad and pickled red onions on a plate.

Portobello Mushroom Burgers

These veggie burgers are seriously tasty, with juicy portobello mushrooms filling in for meat patties. Packed with flavour, I’ve tested this recipe on the most committed meat eaters I know, and it is a real winner.
Italian Sausages and Lentils

Italian Sausages and Lentils

Classic country-style comfort food. Italian Sausages and Lentils is a recipe as old as the mountains of Italy. Simple, earthy flavours take the stage in this super comforting one-pot dish.
Chicken Wonton Soup Title Card.

Chicken Wonton Soup

Full of juicy parcels of flavoursome chicken, and fresh green bok choy all swimming in a spicy and aromatic broth, my delicious Chicken Wonton Soup will banish any winter blues.
Raspberry and Almond Friands Cover Image

Raspberry and Almond Friands

Raspberry and Almond Friands must be one of Australia’s best-kept culinary secrets. These incredibly delicious little almond cakes are one of the most popular sweet treats sold in Australian cafes and are perfect with a strong cup of coffee or afternoon tea.

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.

Real Bavarian Pork Schnitzel Title Card
Roast Sausages and Fennel
Cream Chicken Pie Title Card
Chilli Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ricotta Gnocchi with Lemon and Sage title card.
Cashew Chicken Stir fry with bell peppers and basil.

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