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 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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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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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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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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Eierlikör Linzer Cookies Title Card.

These perfectly crumbly Eierlikör Linzer Cookies are filled with Advocaat spiked pastry cream. They make a delicious addition to your Christmas baking, especially served with a big mug of eggnog or Glühwein!

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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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Quarkbällchen German Donut Holes title card.

Super light and fluffy on the inside and crisp and sugary on the outside, my German-style Donut holes or Quarkbällchen recipe is so easy it’s like kitchen magic. Made without yeast, they are ready in minutes. Perfect for parties or sharing with friends (or just eating all to yourself!)

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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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German Dominosteine Chocolates Title Card.

Dominosteine are a traditional German Christmas praline made from layered gingerbread, fruit jelly and marzipan, all coated in a luscious layer of rich dark chocolate. These delicious treats are fun to make at home and are so tasty!

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Title card for Spitzbuben, showing cut out unbaked spitzbuben cookies on a tray and completed spitzbuben.

Spitzbuben are one of the most beautiful traditional German Christmas cookies. Also known as Linzer Augen or Linzer Cookies, the delicious combination of buttery short pastry and tangy redcurrant jelly is a Christmas classic.

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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.


Herby Brown Butter Ravioli

Brown Butter Ravioli

Truly indulgent and delicious, Herby Brown Butter Ravioli or fresh ravioli pasta served in a herby, nutty, brown butter sauce is an Italian flavour sensation. Use good quality fresh pasta, or try making it yourself!
Fresh Home Made Pasta

Fresh Homemade Pasta

I think everybody should know how to make Fresh Homemade Pasta. Fresh pasta is super quick and easy to make in the food processor, and once you’ve made it, I promise, you will be completely hooked.
Homemade Sesame Bagels

Homemade Sesame Bagels

Perfectly chewy, golden-brown and topped with toasted seeds, these Homemade Sesame Bagels are best lavishly smeared with cream cheese, layered with smoked salmon and sprinkled with capers.
A good quiche has to be one of my desert island foods, and to my mind, there is no better filling than luxurious smoked salmon. Paired with tangy creme fraiche, spring onions and fresh herbs, this is a seriously flavoursome quiche. Perfect for lunch or a light dinner, quiche can be made well in advance and eaten room temperature or gently warmed.

Smoked Salmon Quiche

A good quiche has to be one of my desert island foods, and to my mind, there is none better than a Smoked Salmon Quiche. With tangy creme fraiche, spring onions and fresh herbs, this is a perfect for lunch or a light dinner.
Easter Bunny Cupcakes with Marshmallow Bunny Ears

Easter Bunny Cupcakes

Easter Bunny Cupcakes are possibly the cutest Easter treat around! These deliciously moist carrot cake cupcakes are topped with tangy cream cheese frosting and marshmallow bunny ears. No special equipment required!
Honey and Ginger Chicken

Honey Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry

Honey and Ginger Chicken stir-fry is perfect for a quick and delicious dinner for two. Lots of big flavours, easy and super satisfying. Serve with rice and steamed vegetables for an Asian inspired feast!
Gin and Tonic Jelly with Lemon Granita

Gin and Tonic Jelly with Lemon Granita

This is definitely a dessert for the grown-ups! This is a beautiful recipe for a dinner party as it is a wonderful palate cleanser. Wobbly, glass clear Gin and Tonic Jelly cubes, served with bright, fresh and tangy lemon granita.
Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Is there anything more tempting than a fresh, warm donut? My tried and true recipes guarantees light and fluffy, perfect cinnamon sugar donuts every time.

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.

Mussel au gratin or as the Italians call them Cozze al Forno are a fantastic starter or light meal for two. So quick and easy to prepare they are packed with Mediterranean flavour.
Turkey Stroganoff Title Card.
Beef Shank Osso Buco
Tender, moist turkey breast filled with traditional stuffing and roasted to perfection. This delicious roast only cooks in under 2 hours, making it perfect for smaller celebrations.
Summer Roast Vegetable Salad
Pork and Shrimp Gyoza on a tray with spicy dipping sauce and fresh herbs. Title Card.

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