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!

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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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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Candied Orange Peels title card.

Candied Orange Peel makes a great gift (especially when coated in lashings of dark chocolate). It’s easy to make at home and a great way to turn orange peel (which would usually be tossed out) into a tasty candy.

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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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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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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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German Mulled wine recipe title card showing a mug of Glühwein and a man holding a mug of mulled wine.

A warming, gently spiced mug of Glühwein, or German Mulled Wine is one of the great pleasures of Christmas and the winter months. It is simple to make at home and fills the whole house with the most incredible aroma!

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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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Christmas Pavlova Slice

My Christmas Pavlova slice is a delicious combination of ight and airy meringue, piled high with juicy berries. The perfect Christmas dessert!

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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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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.

Garlic and Herb Roast Salmon with asparagus and potatoes
Beef Shank Osso Buco
Flammkuchen German Pizza
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.
Garlic Herb Roast Pork
Full of punchy, invigorating flavours and loads of fresh veg, Ginger Beef Stir Fry is made in minutes and tastes incredible. Get all your ingredients prepped before you start cooking and you’ll have dinner ready in a flash.

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