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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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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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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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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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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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 Cinnamon Star Cookies zimtsterne.

The ultimate German Christmas cookie, Zimtsterne or Cinnamon Star Cookies are deliciously chewy morsels, topped with a crisp layer of snowy white meringue.

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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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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.

Tender, moist turkey breast filled with traditional stuffing and roasted to perfection. This delicious roast is ready in under two hours, making it perfect for smaller celebrations.

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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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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.


Christmas Pavlova Slice

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!
Creamy Salmon Pasta Recipe Title Card.

Creamy Salmon Pasta Sauce

Salmon, white wine, cream and dill combine to make a restaurant-quality Creamy Salmon Pasta sauce. Made with pan-seared salmon, a touch of garlic and lemon bumps up the flavours in this easy weeknight dinner.
Easy Creamy Mushroom Soup Title Card.

Easy Creamy Mushroom Soup

As far as I am concerned, the best thing about the weather turning colder is all of the delicious comfort food we get to eat! Among my favourite recipes for cool-weather food is my Easy Mushroom Soup recipe. Made with…

German Käse-Sahne Torte on a cake stand.

Käse-Sahne Torte (German Cream Cake)

Käse Sahne Torte, or German Cream and Cheese Cake, is one of Germany’s best-kept secrets! Not to be confused with a Käsekuchen (cheesecake), a Käse-Sahne Torte is made from two layers of vanilla sponge, filled with a dreamy, creamy, lighter-than-air filling of Quark and cream with a hint of citrus. It is a true tea-time delight!
Herby Tomato Salsa Chicken Title Card.

Herby Tomato Salsa Chicken

Herby Tomato Salsa Chicken is made from juicy chicken breasts marinated in lemon and fresh herbs, topped with a spicy fresh tomato salsa. Served with a big helping of potato and sweet corn mash, this chicken dinner is definitely a winner!
Hearty Classic Chicken Stew

Classic Chicken Stew

Rich, filling, and supremely comforting, my Classic Chicken Stew is the perfect winter warmer. This recipe feeds four people easily and any leftovers are delicious the next day.
Marillenknödel Apricot Dumplings Title Card.

Marillenknödel – Austrian Apricot Dumplings

Marillenknödel or Austrian Apricot dumplings are a summer delight. Made from a simple dumpling dough filled with fresh apricots and a little sugar, these sweet treats always disappear fast. I like serving them with plenty of freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Delicious!
Wurstsalat or Sausage salad title card.

Wurstsalat (German Sausage Salad)

A German Sausage Salad (in this case, pepped up as a Swiss Sausage Salad with plenty of delicious cheese) is the ideal light meal for hot summer days with an ice-cold German beer. Serve it with good-quality rye bread, or make it part of a beer garden feast!

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.

Ricotta Gnocchi with Lemon and Sage title card.
Easy Chicken Lo Mein Noodles 1
Portobello Mushroom Burgers with salad and pickled red onions on a plate.
Garlic Herb Roast Pork
Speck and Artichoke Risotto
Baked Breaded Cod Recipe 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