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!

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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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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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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Homemade marzipan title card.

My Homemade Marzipan recipe is super easy and tastes miles better than store-bought. This eggless, no-bake recipe comes together in minutes with just three ingredients. Perfect for Christmas time, fruit cakes, cookies, marzipan candy and more.

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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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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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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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German Nut Corners Nussecken Title Card.

Nussecken or Nut Corners are a famous German Christmas time treat made from a buttery shortbread base, topped with apricot jam and a layer of caramelized hazelnut. After baking, they are sliced into triangles, and the corners are dipped in delicious dark chocolate. Let me tell you, they are completely irresistible!

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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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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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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.


Italian Pork and Fennel Ragu title card.

Italian Pork and Fennel Ragu

My classic Italian Pork and Fennel Ragu recipe is rich, flavoursome and truly delicious. Made in under half an hour it’s the perfect topping for fresh pappardelle.
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.

Stuffed Turkey Breast

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.
Authentic German Beef Rouladen title card.

German Beef Rouladen (Rinderrouladen)

My Authentic German Rouladen Recipe is a real family favourite. This traditional German dish is made from thinly sliced beef, stuffed with bacon, onions, pickles and mustard, all simmered in a rich gravy to fork-tender perfection.
Sweet Potato and Chickpea Soup

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Soup

Lightly spiced and full of delicious and healthy vegetables, Sweet Potato and Chickpea soup is a simple, healthy and flavoursome meal. Perfect as is, it can be bulked out with lean chicken breast for an extra protein boost.
Easy Teriyaki Chicken Sushi.

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Sushi

Making your own sushi rolls at home is super satisfying and much cheaper than eating at a restaurant! My recipe for Easy Teriyaki Chicken Sushi is excellent for beginners, with plenty of tips and tricks for sushi making success.
Garlic Miso Chicken Thighs

Garlic Miso Chicken Thighs

Garlic Miso Chicken thighs tossed in a sweet and sticky miso glaze pack a flavourful umami punch. This is a super simple recipe as the chicken and delicious sauce are all cooked in one pan. Serve with fluffy white rice and steamed bok choy for an easy weeknight meal.
Juicy, perfectly cooked pork tenderloin, wrapped in prosciutto, mushrooms and buttery puff pastry. This is truly the Perfect Pork Wellington, my dinner party secret weapon. Better yet, it is even easier to make than it looks!

Perfect Pork Wellington

Juicy, perfectly cooked pork tenderloin, wrapped in prosciutto, mushrooms and buttery puff pastry. This is truly the Perfect Pork Wellington, my dinner party secret weapon. Better yet, it is even easier to make than it looks!

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.

Portobello Mushroom Burgers with salad and pickled red onions on a plate.
Creamy Mushroom Pork Medallions
Italian Beef Cannelloni Recipe
Hasenpfeffer Title Card.
Baked Honey Lime Chicken
Sweet and Spicy Devilled Sausages

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