baking Archives — Days of Jay

Summer Berry Pavlova Slice

15th July 202024th July 2020 baking, Dessert, sweet-things baked, sweet, traditional

Pavlova will always be a Christmas dessert for me, the perfect sweet treat even when you are groaningly full of ham, turkey and all the other delights of the Christmas table. The trouble is, of course, that Christmas in New Zealand and Australia is high summer, when strawberries and other

Cherry Almond Frangipane Tart

11th July 202011th July 2020 baking, Dessert, French, sweet-things baked, cherries, sweet, traditional

We are bang in the middle of the European cherry season, with the street stalls and markets overflowing temptingly with mountains of gorgeous scarlet fruit. In America, you might instantly think of baking a cherry pie, but I think the French invented the perfect recipe for showing off the flavour

Raspberry and Almond Friands

26th May 20203rd June 2020 baking, cakes, Dessert, New Zealand / Australia, sweet-things baking, berries, cafe, sweet

I have long been fascinated with the way recipes change and adapt as they make their way around the globe, each country putting their unique spin on the original. The café and coffee culture, once dominated by Europe, has been whole-heartedly embraced Down Under, though everything has been switched up

Walnut and Orange Blossom Baklava

22nd May 20208th July 2020 baking, Cypriot, Dessert, Pastry, sweet-things nuts, turkish

Tatlı yiyelim, tatlı konuşalım or ‘Let’s eat sweet and talk sweet’ has to be my favourite Turkish expression. It’s definitely the perfect way to describe having a slice or two of sticky, sweet, nutty Walnut and Orange Blossom Baklava with a strong Turkish coffee and a good gossip with friends.

Homemade Marshmallows

18th May 202010th July 2020 baking, Dessert, sweet-things confectionery, sweets

Believe it or not, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. I love a slice of cake as much as the next person, but I am definitely a savoury kind of guy. I do, however, have a weakness for that ultimate childhood treat - marshmallows. Funnily enough, they’re not

Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake

15th May 20208th July 2020 baking, cakes, Chocolate, Dessert, sweet-things

Chocolate lovers rejoice! Today I am sharing the recipe for my ultimate Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake! This is a fabulous recipe if you are having people round for dinner. It's a real crowd-pleaser and everyone always seems to find room for a little slice - even if they were claiming

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

8th May 202011th July 2020 baking, cakes, Chocolate, summer, sweet-things baking, chocolate. cake, dessert, gluten-free, sweet

The sun is shining, the sky is brilliantly blue and the fields are full of waving green grass that has sprung up seemingly overnight. The bowl of strawberries on the kitchen table is filling the kitchen with the sweet smell of summer. Juicy and succulent, they are the perfect topping

Beef and Lentil Cottage Pies

3rd May 202010th July 2020 main-event, baking, Dinner, New Zealand / Australia

It’s a sunny Sunday, still and quiet here. The clouds and blustery winds of the last few days have finally departed, leaving a bright blue, cloudless sky in their wake. It’s the ideal day to get some work done on the house, a pleasure rather than a chore when the

New Zealand Louise Cake

1st May 202010th July 2020 sweet-things, baking, cakes, New Zealand / Australia

It’s been howling a gale the last two days, huge gusts of wind whipping through the valley, bending the trees sideways and turning the field into a sea of rippling and waving grass. I feel a bit sorry for the birds and bats flapping away day and night in the

New Zealand Peanut Brownies

22nd April 202010th July 2020 sweet-things, baking, Chocolate, New Zealand / Australia

It will come as no surprise to you that I cook a lot. The recipes on my blog and in my cookbooks represent only a tiny percentage of the recipes that get planned, tested and cooked. Some recipes I save for another post or to go in a future book,