Banana Bread
Ingredients:
175g plain flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
125g unsalted butter (melted)
150g caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp (or more!) vanilla extract or paste
4 small very ripe bananas, mashed (approx. 400g total weight with skins on)
1 heaped tsp cinnamon
½ banana, sliced lengthways
Optional: Pistachios, chocolate chips, or peanut butter for swirling
Directions:
Preheat to 170°C convection/150°C fan-forced and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
In a large bowl, combine the plain flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate bowl, cream the melted butter with the caster sugar. Whisk until the sugar is fully incorporated and the mixture is thick and pale yellow.
Add the eggs one at a time, whisking between each addition.
Add a good dollop of vanilla extract.
In another bowl, mash the bananas until smooth (or chunky, based on your preference).
Sprinkle generously with cinnamon.
Combine the butter mix with the banana mix.
Add the butter + banana mix into the flour bowl. Stir until you get a thick batter.
Pour the batter into the lined loaf tin.
Using a paring knife or skewer, make a line down the middle of the batter to create an even crack while baking.
Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Start checking for doneness at 50 minutes onwards as oven temperatures can vary.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before eating 🫶🏽
Notes:
I love adding ½ a banana sliced lengthways on top for a stylish touch, or swirl in pistachios, chocolate chips, or peanut butter.
Banana bread keeps well! Store leftover banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.
Mini Pavs with Vanilla Cream
Ingredients:
Meringue Bases (makes about 12 mini pavs)
4 large egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp cornflour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Vanilla Cream (makes approx 800ml)
600ml thickened cream
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla paste (the good stuff! I like @queenfinefoods)
Optional: spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom for a spicy touch
Berry Coulis
1 cup mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
Toppings
Pulp of 2 passion fruits
Edible blooms
Grated ruby chocolate (@callebautoz)
Directions:
Meringue Bases
Preheat your oven to 120°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the caster sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is glossy.
Gently fold in the white vinegar, cornflour, and vanilla extract.
Spoon the meringue mixture onto the prepared baking tray, forming small circles (approx. 7-8cm in diameter) with a slight indentation in the centre.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the meringues cool completely inside with the door ajar.
Vanilla Cream
In a large bowl, combine the thickened cream, caster sugar, and vanilla paste.
Whip everything together until soft peaks form. If desired, add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom for extra flavour
Berry Coulis
In a small saucepan, combine the mixed berries, caster sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries break down and the sauce thickens (about 10-15 minutes).
Blend the mixture until smooth, then strain through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Let it cool.
Notes:
Top the Meringues: Spoon the vanilla cream onto the cooled meringue bases. Add the Berry Coulis: Drizzle the berry coulis over the cream. Finish with the passion fruit pulp, edible blooms, and a generous grate of ruby chocolate on top.
The vanilla cream is versatile and can be used in many desserts, cakes, and other treats. Feel free to get creative with your toppings. Seasonal fruits, nuts, or different chocolate varieties can all add unique flavours and textures to your mini pavs. Enjoy your mini pavs at any time of day! 🤗
Choc Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
250g (1 cup) cold butter, cubed (room temp is better but I’ve done this with cold butter and it works fine too, just needs more elbow grease if you aren’t using a mixer)
200g (1 cup) soft brown sugar
125g (½ cup) caster sugar
2 large eggs
450g (3 cups) plain flour
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
350-400g (2 cups) chocolate chips + extra for top of cookies - a mix of high quality dark chocolate (70%) + milk chocolate (40%), roughly chopped
Flaky salt, to finish
Notes:
I like to make a double batch and freeze the cookie dough balls, so whenever you want to bake one off, you can.
I have used 1 1/2 caster sugar when I don’t have brown sugar, however the mix of two sugars gives a wonderful ‘not too sweet’ flavour and chewy texture.
Adding nuts or spreads to these cookies also works a treat - options are endless!
Directions:
Line a tray with baking paper.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric whisk, stand mixer or wooden spoon, cream together cubed butter, brown sugar, and caster sugar for 4 minutes or until creamy (light pale yellow in colour).
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
Using a spatula, stir in flour, corn flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing. Dough should still be chunky and crumbly. Stir in chocolate chips.
Separate dough into large balls (2-3 tbsp per ball) and place on the prepared baking tray. Place extra choc chunks on each ball.
Now time to mature the cookies: This intensifies the flavour and gives it a great texture. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes or overnight (or however long you can wait! Once frozen, place into a zip lock bag for easy access).
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 210°C convection heat/190°C fan-force.
Place dough balls 5cm apart on the lined tray and bake for 9-12 minutes or until just golden brown on the edges and set on the top. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with flaky salt and allow to cool for 10 mins on the tray. This allows the cookies to set/firm up as they will still be soft when they come out of the oven. Their cooled texture is soft, chewy and wondrously moorish.
Apple and Peanut Butter Rosettes
Ingredients:
6 strips = 1 roll of Carem puff pastry (27x 36 = 27cm long x 6 cm thick - cut into 6 even strips )
120g (6 tbsp) smooth peanut butter sweetened 2 tbsp maple syrup
2 red apples, thinly sliced approx
2mm (on a mandolin) or thinly sliced and halved
Cinnamon, for dusting
Icing sugar, for dusting
To serve
Date syrup, caramel sauce or heated biscoff (optional),
Ice cream (optional), to serve
Notes:
Here are my Apple & Peanut Butter Rosettes, a simple yet elegant treat. Where the creamy peanut butter complements the crunch of thinly sliced apples, creating a delightful treat! This recipe is also customisable, you can replace the peanut butter with biscoff, Nutella, pistachio butter - it’s all delicious! Enjoy!
Directions:
Grease 6 holes of a muffin tin with butter and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 200 C fan force/180 C convection
Taking 1 puff pastry strip at a time, spread 1 tbsp of peanut butter over the top half of the pastry and then layer the apple slices over the top. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Fold the bottom half over the apple slices.
Carefully roll into a spiral and place in the prepared muffin tin.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200C fan for 10 mins and then lower heat to 180C for 25 mins or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before completely cooling on a wire rack.
Dust heavily with icing sugar.
To serve, pour preferred sauce over the apple rosettes and enjoy with vanilla ice cream.