A yeasted flatbread that goes well with any meal, any time of day, really. Cook it in the oven or on a hotplate.

Makes 6

3/4 c lukewarm milk or water (I used coconut milk)

1 tsp dried yeast

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 c flour (I used spelt)

1/4 c yoghurt

25g butter, melted, optional

Extra melted butter for brushing, optional. Add chopped garlic and parsley or coriander too if you like.

Mix the water, yeast and sugar in a cup and leave for 5 minutes until frothy.

In a bowl mix in flour and salt and make a...

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These are the cutest little bites! They are usually made for Christmastime in Scandinavia. A bit of effort to shape into pine cones but if you've got the time in lockdown... As long as you chill the dough you can roll out and cut into any cookie cutter shapes you have. This batch makes a lot of little pine cones, however, you can freeze half the dough and bake later. To save more time later cut into your desired shapes before freezing.

Makes 70 pine cones

125 g butter, cut into cubes

1/2 c sugar...

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Oh such joyful mouthfuls, they're worth all the faffing about. If you're making your own lemon curd, it makes so much sense to make meringue from the egg whites. It's a full culinary circle. Thanks to Julie Le Clerc's Favourite Cakes (Penguin, 2011).

1 1/2 c flour (if using self-raising omit the baking powder)

1 tsp baking powder

2/3 c sugar

150g butter, softened

3 eggs

zest and juice of one lemon

1 c lemon curd, homemade or store-bought

Meringue:

3 egg whites

3/4 c caster sugar

Preheat oven to 180C. Li...

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Usually used in pakora and savoury pancakes, you can bake with chickpea flour but it needs a bit of work as there is no gluten to hold it together.

1 c icing sugar

160ml neutral oil

2 c chickpea/besan/gram flour

1/2 tsp xanthan gum, optional

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

pinch salt

1 tsp rose water

1 egg yolk

2/3 c chopped nuts (eg pistachios, almonds)

Line a brownie tin with baking paper.

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz until a dough forms. You can also just mix by hand. If the mixture ...

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You just wanna eat a lot in lockdown, don't you? Well, us Aucklanders have had a bit of experience - we are in lockdown #5 at the moment and the carb cravings have dutifully returned. In an effort to add nutrition, I've made a wholemeal seeded loaf. Use whatever seeds or nuts you have on hand and sprinkle them on top if you fancy. Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame are tasty too.

450g / 3 c flour (I used wholemeal wheat)

1/2 c chopped walnuts

3 Tbsp mixed seeds (I used linseed and kibbled corn)

1 tsp sal...

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I have made checkerboard cookies before, but this recipe from The Nordic Baking Book by Magnus Nilsson has a different method and doesn't use egg. Both turned out well. I was a bit lazy in my food colouring skills, just squirted red and yellow food gel into the dough without measuring, hence the dough became more red than orange. The orange taste comes through though - all good!

Makes about 50

200g butter, cold and diced

300g / 2 1/2 c flour (I used a mix of rice, tapioca and gluten-free leftove...

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The best bread buns I've made in ages. Probably because I used plain white flour. Yeast was a bit past best but still did its magic and produced a lovely soft crumb. It's a fun shape to make and use different toppings. The recipe in The Nordic Baking Book by Magnus Nilsson (Phaidon, 2018) makes 24 pieces but I made them bigger and produced 12 decent-sized buns.

300ml / 1 1/2 c milk, lukewarm at 37C
25g yeast
500g / 4 c flour (I used plain white)
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
50ml neutral oil

egg wash or m...
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200g coconut oil or butter, softened

1 c sugar

2 1/2 c /300g flour (I used white and wholemeal spelt)

6 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

Egg wash:

1 egg lightly beaten with 1/2 quantity of milk (2-3 Tbsp)

Sprinkles or pearl sugar

Preheat oven to 175C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

In a bowl mix the coconut oil and sugar until well combined. If using butter, cream until pale and fluffy. Sift in remaining ingredients and mix together until just combined into a dough. If it's too crumbly ad...

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Whatever you want to call it, this double-storey cake is a double-win. The tangy cheesecake layer melds so well with the rich, fudgey brownie. You can make this in a round or straight-sided tin, depending on what shaped pieces you prefer on the day. The coffee is optional but it adds a depth of flavour to the brownie.

Cheesecake:

250g cream cheese at room temperature

1/2 c yoghurt

1/2 c icing sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

Brownie:

250g dark chocolate

100g butter

1/2 c yoghurt

1 c sugar

1/3 c cocoa po...

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Coconut oil not only helps make a crisp biscuit, it's also easy to soften and there's no creaming required. Soft brown sugar dissolves and mixes in quickly too. You can use any chopped nuts you prefer but I like flaked almonds as they're easier to bite into. Mix and match whatever chocolate and nut or dried fruit variety you like. It's a good way to use up what's in your pantry.

Makes 16

1/4 c coconut oil, softened (it's already soft at room temperature in summer or microwave for 20 sec)

1 c bro...

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Coffee cookies for The Other Crate Record Fair

225g butter, softened
pinch salt
115g sugar
2 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 2 tsp hot water
1 Tbsp milk
285g flour (I used white and wholemeal spelt)
60g cornflour or rice flour
1 tsp instant coffee

Cream butter and salt in a large bowl. Add sugar, coffee mixture and milk and cream until fluffy. Add flour and cornflour and mix until just combined then mix in instant coffee granules.
Roll out dough in between 2 sheets of baking paper to 1cm thick. Place o...
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The first of my music-themed treats to sell at The Other Crate Record Fair! These lemony notes are crisp as.

250g butter, softened
1 1/2 c cornflour
1/2 c rice or tapioca flour
3/4 c icing sugar
1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
1-2 Tbsp milk

Chuck everything in the food processor and blitz till just combined to make a soft dough. Place in between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out to 1cm thick. Place on tray and refrigerate until firm.
Preheat oven to 150C. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. R...
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These are the easiest savoury biscuit you'll every make. Jamie Oliver's recipe uses just three main ingredients. You can shape them however you like - cheese straws are quick but I cut mine into notes to offer at a DJ gig!

150g butter, cold and cut into cubes
225g flour
75g finely grated parmesan
1/2 tsp dried mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 c cold water

Preheat oven to 200C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
In a bowl rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in cheese and s...
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