I like to make almond milk occasionally and one of the byproducts is almond pulp, which you can then dry out and grind to make almond meal. You can make these crackers with any almond meal or ground almonds or almond flour, or you can substitute with oat flour. The key is to roll out as thin as possible to make a really snappy cracker. The Minimalist Baker has some great recipes that include almond meal.

3/4 c flour (I used rice)
2/3 c almond meal
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 t...
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Gingernuts are a favourite in our house and I am always up for trying different recipes to get the perfect gingery crunch. This one has been adapted from @kitchenoftreats (I used brown rice syrup instead of golden syrup). The 9-year-old declared "this is the best gingernut you've ever made"! The recipe makes quite a lot of dough it's a good idea to keep some in the freezer to make later at your convenience.

Makes 30+

3/4 c brown sugar

1/2 c brown rice syrup (or golden syrup or maple)

1/2 c neutra...

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The finale of my French week is a galette - a freeform fruity pie for dessert. But you can also have it for breakfast and lunch! It's important to keep the pastry cold so chill it before rolling out, and chill the whole pie for half an hour after you put the filling in, while you're heating up the oven. Apple and cranberry is a great combo but feel free to use whatever mix of ingredients you have on hand - pear and walnut, apple and dried apricots or prunes, apple and berries, fresh stone fru...

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I've made madeleines before using the recipe that came with the tin. But browning the butter first adds another nuance of flavour and I decided to experiment with a nutty and zesty combo.

Makes about 20

115 g butter

1 c sifted flour

1/2 c toasted hazelnuts, ground into a fine flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

2 eggs

1/2 c granulated sugar (i used coconut sugar, hence the darker crumb)

2 tsp orange zest

1 tsp orange essence

melted butter for brushing

icing sugar for dusting

Brown the butter first by ...

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I'm more than halfway through French week! I've never managed to get my macarons super smooth and with feet but hey, they always taste good. I didn't expect smoothness with these ones either, as I used homemade almond meal that has flecks of almond skin in it, much heavier than pure blanched almond flour. The almond meal was made from dehydrating almond pulp, which was a byproduct from making almond milk - The Minimalist Baker is an expert at this and her recipes are easy to follow.
The egg wh...
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I cannot believe how easy it is to make croissants at home, thanks to a recipe on Baking a Moment. Instead of having to roll out sheets of 'butter block' to put between the dough, you just add thin slices of butter at the beginning. No kneading or chilling over night either, you can make them in one day. OK, they're not as perfect as professionally made ones but you can still achieve lamination of dough layers and a crisp, buttery croissant.

Makes 20
4 c flour
1/3 c sugar
4 tsp active dry yeast
2 ...

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For my self-designated French week, one must make choux! There are a lot of components to these eclairs; the French certainly don't do pastry by halves. Was it worth it? Mais oui!

Makes around 20

Choux pastry:

200 ml water

80 g butter

pinch salt

pinch sugar

1 1/4 c flour

4 eggs

Creme patisserie

1 1/4 c milk (I used homemade almond)

1 tsp vanilla paste or extract or 1/2 vanilla pod, seeds scraped

3 egg yolks

1/2 c sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 Tbsp cornflour

Chocolate ganache:

150 g dark chocolate

1/2 c cream (I...

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From left: Wheat baguettes; spelt baguettes

I came across this excellent no-knead recipe on Baking a Moment. Creating steam in the oven produces a crunchy crust. I added slightly more yeast for the spelt version. This is the start of a week of baking in memory of France. We had tickets booked to Paris for July 2020, would have been our first trip back in 10 years. Really hoping it's not another 10 years before I can savour real French bread and pastries again.

Makes 4 small loaves

1/4 c warm wat...

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Carrot cake with a twist, a roll actually. This carrot Swiss roll brings the mighty combo of spicy carrot cake and cream cheese filling into every bite. Thanks to Denizen for the inspiration.

3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/2 c sugar
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c grated carrot (about 2 medium size)

Filling:
1 c icing sugar
250 g cream cheese
85 g softened butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 190C. Line a 25 cm x 38...
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Better than store-bought for sure! It's a three-part process but definitely worth the delight in biting into your own fancy chocolate and mint biscuit. The recipe from @kitchenoftreats can be easily adapted to be gluten and dairy free. These store well in the freezer.

Makes 24-28

1 c flour of choice

1/3 c cocoa

60 g butter or non-dairy spread

1/2 c  sugar

1 egg

Filling:

1 1/2 c icing sugar

4 tsp milk of choice

1/2 tsp peppermint essence

1 Tbsp jam mixed with a little hot water

Coating:

250 g dark chocolat...

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Needed a quick bake to use up some mixed peel that's been sitting in the pantry for too long! It's worth the extra effort to add the tangy drizzle icing. You can swap out the butter for a non-dairy spread and use whatever flour you like.

125 g butter or non-dairy spread

1/3 c sugar

1 c flour (I used gluten free)

pinch salt

fine zest of 1 lemon, lime or orange

1/2 c mixed peel

For the icing mix 1/2 c icing sugar with the juice of 1 lemon, lime or orange to make a drizzling consistency.

In a bowl cream...

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I first made brioche scrolls in during 2020's lockdown. It's not surprising I've had cravings for enriched dough again, since I haven't been able to purchase my favourite brioche at my local cafe, Seabreeze. This recipe yields a smaller amount of dough, but it fits perfectly into a bundt tin to make a beautiful wreath. The dough is best chilled overnight in the fridge to develop flavour so make it the day before you want to eat them!
There are many delicious flavour combos you can use for your...
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This is adapted from Donna Hay's ingenious 4-ingredient recipe. I just used less banana to more flour ratio so the mixture wouldn't be so soft. They are not very good-looking cookies so you can jazz them up to look more appealing. The cookies have a crispy shell and a soft banana bread middle - a real wholesome treat.

Makes about 15
3/4 c mashed banana (about 2 medium)
3 c almond flour or almond meal (I grind almonds in a coffee grinder then sieve)
1/2 c coconut sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
To sprinkle: 1 ...
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This is a little fiddly to make, but looks great! Takes your stock standard Swiss roll to a new level. You can get even fancier by dividing your batter into more colours. If your mixture gets too runny you can chill one colour of stripes in the fridge before you add the next one.

3 eggs

1/3 c caster sugar (I use organic golden)

1/3 c flour + 1/2 Tbsp hot water

1/4 c flour + 2 Tbsp cocoa powder + 1/2 Tbsp hot water + 1 Tbsp milk

2 piping bags or plastic bags

1 1/2 c whipped cream mixed with 1/2 c ja...

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This is Donna Hay's simple recipe for a better-for-you fudge - only 4 ingredients! You can use another nut butter and mix or match your nuts if you prefer, such as almond, hazelnut, macadamia, pistachios or tahini. It's best to use roasted nuts for flavour. You can also add dried fruit, such as sour cherries or cranberries, but there is already enough dates to make the fudge sweet.

2/3 c cashew butter

400 g fresh pitted dates (medjool are best but you can use any other kind. Dried dates too can...

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The 9-year-old wanted me to get back into the "chocolate zone" - so I dutifully obliged with the easy boiled chocolate cake and tzujed it up with a chocolate glaze. It uses one pot and minimum utensils.

125 g butter

1 c coconut sugar

1 c water or espresso coffee

2 Tbsp cocoa 

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 c flour (I used spelt)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Glaze:

200 g 70% dark chocolate

100 g butter

1/4 c liquid glucose

2 tsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a bundt tin or line a 20cm...

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Raw slices are great to make because they keep in the freezer for months and you can just take out slice as you need and defrost for half an hour before eating. You could also use other berries for the filling such as blueberries, raspberries or strawberries. This is from Donna Hay's Modern Baking (Fourth Estate, 2018).

Base:

1 c cashews

1 c desiccated coconut

1/4 c brown rice syrup

Filling:

1 c desiccated coconut

120 g fresh medjool dates (about 6-7)

1/3 c melted coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract or ...

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