Are you a Vegemite or Marmite person (or Promite, Our Mate or Bovril)? Or do you detest yeast extract in any shape or form? I go for Vegemite as it has only 2.2 g of sugar per 100g and Marmite has 11.2 g. It is a nutritious spread and adds flavour to brownies. You don't actually taste it, but the depth of flavour is there, and makes for a fudgy, gooey delight.

200 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

150 g unsalted butter or dairy-free spread

1 Tbsp Vegemite or Marmite or yeast extract

3 eggs

1 c gra...

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The ubiquitous Ferrero Rocher chocolates are a familiar sight at celebrations of all kinds, especially at Christmas. It's all about the hazelnut and wafer combo that Pietro Ferrero nailed in Alba back in 1942 that has stood the test of time. I've never had enough hazelnuts on hand to try making my own but since I bought that kilo from Mt Hyde Hazelnuts in Dunedin, I gave it a go from scratch. This is adapted from Bigger Bolder Baking.

Makes 35-40
Filling:
2 c toasted hazelnuts
1/2 c maple syrup (...
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I bought a freshly shelled kilo of hazelnuts from Mt Hyde Hazelnut Farm in Outram, near Dunedin. Oh, the things I can do! I usually go for quick gratification recipes but I went all out on this layered pie. Multiple ingredients and components equals multiple dishes and applied time management. The result though is totally worth it. It's a rich tart so moderate-size slices will feed plenty, or the three in our family multiple times! It's from BBC Good Food. 

Pastry:

1/2 c hazelnuts, toasted and ...

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I got this idea from Nadiya Hussain. She uses some good 'cheats' to make her recipes quicker. She used 2 cans of chunky apple sauce for her filling, but I haven't seen these in Auckland shops so I just made my own stewed apple.

700 g apples, preferably Granny Smith

Splash of water and lemon juice

1 tsp mixed spice

1/2 c raisins

1/2 chopped nuts (I used toasted hazelnuts)

cooking oil spray

12 sheets filo pastry

demerara sugar, optional
icing sugar, optional

Peel and chop the apples into small cubes and ...

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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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Sarah Britton of My New Roots created the life-changing bread, using only seeds and psyllium. Here's the cracker version from Super Loaves & Simple Treats by Melissa Sharp (PK, 2017). They go so well with all kinds of sweet or savoury toppings, or just by themselves.

1/2 c sunflower seeds
1/3 c flaxseeds
1/4 c hazelnuts
3/4 c oats
2 tsp chia seeds
3 tbsp psyllium
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp seaweed flakes
2/3 c water
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 160C. Line 2 baking sheets with bakin...
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Heidi Swanson calls these carnival cookies, not the sickly sweet artificial-coloured kind, but wholesome sugar-free bites packed with nutrients. The popcorn and chocolate chips bring to mind amusement park snacks.

Makes 22-24

1 1/2 c rolled oats

1/2 c almond meal or ground almonds

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 c mashed bananas (about 3 or 4)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 c coconut oil, softened or just melted

1 1/2 c popcorn

1 c chocolate of choice (chopped, chips, buttons or b...

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We are day 2 of Covid-19 lockdown in New Zealand but the baking doesn't stop. Our daughter chose these for me to make - and I happily obliged. We had all the ingredients in the pantry waiting to be used. It's from Gluten-Free Baking by Kristine Kidd (Weldon Owen, 2014).

Makes about 20 meringues

100g dark chocolate
2 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
3/4 c toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1/3 c crystallised ginger, roughly chopped

Preheat ovent o 165...
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Swedish hastbullar ("quick buns") are like fancy scones. You can make them without paper cases, but the Swedish like to present their fika nicely.

Makes 12
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cardamom seeds, crushed (or used ground cardamom)
1/2 c unrefined sugar
100g cold butter, cubed
1/2 c chopped dried fruit (I used apricots, they used figs, anything works well)
1 egg
3/4 c milk

For the topping:
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c chopped nuts (I used hazelnuts) or demerara/raw/turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 220C. L...
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A fancy-looking biscuit! You can use any nuts you prefer for this recipe - pecans, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, whatever you have handy.

Makes 60
Filling:
1 1/3 c pitted dates, cut into pieces
1/2 c water
1/2 c toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped

Cookies:
115g butter or non-dairy spread
1 c brown sugar (or coconut or rapadura)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt

Make the filling by putting the dates and water in a saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a simm...

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Oh so cute! These little Italian kisses can be made with hazelnuts or almonds. You can fill with plain melted chocolate or chocolate ganache (chocolate mixed with coconut cream). This is from Biscuit by Miranda Gore Browne (Ebury Publishing, 2012).

Makes about 25 sandwiched biscuits
75g ground almonds
50g whole almonds, toasted
125g caster sugar
125g butter, softened and chopped (or non-dairy spread)
125g flour (I used spelt)
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
200g dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 180C. Li...
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These cookies are pretty serious about themselves and they are seriously good cookies!

Makes 24 cookies

185g butter or non-dairy spread
3/4 c coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 c flour (I used white and wholemeal spelt)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c activated buckwheat groats
1/2 c cranberries
1/2 c chopped hazelnuts
1 c dark chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat oven to 180V. Line 2 bnaking trays with baking paper.

In a large bowl cream the non-dairy spread/butter and sugar until ...

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Quick and easy rocky road to give to the teachers this year, and for random visitors to our house this festive season.
1 c cacao butter
1 c cacao or cocoa powder
1/4 c maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
1/2 c cranberries
1/2 c toasted hazelnuts
1/2 c mini marshmallows

Line a loaf tin with baking paper.
Melt the cacao butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with 2-3 cm water. Heat on a low-medium heat until melted.
Take off the heat and stir in the maple syrup, cacao powder, vanilla, sal...
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This appeared in 2013 on My New Roots and I've finally jumped onto the bandwagon! A dense, filling bread made of just nuts and seeds - genius. All mixed in the tin and you can experiment with different nuts and seeds too.
1 c sunflower seeds
1 1/2 c oats
1 c almonds (or hazelnuts)
1/2 c flaxseed
2 Tbs chia seeds
3 Tbs psyllium husk powder (or 4 Tbs psyllium husk)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs natural sweetener (maple syrup, rice malt syrup)
3 Tbs melted coconut oil
1 1/2 c water

Line a loaf tin with parchment/baking...
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Gee, French pastry can be really fussy. These took a while to make and we ate them in nanoseconds! Lovely crisp bites though and I'll make them again and try other varieties. Perfect for a dainty afternoon tea occasion. 

Makes around 24

1 egg white
1/4 c light brown sugar
2 Tbs flour
2 tsp cocoa powder
30g melted butter
1 tsp milk
1 Tbs ground hazelnuts or almonds

Preheat oven to 180C. Draw 6 x 8cm diameter circles on a sheet of baking paper about 4cm apart.

Beat egg white with an electric ...

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My first attempt at panforte turned out pretty good. I used this recipe from the Healtheries website. Have wrapped up wedges for wee Xmas gifts.

250g oven-roasted mixed nuts (I used hazels, blanched almonds and pistachios)

1/3 cup each: glacé mixed peel, figs, apricots; roughly chopped

75g 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped

1/3 cup Healtheries Gluten-free Rice Flour

1 tablespoon cocoa

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon mixed spice

½ cup each: honey, caster sugar...

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6 egg whites

1 ½ c caster sugar
1 c chopped hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 100 C. Trace 3 x 20cm round circles onto baking paper. Turn over and place on baking sheet.
Beat eggs for 1 min. Then add sugar and beat further 6-8 mins until peaks form.
Add the hazelnuts or any other kind of nuts or almond meal.
Divide mixture in 3 and spread over circle shapes. Bake at for 3-4 hours until crispy.

Assemble together with sweetened cream and berries. Our bottom layer was strawberries...

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I wanted to find a recipe to use my homemade yoghurt. I adapted Heidi Swanson’s buttermilk cake from her latest book, Super Natural Every Day. Her summer version uses sliced plums and she recommends a winter version of 12 chopped Medjool dates and 1 c toasted walnuts. I had neither so I used dried goldenberries, cranberries and hazelnuts.

 

1 ½ c spelt flour
1 c white flour
1 tbs baking powder
½ dark muscovado sugar
½ tsp sea salt
2 eggs
1 ½ c yoghurt or buttermilk
6...

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Below is what Nigel says about this cake ... I can't find fault with him, in any way. It was delightful.

However: I bought pre-toasted hazelnuts and accidentally put a mix of nutmeg and cinnamon into the cake (because I didn't read the spice jar label... it wasn't a disaster!)
I left the cinnamon out of the icing, and I dressed it with pomegranate. Yum!!

CHOCOLATE CHIP HAZELNUT CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CINNAMON BUTTER CREAM by Nigel Slater

I like birthday cake. I love maki...

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I bought two fantastic chocolate moulds in Venice - rose shapes and leaf shapes. No baking involved, but I thought I'd include my first batch to show you how easy it is.
Just melt dark and white chocolate. Filled the moulds halfway then added a toasted hazelnut or pistachio, and topped with more chocolate. For the leaves I mixed in chopped pistachios and dried cranberries.
Lately I've also made some batches of Annabel Langbein's espresso hazelnut chocolate ripple  - pouring dark and white choc...
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I just freestyled this recipe so feel free to make up as you go along too!

1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup carrot pulp (from my Oscar juicer)
1/2 cup beetroot pulp
tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (whatever spices you like)
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder (or make your own with 2 parts cream of tartar, 1 part baking soda, 1 part cornflour)
1/2 cup dark choc bits
another version I added chopped toasted hazelnuts and coconut
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil or 1/2 cup melted Olivani
about 4 tbsp Fre...
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