The peanut brownies I never had
Why are these called The Peanut Brownies We Never Had? Because we still have some bad attitudes toward the 1970’s baking of New Zealand. And yes, before the, er, Peanut Gallery goes, um, nuts, we do know that there were some, uh, gems from that era…
Orange-chocolate syrup cake
Love jaffa vibes? Then get on this cake. It’s seriously delicious, with sour cream adding to the overall choc-orange-butter-eggs richness. And, as if 275g of sugar in the batter wasn’t enough, there’s a whole heap more lurking in the syrup plus in the glazed orange situation…
Rosemary and semolina shortbread
Ovens can be dodgy bastards. See that thermometer dial on yours? If your oven’s calibration slips, which it inevitably will, the dial is not necessarily the most reliable indicator of the exact temperature your oven is at. Bummer. But there’s a simple workaround…
Fruit and tea loaf
If you had to bake for a Zombie apocalypse, this would be the thing to make. It keeps f-o-r-e-v-e-r.. This classic, hefty, long-keeping loaf is based on a traditional Welsh bread called bara brith (which means ‘speckled bread’); some versions use yeast for the rising…
Middle finger buns
Yay! Middle Finger Buns! Complete with pink icing and a smattering of desiccated coconut. How cute are these? We hear that many of you are scared witless of yeast; if that’s the case can we implore you not to be such a bunch of sooks and, like Lennon with peace, give yeast a chance?…
Mum’s Weet-Bix/custard pie thingo
We have no idea of the genesis of this pie-type arrangement, with its buttery crushed Weet-Bix base, blubbery custard filling, jam, whipped cream and coconut topping, but we thought it was the height of yumness when we were kids…
Banana-toffee bread and butter pudding
This is the pudding to end all puddings; a version of bread and butter pudding that even avowed haters will love. Baked with banana and slathered in a buttery, rich, toffee-flavoured sauce, it’s easy to make and totally delish to eat…
Marmalade roly poly
We dig the name ‘roly poly’ because it sounds as much a weight-gain alert as it does the description of a lovely rolled-up baked pudding. This old fashioned fave really is bloody delicious, straight-forward to conjure and is something everyone totally loves…
Chocolate self saucing pudding
It’s a mystery to us how this favourite pudding even works; you make a batter, scatter the top with sugar and cocoa, pour boiling water over, bake, then the oozy stuff somehow ends up on the bottom, creating a gooey, thick sauce for the springy, cakey top…
Steamed caramel coconut pudding
There’s a piece floating around the interwebs where someone cooks, then rates the puddings from Edmond's cookbook and the puddings don’t come off so well. There is snark and derision. Plenty of it. While we’re not suggesting that some of the original Edmonds puddings…
A chocolate cake
As digestive systems everywhere brace for the annual chocolate onslaught, I thought I’d throw a cake your way so you’re match fit for Easter. Not literally, natch. I mean ‘throw’ more in a ‘here’s my chocolate cake recipe, come and geddit’ kind of way. And not that it’s ‘my’ cake, either…
Chocolate tahini buns
Just in time for some Sunday baking, these ridiculously rich buns are exactly what the doctor ordered for a leisurely long weekend breakfast. Scrub that - they’re probably not. Because they’re chockers with chocolate, sugar, various fats and evil white flour. YUM! Please, please PLEASE don’t be terrified of yeast…
Cheese scones
Cheese or date? It can be a divisive issue. Throw plain with jam and cream, sultana, or the Aussie abomination that is pumpkin into the mix and you’ve got a real mess of opinions on your hands. We’re talking, of course, about scones, up there with shortbread, smoked salmon and a few cheeses as Scotland’s only real contribution to culinaria…
Easy jam tart
The shortcake base here is like the LIttle Black Dress for dessert making; it’s no-brainer easy, is deliciously indestructible and is perfect for people who might be challenged in the pastry department (patisserie is a black art, weswear). There’s not much you can do to mess it up and because it’s more cakey than a classic pastry…
Plum (or whatever you like) upside down cake
This is an oldie but a goodie recipe – it’s not fancy, but we don't really do fancy anything. Certainly not cake. It’s easy and tastes great and isn’t that enough? Use pear wedges, banana slices or even canned pineapple rings (retro!) if you’ve missed the plums already…
Greek lenten biscuits
And now for something sweet, rich, indulgent and creamy. Just kidding; it’s Lent, doofus. And you know what that’s about – going without. I don’t really ‘do’ Spartan so correct me if I’m wrong, but observant Catholics fast from meat during the Lenten period (the 40 days leading to Easter), while for Greek Orthodox believers…