Baking

This master recipe allows you to adapt a batch of muffins to the ingredients you have available. Add spices, nuts, fruit or chocolate, play around and develop your own favourites. Ingredients 2 cups self raising flour ½ tsp baking powder...

Using my microwave proofing method this dough is quick to make, in fact it's so easy a homemade pizza is a great option for a weeknight. This recipe makes 1 big 34cm “family size” thick crust pizza or 2x30cm thin-crust...

Melt in the mouth shortcake with a tart apricot filling, perfect for afternoon tea or serve warm for dessert with a scoop of ice-cream. Ingredients 500-600g stewed apricots – 2 generous cups – crushed and cooled 500g plain flour 2...

Pan forte is the ideal cake to make as a Christmas gift as it gets better over a week or two, so its perfect for making ahead or taking away on holiday after Christmas. The name simply means "strong bread"...

Banana cake is a favourite for picnics as well as dressing up nicely with cream or frosting for a special occasion. The recipe can easily be doubled – one for now and one for the freezer; or for a really...

These easy Cheats Danish Pastries are quick to make and use frozen puff pastry in place of a yeast dough, so lots of crispy buttery goodness without the faff. Ingredients 1 cup blueberries 1 tablespoon sugar 125g cream cheese, at room...

These make a nice alternative to Hot Cross buns for people who don’t like dried fruit. If you don’t have a big square cake tin to bake them in just bake them on a tray they’ll be a little more...

Perfectly spiced with the ideal texture for stamping, cutting and shaping these biscuits will not only make the house smell like Christmas; but they'll keep for weeks to enjoy over the long holidays. Ingredients 125g butter, softened 1/2 cup golden...

The thing that makes bought mince pies such a letdown and homemade ones so good, is that the bought ones are far too sweet. The pastry needs to be a contrast to the intensely sweet filling. I make a rich...

A bit of a show-stopper my Easter Tea Ring is great for a gathering, work morning tea or family treat. The dough is spiced like a hot cross bun, the spiral filling is a simple spiced butter but the hint of orange,...

Digestives are a slightly crumbly, slightly sweet biscuit that are great with a slice of cheese, or spread with a thick layer of butter or even dunked in a cuppa. I use a food processor which not only chops the...

Great with a cuppa or as an alternative to Hot Cross buns for people who don’t like dried fruit.  I arrange these in a circle as in the Christian tradition a circle symbolises God's unending love, but you can do them...

Our annual church picnic is an informal affair where everyone shares their picnic. I am always asked for the recipe for the simple almond tart that it has become my habit to take. So in the spirit of the  "baptism...

Super quick and easy to make and refined sugar free, these bliss balls also make good use of a ripe banana. You do need a food processor to make this recipe but unlike lots of bliss ball recipes it doesn't...

Feijoas are great in a crumble. A family sized crumble uses more topping than individual ones; if you have leftover topping the mixture can be frozen or you can double the fruit and make a single family sized one. Ingredients...

My Super-cute Halloween  Pumpkin buns are perfect to serve the kids for a post Trick or Treat supper with a warming bowl of soup, or tuck them in the lunch boxes for a spooky surprise. Ingredients 3 – 3 ¼...

Wanting to use up some stale Hot Cross Buns or just do something a little different for an Easter meal, this pudding is a great family pleasing dessert for a chilly night. Ingredients 50g butter, plus extra to grease 12...

I have made this recipe literally hundreds of times. Originally as a dessert in a 23-25 cm cake tin, these days I make it as a slice, resulting in way more serves from the recipe. You can assemble it either...

Deliciously citrusy this recipe makes 1 big 25cm cake (serve simply dusted with icing sugar) or bake in a 20 cm tin and split into 3 layers for a celebration cake or bake in mini loaf pans and freeze extras...

An easy dessert that makes the most of any surplus limes during citrus season. Ingredients 300g chocolate wheat biscuits -1 1/2 packs approx 110g melted butter 3 eggs 1 300ml can condensed milk A handful fresh mint leaves ¾ cup...