Sometimes I think redcurrants should be our national fruit. I don’t think you’ll find such a beautiful, intense red in many other fruits, and the combination of sweet meringue and tart currants is simply unbeatable. Whatever kind of cake they appear in, they always
Poppy seed and coconut layer cake is a wonderful layered poppy seed cake that could be the star of this year’s Christmas table! Layers of poppy seed and coconut sponge are sandwiched with a delicate, lightly lemony custard buttercream and generously soaked.
Lemon Pavlova inspired by a recipe by Nigella Lawson. Sweet, crisp meringue, addictive lemon curd, a cloud of whipped cream and almonds – an absolutely divine combination! This was the recipe I used to relearn how to bake meringue, as everything
White Raffaello truffles made with sweetened condensed milk, without butter or milk powder. They’re wonderfully rich and filling. They’re not quite like the shop-bought Raffaello chocolates, which are more delicate, coated in a crisp wafer and filled with
A serious rival to the German lebkuchen (which you love!). This time, I’m inviting you to try Nuremberg lebkuchen – different from the ones you already know, also known as Elisenlebkuchen. The tradition of baking them dates back to the 14th century.
Suksesssterte – Norwegian vanilla almond cake – is a classic Norwegian dessert and one of the country’s most popular cakes, also traditionally served at Christmas. You may notice similarities to the famous IKEA almond cake with Daim bars: this cake is gluten-free, made with
Just sweet enough, this almond and lemon cake with raspberries is wonderfully simple. It had been a long time since I’d used one of Nigella’s recipes, and I’d almost forgotten how easy they can be – just put all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz! This time
Biscotti are traditional Italian biscuits that are baked twice. Dry, though less so than Polish rusks, and sweet, they can be wonderfully varied in flavour. They’re perfect with coffee or a glass of wine, and their ability to keep for a long time is, apart from their delicious taste, one
A wonderful, deliciously buttery almond-flavoured Bundt cake. Like any creamed cake, it’s simple to make, and half of the flour is replaced with ground almonds. They’re what keep the cake from becoming dry and help it stay fresh for longer than a traditional
I can never resist coming back to the flavours of almonds, Amaretto and marzipan… I baked this almond Amaretto cheesecake out of a longing for that delicious almond flavour – a longing that has stayed with me since the festive season. It’s an unusual cheesecake
Plum and pistachio cake is a wonderful combination of crisp, buttery pastry, delicate pistachio and almond filling, and juicy, slightly tart plums. The cake is a variation on the classic English Bakewell tart, but it is lighter and fluffier. Instead of the traditional layer of jam, it
The world has gone crazy for number cakes. And it’s easy to see why – they’re a refreshing change from traditional sponge and meringue cakes, and make a wonderful gift for an anniversary, birthday, Valentine’s Day or practically any occasion. They can be baked in the shape of numbers
Last year I started a series of Easter egg-shaped mazurkas (eggnog and blackcurrant, chocolate “day and night” and coconut and raspberry). This year I’d like to continue the series of modern mazurkas in the same format. I’ll start with a classic – a dulce de leche
The best shortcrust pastry, juicy Italian plums and a delicate filling made with mascarpone, sweetened condensed milk and eggs. This plum and mascarpone tart is creamy and almost cheesecake-like, with a velvety filling that is gently sweet and has a lovely hint of lemon.
Old-fashioned Swedish pralines called dammsugare (“vacuum cleaners”), which in appearance resemble Polish bajaderki. They are made using leftover cakes or biscuits, so perhaps the name comes from the idea of “cleaning out” the cupboards ;). Or maybe it comes
Perfect chocolate muffins with Nutella. Rich, deeply chocolatey and wonderfully substantial, with ground almonds adding even more texture. They’re not overly sweet – just right. And the surprise? A generous amount of Nutella hidden inside, although you can
Reese’s macarons are utterly indulgent chocolate almond cookies filled with a creamy peanut butter filling. Decorated with chocolate and sprinkled with peanuts for extra crunch – a perfect combination! These macarons are made using Italian meringue, giving them a crisp
A delicate, buttery cake with raspberries and chocolate, topped with a crunchy almond crumble. Quick and easy to make, it looks beautiful dusted with icing sugar (very wintry!), while the raspberries give it a summery feel :). And, of course, the combination of raspberries