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Homemade Strawberry Jam is one of my favourite seasonal treats. In this post I’ll show you how to make a beautiful, soft-set strawberry jam filled with luscious pieces of whole fruit. It’s easy to make even for beginners, with no special equipment needed. If you …Read more
Jam making needn’t be difficult or involve lots of fancy equipment. In this beginner’s guide I’ll tell you everything you need to know as well as taking you through the process step-by-step. Although all the jam recipes on my blog give full instructions, here I’ve …Read more
Blackberry Brandy is a satisfying, easy project made with seasonal, foraged fruit. The spirit is flavoured with blackberries and sweetened with sugar to make a delicious, liqueur-like drink. Swap the brandy for gin, vodka, whisky, or dark rum if you prefer. Made using fresh or …Read more
Homemade Malt Loaf, despite its name, is a traditional British favourite that’s a type of teatime cake. With a gloriously sticky texture, the rich, dark loaf is packed with juicy raisins and has the intriguing flavour of malt extract. So easy to make, Malt Loaf …Read more
Victoria Sponge Cake is a British classic. And with good reason, I think. Because there’s something so satisfying about its combination of simple flavours. Buttery sponge cakes sandwiched with fruity jam and, in my version, plenty of buttercream with a hint of vanilla. A good …Read more
Hot Cross Scones are a quick and easy, light, and fluffy alternative to hot cross buns. Full of spice and dried fruit, you can be enjoying this easy twist on traditional sultana scones in around thirty minutes. Eat the scones while still warm, split and …Read more
Grapefruit Jam is an easy, tangy homemade preserve that’s perfect for your morning toast. Great for beginners, the only ingredients you need are three or four grapefruits plus jam sugar. After discarding the peel and pith from the grapefruits, the flesh and juice are quickly …Read more
Orange Shortbread Biscuits, light, buttery, and with a hint of citrus, are an absolute delight. Enjoy them with a cuppa or as a crunchy accompaniment to desserts like panna cotta and ice cream. Or make as a welcome gift. So easy, you just whizz up the …Read more
Ginger Oat Biscuits are crispy, crunchy, sweet, and buttery, with the warmly spicy flavour of both ground ginger and stem ginger. A cousin of digestive biscuits, the combination of oats and wholemeal flour gives a lovely rustic texture. Neither hard like traditional ginger nuts, nor soft …Read more
Baked Oat Pudding with Apple & Cinnamon is a super easy dessert with a taste and soft texture you’ll love. It combines rolled oats, grated apple, optional sultanas, brown sugar and cinnamon with milk, eggs, melted butter and a touch of vanilla. The result is …Read more
Mincemeat Christmas Tree is a stunning looking but deceptively simple tear and share bread. With fruity mincemeat between layers of lightly sweet, buttery dough, it’s a great alternative to mince pies. Made using my overnight, no-knead bread method it’s really simple too. Bake in just …Read more
Chocolate Coconut Crunch is an easy, egg-free bake with a biscuity chocolate-coconut base and rich, melted chocolate topping. With simple ingredients, it can be put together in ten to fifteen minutes. Just melt some butter then stir in flour, cocoa powder, desiccated coconut, sugar and …Read more
Fig & Fennel Sourdough is lightly sweet and spicy. Made with my easy overnight, no-knead method it’s great for both beginners and experienced bakers. I love it sliced and spread with butter, toasted or not. With no added sugar, I think its semi sweet flavour …Read more
Fruit & Seed Flapjacks fit the bill whether you’re looking for a healthier sweet treat or an energising snack. The slow-release energy of oats is combined with apple and bananas, your choice of dried fruit and seeds, plus tahini or nut butter. Many flapjacks have …Read more
Baked Banana Sponge Pudding is old fashioned comfort food that everyone will love. Except, unlike the sponge puddings of old, this one doesn’t need to be steamed for hours and hours. This simple but delicious baked pudding needs just forty-five minutes in the oven. For …Read more
Fruit Tea Loaf is a traditional sweet treat that’s adaptable to whatever dried fruit you have and whichever spices and flavourings you like. It contains no added fat (other than a little in the egg) but is delicious spread with butter. Perfect with a cuppa or …Read more
Apple Butter is a traditional and concentrated fruity preserve which doesn’t actually contain butter. Apples, along with water, sugar and spices, are cooked into a thick puree until they become caramelised and jam-like. For a bittersweet flavour, I include cider, but you could just use water …Read more
Fruit and Spice Bun Ring, with currants, cinnamon, and a maple syrup glaze, looks impressive. But, as I’ll show you in this post, the pull-apart bun ring is easily made AND baked in little more than half an hour. It’s so quick because, unlike most …Read more
Overnight Oats with Gooseberry Compote makes a great summer breakfast or even dessert. Ripe, seasonal gooseberries are cooked with sugar until thick and soft. Layered between cool, creamy oats with optional chia seeds and yogurt, you’ll be racing out of bed to eat this! To …Read more
Cucumber, Apple & Mint Smoothie is a wonderfully refreshing drink on a hot day. Cooling cucumber and naturally sweet apple are a perfect combination with the tang of fresh mint and zingy lime juice. Blend in some ice cubes, plus a little sweetener if you …Read more
Rhubarb Orange Compote, sweet with a tangy edge, makes a delicious breakfast served over porridge, yogurt or pancakes. So good, you can even use it in desserts. Try it over ice cream, cheesecakes, or whipped with double cream into a traditional fruit fool. Easily made in …Read more
Zesty Oat Biscuits are crispy, crunchy, and perfect with a cuppa. With a nutritious base of wholemeal flour and oats, they’re a cousin of digestive biscuits, but with the zesty flavours of orange, lemon and lime. Buttery and sweet, I like to add plumped dried fruit …Read more
Chocolate Peanut Cauliflower Smoothie may sound bizarre. But trust me: frozen cauliflower makes a fantastic neutral base for all sorts of smoothies. Besides adding a portion of vegetables, it will help thicken your smoothie and give it a wonderful silky texture. And I guarantee you …Read more
Berry Smoothie with Oats & Chia is a nutritious, quick and filling breakfast or snack at any time. As well as your choice of berries like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries, there’s yogurt and milk, plus oats and chia seeds for extra fibre and protein. …Read more
Chia Jam, thick and full of fruit, can be made in around 20 minutes. Using chia seeds’ amazing ability to become gel-like, this jam doesn’t need the large amounts of sugar required to set traditional jams. In this post I show you how to make …Read more