With so many of us stuck at home, or living with restrictions here in Australia at the moment, I thought a good round of up recipes was in order.
Here are a selection of recipes you could try this weekend/school holidays/lockdown/any day really, both things that will take up some time and some that will be more instantly gratifying. All will be delicious. I hope some time in the kitchen can bring you a few moments of calm or welcome distraction, and that having something home made to eat will be like a delicious comfort blanket in these uncertain times we continue to live in.
For something a little bit different, homemade S’mores with honey graham crackers are the perfect Winter/school holiday treat. This recipe was created last Winter for Grounded Pleasures, and I still have fond memories of all the recipe and taste testing. And if you like me can’t/don’t eat chocolate, I can confirm they are just as tasty and more-ish without. Good luck stopping at one! You can find the recipe on Grounded Pleasures website.
Lumberjack Cake - a delicious combination of apples and dates with a crunchy maple coconut topping. If you have any poached quince left you can use them instead of apples - no need to soak in the hot water with the dates, just chop and add to the mix.
The original and the best, Caramilk Cookies. Easy. Simple. Delicious. Just make them.
I can say with absolutely certainty these White Choc Blondies with Marshmallows are the best blondies I’ve ever made. You could easily adapt and add milk or dark chocolate chips in the mix too.
For a bread adventure try this Biscoff Babka (pictured below) made with soft pillowy challah dough. A lovely weekend baking project that is well worth the effort. Leftovers freeze well and it’s dairy free!
S’mores - recipe developed for Grounded Pleasures
If you are after some light (mostly food related) entertainment I can highly recommend the following:
Alison Roman’s You Tube series ‘Home Movies’ - I have made quite a few of these recipes, some more than once - namely the eggplant parm, carbonara, sheet pan chicken and shallot pasta - and I love her down to earth humour and practical way of cooking. I also appreciate her unwavering love of anchovies and dill, and all things packed with flavour.
ABC Everyday Videos with Thanh Troung ‘The Fruit Nerd’ all about fruit buying and storing tips. Thanh is a wealth of knowledge in the most enthusiastic way, and has already educated us on choosing mandarins, oranges, storing our fruit (don’t keep it all in the same bowl!) and my favourite one, on what to look for when buying avocados.
Nadiya Bakes and Time to Eat on Netflix - I love watching Nadiya Hussain’s TV series. The colourful sets, beautiful kitchens, interesting recipes and clam and friendly vibe Nadiya brings is just joyful.
And finally, I’m sure most of us in Australia discovered Jimmy Rees’ ‘Meanwhile in Australia’ videos at some point in 2020, but on the off chance you haven’t and need a good laugh, please check them out. Each instalment is a parody on what’s going in in relation to COVID in Australia, with each state hilariously represented - sometimes featuring New Zealand too - all played by Jimmy. If you aren’t on social media you can find the videos on Jimmy’s YouTube channel.
If you have anything you’d add to this list, please let me know in the comments below. And don’t forgot to tell me what you are baking at the moment too :)
S’mores - recipe developed for Grounded Pleasures.