Baked goods can be a powerful nostalgia trigger – it's well documented that smells can provoke memories – and the familiar smell of our freshly baked White Chocolate and Cranberry Hot Cross Buns may take you back to your childhood. If not, they may make fond memories for anyone who gets to eat them! These fluffy treats are halfway between bread and cake, and can be configured as per your tastes. The dough takes a little bit of maintenance but this recipe is a manageable one for beginners, or those looking to branch out into a new baking direction.
We made this recipe for bite-size Peanut Butter Cookies to satisfy cravings or for little hands after school. Reminiscent of complimentary biscuits served with espresso in lands afar, these petite treats are full of flavor and quite addictive. A little healthier than some of their cousins, these are gluten free and not so heavy. Their winning feature is texture; a fantastic crunch from toasted peanuts and dark chocolate chips.
This vibrant Strawberry Meringue Pie With Rose is a feast for the eyes as well as your tastebuds. The delicate hints of rose play off the sweet and familiar strawberry flavor, for a complex and floral result. Toasted meringues add texture as well as flair, making this recipe a shoo-in for dish of the day on any occasion. It takes just over an hour for all component parts to come together, but the time will fly as you have the Thermomix on your side.
Roasted Nectarine and Plum Crumble is an idyllic Summer recipe, especially when stone fruit are in season (June-September). The juices from the fruit, when roasted, become caramelised and turn into a syrup. This naturally jammy filling is topped with a crunchy, oat crumble for balancing texture. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a picturesque and wholesome dessert. Bonus points: your kitchen will swell with the aromas of baking fruits.
This Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake is a wonderful sheet cake that will feed aplenty. It has a bread-like and airy texture, which you will see when it finishes cooking – lots of little pockets of air and bubbles on the surface. The magic of this recipe is thanks to pouring over the salted caramel sauce before cooking, which will fill these bubbles and give it a molten, gooey texture inside. Baking and prep time comes in at under an hour; so great for kid's birthdays, or when you forget about kid's birthdays and remember day-of.
Butter Cake is similar to sponge cake, but varies in its ingredients and ratios, which results in a more moist cake with greater density. This recipe is an easy one, that can be iced accordingly, and will provide a moisture-laden base for any toppings you see fit. It's a great one to have on hand, as the Thermomix will combine all ingredients that you just have to place into the oven and watch with bated breath.
With a base of shortbread, a cream layer and a chocolate halo, this Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake epitomizes special occasion baking. Using the famed pairing of chocolate and peanut butter that we have Americans to thank for, this cheesecake (for which we thank Ancient Greeks) is nothing short of indulgent. Surprisingly, it's the assembly that takes patience as there is baking and cooling of layers, but it is all worth it in the end when you have a slice of this decadent cake in front of you, garnished with chopped peanuts for a little crunch.
Scratching your head about the addition of curry powder to a dessert? Fear not – our Butterscotch Tart with Curry Shortbread Crust will open up a world of experimental spices to your baking. Spices are just what you make of them – here we chose to harness the warming blend of curry powder for a nutty shortbread base, to contrast against the saccharine butterscotch. This recipe is a little involved, so set aside some time to really get your hands dirty and enjoy the process. The gratification seeing (and eating) this cappuccino colored pie in all its glory will be more than worth it.
This Double Coconut Cream Pie is a light and tropical dessert that makes for a refreshing finish to any meal. Whilst it requires some cooling time (4 hours ahead of serving) it is relatively straightforward to prepare. The hidden gem of this recipe is layering the flavors; a coconut base, with a chocolate coating, topped with a coconut and white chocolate cream. Each bite of this pie is undeniably the perfect bite – so don't hold out to give this beauty a try. You won't regret it.
This Date and Honey Loaf is a flexible recipe that will slot into your breakfast, lunch and treat needs effortlessly. Date and honey are excellent natural sweeteners, which also bring a moist and tacky texture to the dough. Feel free to experiment with spices such as ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon to add extra dimension. This loaf really is what you make it; be it additional nuts for texture or creative toppings like homemade butter or icing, try it all out on a wonderful canvas.
