This cake doesn’t rise much but the crumb is so soft and rich (I guess this is what happens when you throw in an extra egg and more butter). It’s one of those every-day, not overly sweet cakes you can make from ingredients you’d have around, like frozen berries and Greek yoghurt. It’s super easy to[read more…]
I was reading a book in bed the other night and one of the characters made toasted cheese sarnies but in browned butter! Genius. It’s super tasty, even more so than a plain toasted cheese, which is one of my favourite things to eat in the whole world except for hot chips. So I got to[read more…]
I’ve wanted to make this black sticky rice pudding for ages but had trouble sourcing the black glutinous rice in an actual store. I originally tried making a similar dessert with black rice and although it tasted nice, it wasn’t the same, I really feel it needs the glutinous rice for that gloriously sticky texture.[read more…]
I suppose this would be called a coffee cake in the US; I love that name actually, coffee cake always brings to mind sunny, friendly mornings with friends. In this case, it’s a morning tea cake, rustic, plump and soft, perfect to freeze if you prefer, to take to work buttered for morning breaks or to have at home when you[read more…]
These little savoury tarts are so fresh, easy and light, they’re perfect for a summer day, lunch with a girlfriend or a romantic starter with a glass of wine (and I know it’s winter here but I make them all the time and anyway, El Niño).
Phew, I needed something to reset my body after a couple of days of eating basically empty (yet delicious) carbs. This very tasty, healthy rice bowl full of protein and good fat was just the thing! Nutty brown and wild rice, creamy avocado and fried egg, savoury tuna and some salty Tamari to top it off (and a little[read more…]
Tim Tams. Are they available in lots of other countries other than Australia? You’re missing out if they’re not! Tim Tams have gotten me through many a break-up and Swotvac week in my teens and 20s and I’ll always be fond of them. There are all sorts of fancy flavours these days but my favourite is the[read more…]
So I made a cake a while back. I am very fond of cake however don’t make them that often because I tend to go overboard and have two pieces in one go. The spices in this cake are lovely and reminiscent of Chai flavours with fresh strawberries and a crunchy topping. This cake is really nice on its own; fluffy[read more…]
I made this lovely fresh pasta dish on a recent weekend. It only requires a few ingredients which most people would have on hand and the flavours pack a punch; lemony, fragrant garlic, fresh herbs, crunchy walnuts, salty parmesan and a bit of heat.
So I knocked together some toasted muesli (or granola if you prefer), with lovely spices and chewy dried cherries.
Jelly beans aren’t usually an addition to baked goods however I bought some Christmas jelly beans (red, green and white obv) and thought they’d look pretty studded into some white chocolate blondies for the season. You could, of course, add whichever candy you prefer if jelly beans aren’t your thing (they’re my lollies of choice usually ) but[read more…]
One of my favourite things to eat on the weekend is a sandwich or roll made with fresh, seasonal ingredients (and is there anything much better than fresh bread?). So we usually go down to the grocery store and bakery and pick up some nice stuff, come home and put it together. Of course, this often means we[read more…]
It’s funny how I hate frozen peas but love fresh ones. Shelling peas always reminds me of being a kid and I’d eat more peas than would go in the bowl for mum. Sweet, crisp and light, they were perfect in this spring inspired salad with spicy radish, creamy potato, rich buttery leeks and a creamy, zingy,[read more…]
My latest flavour pancake uses a classic combo of peanut butter and banana. These are quite high, fluffy pancakes with a lovely peanut butter taste and chunks of banana rather than it being mashed. Oh and if you make too many (can you though? Can you ever make too many pancakes?), they can always be stored[read more…]
Sarah from Keep Left recently contacted me to ask if I might be interested in supporting Ski Yoghurt for Breast Cancer Awareness month this October. Ski Yoghurt has pledged to donate $350,000 to fund a McGrath Breast Care Nurse and have turned a selection of their 1kg tubs of yoghurt the colour pink for a limited[read more…]
Although I make ye olde basic curries quite regularly (chicken stock, coconut cream, chilli paste), I don’t do fancy Asian cooking very often because although I love it (Thai, Indian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine are among my favourite foods), I can’t do this type of cuisine justice in the same way they’re traditionally cooked by those folks[read more…]
A while back I made scones using cream which worked out really well and yesterday, a breezy, sunny Saturday morning which was marred only slightly by having to vote in our federal election, I thought I’d use some leftover Greek yoghurt to make some scones. Happily it had the same effect as the cream did;[read more…]
It seemed like a chocolate day so I made some chocolate cupcakes for absolutely no reason at all. Is there anything better than biting into a soft, squidgy cupcake and getting icing all over your face? I don’t think so! The batter in this recipe is very thick but it somehow results in a soft crumbed, tender,[read more…]
I felt like something super lemony the other day, you know? So these little cakes are fluffy, soft and citrusy with a buttery streusel topping; they’re perfect with a cup of coffee. I just love lemon desserts with coffee, it seems a perfect match. Of course, I couldn’t leave well enough alone so I made lemon butter to go with[read more…]
I’m on a bit of a Bill Granger kick at the moment. So I spotted Bill’s rather tropical sounding cake online a while back and was keen to try it, as most of the dry ingredients are from ground macadamia nuts and there’s no dairy, including butter. The fat comes from beaten egg yolks and you[read more…]
As of September, a Splash of Vanilla is officially a year old! I thought I’d host a giveaway in honour and also to celebrate our Southern Hemisphere Spring. I have two cute pieces of kitchenware from Peters of Kensington I think you’ll love – a Rodriquez Jam Tales Crockery tea towel and a Royal Doulton – Donna Hay[read more…]
I love a classic chicken salad so was really keen to try this when I spotted it online recently. And it is a particularly lovely salad but … the problem with chefy type recipes is, not that they’re difficult but that there’s a lot of steps to things, not to mention the washing up afterwards. So I didn’t[read more…]
I don’t often use cake or bread mixes as I enjoy baking from scratch, however it’s nice and convenient to use them occasionally and they have come a long way in the past decade or so. I also appreciate that people don’t always have the time or inclination to bake from scratch; I’m definitely no domestic goddess, I[read more…]
This is one of those refrigerator pasta dishes (stuff left over in your crisper) I made a while back when cherry toms were still nice, which turned out so tasty, it’ll now be a regular dish in warmer weather. The lemony, garlicky mushrooms, sweet cherry tomatoes and peppery rocket were a lovely combination and so full of natural, healthy,[read more…]
This method of roasting chicken changed my life. Tender, fall-of-the-bone, fragrant and full of the good things in cooking; lemon, garlic and herbs. No more basting, cleaning the oven or worrying about a dry roast – you simply place a quickly prepared chicken into the oven, forget about it for 1 1/2 hours or so, then take the[read more…]
Honestly, once you make this you’ll wonder why you don’t do it more often, it’s so easy. It’s also the fresh herbs and garlic. No matter how great a quick supermarket fix can be, there’s no replacement for fresh herbs. I really love the combination of spring onions, basil and continental parsley but you could use any you[read more…]
No you aren’t dreaming or hallucinating. This really is a thing – a wonderfully inspired recipe I discovered recently by lovely Sydney blogger Katrina Meynink, (also freelance food writer and recipe developer and lots of other things). You could say I did a double-take. Cookie dough chocolate brownies – no way! As a long time brownie lover, I’m[read more…]
I found this wonderful recipe for healthy candy bars recently (check out the rest of the site, it has tasty recipes for healthy minded people). I have a big bag of quinoa puffs which, while I love to eat them for breakfast, I wanted to do something a bit more fun with, so I thought I’d make these chocolatey[read more…]
I do love a classic potato salad. I’ve always enjoyed zesty, creamy ones so didn’t add anything to sweeten it up – if you prefer a sweeter salad, just replace some of the sour cream with mayonnaise. I make this recipe every summer and it’s a great combination of creamy and fresh with extra virgin olive[read more…]
It’s been raining heavily here for the past few days and doesn’t look like letting up any time soon. Rain’s lovely, for a night or so, drumming on the roof in that comforting way while I’m reading and listening to music, but goes on for too long and it makes everything a bit flat and gray. Anyway. I pulled my[read more…]
