This lemon London Fog loaf is seriously so good. If you’ve never had a London Fog before, it’s a drink made with Earl Grey tea, steamed milk and vanilla, so it has this creamy, slightly floral flavor with citrusy notes from the bergamot in the tea. This loaf takes those flavors and adds plenty of fresh lemon, which works so well with the Earl Grey. It’s soft and moist, with Earl Grey infused into the cake, a lemon Earl Grey soak brushed over it as it cools and a thick lemon glaze on top. You get that subtle tea flavor and fresh lemon in every bite without either one being too overpowering. Definitely one of those cakes that’s even better with a cup of tea. Ingredients: For the Lemon Earl Grey Loaf: 80g (1/3 cup) whole milk 2 Earl Grey tea bags, for steeping 210g (1 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour 1 Earl Grey tea bag (about 2–3g), opened and leaves finely ground 2 tsp baking powder (8g) 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g) 200g (1 cup) caster sugar Zest of 2 small lemons or 1 large lemon 50g (3 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter 70g (1/3 cup) neutral oil 3 large eggs, at room temperature 130g (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) full-fat Greek yogurt, at room temperature 25g (1 1/2 tbsp) fresh lemon juice 1 tsp vanilla extract (5g) For the Lemon Earl Grey Soak: 60g water 1 Earl Grey tea bag 45g (about 3 1/2 tbsp) caster sugar 35g (about 2 1/2 tbsp) fresh lemon juice For the Earl Grey Lemon Glaze: 25g (about 1 1/2 tbsp) whole milk 150g (1 1/4 cups) icing sugar, sifted 5–8g (1–1 1/2 tsp) fresh lemon juice Pinch of salt Fresh lemon zest, dried Earl Grey tea leaves and/or dried edible flowers, for garnish (optional) Directions: Make the Earl Grey Milk Infuse the milk. Add the 80g whole milk to a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until it is hot and steaming, but not boiling. Remove from the heat, add the 2 Earl Grey tea bags and cover. Let the tea steep in the milk for 15 minutes so it has enough time to pick up the Earl Grey flavor. Remove the tea bags. After 15 minutes, remove the tea bags and gently press them against the side of the saucepan with a spoon to release some of the milk they have absorbed. Avoid squeezing them too aggressively as this can make the tea slightly bitter. Add the butter. While the infused milk is still warm, add the 50g butter and stir until completely melted. If the milk has cooled too much to melt the butter, place the saucepan back over very low heat for a few seconds, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool slightly while you make the batter. Make the Lemon Earl Grey Loaf Preheat your oven to 175°C and grease and line a loaf tin with parchment paper. Leave a little parchment hanging over the sides so you can easily lift the loaf out later. Combine the dry ingredients. Open 1 Earl Grey tea bag and finely grind the tea leaves. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ground Earl Grey tea leaves, baking powder and 1/2 tsp (3g) fine salt. Set aside. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar. Add the caster sugar and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the zest into the sugar for about 1 minute. The sugar should start to feel slightly damp and smell really lemony. This helps release the oils from the zest and gives the loaf a stronger lemon flavor. Add the oil and eggs. Whisk the neutral oil into the lemon sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition until the mixture is smooth and combined. Add the remaining wet ingredients. Add the Greek yogurt, 25g fresh lemon juice and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and no large streaks of yogurt remain. Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture and gently fold with a spatula until almost combined. Stop while you can still see a few small streaks of flour since you still need to add the Earl Grey milk. Add the Earl Grey milk and butter. Pour in the Earl Grey infused milk and melted butter mixture. Gently fold until the batter is smooth and no streaks of flour or liquid remain. Scrape along the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure everything is evenly incorporated. Avoid overmixing. Fill the loaf tin. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth out the top. Gently tap the tin against the counter once or twice to settle the batter and remove any large air pockets. Bake on the middle rack at 175°C for 45–55 minutes, or until the top is golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Start checking at around 45 minutes. If you see wet batter on the skewer, continue baking and check again after about 5 minutes. Make the Lemon Earl Grey Soak Prepare the soak while the loaf bakes. Heat the 60g water in a small saucepan until hot, then remove from the heat and add 1 Earl Grey tea bag. Let it steep, then remove the tea bag. Finish the soak. Add the 45g caster sugar to the Earl Grey tea and stir until completely dissolved. Stir in the 35g fresh lemon juice, then set the soak aside to cool completely while the loaf finishes baking. Soak and Cool the Loaf Start soaking the loaf while it is warm. Once the loaf comes out of the oven, let it sit in the tin for a few minutes. Brush some of the cooled Earl Grey lemon soak generously over the warm loaf using a pastry brush. Give it a few minutes to absorb before adding more. Continue adding the soak. Brush another layer over the loaf approximately every 10 minutes as it cools, allowing each addition to absorb before adding the next. Continue until you have used all of the soak. Adding it gradually helps the loaf absorb the liquid without making the top overly wet or soggy. Cool completely. Leave the loaf to cool completely before glazing. If the loaf is still warm, the glaze will melt and run off instead of setting into a thick layer on top. Make the Lemon Glaze Make the glaze. Add the sifted icing sugar, 25g whole milk, 5g fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt to a bowl. Whisk until completely smooth. Adjust the consistency. The glaze should be thick but still pourable. If it is too thick, add a little more lemon juice at a time, up to 8g total. Add it gradually since even a small amount of extra liquid can quickly make the glaze too thin. Glaze the loaf. Once completely cool, lift the loaf out of the tin using the parchment paper. Pour the glaze over the top and use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to gently spread it toward the edges, letting some naturally drip down the sides. Garnish the loaf. While the glaze is still wet, sprinkle a little fresh lemon zest, dried Earl Grey tea leaves and/or dried edible flowers over the top, if using. You only need a small amount of the tea leaves since they can be quite strong. Make sure any flowers you use are specifically labelled as edible and food-safe. Let the glaze set before slicing. This gives the icing time to firm up and makes the loaf much easier to cut into clean slices. Slice and enjoy. Bon Appétit!

These brown butter raspberry white chocolate cookies are seriously so good. The brown butter gives them that rich, caramel-like flavor, while the raspberries balance out the sweetness of the white chocolate perfectly. They’re crispy around the edges, soft and chewy in the middle, with pockets of melted white chocolate and raspberry in every bite. Definitely one of those cookies you’ll want to make again. makes about 15 cookies (60g each) Ingredients: 200g butter 2 tsp water (10g) 1 1/4 cups brown sugar (250g) 1/4 cup white sugar (50g) 1 tsp vanilla extract (5g) 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk 1 tsp baking soda (5g) 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g) 3/4 tsp salt (4g) 150g white chocolate, roughly chopped into chunks 1/2 cup frozen raspberries (65g) Directions: Preheat your oven to 175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brown the butter. Add the butter to a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Let the butter melt completely, then continue cooking, stirring or swirling the pan frequently. The butter will begin to foam and sizzle as the water cooks off. After a few minutes, you’ll start to see golden-brown bits forming at the bottom of the pan and the butter will smell toasted and caramel-like. Stop the cooking. As soon as the milk solids are golden brown, immediately pour the butter, making sure to get all those brown bits, into a heatproof bowl. Don’t leave it in the hot pan, as the residual heat can quickly burn the butter. Add back some moisture. You should have around 165g of butter after browning. Stir in 2 tsp (10g) water to bring the mixture to approximately 175g. Be careful when adding the water, as the warm butter may bubble or splatter slightly. Cool the brown butter. Let the brown butter cool completely at room temperature before making the dough. It should no longer feel warm to the touch. Using it while it’s still hot can cause the cookies to spread too much in the oven and the raspberries to melt faster into the dough. Mix the butter and sugars. Add the cooled brown butter, brown sugar and white sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined and slightly lighter in texture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs and vanilla. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and fully combined, scraping down the bowl once more if needed. Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low speed just until no large streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing, the dough will finish coming together when you add the chocolate. Add the white chocolate and raspberries. Fold in the chopped white chocolate until evenly distributed. Add the frozen raspberries straight from the freezer and gently fold them into the dough with a spatula. Try not to crush them too much, you want distinct pockets of raspberry rather than completely pink cookie dough. Portion the cookies. Divide the dough into approximately 60g portions and gently roll each one into a ball. Avoid compacting the dough too tightly. For extra chocolatey cookies, press a few reserved pieces of white chocolate onto the tops. Arrange the cookies. Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 6–7 cm between each one to give them enough room to spread. Bake on the middle rack for approximately 9 minutes, or until the edges are set and very lightly golden but the centers still look soft and slightly underdone. Don’t wait for the centers to look completely baked—the cookies will continue cooking from the residual heat of the baking sheet. Let them set. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes after removing them from the oven. They’ll be very soft at first but will firm up as they cool while keeping that chewy center. Transfer to a wire rack to cool further, or eat one while it’s still slightly warm and the white chocolate is nice and melty. Bon Appétit!

These cookies are next-level good. With brown butter and milk powder in the mix, they turn out like those bakery cookies you can't resist. These chocolate chunk cookies take a bit more effort, but they’re so worth it if you’re craving something special. They’re crispy on the edges, chewy in the middle, and absolutely irresistible. makes about 20 cookies (60g each) Ingredients: 200g butter + 10g water (approx 2 tsp) 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1 tsp vanilla 2 eggs 1 tsp baking soda 2 cups flour + 2 tbsp 3 tbsp powdered milk 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp flakey sea salt (optional but recommended) 1 cup of roughly chopped semi-sweet chocolate Directions: Preheat oven to 160°C. Add the butter to a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Let the butter melt completely, then continue cooking, stirring or swirling the pan frequently. The butter will begin to foam and sizzle as the water cooks off. After a few minutes, you’ll start to see golden-brown bits forming at the bottom of the pan and the butter will smell toasted and caramel-like. Stop the cooking. As soon as the milk solids are golden brown, immediately pour the butter, making sure to get all those brown bits, into a heatproof bowl. Don’t leave it in the hot pan, as the residual heat can quickly burn the butter. Add back some moisture. You should have around 165g of butter after browning. Stir in 2 tsp (10g) water to bring the mixture to approximately 175g. Be careful when adding the water, as the warm butter may bubble or splatter slightly. Let the brown butter cool completely at room temperature before making the dough. It should no longer feel warm to the touch. Using it while it’s still hot can cause the cookies to spread too much in the oven. In a stand mixer, cream together the brown butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined. In another bowl, mix the flour, milk powder, baking soda and salt, then add them to the butter-sugar mix until a dough forms (make sure not to over-mix the dough) Stir in the chocolate chunks. Grab a few tablespoons of the cookie dough and shape the cookie dough into a ball. (I use about 60g of cookie dough for each cookie) Place your cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, placing them about 6 cm apart to make sure they don’t stick to each other. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes on the middle rack. (the cookies will still look soft but they will harden as they cool down) Sprinkle the cookies with sea salt and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before removing them. Bon Appétit!

This is a very serious sandwich situation. Seared bavette, melted Cantal, caramelised onions, peppery arugula, and plenty of dijonnaise, all piled onto toasted ciabatta. It’s rich, a little messy, and exactly what I want from a steak sandwich. I served mine with bistro-cut fries, a simple vinaigrette-dressed side salad, and extra dijonnaise on the side. (Serves 1 to 2 people) Ingredients For the steak sandwich: 1 ciabatta roll 130g bavette steak 50g Cantal cheese, sliced or grated 1 small handful arugula 1 tsp olive oil Flakey sea salt (to taste) Freshly ground black pepper (to taste) 1 tbsp butter 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme For the caramelised onions: 1 small/medium onion, thinly sliced 1 tsp butter ½ tsp brown sugar 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce Pinch of salt Black pepper, to taste For the dijonnaise: 2 tbsp mayonnaise 2 tsp moutarde à l’ancienne (wholegrain mustard) 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce Squeeze of lemon juice Freshly ground black pepper, to taste For the side salad (optional): 1 handful mixed salad leaves 1/2 tsp moutarde à l’ancienne 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp olive oil Salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste To serve (optional): Bistro-cut fries Extra dijonnaise Directions Start with the onions. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and add the sliced onion with a pinch of salt. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to colour. Add the brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce and cook for another 5–10 minutes until the onions are deeply golden and glossy. You don't normally need sugar to caramelise onions — they'll get there on their own if you give them enough time. Here, the brown sugar just speeds things up. They won't be as soft and jammy as onions cooked low and slow for an hour or two, but I actually prefer them with a little more texture in this sandwich. If you want to properly caramelise yours, though, you do you. Make the dijonnaise by mixing the mayonnaise, moutarde à l’ancienne, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust with a little more mustard or lemon if needed. Take the bavette out of the fridge around 20–30 minutes before cooking. Pat it very dry and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a heavy pan over high heat with the olive oil. Once very hot, add the bavette and leave it undisturbed to develop a good crust. For a bavette around 2–2.5cm thick, use these timings as a rough guide: Rare: around 1½–2 minutes per side (50–52°C internal temperature) Medium-rare: around 2–2½ minutes per side (54–57°C) Medium: around 2½–3 minutes per side (60–63°C) Medium-well: around 3–3½ minutes per side (65–67°C) Well-done: around 4 minutes or more per side (70°C+) I recommend medium-rare to medium for this sandwich. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your steak and how hot your pan is, so an instant-read thermometer is the most reliable way to check for sure. During the final minute of cooking, lower the heat slightly and add the butter, crushed garlic, and thyme. Once the butter begins to foam, tilt the pan and repeatedly spoon the garlic and thyme-infused butter over the steak to baste it. Transfer the bavette to a board and let it rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain. This is especially important with bavette and makes it much more tender to eat in the sandwich. Slice the ciabatta in half. Lightly butter the cut sides and toast until golden. Add the Cantal to the top and bottom half and place under the grill until melted and bubbling. Spread a generous amount of dijonnaise over the bottom half of the ciabatta. Add the arugula, followed by the sliced bavette and caramelised onions. Finish with the Cantal-covered top half and press everything together. For the optional side salad, whisk together the moutarde à l’ancienne and the vinegar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified, then season with salt and black pepper. Toss with the salad leaves just before serving. Slice the sandwich in half and serve immediately with bistro-cut fries, the side salad, and extra dijonnaise for dipping. Bon Appétit!

20 minutes is all you need to pull together a bowl of beans that tastes like it simmered for hours. The shallots, garlic, and tomato paste create a rich base, the beans soak it all up, and a little crème fraîche and lemon at the end tie everything together. It’s weeknight comfort food at its best. Served with some toasted sourdough. It's absolutely delicious. Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 5 small shallots, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tbsp tomato paste ½ bouillon cube + 1 cup water (or 1 cup stock) 1 tbsp crème fraîche 400g butter beans (judión beans), drained and rinsed ½ lemon, juiced (more or less to taste) Black pepper, to taste Pinch of chili flakes To garnish: Lemon zest 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Extra chili flakes Flaky sea salt Chives, finely chopped To serve: Thick slices of sourdough or a bowl of rice Directions Heat olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and let it cook down for 2 minutes to deepen in color and flavor. Pour in the bouillon + water (or stock) and stir to make a rich sauce. Tumble in the butter beans, season with black pepper and chili, and let it all simmer gently for 10–12 minutes so the beans soak up the sauce. Stir in the crème fraîche and lemon juice. Taste and adjust, adding more lemon if you want extra zing. Spoon the beans into bowls and top with lemon zest, Parmesan, chili flakes, flaky sea salt, and chives. Serve with toasted sourdough on the side, or spooned over rice for a more filling meal Bon Appétit!

This cake is inspired by a trip I took to Italy, where I had a simple pear cake topped with mascarpone cream. It was so good that I knew in the moment as soon as I got home, I knew I had to recreate it. The original didn’t have a brown butter cream or poached pears, but I wanted to add my own twist. This version came together naturally, and it’s quickly become a favorite. Hope you enjoy it! Had to make sure it tastes as good as it looks. Spoiler: it does. Ingredients: Cake Batter 10 ripe pears (1.0kg) - 8 pears for the cake and 2 for the poached pears 1/4 cup light brown sugar 1/4 cup white granulated sugar 2 eggs 1/2 tsp salt 100ml vegetable oil 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup corn starch 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional) Brown Butter Mascarpone Whipped Cream 50g butter (browned) 90g mascarpone (at room temperature) - if you don’t have mascarpone, you can use cream cheese instead. 1/2 tsp vanilla paste/extract Pinch of salt 1/2 cup powdered sugar Poached Pears in Syrup: 2 pears (peeled, halved, and seeds removed with a small spoon) 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup water 2 cinnamon sticks 3 cloves 2 slices of ginger 1/2 tsp vanilla paste 2 slices of lemon Directions: For the Brown Butter Mascarpone Whipped Cream: In a small pan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until lightly browned and nutty in fragrance (about 5-8 minutes). Remove from heat, transfer to a heat-safe container, and refrigerate until solid. Once solid, beat the butter in a mixer until creamed. Add the mascarpone, vanilla paste, and salt, and blend on low speed until well combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all the sugar is incorporated, increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to use. For the Poached Pears: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, ginger slices, vanilla paste, and lemon slices. Allow the mixture to simmer. While the mixture heats, prepare a cartouche: Cut a circle of parchment paper slightly larger than the diameter of your saucepan. Fold the circle in half, then in quarters, and snip off the pointed tip to create a small hole in the center. This will allow steam to escape while keeping the pears submerged. ( here is a step by step on how to make it by REMCooks) When the mixture begins to simmer, lower the heat and gently add the peeled pear halves, ensuring they are fully submerged in the liquid. Place the cartouche over the pears, pressing it down lightly to sit on the surface of the liquid. This helps maintain even poaching. Simmer gently for 15-25 minutes, checking the pears occasionally by piercing them with a knife or skewer. The pears are ready when the knife slides in easily but the fruit still holds its shape. Carefully remove the pears from the poaching liquid and set them aside to cool on a plate or wire rack. Return the poaching liquid to the stove and simmer over medium heat until it reduces into a thick syrup, perfect for glazing the cake - this should take about 5 minutes. For the Cake Batter: Preheat your oven to 180°C. Line a 24 cm cake pan with baking paper. Peel and core the pears, then slice them thinly. Set aside. In a stand mixer, cream together the brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the vegetable oil and mix for another 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing for an additional 5 minutes. (This extended mixing time after each step enhances the cake’s texture.) Fold in the sliced pears and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. (you might think that there is not enough batter but that is how it is supposed to look like) Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for at least 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. While still warm, glaze the cake with a bit of the poaching syrup to enhance the flavor and add a glossy finish. Dust with powdered sugar. To Serve: Slice the cake and serve warm or cold with a generous dollop of the brown butter mascarpone whipped cream. Add a poached pear half to each plate for an elegant touch. -Bon Appétit!

Meet your new favorite dessert: the Vanilla Meringue Cake. It starts with a light and fluffy vanilla sponge, layered with rich crème diplomat cream. The whole cake is then wrapped in a smooth Italian meringue cream and torched to a golden perfection. This cake is all about contrasts – soft, creamy layers inside and a crisp, caramelized exterior. Perfect for any occasion, it's a treat that not only tastes amazing but also looks stunning. Full recipe coming soon...

The "perfectly imperfect" galette is an absolute show stopper and tastes exquisite! It is so easy to prepare ahead of time and will definitely impress at every dinner party! Ingredients: 1 large heirloom tomato (or any tomatoes of your choice) Basil leaves 3 garlic cloves (thinly sliced) Pesto or basil oil to garnish (optional) 1 egg (to make an egg wash) For the crust: 1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 stick butter (1/2 cup or 114g) 1/2 cup ice water (it is simply melted ice or just really cold water!) For the whipped ricotta filling: 200g Ricotta 1/4 cup Parmesan or Grana Padano (grated) 1 to 2 cloves garlic (minced) 1/8 tsp Nutmeg A few basil leaves (roughly - chiffonade) 1 tbsp Honey Salt (to taste) Pepper (to taste) Zest of a small lemon 1 tbsp high quality olive oil Directions: For the crust: Using a food processor: In a food processor, combine the flour and salt. Pulse a few times to mix. Add in the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water through the feed tube, pulsing until the dough just comes together. Do not overprocess. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, shape it into a disc, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Using a food processor: In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water (you might need more or less accordingly), mixing until a dough forms. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. For the whipped ricotta filling: While the dough is in the fridge, start preparing the ricotta filling. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, grated Parmesan, minced garlic, nutmeg, honey, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and olive oil. Whip the mixture until smooth and well combined. (using a whisk, hand mixer or food processor) After whipping the mixture, fold in your chopped up basil leaves. Your filling is now ready! For assembling and baking the galette: Preheat oven to 180°C. On a floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a circle about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the rolled dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread the whipped ricotta filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border around the edges. Arrange the tomato slices, basil leaves, and thinly sliced garlic cloves over the ricotta filling. Fold the edges of the dough over the filling, pleating as necessary to form a rustic edge. Store the galette in the fridge until you are ready to bake. Beat the egg to make an egg wash and brush it over the crust. When you are ready to bake the galette, brush the crust with the egg wash, drizzle with a little olive oil and top with salt and pepper. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the tomatoes are tender. Once the galette is out of the oven, you can garnish it with more basil leaves, pesto or basil oil, if desired. Serve warm and enjoy. Bon Appétit!

These are ftayer straight from my grandma’s cookbook! They are little delicious spinach pastries called ftayer are a staple at every gathering set by my Lebanese family, these addictive bite-sized pastries have to be my absolute favorite! These are pastries filled with spinach, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, spices, sumac and olive oil straight from the homeland. They are addictive to say the least. Ingredients: For the dough: 3 cups flour 1 tbsp sugar 1/4 cup oil 1 tsp salt 1 tsp yeast 1 1/4 water (you might need more or less accordingly) For the filling: 10 small bunches of spinach 1 red onion (finely chopped) 1 tsp salt 2 tsp sumac 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp all spice 1/4 cup lemon juice (start off with 25 ml and add on as much as you like) 1/4 cup olive oil Directions: For the dough: Mix the flour, sugar, salt, oil and yeast in a large bowl until combined. Add the water gradually into the flour and mix until a dough forms. Once the dough forms, kneed it for 7-10 minutes (using your hands or a hand mixer) Cover and allow to rest at least for 1 hour before using. For the filling: While the dough is rising, start preparing the spinach filling. Roughly chop your washed up spinach leaves and place them in a large bowl. Add in a teaspoon of salt and set aside for 15 minutes. Then transfer the spinach onto a mesh strainer and squeeze the spinach dry. Finely chop your red onion and add it into a bowl with your strained spinach. Add in all your spices, olive oil, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses. (You can add more or less of each seasoning according to taste.) Your filling is now ready! For assembling and baking the pastries: Preheat oven to 180°C. Divide the dough in half and roll out one of the sections. Using a circular cut out, lid, tea kettle lid, etc. , cut out the rolled dough. Start placing a spoonful of the spinach filling onto each dough cutout. (make sure to keep your filling centered as if the filling gets onto the edges, the pastry will not seal well) Pinch the two sides together then the third side to form a triangular shape. Pinch the edges well to prevent it from bursting in the oven. Repeat with the remainder of the dough. Place the shaped pastries onto a lightly oiled baking sheet, spacing them out evenly (use the measurement of half your finger as a guide). Bake the pastries for 15-18 minutes on the middle rack until golden brown. Serve warm with some lemon wedges and pomegranate molasses or dip the pastries into the mixture that stayed on the bottom of the bowl after dividing the filling into the dough. Bon Appétit!

This cookie is a take on the famous German chocolate cake. The cookie consists of a double chocolate cookie, coconut-almond topping, chocolate drizzle and garnished with chopped almonds. The cake does not originate from Germany but we have to thank the English-American baker Samuel German for this spectacular dessert combo! Makes 8 large cookies Ingredients: Double chocolate cookie dough: 100g butter 3/4 cup brown sugar 4 tbsp white sugar 1 small egg + 1 egg yolk 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 3/4 cups and 2 tbsp flour 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/3 cup Dutch cocoa powder (unsweetened cocoa powder) 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips Coconut topping: 1/2 cup evaporated milk 1/2 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup shredded coconut 1 egg yolk 50g butter 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup almonds + more for garnish (chopped) - traditional recipes usually use pecans but I used almonds instead ;) 1/2 cup semisweet/dark chocolate chips (melted) - for drizzling onto of the cookies Directions: For the topping: In a small pot/saucepan set over medium heat, mix the evaporated milk, brown sugar, butter and egg. Stir the mixture constantly until it thickens. (about 10 minutes- 13 minutes) Remove the pot from the heat and add in the shredded coconut, vanilla and almonds. Allow the coconut mixture to cool completely before spreading on top of the cookies. For the cookie: Preheat oven to 140°C. In a stand mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, egg and the egg yolk and mix until combined. Add the cocoa powder, flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix until dough forms (make sure not to over-mix the dough) Stir in the semi sweet chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes before shaping. Grab a few tablespoons worth of cookie dough and roughly shape it into a cookie dough ball (make your cookie dough ball loose and don’t smooth it out) Place your cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, placing them about 6 cm apart to make sure they don’t stick to each other. Bake the cookies for 15-17 minutes on the middle rack.(the cookies will look cooked from the outside but will still look really soft on the inside) Allow the cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them. For assembling the cookies: Spread at least two tablespoons of the coconut topping onto one of the fully cooled cookies. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and warm in the microwave for about 1 minute and 30 seconds stirring every 30 seconds. Transfer your melted chocolate into a Ziplock bag/piping bag and cut of the corner of the bag. Drizzle the chocolate onto of the cookies and garnish with a few chopped almond pieces. Store the cookies in the fridge and remove for at least 20 minutes before serving for the ultimate experience! Bon Appetit!

This cake recipe is probably the one I use the most! I use it whenever I need to make a layered cake or just a plain cake for when my family craves something sweet :) Ingredients: Dry Ingredients: 1 3/4 flour 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup cocoa powder 2 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp baking powder Wet ingredients: 3/4 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 1 3/4 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 cup whole milk 1/2 cup hot coffee (I used espresso) Directions: Preheat your oven to 170°C In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder together.(dry ingredients) In a stand mixer/ using a whisk, mix the egg, vanilla and vegetable oil and mix for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. (all the wet ingredients except milk and coffee) Add in the 1/2 cup of milk and mix until fully combined. Then add the flour-cocoa powder mixture into the wet ingredients mixture and stir until no streaks of flour remain and all the ingredients are fully incorporated. (Don’t over mix your batter or else the cake will turn out dense) Gradually add in your hot coffee while mixing the batter. Pour your batter into a greased 9-inch pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake When the cakes are out allow them to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing them from the pans. Let the cakes fully cool down at room temperature then at least 1 hour in the fridge before layering/stacking them OR serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate experience! Bon Appétit!

This fluffy frosting is all I use for decorating stacked cakes and cakes with intricate frosting designs. This frosting sets almost immediately after placing it in the fridge and sets with a fondant like finish which I absolutely adore! The ratio I use for butter cream frosting is 1:2 parts butter to powdered sugar. Ingredients: 300g unsalted butter (softened at room temperature) 600g powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt [optional] 2-4 tbsp whole milk (depending on how thick or thin you want your frosting to be) Directions: In a stand mixer/using a hand mixer, whip your butter for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes light and fluffy (the butter will become paler in color and almost double in volume) Gradually add in your powdered sugar until fully incorporated (make sure you add it gradually not all at once as a cloud of powdered sugar will form when mixed hehe) Finally add in your vanilla, salt and milk[optional] and mix until fully incorporated. At this point, you can add a few drops of food coloring to make any color of your choice. And voilà you have got yourself a bowl of the best butter cream ever!