I’m in my favourite Brunswick coffee shop this morning having coffee. Propped up at the counter, I can smell the beans and I'm in the perfect position to ogle the array of petite cakes and patisseries on display.
Not so long ago I would not have been able to walk out of this place without picking one delicate little delight to indulge in.
That was the old me. The me before this recipe came into my life.
Read More
How do you go to France and not eat the patisseries?
You tell me.
It's not that I was pressed up against the store windows with drool dripping off my chin, and no one force fed me. I just suddenly became aware, like waking from a dream, of a plate, a cake and a fork in my hand. Seriously, how does that happen?
You may wonder why I even mention it here, but when you've not eaten refined sugar and gluten for a few years....you have to wonder?
Even though French patisseries are no longer my treat of choice, I ate every forkful with utter love and not a single ounce of guilt attached.
Yes, I did suffer later.
Read More
I've recently discovered I have an obsession for tea towels.
I never knew I did until I started pulling out hundreds of tea towels from my storage boxes...wholly smoke....I don't even remember buying half of them.
I do, however remember buying these ones.
100 year old tea towels brought home all the way from Normandy, from a little village called the vallee de l'Eure. This village holds beautiful memories for me. Memories of riding bikes, drinking cider and shopping for brocante and of course staying in the most exquisite little cottage.
Read More
Sometimes I just need the comfort of chocolate.
Something about the smooth creamy texture that can make the sun shine and the birds sing again, and the added bonus of indulging in this particular sticky chocolate goodness..... there's not one little thing you need to feel guilty about. Go ahead...pop a piece (or two) in your mouth!
Nutrient rich, decadent and oh so satisfying. I couldn't ask for anything more.....well, perhaps a cup of tea to go with.....I'm pretty simple.
Read More
You may be thinking that you've seen this recipe before - the little sweet potato truffles that I made and wrote to you about earlier this month (see here).
But, you'd be wrong.
I grew up loving coconut balls. Did you? You know the ones, filled with biscuit crumbs, sugar and cocoa. I'd get so excited whenever I was given the opportunity to eat one, and then when I got older and was able to make them for myself.....hello!
Yes, these ones don't contain biscuit crumbs, and yes, these don't contain cocoa, but as soon as I tasted them, that old excited feeling come rushing right back.
Read More
Food for though: Rice Malt Syrup.
If you've been here before you may have noticed that lately I've been leaning towards Rice Malt Syrup as my sweetener of choice when baking. I'm no expert on the matter, but I am an avid researcher and am learning along the way and what I've discovered so far is that
Rice Malt Syrup is a 100% glucose natural sweetener made from fermented cooked rice (no fructose in sight!). And because it contains more maltose and is low GI, it releases the glucose more slowly and steadily into our systems, rather than a quick spike.
I don't write this to try and convert you on the matter, but purely to explain very simply why it's my sweetener of choice at this point in time.
Read More
Sometimes I just want cake.
Problem is, you have to bake a whole cake for just one slice and if you're anything like me, once a whole cake has been baked and is sitting on the cake plate, one slice just won't do!
I've found the answer - These yummy individual little puddings.
You only have to make one AND they're fructose free!
Read More