Dark chocolate and pecan babka

Chocolate babka

 

Is it cake? Is it bread? However you categorise it, your next beautiful weekend baking project awaits. Swirls of dark chocolate and pockets of crunchy pecans are tucked into a soft, enriched dough, then finished with a glossy sugar syrup glaze. This dark chocolate babka is an indulgent tea-time treat and one that’s well worth the extra time it takes to make.

 

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Coffee crumb sponge cake with whipped ganache

Easy coffee sponge cake recipe

 

We’ve just returned from a magical road trip from Cape Town to Botswana, and beyond! Thousand of kilometres, four countries and countless memories later, it’s been a little strange to settle back into our normal routine! Between unpacking bags and camping gear, tackling mountains of laundry and catching up on emails I found some time to test this recipe that has been sitting on my “must bake” list for quite some time.

 

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Chewy oat, dark chocolate and sesame cookies

Oat and dark chocolate cookies

 

There are some recipes that feel made for winter, and these bakery-style oat cookies are one of them. When the cold weather hits all I want to do is flick on the oven and bake, are you the same? These rustic, chewy cookies with pops of rich dark chocolate are best enjoyed warm with a hot drink in hand, just what you want on a cold June day.

 

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Poached pears with chocolate sauce and hazelnut crumb

Poached pear with chocolate sauce in a bowl

 

This post is sponsored by Bash. Recipe, images and copy are my own.

Today, I’m sharing an elegant and irresistible winter dessert that’s rich, warming, and just a little indulgent. Poached pears are often overlooked but they’re surprisingly simple to prepare and absolutely stunning when plated with a luscious chocolate sauce and a crunchy, nutty crumb. This is the kind of dessert that feels special enough for guests, yet easy enough to throw together on a cosy weeknight.

 

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2 Minute microwave hot fudge sauce

Sauce being poured over a stack of flapjacks

This post is sponsored by Bash. Recipe, images and copy are my own.

Mention the words “hot fudge sauce” and immediately I think of rich, chocolatey deliciousness. This quick recipe is perfect for dessert emergencies or spontaneous chocolate cravings, and in my opinion is better than store-bought sauce. I remember making a similar recipe as a child and drizzling the sauce over vanilla ice cream – the best! So, it was time to recreate that food memory and I’m so pleased with the results.

 

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Triple chocolate molten brownie pots (Egg free)

Overhead shot of brownie dessert in individual pots with raspberries and ice cream

 

Valentine’s Day is coming up and if there’s one treat that never gets old it’s chocolate! This triple chocolate dessert is perfect for spoiling your loved ones (and yourself) and is sure to sweeten up your celebration. It’s dark and rich (not too sweet, which I love) and has a gooey melted chocolate centre. Creamy vanilla ice cream and fresh raspberries complement these warm brownie pots beautifully, it’s pure indulgence.

 

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Sweet and simple: Chocolate dipped meringue kisses

 

I absolutely love these dainty and delicate meringue kisses, they have an amazingly light texture and just melt in your mouth! They look adorable too, and are lovely to enjoy on their own, or to serve alongside fresh fruit, ice cream or chocolate mousse. The easy recipe below will show you how to bake the meringue and create these irresistible and elegant sweet treats at home.

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Yo-ho-ho! How to make a pirate ship cake

 

Ahoy! The inspiration for this birthday cake comes from the official birthday cake handbook of the eighties (and beyond), “The Australian Women’s Weekly Kids’ Birthday Cakes”. How many of you can remember paging through this book as children, ogling all of the beautiful birthday creations? Talk about nostalgia. My copy of the book is not the original but a later version, however it but still features its legendary bakes like the train cake, the princess castle and the swimming pool (if you know, you know).

 

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