Wonderfully creamy and custardly, the Basque burnt cheesecake is a crustless cheesecake baked at high heat. It has a rustic look with cracked edges and an almost burnt surface.
While the original recipe from La Viña in San Sebastián contains only 5 ingredients, there’s plenty of room to get creative. This version uses brown sugar as well as Brie for an enhanced caramelly finish. You can also add matcha powder, cocoa powder, Camembert or Blue Cheese – so simply get creative and have some fun!
What you’ll need
400g cream cheese, room temperature
50g Brie
80g brown sugar
20g caster sugar
3 large eggs, room temp
200g heavy cream (35% fat)
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp rum
How to make it
Line a 6” circle cake tin with 2 layers of baking paper and trimmed to have an overhanging amount of 1.5″-2″.
Beat sugar and cream cheese together on medium until smooth and there are no more clumps. Scrape the bowl.
Add eggs one at a time and beat on medium until smooth. Scrape the bowl again to ensure that nothing sticks to the sides for even mixing.
Add the rum, vanilla, lemon juice, cream and beat until just mixed. Sieve the flours into the mixture and mix to ensure it’s just combined.
Bake in convection oven at 220C/430F for at least 40 minutes, until top is dark amber and almost charred at parts but the middle is still jiggly.
Let cool in the tin fully on a wire rack at room temperature, then place in fridge to allow the cheesecake to set. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Note: If you prefer a more runny/molten centre, bake the cheesecake at 240C/470F for 30-35 minutes.
Babka is a sweet braided bread that originated from Jewish communities in Poland in the early 19th century. Extra challah dough was rolled up with fruit jam or cinnamon and the Babka was baked as a loaf alongside the challah then.
Fast forward to 2020, the modern day Babka consists of either an enriched or laminated dough, rolled out and spread with a variety of sweet fillings such as nutella, chocolate, cinnamon sugar, apples, poppy seeds, matcha and even sake kasu! It is sometimes topped with a crumb topping.
This is a recipe for Nutella Babka, and a variation for Matcha Sesame Babka (scroll all the way to the bottom!)
What you’ll need
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons whole milk, divided into two
2 teaspoons dry yeast
1/3 cup/70g granulated sugar
1/2 cup/115g unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, at room temperature and divided into 2
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 and 1/4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting/rolling
2 cups (600g) Nutella, divided into 2 sets
How to make it
Heat 1 cup of milk to about 95 deg F/ 35 degC.
Pour the warm milk into the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Manually whisk in the yeast and 2 teaspoons of the granulated sugar. The mixture should be frothy and foamy after 5 minutes.
On low speed, beat in the remaining sugar and the softened butter until butter is slightly broken up. Next beat in 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk (reserve the egg white) and the salt. Gradually add the flour, then beat on medium speed for about 5-6 minutes until a soft dough forms.
Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Place into a large bowl, greased and cover with a damp towel. Place in a warm area to rise, till doubled in size, for about an hour.
Once doubled in size, punch down the dough to release any air bubbles. Remove dough from the bowl and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down again to release any more air bubbles if needed. Using a sharp knife or dough scraper, cut dough in half. Work with only half of the dough at a time. Cover the dough you aren’t working with.
Generously grease two round 7-inch pans with butter or nonstick spray.
On a slightly floured work surface, start shaping the babka. Roll one dough half out into an approx. 9×13 inch rectangle. Spread with 1 cup of Nutella, leaving a 1/2 inch border uncovered.
Tightly roll the dough into a 13-inch log. Place the log on its seam. Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise. Criss-cross one half, cut side down, on top of the other half– forming an X. Twist the two together then give the plait a quick roll to form a round dough.
Place in prepared loaf pan and cover with damp towel. Repeat with 2nd half of dough. This step can get a little messy – its normal!
Allow both shaped (and covered) loaves to rest for 10-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 deg F/ 180 deg C.
To make the eggwash, whisk the remaining 2 Tablespoons of milk with the leftover egg white. Using a pastry brush, brush the babka loaves with egg wash. Do the best you can as some Nutella is exposed.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until babka is golden brown on top. Remove from the oven, place each pan on a wire rack, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Cover and store leftover babka at room temperature for a couple days or in the refrigerator for 1 week. You can also freeze the baked babka for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator. To serve, warm it up in the oven.
Matcha Sesame Babka
To make Matcha Sesame Babka, add 2 tbsps matcha powder to the flour in step 2. Instead of Nutella, make your black sesame filling with 1 cup ground black sesame, 1/2 cup sesame seeds and 2 tbsps brown sugar, then sprinkle on the dough before rolling it into a tight log (steps 7 and 8).
Originally made with oats and griddle-baked, it is believed that scones got their start as a Scottish quick bread in the early 1500s. Some say the word “skone” originated from the Dutch word ‘schoonbrot’, which means beautiful bread, while others argue it comes from Stone of Destiny, where the Kings of Scotland were crowned.
When it comes to flavour variations, the possibilities are endless, so feel empowered to explore your favourite (preferably dry) ingredients! The important thing is to keep in mind are that all ingredients should be cold (e.g. use chilled or frozen butter) for a better rise, and don’t overdo the mixing because crumbly scones are best!
In February 2020, a bakery in Vietnam created a series of pink dragonfruit bread to use up the tons of dragonfruit going unsold due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
This exceptional dragon fruit Bahn Mi combines the subtle hint of floral sweetness, rich, savoury meat and bright, crunchy pickles and fresh herbs, all stuffed into a stunning pink baguette!
What you’ll need
For Pink Dragonfruit Baguette (makes 4:
250g plain flour
1 ½ teaspoon instant dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
160g pink dragonfruit, peeled, cut and mashed
For Daikon and Carrot Pickles (Do Chua):
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
450g/1 pound daikon, no larger than 2 inches in diameter, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons plus 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups distilled white vinegar
1 cup lukewarm water
For Bahn Mi:
2 pink dragonfruit baguette
3 tbsp pate
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2-4 slices roast beef
2-4 slices ham
Daikon and carrot pickles (Do Chua)
3/4 cup fresh coriander/cilantro sprigs
Half a cucumber, finely sliced lengthwise into long strips
1 red chilli, finely sliced
How to make it
For Pink Dragonfruit Baguette:
In a mixing bowl of stand mixer, combine the yeast, sugar and mashed pink dragonfruit. Stir well to dissolve. Add half of the flour (125 g) and stir well to create a thick mixture with consistency of pancake batter. Cover and leave it in a warm place for 2-3 hours, until bubbles appear all over.
Add the rest of the flour and salt to the starter dough and using the dough hook on a stand mixer, knead until the dough comes together and elastic – around 10 to 15 minutes. If the dough too dry or wet, add 1 tablespoon of water or flour at a time.
Cover with kitchen towel and rest dough in a warm place (35-37 deg C or 95-98 deg F) for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
Carefully transfer the dough onto the working surface. Try not to deflate it. With a scrapper or knife, divide the dough into 4 equal portions (each portion should weigh about 100g). Twist each portion inside out and form into a ball. Cover with kitchen towel and rest for 10 minutes.
Portion by portion, roll out with a rolling pin into round shape. Roll it and pinch the edges together. Place both hands on top of the dough, roll it back and forth on the counter, applying more pressure on your baby fingers than your thumbs to shape it into banh mi (wider in middle and thinner at both ends).
Place the shaped dough on a baguette pan and cover with kitchen towel. Let rest for another hour until doubled in size.
Preheat oven and the baking tray at 230 deg C/450 deg F for at least 15 minutes before baking. Place a tray of hot water at the bottom of the oven.
Score the baguette with a sharp knife, bread lame or razor blade and bake immediately.
Spray water on both sides of the oven and on the dough.
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 230 deg C/450 deg F in the middle of the oven. After the first 8 to 10 minutes, spray water on the baguettes and rotate the baguette pan to bake the baguettes evenly.
When the baguettes are done, turn the oven off and leave them in the oven for another 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.
For Carrot and Daikon Pickles (Do Chua):
Place the carrot and daikons in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt and 2 teaspoons of the sugar. Knead the vegetables for a few minutes, expelling the water from them. As they, soften, liquid will pool at the bottom of the bowl. Stop kneading when you can bend a piece of daikon so that the ends touch but the daikon does not break. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water, then press gently to expel extra water. Return the vegetables to the bowl if you plan to eat them soon, or transfer them to a 1-quart jar for longer storage.
To make the brine, in a bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar, the vinegar, and the water and stir to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the vegetables. The brine should cover the vegetables. Let the vegetables marinate in the brine for at least 1 hour before eating. Store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
To assemble the Bahn Mi:
Split rolls down the centre of the top.
Spread 1.5 tbsp pate on one side, then 1.5 tbsp mayonnaise over the pate.
Layer in the meats with cucumber slices.
Stuff in plenty of pickled carrots and daikon, and coriander sprigs.
Despite its name, the Swiss Roll (also known as jelly roll, jam roll, roll cake, cream roll or Swiss log) did not originate from Switzerland but likely from Austria. From classic fruit jam, whipped cream, chocolate and cheese fillings, to more exotic fillings made with ube and durian, different countries have their favourite interpretations of this sponge cake roll.
This light and luscious Chocolate Almond Roll combines a simple 3-ingredient Swiss Roll sponge recipe with a delicious chocolate almond butter.
What you’ll need
For the Swiss Roll Sponge:
3 Eggs
60g Castor sugar
50g All Purpose Flour, sifted twice
For the Chocolate Almond Butter Filling:
1 cup raw almonds
1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 pinch sea salt
For the Topping:
50g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
1 tbsp ground raw almonds
How to make it
Swiss Roll Sponge:
Preheat oven to 200 deg C/400 deg F. Line a 28cm x 28cm flat square cake pan with parchment or baking paper.
Using a clean bowl, beat eggs with a whisk, then add sugar. Place bowl over a double boiler and mix well.
While egg mixture is warm, beat the mixture in a mixer on high speed with whisk attachment, until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and continue beating for a minute. This will stabilise the volume of the egg mixture and ensure less volume is lost when you fold in the flour later.
Gently fold in sifted flour with a spatula, turning the bowl continuously and scooping the mixture up from the centre and bottom of the bowl. Fold until the mixture becomes glossy. Take care not to overmix the batter.
Pour batter into pan and spread evenly with a scraper. Place cake pan on a tray and bake for 10-12 minutes. Baking the sponge on an additional tray will prevent the bottom of the sponge from browning too quickly.
When Swiss Roll sponge is done, remove from oven, leave to cool slightly in pan, then and place in a plastic bag while it’s still warm to retain moisture. Alternatively, place a kitchen towel over it, and roll it up and set aside.
Chocolate Almond Butter Filling:
Toast almonds, then add to a food processor and process for 10-15 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary. At this point the almonds should start to clump together. Continue to process until you reach a buttery consistency consistency. I always process until my almond butter is liquid like.
Melt chocolate chips in the double boiler.
Add chocolate, cocoa powder, honey, and sea salt to almond butter and process again until smooth.
Assembling the Cake:
Turn cool sponge onto a clean work surface. Peel off the parchment paper from the bottom of the sponge.
Spread the chocolate almond butter in an even layer over the sponge, leaving 1-1.5cm all around the border.
Gently roll up the sponge to make Swiss roll.
Melt the dark chocolate in the double boiler.
Drizzle melted chocolate over the Swiss roll, top with ground almonds.
Chill in the fridge for a few hours to allow the Swiss roll to set. Slice into pieces and tuck in!
Arrepiados” (translated into English as “creepy”, “horrified” or “goosebumps”) are said to have originated when nuns were getting ready to welcome a group of distinguished gentlemen. In the bustle of the kitchen, where they were peeling almonds to make some cookies, a sister remarked, “Do not forget that the Clarissass (nuns of the Monastery of Santa Clara) make very good cakes!” But she was swiftly responded to with “Do not worry! Our sweets are so good that the gentlemen will be arrepiados!”
These soft gluten-free almond biscuits only require 5 ingredients and are a perfect complement too coffee. The best part? They only take 10 minutes to prep and another 10 minutes to bake, and are so superdelicious!
What you’ll need
(Makes about 15 biscuits)
250g ground almonds
90g light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
grated zest of 1 lemon
How to make it
Preheat the oven to 180 deg C/350 deg F.
Mix all the ingredients until a stiff paste is formed
Shape into little balls, then flatten on a baking sheet.
Bake for about 10-15 minutes, until golden brown
Leave to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool immediately.
Inspired by Persian flavours, these shortbread cookies are fragrant, buttery but light — the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea. The best part? They are simple to prepare and the dough can be made ahead of time and frozen.
Fun fact: Both rosewater and pistachio are thought to have originated from Iran and are commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine. In Iranian, pistachios are called “the smiling nut” because the split shell resembles a smile. We hope these delightful cookies will bring a smile to your face.
What you’ll need
(Makes 12-15 cookies)
115g unsalted butter, room temperature
50g granulated sugar
145g all purpose flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp rose water
one pinch salt
2 tbsp dried rose petals, slightly crushed
1/4 cup white chocolate
1 tbsp pistachios, finely chopped
How to make it
Preheat oven to 180 deg C/350 deg F. Line a baking sheet with baking/parchment paper and set aside.
Beat butter with sugar. With mixer on low speed, add flour, vanilla, rose water, salt, rose petals, white chocolate and pistachios until you get a crumbly dough.
Shape the dough into a flat disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out half the dough in between two sheets of parchment paper until it is 1/4 inch thick. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes. Cut the cookies out with your cookie cutter.
Place the cookies onto the parchment-lined baking sheet 1 inch apart. Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges of the cookies just start to brown. Cool completely on a rack.
These bite-sized pies, made with buttery crumbly pastry, will melt in your mouth. They are delicious served still hot from the oven, eaten as they are or served with a drizzle of custard or spoonful of vanilla ice-cream. A perfect summer treat, they make a delightful breakfast, brunch, lunch or dessert!
What you’ll need
For Shortcrust Pastry:
300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
180g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
3/4 tsp Sugar
one pinch of salt
approx 150g ice cold water
For Mini Cherry Pies:
Butter for greasing
350g cherries, stoned and half
2 tsps cornflour
3 tbsps caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Shortcrust pastry
Plain flour, for dusting
Eggwash
How to make it
For Shortcrust Pastry:
Using a food processor, pulse butter flour, sugar and salt until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add water, a little at a time, and mix until a smooth dough is formed.
Place dough on a floured surface and knead lightly. Leave to rest in the fridge overnight.
For Mini Cherry Pies:
Preheat the oven to 180 deg C/350 deg F. Lightly grease a 4×6 section mini muffin tins.
Stir stoned cherries with cornflour, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon.
Roll half the pastry out thinly on a lightly-floured surface. Using a fluted cookie cutter, stamp out 24 circles. Press gently into prepared tins, rerolling the trimmings as needed.
Brush the top edges of the pie cases with a little of the egg glaze, then spoon in the filling.
Roll the reserved pastry out thinly on a lightly-floured surface, then stamp out desired shapes and arrange over the pies. Brush with eggwash.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden.Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then loosen with a round-bladed knife and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Serve warm, or cold, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, custard or vanilla ice-cream.
Get your chocolate, coffee and boozy fix all at once with this showstopping and yummilicious tart! Comprising a chocolately tart shell, a Baileys-infused and chocolate-chip stuffed vanilla custard centre and a Baileys-infused chocolate ganache, this recipe makes an indulgent dessert and impressive centrepiece!
Perfect when paired with Baby Stout (recipe at bottom) – a delicious shot of Baileys Irish Cream and Patron XO Cafe.
What you’ll need :
Makes one 22cm tart or two 11.5cm tarts
For Chocolate Tart Shell
60g cold unsalted butter (cubed)
100g pastry flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
50g ice cold water
Egg wash
For Vanilla-Baileys & Chocolate Chip Custard
1/2 cup milk
1/8 cup cream
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
1tbsp all purpose flour
1 strip lemon peel
1 small cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tbsps Baileys Irish Cream
2 tbsps chocolate chips
For Baileys Chocolate Ganache Filling
80 ml heavy whipping cream
100g semi-sweet chocolate
2 tbsps Baileys Irish Cream
How to make it:
Chocolate Tart Shell
Combine butter and flour in a plastic bag. Place in freezer overnight.
Using a food processor, pulse butter and flour mixture, sugar and salt until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add water and mix until a smooth paste is formed.
Place dough on a floured surface and knead lightly. Knead dough to rest in the refrigerator overnight.
Roll out dough to a thickness of 5mm on a floured surface, then place dough over the tart tin. Gently press dough into the tin, along the sides and bottom. Roll the rolling pin over the top to remove excess dough, then prick dough with a fork, then rest in freezer for at least 5 minutes.
Vanilla-Baileys & Chocolate Chip Custard
Preheat oven to 180 deg C/ 350 deg F
In a large bowl, whisk milk, cream, egg yolks. sugar and salt. Carefully whisk in flour to prevent lumps. When the batter is smooth, add the lemon peel, vanilla and cinnamon stick.
Transfer the batter to a saucepan and whisk constantly over low heat, until the mixture resembles thick custard and coats the back of a spoon.
Allow to cool, then gently spoon off the milk skin from the top. Remove the lemon peel and cinnamon stick.
Stir in Baileys and chocolate chips and mix well
Bake The Tart
Brush top and edges of tart shell with egg wash.
Pour Vanilla-Baileys & Chocolate Chip Filling into frozen chocolate tart shell, and bake for 15-20 minutes until custard is set.
Remove from heat and leave to cool on a wire rack.
Chocolate Ganache
As the tart cools, make the chocolate ganache.
Break chocolate into small pieces and place in a medium sized bowl.
Heat cream to a simmer (before it boils) and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Add Baileys and whisk vigorously until you get a smooth consistent, creamy mixture.
Leave to cool completely, before spreading or piping over the tart.
Final Touches
Place in the refrigerator to set.
Garnish tart with your preferred decorations.
Best paired with a shot of Baby Stout!
Baby Stout Recipe
Pour 20 ml Patron XO Cafe into a shot glass and top with 40ml Baileys Irish Cream, layering the shot so it resembles a miniature glass of stout. Cheers!
Add a healthy boost and positively purple vibes to your focaccia! Enriched with the pure goodness of purple cabbage (also known as red cabbage) juice, this beautiful flower garden focaccia is like no other.
A good source of potassium, folate and vitamin K, purple (red) cabbage has 10 times more vitamin A than green cabbage! Armed with a host of benefits for heart, brain and vision health, the cabbage adds a flavoursome aroma to the focaccia while its enzymes will give your dough an extra fluffy texture.
What you’ll need
1 + 1/4 cup purple cabbage juice + 1 tbsp lemon juice + 1 tbsp sugar (room temperature)
3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
For decoration: assorted vegetables and herbs including bell peppers, small onions, leek, tomatoes, olives, sage and basil
How to make it
In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar and 20ml cabbage juice. Set aside for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, in a medium-large bowl, combine flour, salt, and yeast mixture. Stir well. Add the rest of the cabbage juice mixture. Mix until all of the flour is well incorporated (there should be no small pockets of flour.)
Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place (preferably approximately 38 degree celsius) with a wet tea towel for about 40 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.
Lightly oil a 9-inch square cake pan with olive oil. Roll out dough to fit into the pan. After 15 minutes, stretch dough out to fit the pan if it shrinks.
Cover pan with plastic wrap/wet tea towel and allow the dough to rest till approximately doubled in size (about 30mins). The dough should cover the pan.
Drizzle another tablespoon of olive oil over the dough. Use your fingers to press down into the dough to create deep dimples (approx 2 fingers apart).
Unleash the artist in you and decorate the top with fresh herbs, vegetable and flaky sea salt.
Brush herb and vegetables toppings thoroughly with olive oil to prevent them from being burnt.
Bake:
Preheat oven to 375 deg F/190 deg C with a rack positioned in the centre of the oven. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops are golden. Remove pan from the oven. Remove bread from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack.
Serve warm or allow to cool completely.
Freeze:
To freeze, allow bread to cool completely, then transfer to a ziplock bag and freeze. Thaw and enjoy at room temperature or warm for 10 minutes in a 350 deg F/180 deg C oven.
