Author Archives

Baking and Blogging in Ascot

• Pancetta and Mixed Olive Bread

  By lovinghomemade on May 27, 2015 • ( 21 )

  

  I make nearly all the bread we eat but recently I have tended to make the same basic recipe each time: flour, yeast, salt and water. No fat, no sugar. The only things that vary are the types and proportions… Read More ›

• Loving homemade Crete

  By lovinghomemade on May 20, 2015 • ( 16 )

  

  The villagers in one of the mountain villages in Crete were recently offered mains water and electricity by the Greek government. They turned it down unanimously because they didn’t want to lose their traditional way of life. And while I… Read More ›

• Homemade Ciabatta and Olive Oil

  By lovinghomemade on May 6, 2015 • ( 17 )

  

  It’s no secret that I love to use homegrown or foraged produce whenever possible. So when my friend Vana hand-delivered some olive oil direct from her friend’s olive oil farm outside Cape Town in South Africa, I couldn’t wait to… Read More ›

• Olaf on The Beach Cake and Cupcakes

  By lovinghomemade on April 29, 2015 • ( 14 )

  

  It’s been a while since I posted a “party” cake on the blog. I have been making cakes for friends and family for a while now, and a year working as a dessert chef has given me the confidence to… Read More ›

• Rosemary and Lemon Polenta Cake

  By lovinghomemade on April 22, 2015 • ( 24 )

  

  I have spent a lot of time this past week out in the garden and it is really starting to look like a different place. Now when I look out of the kitchen window I see a pretty, restful space… Read More ›

• Chocolate and Ginger Cake

  By lovinghomemade on April 15, 2015 • ( 8 )

  

  While I love dark chocolate, I possibly love it even more when it is combined with certain flavours: ginger is one of those flavours that works particularly well. So rather than a ginger cake with a touch of chocolate, this… Read More ›

• Tiramisù – the perfect make ahead dessert

  By lovinghomemade on April 8, 2015 • ( 8 )

  

  Tiramisù is a very easy, very forgiving dessert to make and as it improves over a few days is the perfect make-ahead dessert. There are hundreds of slightly different recipes for tiramisù out there but this one came from a… Read More ›

• Jamie Oliver’s Cappuccino Cake

  By lovinghomemade on April 1, 2015 • ( 15 )

  

  Cakes don’t always turn out the way they should, even if you are an “experienced” baker. There is always room for human error! I struggled with this cake from the outset because I didn’t put my faith in the recipe… Read More ›

• Cranberry and Dark Chocolate Buns – hot cross optional!

  By lovinghomemade on March 25, 2015 • ( 16 )

  

  I always tell my kids that just saying something doesn’t make it true: it’s important to use your own judgement as to whether or not something is as it claims. It’s a good rule that can be applied to most… Read More ›

• Apricot and Pecan Puddings with Caramel Sauce

  By lovinghomemade on March 18, 2015 • ( 10 )

  

  These are very versatile little puddings. They are essentially a variation on a sticky toffee pudding with apricots instead of dates and the addition of crunchy pecans. They are just as good as a dinner party dessert as a midweek… Read More ›