One pot ham and potato chowder soup


The weather had been quite flippant in the last few weeks and we find ourselves so looking forward to summer that we are wearing jandals already, looking longingly to the sky as if to say ‘I demand summer weather, NOW!’. Of course that had no results whatsoever and we resolve to having warm, hearty, comfort…

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Chestnut macarons


Chestnuts have a special place in my memories. From the great – chestnut cream layered sponge cake that was to be found at most birthday celebrations (mango is also a very popular option) – to the not so great – braised chicken with chestnuts. Well at least I remember not liking it so much because…

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Mini cookies and cream cheesecake with salted caramel cream


The beauty of this treat lies in the speed and output – minimal time and effort with a large number of serves. This is great for parties or any ‘bring-a-plate’ situations. Instead of bashing biscuits for the base, a single Oreo biscuit is used. The mixer does most of the job for you and it…

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Peanut butter Macarons


This one has been a long time coming. I have been saving my best peanut butter for these and finally it was time to open the jar of Pic’s Really Good Peanut Butter. These are made in Nelson, New Zealand with only two ingredients: Peanuts, salt. Yes no added sugar! The nuttiness of the peanut…

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Beef, mushrooms and truffle penne pasta


A while ago I made a Beef and Cheddar pie. Then I made 3 more. They were all slightly different – one with a truffle cream sauce and one with tomatoes and vegetables. The constant is the tender beef – it proved to be very versatile. I added creamy mashed potatoes to mini puff pastry-lined…

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