Recipes - Page 4 of 12 - Cloudy Kitchen

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

This Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is a super easy pie recipe. It has a homemade strawberry rhubarb pie filling, and is topped with a brown butter malted milk crumble pie topping. This easy strawberry rhubarb crumble pie is made with an easy par baked pie crust and is great to make ahead. It is the perfect strawberry and rhubarb dessert.

Hi hi! Just popping in to share the recipe for this easy Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. This Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie is the perfect summer dessert. It has a par baked crust made from a flaky pie dough, then a pre-cooked strawberry rhubarb pie filling. It is then topped off with a thick layer of brown butter malted milk streusel, which is the most amazing crumble pie topping.

I made this pie a few times during testing and it is just so, so good. It is great to make ahead and tastes just as good the next day too. The malted milk powder and brown butter give the streusel an incredible depth of flavour. I love this one and I really hope you do too!

Tips for Foolproof Pie Dough

There are a few things that will make your life a little easier when you are making a homemade pie crust for this strawberry rhubarb pie.

I have a whole blog post on this, that covers tips and tricks for foolproof dough, how to freeze pie dough and bake from frozen, and all the little bits and pieces that will make your pie life easier! Check it out - All Butter Pie Crust: A Beginner's Guide

This Strawberry Rhubarb Pie has a par baked crust. The purpose of par baking a pie crust is to partially bake the pie crust. This means that when the wet filling goes in, the crust doesn't go soggy. It gives the crust a chance to start the baking process ahead of the filling being added. It's extra insurance to avoid a soggy bottom and means you get a lovely golden brown bottom pie crust.

Check out all my tips and tricks in my post: How to blind bake pie crust

Crumble Topping for Pie

Crumble pie is one of my favourites. It is super easy to make and there aren't any tricky lattice tops. For this strawberry rhubarb crumble pie I tweaked the crumble recipe from my apple crumble pie. I browned the butter and added in some malted milk powder. The malted milk powder is a totally optional step, but gives an incredible depth of flavour. Brown butter is also an optional step but one I highly recommend. It takes the crumble flavour to the next level. This crumble would be perfect on other desserts too such as an apple or other fruit crumble.

To make the crumble topping you simply whisk together the dry ingredients. I use flour, sugar, some turbinado sugar for crunch, the malted milk powder, and some old fashioned oats for texture. Then the brown butter goes in and the whole thing is mixed up to form the crumble topping. You can easily make this ahead of time and store in the fridge until you are ready for it. You could also make a double of the recipe and freeze it in an airtight container until you need it.

Pre Cooked Pie Filling

Aside from par baking the pie crust, this strawberry rhubarb crumble pie also has a pre cooked filling. For fillings that are wet, such as strawberry and rhubarb, and other berries, pre cooking the filling removes some of the moisture. It also means you know the consistency of the filling before it goes into the oven, so you don't have to worry about how it bakes up or how it will turn out. The whole filling is cooked together and the starch added.

This is also a great way to prepare some of the pie components ahead of time. You can transfer the filling to an airtight container if you are making it well ahead. However if you are in a pinch and need it to cool down quickly, you can spread it onto a sheet pan. This increases the surface area of the filling and helps it to cool down.

pre cooked strawberry rhubarb pie filling

Why tent a crumble pie with foil?

In the first part of the baking process I get you to cover the pie with foil. The purpose behind this is to allow the pie to get a head start on baking without the topping browning too much. Once you remove the foil to finish baking the pie, if you are worried the topping is browning too much, just pop the foil back on until the filling is done and the pie is baked.

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Mini Funfetti Cake

This Mini Funfetti Cake is a classic Birthday Cake with Vanilla Frosting. This Small Batch Vanilla Cake is filled with Funfetti Sprinkles and is then topped with an easy small batch vanilla American Buttercream. This cake is baked in an Eighth sheet pan but can also be made in a loaf pan for the perfect small batch birthday cake!

Mini Funfetti Cake

Hi hi! I am just popping in to share the recipe for this mini funfetti cake! This is another mini sheet cake recipe - I posted this carrot one a wee way back, and I have a few more up my sleeve to post in the future.

This mini funfetti cake is the perfect small batch birthday cake. I scaled back my funfetti snack cake recipe to be a small batch recipe, and then baked in an eighth sheet pan. I then finished it off with a smooth vanilla American buttercream for that super nostalgic flavour. This mini funfetti cake is super cute and a lot of fun to make - I hope that you enjoy!

Components of Small Batch Birthday Cake

This mini funfetti cake is super easy to make and I just love how cute it is. There are only two components - the small batch vanilla cake with sprinkles, and then the small batch vanilla American buttercream topping the cake.

Small Batch Vanilla Cake - This small batch funfetti cake is super easy to make. It comes together in two bowls and is quick to bake. I baked it in an eighth sheet pan which is my current favourite.
Vanilla Bean American Buttercream Frosting - I kept things simple here. The vanilla american buttercream is super fluffy and the perfect vanilla flavour. It compliments the small batch funfetti cake in the most perfect way.

You can mix and match the cake with other frostings as you like - it would be super good with a raspberry frosting or this chocolate frosting!

How to bake in an Eighth Sheet Pan

I made this mini funfetti cake in an eighth sheet pan, which is half the size of a quarter sheet pan. They are super fun to bake in - I own a bunch. I love them for small batches of bread rolls, or also for mini sheet cakes such as this recipe. They line perfectly with quarter sheet pan sized parchment (one of my favourite things), and are just so, so cute. I use them all the time for toasting nuts or baking up a single cookie.

If you can't get hold of an eighth sheet pan, this mini funfetti cake will also work perfectly made in a 9"x5" (23x13cm) loaf pan. You will just need to watch the bake time!

Offsetting yellow in buttercream

If you use a good quality butter (like in NZ, all our butter is super yellow), you may end up with a buttercream with a slightly yellow tint to it. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with this, there is a way to fix it! Adding a teeny tiny drop of violet gel food colouring to the frosting offsets the yellow colouring. Sounds weird but it works. Same way blondes use a purple shampoo! It neutralises the yellow. Start with the teeniest bit on the end of a knife or spatula and see how you go.

Small Batch Vanilla American Buttercream

This mini funfetti cake is topped with a small batch american buttercream recipe. I am not usually a huge fan of american buttercream. It has a time and a place for sure though, and that time and place is on top of this cake!

American buttercream is super easy to make - I used a handheld electric mixer, but you could probably also make it by hand if you wanted if you whisked nice and hard. You want to look for a fluffy texture, so make sure you keep whipping until you get that.

My American buttercream recipe has milk in it - you can add as much as you like to soften it if you need. Remember that American buttercream is a crusting buttercream. This means that it will form a crust when exposed to the air, so if you have some in a bowl while you are working etc, pop some plastic wrap over it to prevent the crust from forming.

side on shot of frosted funfetti mini cake

Best Sprinkles for Funfetti Cake

Not all sprinkles are equal when it comes to funfetti cake. You don't really want to use anything that bleeds colour in the oven as it will make the dough go brown.

Jimmies sprinkles work great in funfetti cake. They are little rainbow rods, and they don't tend to melt in the oven too badly, giving the perfect funfetti cake. I got mine from here, but the ones you can get in the grocery store are usually perfect!

You don't want to use anything naturally coloured or super fragile here - it will melt, and your cake will go a weird colour. Jimmies have stabiliser in them which stops them melting in the oven. DO NOT use non pareils / 100s and 1000s. It will be a shit show. If you're in New Zealand, these look like they might do the trick! I haven't tried them, but they look super similar to what I was using in the US!

Frequently Asked Questions for Mini Funfetti Cake

What pan did you bake this mini funfetti cake in?
I used an Eighth Sheet Pan. A loaf pan will also work! I got mine from Williams Sonoma but they don’t seem to stock them any more.

Can this be made in a mixer?
My stand mixer was too big for this small batch, so I used an electric hand mixer. However if yours can deal with a lower quantity, it should work!

Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes! You can either make it in an 8" square for more of a snack cake, or you can make it in a quarter sized sheet pan for a larger, thinner sheet cake.

Can this recipe be made ahead?
You can make the cake ahead of time and store lightly wrapped at room temperature. The frosting can be made ahead too - re-whip before assembly.

What can I use if I don't have greek yogurt?
Sour cream works great here too!

For more funfetti recipes, check out:

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I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!

Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Recipe For Mini Funfetti Cake

How to make French Macarons at home

This post will show you how to make foolproof French macarons. This detailed guide is full of tips and tricks, a list of tools, and reader FAQs, to help you to be as successful as possible at making homemade macarons! This easy macaron recipe makes a great base, so you can mix and match with whatever macaron fillings you like to make your own perfect French Macaron.

Original post from March 2018. Updated July 2021.

Sprinkle French Macarons / Hundreds and Thousands Macarons

Hi hi! Just popping in to share this French Macarons recipe with you. I have loads of macaron recipes on my website, but this was the first one that I posted. I have turned this post into the ultimate guide to French Macarons. It is full of tips and tricks to help you to be as successful as possible at macarons!

I worked really, really hard to get to this place with my macarons - it certainly isn't easy. They are sensitive and finicky. There are many things that can go wrong. It took endless videos and eventually watching a friend make them to finally get it right.

Macarons are intimidating. I am not going to pretend they aren't. But once you nail down the base your options really are endless. So I hope this post can serve as a guide for you - the ultimate post on how to make french macarons! As always please let me know if you have any questions - I am so happy to help!

Macarons vs Macaroons

I often see people referring to macarons such as these French Macarons as 'macaroons', and while the words are similar, they are very different things.

Macarons are an almond flour and meringue based cookie, sandwiched together with a filling. They taste nutty and have a chewy texture, with the filling being the super flavourful part.

Macaroons are something different and are a coconut and condensed milk based cookie. Both are super delicious, but they are definitely not the same thing!

How to make flavoured Macarons

The great thing about making homemade macarons is that it is super easy to mix and match the fillings to give different flavours of macarons. The shell recipe stays the same every time, and you just vary the colour and the filling flavour. You can add a little cocoa to the shells to make chocolate macarons, and fill them with whatever you like.

Sometimes I keep it simple with a plain buttercream, such as in these strawberry macarons, or you can add a sharp citrus filling surrounded by something creamy to make lemon macarons, or a jam filling for Raspberry macarons. The options really are endless here. Macarons are a great way to use up leftover buttercream that you have frozen.

Ingredients in French Macarons

French macarons differ slightly to Italian Macarons, which use a sugar syrup. I have tried both options and find French a little easier to make as there is no need to worry about making a sugar syrup to add to the meringue. With French macarons you add the sugar directly to the egg whites, and make a French meringue. Macarons have quite a small ingredient list, it is the technique that is important:

Egg whites. Some recipes will ask you to age your egg whites. I have found no difference in aged vs unaged, just make sure that they are at room temperature.
Sugar. I use granulated sugar. It is important to make sure that the sugar dissolves in the meringue when you are making it.
Almond Meal. Also called almond flour, almond meal is made from ground almonds.
Powdered Sugar. The almond meal and powdered sugar act as the 'dry' ingredients in the macarons, and are mixed in once the meringue has reached stiff peaks.
Food Colouring. If you want to colour macarons, it is important to use a gel food colouring so that you do not introduce too much moisture into the mixture.

Steps for making French Macarons

Macarons take practice. Don't get discouraged by them - it took me a long, long time to get to the point I am at now, and even now I still have fails. Read the recipe right through, make sure you have enough time set aside to really focus in, and don't worry if they don't work. They will still end up delicious and you will have amazing homemade macarons. Here's the basic Macaron step by step process:

Prep your ingredients. Usually I don't do this for recipes, but it really helps to have everything ready to go. Dry ingredients sifted twice, your template made, egg whites at room temperature etc.
Make the meringue. These are French Macarons so are based off of a French meringue. Whip until stiff peaks form. Add colour if using.
Incorporate the dry ingredients. Do this in two goes. Mix the first half in, then mix the second to incorporate.
Mix the macaron batter. This part is important and takes technique. You want to deflate the meringue against the side of the bowl. Pick the batter up and spread it against the side, then scrape off and repeat. Watching a video on this technique is helpful.
Pipe out the batter. Using the template you made, pipe the batter out.
Bang the shells. Rap the pan hard on the counter in order to get rid of any big air bubbles in the batter. This will spread the shells out a little too and help to smooth the tops.
Add sprinkles. If you are adding sprinkles, now is the time.
Dry the shells. This step is also important as it is what helps to avoid cracked shells. Dry the shells until they are no longer tacky.
Bake the macaron shells. Bake until the shells peel cleanly off the parchment paper.
Pair and fill. Once the shells are baked and cooled, pair them up and fill with your choice of buttercream.
Leave to rest. Ideally macarons will be left to rest overnight in order to let their flavours meld. I won't tell anyone if you skip this step.

French Macarons with American Buttercream

I wanted the first macaron recipe that I posted to be a wee nod to my childhood. These sprinkle French macarons are inspired by a biscuit (cookie) I ate growing up - hundreds and thousands biscuits. They are a vanilla biscuit, covered in a pink icing, and loaded up with hundreds and thousands (nonpareils). They don't really have a distinctive flavour aside from just being sweet, which I think is probably half the appeal. I replicated the biscuit with a pink shell, and added some sprinkles just after I piped them out. I then filled them with an American buttercream, also "pink" flavour.

Usually I wouldn't use an American buttercream in almost any situation. However, the slight crust that it gets is perfect for replicating the texture of the biscuits. So here we have it - a hundreds and thousands macaron! Or, a vanilla macaron, coloured pink, with sprinkles. You decide what to call it.

How to get Feet on Macarons

I have found that there are a few factors that come into play here. The main one that helps is making sure that the tops of your macarons are dry before you put them in the oven. This means when the macarons bake, the steam escapes out the sides of the cookies and not the tops, causing them to puff up and get the feet. Preheating the baking sheet can really help to give the macaron shells a lift too.

Silicone mat vs parchment for baking Macarons

I know that some people prefer silicone baking mats, but I much prefer parchment paper when making macarons. I find that shells on silicone mats tend to get over baked, don't have as pronounced of a foot, and can have issues with sticking. Pre-cut parchment is super helpful here as you can just slide the template onto the pan and then place the parchment over the top, pipe the macarons, and move onto the next tray.

Why did my Macarons Crack?

The most common cause of cracking macarons is the dryness of the shell. If you do not dry out your shells enough when you pipe them, then when you bake the shells, the steam escapes out the top of the shell rather than the sides. This will cause your macarons to crack. Make sure that before they go into the oven the surface of the shell is only just tacky, or is not sticky at all on your finger.

French macarons with american buttercream and sprinkles

Correct Batter Consistency for French Macarons

This can be a tricky one to check. If you over mix your macarons, they spread everywhere and bake up flat. However if you under mix them, they can have bubbles and not have a nice smooth top, and can have points on them.

The best way to get this right is practice. The consistency I like to look for is when you lift your spatula up, the batter flows like lava. You want to be able to draw a figure 8 with the batter flowing off of the spatula without it breaking.

You are best to err on the side of under mixing your macaron batter than over mixing. Remember it will continue to get mixed as you add it to the piping bag and pipe it out onto the trays. If your batter is super runny and flowing everywhere, you know you have over mixed.

How to deal with macarons sticking to the parchment: I also had some issues with the macs sticking a little to the parchment paper (I have had much better luck with paper than silpat), even though they were baked through. My friend who is a pastry chef suggested that if this happens, then you can freeze them, still attached to the paper, for 5-10 minutes, and they usually peel right off!

How to tell when Macarons are baked

It can be a little tricky to check if French Macarons are properly baked or to know how long to bake macarons for. There is a fine line between having the shells set, and the feet set and stable, and overbaking and giving them colour, which you don't want. I like to very gently press on the top of one of the shells, and if the foot stays stable, then I know that it is well on the way to being done. If it is not quite there, I give it extra time, checking every minute.

Can Macarons be made without Almond flour?

Almond flour is the main base of a macaron - it is the reason that macarons are gluten free. I have not tried making macarons without almond flour before so I cannot speak to a good substitute.

All-purpose flour is not a substitute for almond meal.

How to pipe Macarons

Piping macarons takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, you can pipe a lot of trays in one go. The key is to use gentle pressure and make sure that your piping bag is straight up and down. Using a macaron template helps a lot too. To pipe macarons, hold the piping bag directly over the circle on the template, and pipe a blob of macaron batter onto the parchment. End with a little 'flick' of your wrist.

Remember that when you bang the pan of macarons the batter will spread out too, so do not make them too big. Only fill the circles on your template.

How to Troubleshoot French Macarons

All kinds of things can go wrong with macs. I have experienced almost all of them, so if they happen to you don't sweat it, you're not alone. I used this site to troubleshoot, but the main solution was just to keep at it and keep trying. This video from my friend Erin is also amazing to learn all things macaron!

Why are my French Macarons Hollow?

I have had some issues with my macarons being hollow in the past. Eventually, I discovered that it was from over whipping the meringue (Which I didn't realise that I was doing!). You want it to be nice and stiff, but not too dry. If it starts to dry out and clump up in the whisk then you have gone too far. If your macarons do come out hollow don't worry - just fill them as usual and then leave them overnight in the fridge. The filling will soften the shell down and then the hollows won't be as noticeable. They will still taste great!

What Sprinkles to add to French Macarons

Adding sprinkles to macarons is a super easy way to fancy them up a little. Sprinkle macarons are my absolute favourite to make - I love grabbing whatever is on hand and using it to reflect the flavour of the filling. You do have to be a little selective about your sprinkles. Non-pareils, or what we call "hundreds and thousands" work best. Jimmies (the longer rod sprinkles) tend to melt in the oven, so avoid them. The confetti style round sprinkles work great for sprinkle macarons too as they don't melt in the oven. Avoid anything with sugar balls in it as these will melt in the oven, causing holes in your macaron shells.

Can Macarons be Frozen?

Macarons freeze super well. I usually will freeze the empty shells layered in an airtight container with parchment, but depending on the filling, you can freeze buttercream based ones too. However I prefer to freeze components separately and then assemble.

How to store Macarons

I like to store filled homemade macarons in the fridge in an airtight container. Macarons need an overnight rest to allow the flavours to meld and to let the shell soften slightly. If your macarons have a filling that is temperature sensitive, then you will need to refrigerate them. Bring them to room temperature before you serve. Filled macarons will last 3-4 days in the fridge if stored correctly. If you make the shells ahead, they can be stored until you are ready to fill.

Store unfilled shells at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Store unfilled shells in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Once filled, store filled macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make different flavoured macarons?
This is essentially just a vanilla macaron recipe! You can colour it any way you like, leave off the sprinkles, or fill it with whatever flavour you like!

Why are macarons so hard to make?
Macarons are tricky. They take practice. Don't feel disheartened if they don't work the first time (or even the second time!), they still taste super yum. Take lots of notes. Work out what works for you. Play around with baking time and oven temperature. Its all about finding the good balance. This is the recipe that works for me - hopefully it works for you too! There's so many different recipes floating round on the internet.

Why are my macarons browning too much?
Invest in an oven thermometer if you haven't already. I calibrated my oven a while back and it's made a huge difference to the consistency of my oven.

How to tell when macaron batter is ready
When your macaron batter is ready, it will 'flow like lava'. There are a lot of videos online you can watch, or the way I like to test is is with the 'figure 8 test' - where if you can draw a figure 8 with the mixture with your spatula without it breaking, you know you are ready to pipe them.

Are macarons gluten free?
Yes - because they are almond meal based, macarons are gluten free.

❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️

I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!

Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Recipe for French Macarons

Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Small Batch Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookies are a brown butter chocolate chip cookie, filled with homemade salted caramel chunks. These Egg Yolk Cookies use two egg yolks, which gives an amazing chew to the cookies. This small batch cookie recipe only makes 12 cookies, and is the perfect recipe if you are looking for a fun way to use up egg yolks!

Small Batch, Brown Butter Salted Caramel Egg Yolk Cookies

Hi hi! I am just popping in to share the recipe for these Egg Yolk Cookies with you! They are another small batch situation. I have a whole bunch more small batch cookies coming at you over the next wee while and I can't wait to share them all.

These are a riff on my Brown Butter Salted Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe, which is super popular on my site and a great addition to our chocolate chip cookie recipe collection. The recipe has a brown butter base, then is filled with chocolate and pieces of chopped caramel.

The recipe is great, but it makes loads of cookies, so I small batched it and re-worked it. This egg yolk cookie version uses egg yolks only instead of whole eggs, and is a small batch recipe, so only makes 12 cookies.

These cookies require no chill time, and no not need a mixer. I love the combination of the caramel chunks, the dark chocolate and the brown butter, all snuggled up in a chewy egg yolk cookie base. I love these and I hope you do too! If you are looking for a full size recipe, my soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies are a great place to start!

stacked angle shot of chocolate chip cookies

stacked corner shot chocolate chip cookies

Steps for making Small Batch Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Egg Yolk Cookies have a couple of extra steps. You will need to brown butter and make a hard caramel, but I promise the extra time is worth it. The extra steps are made up for by this recipe being quick and easy to make. This egg yolk chocolate chip cookie recipe is a no chill cookie, and can be made without an electric mixer.

Brown the butter - I usually do this step first, or just after I have made the caramel. Browning the butter adds an incredible depth of flavour. Brown the butter and set aside to cool while you get everything else sorted.
Make the caramel - I used to make this on a silpat silicone sheet, but have been setting it in a non-stick pan recently which seems to be much easier. Make the caramel by melting down the sugar on medium heat. Pour it into the pan and leave to set solid.
Make the Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookie Batter - Once you have the brown butter and caramel done, the rest of the process is super easy. Make the cookie batter in a mixing bowl, and stir in the chocolate and caramel.
Scoop the cookies - I love to use a cookie scoop to get super even cookies. This is the cookie scoop I use most often! You can also weigh your dough - weights are in the recipe.
Bake the cookies - This recipe is a no chill recipe so the cookies can go straight into the oven. Bake the cookies until done - you can under bake them a tiny bit if you like soft middles.
Scoot your cookies - This is an optional step, but we all know how much I love a scooted cookie. To do this, take a cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie, and use it to 'scoot' the cookie into a perfectly round shape. This is a totally optional step!

What does adding egg yolk to cookies do?

This Egg Yolk Cookie recipe uses egg yolks only rather than whole eggs. I want a recipe for my site that I can recommend to people when they ask how to use up egg yolks, and this is going to be the one. Often I will tell people to make custard or ice cream or pasta, but egg yolk cookies is going to be my new go-to.

Eggs are super important in baking, and the whites and yolks play different roles. Egg yolks are high in fat in relation to the egg white which is high in protein so often acts as a binder. Adding egg yolks to the cookies yields a super tender, chewy cookie. Egg Yolk Cookies are slightly richer in flavour from the additional fat from the yolk. I love all cookies, and these are a super fun way to use up any extra egg yolks.

When it comes to tweaking the recipe to use just yolks, it is not as easy as just subbing an egg for two yolks. There were some other recipe changes to make too - I had to play around with the moisture in the cookie in order to compensate for the loss of the white.

How to make homemade hard caramel

This Egg Yolk Cookie recipe has shards of homemade caramel throughout. The caramel I use in this recipe isa dry caramel, which means that it does not have water in it when you are making it. You make it simply by melting down granulated sugar.

Don't be intimidated by the process. Just take your time, and move the pan off the heat as needed until the sugar is melted. Have the baking pan you are pouring your caramel into ready to go. There are a few stages the caramel will go through.

Steps for making a hard caramel

Add the sugar to the pan, and place over a medium to low heat.
Cook the sugar until it starts to melt a little around the edges. If you're worried, turn down the heat.
Start to stir the caramel. It will get super clumpy, and you're probably going to think you've messed it up. You haven't, it's fine. Take it off the heat if you are worried.
Slowly start to melt down the caramel. Bang your whisk on the bottom of the pot to knock off any clumps of sugar.
The sugar will all melt, and then start to turn an amber colour. Keep cooking it until the sugar is all melted and it starts to smoke slightly. If there's still lumps in it, just pull it off the heat and stir off heat to help break them up.
Pour the caramel into the pan you are using and leave it to set. It should look like an amber coloured piece of glass.

If at any time you are worried, just take the caramel off the heat and stir. If it seems like it is cooking too quickly, turn it down. Making caramel is a learning process - If you're worried you've mucked it up, just start again. It's all part of the learning process!

Why don't you specify a temperature in the caramel recipe?

I sometimes get this question, and the answer is that the quantity is just too small. If you use a probe thermometer, then the caramel is not deep enough to accurately read the temperature. By the time the sugar is all melted, the caramel will be hot enough to set. So while a candy thermometer is an essential kitchen item, it's not something you will need to use here.

I thought you weren't meant to stir caramel?

Often you aren't - in a wet caramel (where you put water in with the sugar) you don't want to stir the caramel until it has started cooking. Recipes will often instruct you to wash any sugar off from the sides with water on a brush. Because this is a dry caramel, I just use the whisk throughout the process. It's all good - I've made it loads and you don't have to freak out about not stirring it.

Chopped Chocolate Vs Chocolate Chips in Cookies

There are a few options when you are making chocolate chip cookies in terms of selecting your chocolate. I much prefer chopping my chocolate by hand rather than using chocolate chips.

Super melty pockets of chocolate - Chopping the chocolate gives you nice flat pieces, which then melt into pockets of chocolate. Chocolate chips are made not to melt, so they hold their shape in the cookies due to the stabilisers. Chocolate chips have a time and a place, but to me, that time and place is not in chocolate chip cookies.
Shards of chocolate - When you chop chocolate, you get lots of little shards of chocolate which distribute themselves throughout the dough, giving you chocolate all through your chocolate chip cookies. It's the best. In these egg yolk chocolate chip cookies it works particularly well as you have small shards of caramel alongside the shards of chocolate.
Giant Chocolate Puddles - Using chopped chocolate means that you can make massive puddles on the tops of your chocolate chip cookies. Pressing extra chocolate onto the cookies before baking means it melts down into perfect chocolate puddles. However, this is an optional step too - if you prefer your cookies without puddles, leave this step off.

What kind of Chocolate is best for Chocolate Chip Cookies?

There are a few different types of chocolate you can use if you want to chop your own chocolate for cookies (which hopefully you now do after hearing my case for chopped chocolate?). The best part about chopping your own chocolate is that you can grab whatever you have in the cupboard and use it to make up the right amount of weight for the recipe. I will often make a 'grab bag' of chocolate from the pantry - grabbing whatever I have that needs to be used up.

My theory is if you're going to take the time to make cookies, you might as well make them as delicious as you can, using good quality chocolate! I used chopped chocolate from Trader Joe's for these Egg Yolk Cookies.

Chocolate from a bar - This is what I use most often. Just whatever chocolate you would purchase to eat. I usually use the pound plus bar from Trader Joe's as it is a great price and the chocolate makes amazing puddles, or if I am in NZ, I will use a mix of different things, usually adding some Whittaker's in the mix too.
Chocolate Feves - A 'feve' refers to the shape of the chocolate. Feves are made by Valrhona and they are super delicious in baking! I will often grab a handful to pop into cookies if I have some on hand. The shape is beautiful in the scooped dough too and you can pop one or two on the top of cookies. My friend Michelle is ultimate fan girl for the feves!
Chocolate Wafers - Some companies like Guittard make their chocolate into wafer or disc shapes. These also work great in cookies, provided the quality of chocolate is high. These are not the same thing as chocolate melts, they just have the same shape.

Making Brown Butter with Salted Butter

These Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookies use Salted Butter. I often call for unsalted butter in recipes. However, salted brown butter is super delicious. It gets really rich and the salt really shines through, which is important in this recipe to stand up to the egg yolk and salted caramel chunks. If you only have unsalted butter that is fine too - just increase the salt in the recipe a touch.

Using a good quality butter really helps here too - I use one from New Zealand but something European or Irish (or anything lower in moisture) will be great here.

How to get Chocolate Puddles on Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookies

I like to use a little trick to get those big puddles on the tops of my chocolate chip cookies. Just before the dough goes in the oven, I take each ball of dough, and flatten it slightly. I then press chunks of chopped chocolate onto the top. You can add some of the chocolate dust from chopping too. Then I squeeze it back into a ball, and place it on the baking sheet. This means that when the cookie bakes, the chocolate will end up spread across the top of the cookie, and give you those big chocolate puddles on the tops.

Why are there two quantities of Brown Butter in the recipe?

Different butters will have different moisture levels, which affects the yield of brown butter. American style butter have a higher water content, so will produce less brown butter when the water is cooked off. European or New Zealand style butter, which is higher in fat than American butter, will have less water that needs cooking off, so you will end up with a higher yield of brown butter.

The quantity of the butter in the recipe is important here, so the best way to measure it is by using a scale. You start with an initial quantity of butter - in this case 165g, and then cook it down. You then re-measure the weight of the brown butter, and use 120g of that in your cookie recipe. I have accounted for the moisture loss from the initial quantity of brown butter in the recipe. The quantity of butter called for in the ingredient list is not the same as in the recipe - this isn't a typo.

Can this dough be frozen?
This dough doesn't freeze or chill well due to the caramel in the dough. They do best all baked off straight away.

Does the caramel soften in the oven?
Sort of - it melts when baking then firms up again in the cookie when it cools.

Will this work with store bought caramel?
I haven't tried, but you could add in chopped up caramel if you like.

Can I use unsalted butter?
Yes - just adjust the salt quantity slightly.

What did you use to set the caramel in?
I used this Eighth sheet pan - anything non stick will work or you can use a silpat.

How do you clean hard caramel off a pan?
Just fill the pan with hot water and it should melt the caramel off. Put it back on the heat and boil if needed. I use this trick for cleaning brown butter off too - a good soak helps a lot.

salted caramel egg yolk cookies stacked up

For more recipes with Brown Butter, Check Out:

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Recipe For Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pesto Scones

This Small Batch Pesto Scone recipe is the perfect Savory Scone Recipe. They are flaky and tender, and full of flavour from the sundried tomato pesto and cheese. This easy cheese scone recipe can be put together quickly for whenever you need a scone fix! This small batch scone recipe makes 6 scones.

Pesto Scones - the Perfect Savory Scone Recipe

Hi hi! I am just popping in to share the recipe for these pesto and cheese small batch scones! I developed these a few months ago and have had them firmly on repeat ever since. Pesto and cheese is such a delicious addition to a scone recipe for a fun wee twist on the favourite! These savory scones are cheesy, and flaky, and just so, so delicious.

I scaled down this recipe during testing and then it worked out so well I decided to keep this as a small batch recipe. 6 scones to me is the perfect amount, and the recipe is incredibly easy to double if you're looking for a few more scones.

A quick note - These are, to me, what I call a savory scone. They are probably closer in texture to what people in the US call a 'biscuit'. We don't have biscuits in NZ (we do but we call them cookies), and our scones are beautiful and flaky like US biscuits are. The more you know!

How to make Pesto Scones

This pesto scone recipe took a little more working than I thought - turns out adding pesto and cheese to scones isn't as easy as just making a quick sub. I wanted to jam as much pesto flavouring into the scones as I could, so I substituted some of the butter with pesto, which gets mixed in when the butter goes in.

Adding in the pesto in with the butter before the milk gives it a chance to properly incorporate through the mixture. Once the milk goes in, you want to keep mixing to a minimum, to avoid over mixing the scones, which can cause them to be a little tough.

The mixture may seem a wee bit wetter than other scone recipes but don't add more flour unless you really have to - a bench scraper is your friend here. You can add a tiny bit when rolling out if needed.

Small Batch Savory Scones

These Small Batch Savory Scones are Super Easy to make. There are a few steps, but they all happen quickly. The dough needs 15 minutes in the freezer before baking but aside from that there is very little down time for these scones.

Combine your dry ingredients - I use All-purpose flour and baking powder here. It gets mixed with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you wanted to add in other seasonings, here is the place to add them.
Rub in butter and pesto - The Sun Dried Tomato pesto gets added in with the butter, and rubbed in (similar to how you make pie dough)
Add the cheese - I used parmesan and cheddar here, but add in anything that you like. Just shoot for 120g of cheese all up. You can add some extra on the tops later too if you want. These really are a choose your own adventure situation.
Mix in the milk - Once the butter, pesto and cheese are in, the milk goes in and is mixed to incorporate. You want to make sure that you don't over mix here. A few pockets of dry is fine, and it will sort itself out when you roll out the scones.
Laminate the dough - More on this in a bit, but a wee secret to lovely flaky scones is to laminate the dough.
Cut out the scones - Once you have finished the laminations, shape the dough into a rectangle and cut into squares.
Chill - Pop the scones into the freezer for a wee chill, just to get everything nice and cold before it goes into the oven.
Bake - Brush the tops of the scones with milk, and add extra cheese if you like. Pop the scones into the oven to transform into perfect, flaky small batch pesto scones.

Why is it important to have cold ingredients when making scones?

The temperature of the ingredients plays a big role in this recipe. Similar to how you keep pie dough nice and cold, the same applies to scones. Cold ingredients and cold chunks of butter in the recipe gives layers. When the cold butter hits the hot oven, it turns into steam, and you get perfect, flaky layers.

It is important to start with everything cold - the milk, the butter, the pesto, etc. I like to grate the cheese and put it back in the fridge until ready to use. Same with the butter - cut it up first then pop it in the fridge until you are making the scone mixture.

If at any time if it feels like things are getting too warm, pop the scone mixture into the fridge for 5-10 minutes to let it chill up.

A Sneaky Trick to Super Flaky Scones - Laminating your Scone Dough.

A great way to ensure that you have nice layers in your scones is to do a few laminations. This is a technique is sometimes used in making biscuits and I applied it to my scone recipe a few years ago and it works great.

Basically you roll the dough out then perform a few letter folds similar to how you would making puff pastry. Here's how it works:

When you are finished mixing the dough, turn it out onto your surface and pat it into a rectangle 12"x6" (30x15cm). Square off the edges with a bench scraper as you go to keep things nice and even.
Fold it in thirds like a letter, then pat out again into a rectangle.
Perform one more fold, then pat out into a rectangle 5"x8" (12x20cm). Proceed with the recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions about Pesto Scones

What sort of cheese can I add to these?
Add whatever you like. I used a sharp cheddar and some parmesan, but you can really throw whatever you have in here, provided it grates well!

Can these be made ahead of time?
You may be able to bake these from frozen, but I haven't tried it. I would freeze them until solid on the tray then transfer to a ziploc bag. Make sure you add a few more minutes onto the bake time to ensure they are cooked through.

Can I add other things to these scones?
Add whatever you like! Chilli flakes would be super yum in here, or other seasonings.

Can I make these other shapes?
Yes, you can make these any shape you like! I prefer round / rectangle / triangle shapes to round scones as it means there is no wastage and they are super easy to shape.

What happens if I over mix my scone dough?
They will still taste fine, they might just not reach their full fluffy potential.

Can I use Self-Raising Flour?
I haven't tried it, but you are welcome to! The ratios should be right to sub it in.

Can I put cheese on the tops of the scones?
Yes! Grate a little additional cheese and add to the tops of the scones before baking them.

Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes, super easily. You will need to change the proportions of your rectangle for folding, and then pat the dough out into a larger rectangle.

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Answers to your baking questions

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Recipe For Pesto Scones

Rhubarb Custard Buns

These Small Batch Rhubarb Custard Buns are a great project. The Small Batch Brioche is a no mixer recipe and is mixed by hand. The rhubarb custard buns are filled with an easy custard recipe which makes a perfect creamy filling. These small batch buns have a rhubarb compote and a small batch streusel topping. This recipe is super versatile and is adaptable to make with any fruit puree or compote.

Small Batch Rhubarb Custard Buns

Hi hi! Just popping in to share the recipe for these small batch rhubarb custard buns! I made these during peak rhubarb season, but the recipe is super versatile, so you could easily make these with another fruit compote too.

This is the first in the series of recipes using my new small batch, no mixer brioche recipe! I have been playing around with this for a long time now, putting it through its paces, and I am super happy with it. It is essentially just a half recipe of my regular brioche, but made by hand rather than in the mixer. I love it, and I hope you do too, and it works perfectly in these rhubarb, custard and streusel buns!

Enjoy! x

side shot of rhubarb compote on brioche bun

How to make Brioche by hand

The base of these Rhubarb Custard Buns is a small batch, no mixer brioche. It is super easy to make. I have a whole bunch of recipes coming up using it which I am so excited to share!

Combine dry ingredients - This brioche is pretty standard when it comes to ingredients. All-purpose flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt.
Add wet ingredients - One egg, lightly beaten, and some milk goes in. The butter is incorporated later.
Bring together - You want to develop some strength in the dough here. This kneading process will take about 8-10 minutes. Bring the dough together in your bowl then transfer to a work surface and work the dough until it is soft and smooth, and when you press lightly with your finger, the indentation springs back.
Add the butter - The butter is added to the dough. This step will get super sloppy. Don't worry though. It will come together. Keep kneading and mixing until it comes together. Then give a few more minutes of mixing just to ensure it is mixed in. You want it to pass the window pane test, or to bounce back nicely when you press with a finger.
Leave to rise - This dough for this purpose works best with a cold rise. I give it some time on the counter first to kick start the rise and then pop it into the fridge.

A plastic or metal bench scraper will be super helpful when you are incorporating the butter in. Just keep scraping up the excess butter and squishing it onto the dough. It will come together.

What is the windowpane test?

The windowpane test is a test to see how well developed a dough is through testing the gluten formation. Well developed dough has a good gluten structure within it, so it is nice and stretchy, or elastic. To perform the windowpane test: rip off a little piece of dough, then stretch it out and hold it up to the light. If it forms a membrane you can see light (or your fingers if you hold them under the dough) through, then you know that the dough is adequately developed. If it is not, keep kneading.

rhubarb bun with streusel topping, ready to bake

Room temperature vs melted butter in Brioche

I played around with this a lot when I was testing this small batch brioche recipe. Initially I used melted butter as I figured it would be easier to incorporate. However, the dough needs the room temperature butter to be incorporated after the dough has developed strength, rather than having it incorporated at the start. When you add melted butter at the start, the fat coats the flour particles, preventing gluten from forming properly and the dough developing. If you add it in as room temperature after the dough has had a chance to develop, you will have a much stronger dough that is much more versatile.

I ran into this issue when I was testing this dough for use in mini donuts, and realised that adding the butter in once the dough has developed, same as my regular recipe, works much better.

The dough will be super sloppy when you are incorporating the butter but just keep working at it - it will come together!

Super Easy Custard Recipe

I filled these rhubarb custard buns with a small batch custard recipe. Custard is super easy to make - this one relies on both egg yolks and custard powder for thickening. Make sure that you make the custard recipe ahead of time so that it has time to cool down adequately before filling the buns.

Don't worry if your custard looks lumpy when you fill the buns with it. This happens to me too - the custard is totally smooth then when you go to spread it out, it looks lumpy, which happens when it cools. Unless it's lumpy when it comes off the stove (in which case you can either strain it or blend with an immersion blender), the lumps when you spread it out are just cooled bits of custard and they smooth out when you roll it out.

How can you tell when buns are baked?

The easiest way to check if the Rhubarb Custard buns are done is to measure an internal temperature on them. An enriched dough such as brioche will 190°f / 90°c when done inside. I have an instant read thermometer and use it almost every day. Otherwise you can look for other signs of them being done. Baked buns are deeply golden brown and will bounce back a wee bit when you press them.

Optional Flavour Variations with other Fruit Compote

These small batch rhubarb buns are super versatile, and you can switch out the compote with other fruit super easily. You can either make your own compote, or if you want, a store bought jam works great too.

Apricot or Peach Buns - Use the compote recipe from these buns. You could also roast peaches and then chop them and use that - peaches and apricots go so well with custard!
Apple Filling - This recipe has a super easy apple filling. This would also work great with pears.
Berry Filling - This berry balsamic recipe would work great, or you could use a store bought jam or preserve.
Roasted Strawberries - This recipe has roasted strawberries in it, and they go so well together with custard. Roasted Strawberry, Custard and Streusel buns would be incredible and roasting is a great way to use up any old tired berries.
Cherries - This filling would work great - cook it a little further down to get rid of a bit more of the moisture.

How to make Buns ahead of time

These Small Batch Rhubarb Brioche Buns have a lot of components that you can make ahead of time. In fact, you can prepare all the components separately, and assemble these when you are ready to bake. The small batch brioche needs a cold rise in order to be easy to work with when rolling it out. The compote and the custard also need time to chill down in order to thicken and cool.

Make the rhubarb compote and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Combine the streusel ahead of time and keep in a container in the fridge
Prepare the custard and pop into an airtight container in the fridge to cool and thicken.
Make the small batch brioche dough the night before and do the first rise in the fridge overnight.

Tips for making Rhubarb Buns all in one day

You can prepare these rhubarb custard buns on the same day you want to bake them. you will just have to make sure everything is cold. The dough needs a minimum of 2 hours in the fridge, then the custard and compote need time to chill. You can spread them into a shallow dish to help speed up the cooling process. Make sure you put a piece of plastic wrap over the surface in order to stop them from forming a skin.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rhubarb Custard Buns

Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes! This is essentially just a half batch of the brioche that I use for my other brioche recipes. Double the other components as written.

Would this recipe work not made in a muffin pan?
Yes - if you want you can roll the dough to 14"x14" (35cmx35cm), then cut the dough into 9 and arrange in an 8"x8" pan.

What can I use instead of Custard Powder?
You can use an equal weight of corn starch.

What Muffin pan did you use?
I use this USA pan muffin pan. If you are worried about your pan sticking, you can line it with a little strip of parchment paper to help release. I just give mine a good grease with melted butter and a pastry brush.

Help - my dough didn't rise!
Because of the smaller quantity of dough, it can be hard to tell if the dough has risen. I like to take a photo of it before I start rising it just to compare as it sometimes doesn't look like it has risen loads.

Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant?
Yes, you can use the same amount but you will have to activate it. Pop it in the lukewarm water with the sugar and leave to sit for about 10 minutes until foamy, then proceed with the rest of the recipe.

What can I use instead of turbinado sugar?
Brown sugar will work great in the place of it - just do a 1:1 sub.

Are you sure I press down the middle of the bun to add the rhubarb compote?
Yes. This will feel super counter intuitive, but it is what you do to make space for the compote.

Can I use my mixer to make these?
Yes! The process is exactly the same as my regular brioche recipe

For more Rhubarb Recipes, check out:

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Answers to your baking questions

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Homemade Mini Donuts

Learn how to make mini donuts(or doughnuts) with this super fun recipe. The mini donuts are made with an overnight brioche donut dough, then cut out into mini doughnuts, deep fried, and tossed cinnamon sugar. This post is full of tips and tricks, a list of tools, and reader FAQs to help you successfully make these mini donuts at home

Fluffy miniature brioche doughnuts - an easy brioche dough is given an overnight rise, then rolled out and cut into tiny, perfect doughnuts, which are fried until golden brown, then rolled in cinnamon sugar. The perfect mouthful of fluffy doughnut, and sweet, spicy sugar. #briochedoughnut #cinnamonsugar #yeastdoughnut

mini cinnamon donuts with bites taken from them

Hi hi! Just popping in to share this recipe with you for mini donuts with cinnamon sugar. This recipe is a few years old now and so I have just updated the post with some tips and tricks for deep frying at home. Made from scratch donut recipes are much easier than they seem.

This mini donut recipe is one of favourite things to make. Mini donuts are super fun, and it always feels like you have a tiny donut shop of your very own at home when you make hot, fresh mini donuts. I just use my regular brioche dough, which I do an overnight rise on to make it nice and easy to roll out. All you need to to then is roll out the dough, cut out your mini donuts, and fry until perfectly golden.

I finished these mini donuts with cinnamon sugar, similar to these Classic cinnamon sugar donuts, but the options really are endless. You can make a big batch and glaze some, toss some in other flavoured sugars, add sprinkes, etc etc. We love these and I hope that you do too!

How to make Mini Donuts
Should Donuts be baked or fried?
Strawberry Mini Donuts
How to deep fry mini donuts at home
Frequently Asked Questions
More Donut Recipes:

How to make Mini Donuts

These Mini donuts are super, super easy to make.

Make the mini donut dough. I like to do an overnight rise for this mini donut dough but you can do it all in one day too. See FAQ for notes but chilled dough is super easy to work with and much better when it comes to cutting out the donuts. If you would like to make a smaller batch of donuts, you can use my small batch brioche recipe which I use to make my Nutella Donuts.
Roll out the mini donut dough. Roll the dough on a floured surface.
Cut out the mini donuts. Cut out the donuts using a round cutter, then make the middle hole. I used a metal milkshake straw.
Rise the mini donuts. I rise the donuts just lightly covered on a sheet pan. While they are rising, preheat the oil.
Fry the mini donuts. Fry the donuts in batches until perfectly golden. I like to do one tester first just to check my frying time.
Toss in cinnamon sugar. I made these into cinnamon sugar mini donuts, so after frying, just popped them into some cinnamon sugar and gave them a good toss.

Should Donuts be baked or fried?

Baked and fried donuts are completely different things, as far as I am concerned. A baked donut generally is more of a cake batter, and is made in a donut pan. A fried donut is freeform, and can be either made from a dough like these brioche donuts, or from a batter such as crullers.

If you bake brioche donuts, they are no longer donuts. They are bread rolls. Frying the dough gives a very specific texture and flavor to donuts.

The same goes with an air fryer - an air fryer is basically a small convection oven. Air fryer donuts are in the same category as a baked donut. If you want to make air fryer donuts I suggest you use an air fryer donut recipe that is developed for that specific appliance.

Strawberry Mini Donuts

I finished off my mini donuts with cinnamon sugar, but the best part is that with donuts, you can finish them any way that you like!

I also love to make a strawberry sugar by combining about 250g granulated sugar with 1 Tbsp freeze dried strawberry or other fruit powder. Toss the donuts in the strawberry sugar the same way you would with the cinnamon sugar.

How to deep fry mini donuts at home

I have been using a deep fryer for the last few years, but deep frying at home doesn't need to be intimidating. All you need is a pot with some oil and a thermometer. Ideally a heavy bottomed pot such as a dutch oven works great. Cast iron retains heat well so will help to keep your oil at a steady temperature without too much fluctuation.

Set up your oil in your pan, making sure that it is deep enough for the mini donuts to float. It will take a little time to heat up so make sure you account for that. I like to turn mine on when I first start rising the mini donuts and then turn it off so it is partially heated when it comes time to bring it to temperature.

Measure the temperature using a thermometer with the probe in the middle of the oil. Don't rest it on the bottom of the pan as it will give a false reading. Do a quick check between each batch to ensure that it is at the correct temperature.

Can Frying Oil be reused?

Yes, if the oil from making these mini donuts is still clean, you can re-use it. Just strain it back into the bottle once it has cooled and replace the lid. Store in a cool, dark place until ready to use again. I can usually get 2-3 uses at least out of oil, and usually make fried fish just as a good way to use it up after making doughnuts.

Just make sure to only use oil for donuts that hasn't been used for anything else super flavourful - nobody wants fried fish donuts.

What is the best oil for deep frying?
When you are deep frying, like with these mini donuts, you want to use an oil with a relatively high smoke point. I usually use something neutral. A neutral oil means something that is tasteless. A neutral oil such as canola oil, vegetable oil, rice bran oil, or extra light tasting olive oil (just check the smoke point) is great for deep frying.

How much oil do you need for deep frying?

The amount of oil that you need for deep frying depends on the size of your vessel. You want the oil to be deep enough that the donuts can float. A safe bet would be to check the thickness of the donuts when you are cutting them out and have a minimum of 2-3 times the thickness of the donut as the depth of the oil in your pan.

What is the best pan to use for deep frying?
If you are deep frying at home, a good heavy bottomed pot is super helpful. I love using a cast iron dutch oven, which helps to preserve the heat and prevents large fluctuations in your oil temperature. If your oil is too cool the mini donuts will soak up the oil, and if it is too hot then they will cook too much on the outside before they have a chance to cook throughout.

So if you are deep frying at home, I really recommend getting a cast iron dutch oven or a heavy bottomed pot. Lodge, Staub, and Le Creuset all make them at a range of price points and they are amazing for so many things!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Donuts be made all in the same day?
Yes! Chilled dough is certainly easier to work with but you can make these all in one day if you like. You could also do a same day cold rise and put the dough in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours to rise. Kick start it for 10 minutes or so on the counter first.

How do I avoid dents in donuts?
The way I like to do this is by cutting parchment paper squares. I put a few doughnuts on each one. That way when it comes to frying you can just drop the whole thing into the oil and remove the parchment, and avoid your fingers making dents in the dough when you drop the donuts in.

What deep fryer do you use?
I use a breville smart fryer, which I really love. A deep fryer definitely isn't necessary, but it does make it feel like you have a tiny donut shop!

What is the best tool to make donut holes?
I used a metal milkshake straw to make the holes in the middle of my mini donuts, but you can also use a round piping tip to make the hole too - anything with a small round hole will work.

Why are my donuts tough?
This could be due to a few things - either your oil temperature isn't hot or cool enough, or you over or under proofed the donut dough, meaning that it did not puff up in the oil. Check the oil temperature before each batch and make sure the donuts are properly proofed when you fry them.

How do you store donuts?
Donuts are best eaten on the day that they are made. If you eat them after the day you make them, I highly suggest briefly refreshing in the microwave and tossing in some fresh cinnamon sugar.

Can I use instant yeast in this recipe?
Yes, it is a 1:1 sub for active dry yeast, except you can skip the activation time and add it in along with the dry ingredients.

More Donut Recipes:

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I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!

Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Rhubarb Cheesecake

Rhubarb Cheesecake is super easy to make. This loaf pan no bake cheesecake is made with a graham cracker crust and a smooth rhubarb cheesecake topping. It is topped with swirls of rhubarb puree then chilled and cut into rhubarb cheesecake bars. This no bake cheesecake recipe is super versatile and can easily be adapted to use other fruit puree.

Rhubarb No Bake Cheesecake
How to make No Bake Cheesecake
How to make cheesecake with other fruit
Substitute for Graham Crackers in Cheesecake
FAQ for Rhubarb No Bake Cheesecake
For more rhubarb recipes, check out:
Recipe For Rhubarb Cheesecake

Rhubarb No Bake Cheesecake

Hi hi! Just popping in here to share this recipe for Rhubarb No Bake Cheesecake with you. I know we are getting right toward the tail end of Rhubarb in the US, but this small batch cheesecake recipe is just too good to wait a whole year for.

Rhubarb is still in full swing in NZ (it grows year round here), so I am looking forward to making this one for my family now we are back home, along with a whole bunch of other rhubarb recipes.

This Rhubarb Cheesecake is super easy to make, and is small batch so works perfectly in a loaf pan. It cuts into perfect no bake cheesecake bars, and to me, is the perfect amount of cheesecake for a small group. The recipe is also very scaleable if needed.

I love making homemade cheesecake - the best part about it is that it is a super versatile base - i'll tell you all about how to adapt it to suit whatever fruit you have on hand! I also have a passionfruit cheesecake recipe and a super easy berry cheesecake recipe if you are looking for other options!

How to make No Bake Cheesecake

The steps for making these Rhubarb cheesecake bars are super simple. It can be easily done ahead of time (in fact make sure you give it at least 3 hours to set).

Make the rhubarb puree / rhubarb compote - this needs time to cool, so do this ahead of time if you can. If you ever need to cool something down fast, you can either put it into a shallow pan like a sheet pan, or it works for this to pop the bowl into the freezer and stir every few minutes until it starts to cool.
Make the no bake cheesecake base by combining graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, and a wee bit of melted butter. Mix it all together and press down into a lined pan.
Make the cheesecake filling. This is a standard no bake cheesecake recipe so is set with gelatine. Whip the cream cheese and sugar together then fold through the cream and the rhubarb.
Add the swirl. This is optional but gives a lovely burst of rhubarb flavour on the top of the no bake cheesecake. I just blob on the top and swirl with a knife.
Chill - This takes at least a few hours, but you can chill this overnight if you like too.

How to make cheesecake with other fruit

This recipe is a super versatile base, so can be made with any sort of fruit curd or puree - you just need about 200g of it. Add 150g to the base of the cheesecake after you fold in the whipped cream, and the rest swirled on the top. Here are some options:

Lemon curd - a jar of lemon or passionfruit curd would work great here, or you can make homemade lemon curd
Peach - Roast sliced peaches with a little sugar. About 600g peeled sliced peaches tossed with 70g sugar and roasted at 425 until cooked and bubbly. Then puree and use. This would also work super well with apricot or nectarine. Alternatively you could cook the fruit down on the stove and then puree.
Any sort of berry coulis would work swirled on the top - I a berry coulis recipe on my berry no bake cheesecake bars!
You could also add in some strawberry with the rhubarb - just replace it 1:1 by weight.

Use this as a base and just go for it with whatever you feel like!

Substitute for Graham Crackers in Cheesecake

I get asked this often - what is a substitute for graham crackers in a cheesecake? While I haven't tested any of these myself (this will likely change now that I am in New Zealand), anything that's fairly neutral will work great. I often recommend ground up digestives as they have that same whole wheat texture as graham crackers do.

Something like a vanilla biscuit or a malt biscuit or a mix of the two would work great too. You could also use a gingersnap or something simlar.

The only important thing to note when using a different biscuit or cookie for a no bake cheesecake crumb crust is that you may have to change the quantity of butter that you use. You want the consistency to be like wet sand. Hold off a little when you add in the melted butter, then mix it and see how it holds together.

This also applies to a graham cracker crust. Different brands absorb different amounts of butter, so you need to just have a careful look when mixing up your crumb crust and adjust your butter quantity as needed.

Note: I tested this in NZ with digestive biscuits. They are a little sweeter than Graham crackers so you can leave out the sugar in the crust. They are also a little less absorbent than grahams so start with 60g butter first and go from there.

FAQ for Rhubarb No Bake Cheesecake

Can this cheesecake be made without gelatine?
I haven't tried it without it sorry - this recipe relies on the gelatine to set. I have only made this cheesecake using powdered gelatine so I am not sure of the conversion if you want to use something like gelatine leaves.

What loaf pan did you use?
I used this pan! This recipe would also work just fine in a 9"x5" (23x13cm) loaf pan too.

Can this recipe be scaled?
Yes! You can use my brand new pan conversion calculator, or you can follow the format of this passionfruit no bake cheesecake too.

Why isn't my rhubarb super pink like yours?
Different varieties of rhubarb look different - so some is more green than others. If yours isn't super pink then that's just fine too!

Do I have to puree the rhubarb?
I tried without and it's stringy and weird. I would highly recommend pureeing it.

Why is my cheesecake crust crumbly?
Different graham crackers / biscuit crumbs require different amounts of butter. You want it to look like wet sand. Melt a little more and add in if you need.

Can I use frozen rhubarb for the puree?
Yes, that's absolutely fine - just cook it down from frozen.

How do you store cheesecake?
Store this rhubarb cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge - it will keep for up to four days. It doesn't freeze well unfortunately as cream cheese doesn't hold up well in the freezer!

For more rhubarb recipes, check out:

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Recipe For Rhubarb Cheesecake

Laminated Cinnamon Buns with Apple

Laminated Cinnamon Buns with Spiced Apple and Oaty Streusel. These laminated cinnamon buns have a spiced brioche, a cooked spiced apple filling and a chewy oaty streusel. These are a fun variation on the classic brioche bun, and the lamination provides delicious layers of flavour.

Laminated Cinnamon Rolls

Hi hi! Happy Friday! My apartment is currently filled with so, so many cookies - a friend does a weekly drop off to a local hospital to say thank you to the healthcare workers for all the amazing work they are doing, and so I do a big load of baking each week / use it as a chance to do a lot of recipe testing (only the good stuff goes!). It is so lovely to be able to give back - this week we are sending two types of chocolate chip cookies.

I am just popping in to share the recipe for these Laminated Cinnamon Rolls. I had a lot of extra apples on hand this week and wanted to try an apple variation on these peach cinnamon buns. These are some of my favourite thinga to make. Brioche is taken up a notch by adding in a simple lamination, which I first saw my friend Izy doing and then had to try for myself. Basically you roll the dough out thin, spread it with a layer of butter and brown sugar, then fold up like a letter and roll out again, giving you an added butter and sugar layer within the dough, which leads to some super amazing delicious layers within the bun. They are so, so good and look super impressive when they are done with their flaky layers and their vanilla bean glaze.

Apple Cinnamon Buns

The original buns I did had a peach compote and a brown butter streusel. It was great for summer. However, I also wanted a variation that could be made when peaches aren’t in season, and landed here on these apple ones. I cooked down some apple with some brown sugar and spices. Then I sprinkled it over the dough, and mixed up a super quick oaty streusel, which gave a really nice crunch and some chewy texture from the oats. I love both versions equally. You can mix and match the fillings if you like. I kept the dough and assembly technique just the same.

Slightly lazy recipe development on my part. But I honestly will never say no to another variation of these beautiful flaky buns. They make a great weekend project - I like to make the dough and the filling either the night before or early the morning of. I have been playing around with a cold rise on the same day as I make them, which works just as well as an overnight rest, so depending on what works best with your schedule, either is great. You do have to roll the dough out quite thin for these, and you then add a lamination, so if you can, working with a cold dough is significantly easier. Popping your log of dough in the freezer for a quick chill really helps to cut nice even slices when you make your buns too.

How to Laminate Brioche

I picked up this tip from my friend Izy. Making laminated brioche is pretty simple, provided that you take your time and work carefully.

Roll out your dough into a large rectangle. I find that cold dough is easiest here.
Brush with half of the melted butter
Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Fold up like a letter
Roll out again
Proceed with the rest of the recipe and assembly of your laminated cinnamon buns.

The lamination of the brioche is a pretty easy step, but makes a huge difference!

Why I prefer a cold rise for Brioche

Putting yeasted dough in the fridge slows down the rising process. This means you can be much more flexible with when you make your cinnamon rolls. You're not tied down by a room temperature dough that needs to be rolled out at a certain point as soon as it is risen.

I have been using the fridge rise method for most of my doughs for a while now. I prefer it for a few reasons:

Flexibility. I usually have about 12 things happening at a time, so putting the dough in the fridge means that I can get to it when I am ready.
Cold dough is significantly easier to roll out. Particularly with something like these laminated cinnamon rolls where you want to get the dough nice and thin.
Preparing ahead. Doing the first rise in the fridge also means you can make the dough ahead of time. I usually do this up to 24 hours ahead.

If you are in a rush but still want a cold dough, you can leave the dough on the counter for 20 min or so. This kick starts the rise. Then put it into the fridge to chill down a little and finish rising.

How to get a clean cut on cinnamon rolls.

Please don't use the dental floss method here. The dough has a lot of filling, and dental floss will ruin it. In order to get nice neat rolls, keeping them fairly short is the best way to go - if you have larger rolls like regular cinnamon buns it is hard to get them to bake properly.

I use a sharp serrated knife to cut these laminated cinnamon buns. chillingl the dough log in the freezer before I cut also makes a massive difference.

Frequently Asked Questions about Laminated Cinnamon Buns

How long can bread dough be left in the fridge?
I usually try and use it within 24 hours of making it.

Can I do the second rise overnight?
I wouldn't recommend it. All the filling will leak out - I usually try and avoid this whenever I can as buns risen overnight for the second rise just aren't as good.

What is the minimum rise time in the fridge?
About 2 hours. You can always kick start it on the counter. But go by how the dough is.

Can I do the rise at room temperature?
You can, just be careful when rolling it out that it doesn't break. You have to get it pretty thin.

Can I make any components ahead?
Both the apple and the streusel can be made ahead!

Apple Cinnamon roll with frosting on plate

For more Cinnamon Bun Recipes, Check out:

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

The Best Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Homemade brownie ice cream sandwiches are a terrific treat, and super easy to make at home. You simply sandwich store-bought vanilla ice cream between two layers of rich and chewy brownie — et voila! I jazzed up the vanilla ice cream a little by adding a swirl of homemade strawberry balsamic sauce (optional). For easy assembly, watch the video tutorial! Recipe yields 6 ice cream sandwiches.

brownie ice cream sandwiches on wax paper

Hi hi! Just popping in to share this recipe for brownie ice cream sandwiches with you! I shot these just before we left to come back home, and so they were the very best snack to have stashed in my freezer to have while we were packing and had no other food in the house. I love having ice cream sandwiches as a quick and easy dessert - these Classic chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches are another favourite.

These Brownie ice cream sandwiches are super easy, and also happen to be small batch - the brownie is baked in one layer in a 9" square pan, then the sandwiches are assembled in a loaf pan, giving you six perfect ice cream sandwiches!

The brownie layer is super rich and chewy, then the ice cream layer is made from softened ice cream, which I jazzed up a little by adding a homemade strawberry sauce. They are super, super good and really easy to make. Using store bought ice cream with a fun mix in is the perfect short cut to super delicious brownie ice cream sandwiches. I hope you give them a go this summer to fill your freezer with some treats!

top down image of brownie ice cream sandwiches

How to assemble ice cream sandwiches

Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches are super easy to make - using store bought ice cream means that they come together relatively fast. You do need to account for time for the strawberry sauce to cool down and the ice cream sandwiches to freeze, but I promise you it is all worth it.

Make the strawberry balsamic sauce - the strawberry sauce does not take long to make, but it does need some time to cool down. I used fresh berries here but I am sure that frozen would also work great if berries aren't in season.
Make the brownie layer - this brownie is based on the small batch brownie recipe I did earlier this year and also happens to be a dairy free brownie! It comes together fast, and is spread thin in a 9" square pan. Bake the brownie until it is only just baked - you want it to be nice and chewy when you're assembling the brownie ice cream sandwiches.
Trim down the brownie - The brownie is baked in a 9" pan so needs to be trimmed down into two pieces to fit in the pan.
Assemble the brownie ice cream sandwiches - this step is super easy - softened ice cream goes into a bowl and then you add the cooled strawberry sauce and mix in to make a strawberry swirl. The first piece of brownie is snuggled into the loaf pan, topped with the ice cream, then topped with the second piece of brownie.
Freeze the brownie ice cream sandwiches - The ice cream sandwiches go into the freezer until set, then you are ready to serve!

How to make strawberry sauce

Making strawberry sauce is the perfect use for slightly tired strawberries (or any berries). This balsamic strawberry sauce is super easy. It is the perfect way to jazz up a store bought vanilla ice cream.

Strawberries sneakily have a lot of water in them (almost the same amount as watermelon). Water can cause ice crystals in ice cream. The way around this is to cook down the strawberries, then strain them. You then reduce down the strained strawberry sauce until it is a thick, syrupy strawberry balsamic ice cream sauce. You get all the flavour of strawberry balsamic, but none of the actual chunks of fruit which could cause ice crystals.

This strawberry sauce can be made up to a week ahead and is super good just spooned over ice cream. I often make some if I have some sad strawberries to use up!

side on shot brownie ice cream sandwiches with bite taken out

brownie sandwiches with ice cream on tray

Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwiches

Because of the nature of the brownie in this recipe, and because we lean on store bought ice cream, this small batch brownie ice cream sandwich recipe can easily be made into dairy and / or gluten free ice cream sandwiches.

To make gluten free brownie: Replace the flour in the recipe 1:1 by weight with a gluten free flour blend. The brownies don't rely on the gluten, and have a relatively low flour content, so a gluten free brownie works great here.
To make Dairy Free Brownie Ice Cream sandwiches: The Brownies in this recipe are already dairy free, as is the strawberry balsamic sauce. All you need to do to make this recipe dairy free is to use your favourite dairy free ice cream in the recipe. Easy easy!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best type of ice cream to use for ice cream sandwiches?
I just used a good quality vanilla ice cream - grab what you like!

How long do homemade ice cream sandwiches last?
Ice Cream sandwiches are best the day or the day after they are made, but can be enjoyed up to a week after - just store them in an airtight container in the freezer.

How do you soften ice cream for ice cream sandwiches?
I leave my ice cream out at room temperature until it has just softened enough to be used - you don't want it to be too melty.

Can I use frozen Strawberries to make strawberry sauce?
I haven't tried it but I think it should be fine as you are reducing down the fruit anyway. I would defrost them first then just roughly chop before proceeding. Keep the liquid that thaws with the fruit.

Can this recipe be doubled?
It sure can! Just make the brownie recipe twice and bake in two 9" square pans, then assemble in a 9" pan.

What is the best pan to use for ice cream sandwiches?
I used a pullman pan to assemble these in as it has super square sides (I have a few recipes with them and they make amazing bread so are a great investment), but something this size would work great too. Try and get one with straight ish sides if you can so the sandwiches have straight edges! No worries at all if not though 🙂

Can I bake the brownie in two layers?
Yes, if you have two 9"x5" pans the same size this would work I think! I haven't tried it but it should be fine.

strawberry balsamic ice cream sandwiches

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Rhubarb Custard Pie

This Rhubarb Custard Pie is super easy and is the perfect spring dessert. A par-baked pie crust is filled with chopped rhubarb and then covered with a sour cream custard. This Rhubarb Custard Pie is similar to a Rhubarb Clafoutis or Rhubarb Flan, and is a great make-ahead dessert. It is a great starting point if you are learning how to bake with rhubarb!

Rhubarb Custard Pie
Custard Pie Filling
How to make Rhubarb Custard Pie
Preparing Rhubarb for Baking
Tips for how to avoid a soggy bottom pie
How to line a pie pan with pie dough.
How to Par bake a pie crust
The secret to easy to work with pie dough
Butter lumps in your pie crust?
Metal vs Ceramic vs Glass pie plates
FAQ for Rhubarb Custard Pie
For more Rhubarb recipes, check out:

Rhubarb Custard Pie

Hi hi! Popping in pretty late in the rhubarb season to bomb you with a whole bunch of rhubarb recipes - I shot these all a few months ago with full intentions of sharing them before now, but we were in the middle of sneakily moving to New Zealand. Turns out an international move during a pandemic takes up a lot of time, so here I am with a bunch of rhubarb recipes late in the season. Sorryyyy.

This Rhubarb Custard pie recipe is a re-make of a rhubarb pie I posted here in 2017 and is a dessert I grew up eating. The original recipe comes from the book 'The Best of Alison Holst' (the one with the red cover, if you know you know), and we knew it as 'rhubarb flan'. Mum and Dad have a rhubarb plant in their garden that grows year round so I used to make this all the time. Rhubarb is such a versatile ingredient and is also delicious paired with strawberries - I use this combination in my strawberry rhubarb pie.

This rhubarb pie is super easy to make. The original used store bought puff pastry but I turned it into a pie recipe with a par baked homemade pie crust, and kept the rest of the recipe the same.

You fill the crust with chopped rhubarb, top it with a sour cream custard, and then bake the whole thing until it's done. It's super easy and just so, so good, and the tart rhubarb flavour really shines through. It's my favourite, and a great, quick way to use up rhubarb.

Custard Pie Filling

This Rhubarb custard pie has a super easy creamy custard pie filling. I make mine with sour cream, and it is poured over the fruit in the pie crust before it goes into the oven.

You may find that you are left with a tiny bit of custard filling left over after filling the pie, depending on how big your rhubarb pieces are, or how big your pie pan is. Try not to over fill the pie too much, however if you are worried about it spilling, place the pie plate onto the sheet pan in the oven before you add the custard.

To remove any bubbles, I like to give the pie a little shake after adding the custard. If there are big bubbles on the surface, you can pop them gently, or quickly blow torch the surface of the custard to remove them.

How to make Rhubarb Custard Pie

There's not too many steps for making this rhubarb custard pie. It is essentially a rhubarb clafoutis, just with a crust. Super easy.

Make the pie dough - I like to do this ahead of time to give it overnight to chill, and use my homemade pie crust recipe. I also like to make bulk pie dough and keep some in the freezer so that whenever I need it I can just defrost it, so I will often make extra. This recipe makes enough for two single crust pies - just pop the other disc of dough in the freezer for another time.
Par bake the pie crust - This kick starts the baking of the pastry. This can also be done ahead of time.
Prepare the rhubarb - The rhubarb gets chopped up and popped into the cooled par-baked pie crust.
Add the custard and bake - The other component of this rhubarb custard pie is a sour cream custard filling. This is just a whisk together situation - whisk it up and pour over the rhubarb. Then pop the whole thing into the oven and bake until done.
Chill and serve - This rhubarb custard pie cuts best when it is chilled, so let it cool slightly then throw the whole thing in the fridge to cool down before serving.

Preparing Rhubarb for Baking

If you haven't baked with rhubarb before, this rhubarb custard pie is a great place to start. Preparation wise, you can treat rhubarb a lot like celery. It can be a little stringy, so I like to use my fingernail to just see if I can lift any fibre from the flat part of the rhubarb stalks by starting at the end and seeing if any lifts off. If you can, pull the stringy stuff off and discard, if not then no worries.

The leaves of rhubarb are poisonous so you will often see it sold without them. To prepare the rhubarb just chop it into thin slices. This can be done ahead of time if you like.

To freeze rhubarb just pop it into an airtight bag and freeze. I prefer to freeze it once it is already chopped up.

I haven't tested it myself but this rhubarb custard pie should be fine to make with frozen rhubarb - just defrost before using.

Tips for how to avoid a soggy bottom pie

The par bake on this rhubarb custard pie is essential to avoiding a soggy bottom. It kick starts the baking process of the crust, so it gives it a barrier against the liquid in the filling. It also means that the bottom of the crust has started to bake too. This means you will have a nice flaky pie crust to fill your pie with the wet filling.

If you didn't par-bake your crust you would have to bake the pie at too high of a temperature for the custard in order to bake the crust properly, which would cause all sorts of issues with the custard.

How to line a pie pan with pie dough.

Make sure you start with nice cold pie dough - ideally it will have been chilling for at least two hours or up to overnight.

Roll out your crust - I like to use a wooden french rolling pin for pie crust but you can use whatever you like! Roll to a circle a little larger than your pie pan. I like to use a 9-inch pie plate.
Transfer your pie dough to the pan - Flop the dough into the pan and make sure to settle it within the pan so that it doesn't slump.
Trim if needed - If you have loads of overhang, or your dough isn't a perfect circle, you can trim the edges with some kitchen shears
Fold and tuck the edges under - Tuck the edges of the crust under themselves to form an edge on your pie dough - this will be what you crimp.
Chill - At this point, pop your pie dough into the fridge just for a wee bit to allow it to chill down before you crimp.
Crimp - I like to keep this pretty basic and just do a thumb and fingers crimp, but you can do whatever you like here.
Chill again - You can freeze your crust here if you want, but I prefer to chill it for about half an hour instead, which I find helps it to keep its shape well in the oven when baking.

How to Par bake a pie crust

The process for par baking a pie crust is pretty simple - it takes a little practice to get the crimp on the crust right, but par baking is a great skill to know how to do!

Fill with beans or weights - Prick the crust all over, then cover with a crunched up piece of parchment paper. Fill the crust right to the edges with either weights or beans.
Par-bake - Par bake the pie crust for 15-18 minutes with the weights in, then remove the weights and return the crust to the oven. This second bake is just for a few minutes and will set up the crust that was covered by the paper.

You can par-bake crust ahead of time - just leave it to cool then store lightly wrapped in plastic wrap in an airtight container for up to a day.

Get the full run down in my post: How to blind bake pie crust.

The secret to easy to work with pie dough

I use a little tip that my baking bestie Erin Mcdowell taught me - to laminate my pie dough after making it but before rolling it out for use. What this does it pops a few layers within the pie dough. This makes it homogenous and easy to work with but also still nice and flaky. So you get the best of both worlds - flaky AF pie dough which is super easy to work with. Here's how you do this:

Make your pie dough - For this recipe I make the dough then form it into a rectangle. Then I wrap tightly in plastic and chill for only an hour. This gives the butter time to chill down enough that it won't melt everywhere when you roll it out.
Roll out and perform turn 1 - Roll the dough into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Then brush off any excess flour and perform a letter fold - where you fold it like a business letter.
Perform turns 2 and 3 - Repeat the process again two more times. Your dough should be super homogenous at this point!
Divide and shape - At this point I split the dough in two and shape each into a disc rather than roll out and laminate each piece individually. Works much better. If you're using it for a lattice top, shape into a rectangle. Starting with the shape you are wanting to achieve makes rolling out much easier!
Chill again - Either chill your dough for at least 2 hours or overnight, or freeze for another time.

For all my top tips and tricks on how to make the best pie crust, check out my post: How to make homemade pie crust

Butter lumps in your pie crust?

If your butter lumps were too big when you were initially mixing, this rolling out process will be hard. Make sure you incorporate them enough. You want some lumps of butter still in your dough, but not so many that the dough seems lumpy when you roll it out.

Metal vs Ceramic vs Glass pie plates

This is a question that I get often, and I know preference varies from baker to baker. I prefer a metal pie plate. The bottom of the pie gets a good bake, and it is easy to release from the pan. Others prefer ceramic or glass. However, both of those do not conduct heat as well, so things will take a little longer and may bake differently.

There is also the risk of breakage with glass and ceramic. I sometimes pop my crust into the freezer first then into the hot oven. You can't do that with a ceramic or glass pan as you risk the breakage.

Basically, you do you here, but I much prefer a metal pan! I have linked a favourite of mine in the FAQ section.

FAQ for Rhubarb Custard Pie

Can this be made with a store bought pie crust?
Probably, but I haven't tried it (or ever used store bought crust as it wasn't a thing for us growing up!). I assume you would par-bake it first and then proceed with the recipe!

Can this pie be made with other fruit?
You could add some berries along with the rhubarb (which is technically a vegetable) to the pie before adding the custard. Just sub in an equal amount by weight. If you add blueberries you could also rub some lemon zest into the sugar before making the custard.

How to store pie
Store this rhubarb custard pie in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for 3 to 4 days.

Can this pie be made in advance?
Yes! It is great to make in advance - it actually needs to be well chilled before cutting to ensure that it cuts cleanly. You can make it a day in advance and store lightly wrapped in the fridge.

How do you tell when a custard pie is done?
The outside edges will be set, and the middle of the pie will be just jiggly.

Help! My pie split!
That's all good - it is totally normal for that to happen as the rhubarb juices react with the custard.

Which pie plate did you use?
I use a vintage aluminium pie plate that I got off of ebay, but this one is a great starter for a pie plate!

What pie weights are best?
I use these ceramic pie weights. I got a couple of sets of them as one isn't enough. However uncooked beans or rice also work great - just set them aside as your baking beans as you can't eat them after they have been baked! My friend Stella also uses sugar!

Why is my pie crust leaking butter?
A little butter leakage is ok but your crust shouldn't be pouring out butter. If it is, you haven't incorporated the butter enough in the initial mixing stage. Then when it hits the oven, it all leaks out.

For more Rhubarb recipes, check out:

❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️

I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!

Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Oaty Ginger Crunch

Ginger crunch or ginger slice is a classic 'slice' or bar recipe from New Zealand. Oaty Ginger crunch has a chewy oat base and a ginger icing topping that is poured on when the base is hot and left to set. This easy ginger crunch recipe is great to make ahead and can easily be scaled up.

Oaty Ginger Crunch

Hi hi! I am just popping in here to share a refreshed version of one of the super popular recipes on my website - this super easy ginger crunch recipe. Ginger crunch / ginger slice is a New Zealand classic. It is traditionally made with a shortbread like base, but I switched things up a little and added oats to the base to give it a little more substance. Ginger Crunch (or ginger slice) is a favourite recipe of mine. Ginger crunch is super spicy, and it also keeps really well just in a container at room temperature. This Ginger Crunch is super easy to make and you can very easily scale it! It's made up of just two parts - the base and the topping, but comes together quickly. I love it and I really hope you do too!

close up shot of ginger crunch with candied ginger topping

How to make Easy Ginger Crunch

Ginger crunch is super easy to make. It has two components, the base and the topping, but they sort of both happen at the same time with the topping going onto the hot base.

Make your base - The base is a simple oaty cookie base, and also has a wee bit of ginger thrown in there for good measure. Mix up the dry ingredients, then melt down the wet and add in, then mix to incorporate.
Transfer to your pan - Spread the base into the pan and then smooth down. Pop into the oven and bake until golden.
Add the topping - While the base is baking, prepare the topping. It goes onto the hot base so make sure you keep an eye on what is going on. I usually start getting my things together about 10 minutes before the base is done. Then 5 minutes before the base is done, melt it all together. Add on top of the hot base.
Leave to set - The icing layer is then left to set at room temperature. This usually takes about 2 hours and then you are good to go!

Using Golden Syrup in Baking

This recipe uses golden syrup in both the base and the topping. Golden syrup is a sugar syrup which is common in baking in the UK and New Zealand. I haven't tried making this recipe without it so I don't know if you can substitute anything. I really recommend getting some if you can - it's just so, so good and gives the most amazing toasty flavour. It can be used in a bunch of recipes - I use it in my pecan pie recipe and it lasts forever in the pantry. I sometimes see it in stores but I get mine online.

Topping for Ginger Crunch

There are a few ways to finish this ginger crunch recipe. I added crystallised ginger which I chopped up. However you can also add lime zest, or pistachios, or both, or anything else that you like! It's also super good just plain. You do you here.

Frequently Asked Questions for Oaty Ginger Crunch

Can I scale this recipe?
Yes! I double the recipe and put it into a 9"x13" pan.

Which pan did you use for the recipe?
I used this 9" pan, which I lined with a parchment paper overhang to make pulling the ginger crunch out of the pan super easy once it is set. I also have this one in both the 8" and 9" size which I use all the time.

Help! My base seems to be really buttery!
That's all good! It can look a little greasy when you're putting it into the pan. It will be just fine.

Can this ginger crunch be made less gingery?
This ginger crunch recipe is pretty spicy. You can dial back on the ginger in the topping a little if you want!

What do I do if my ginger topping is lumpy?
Adding the ingredients in the order specified in the recipe is quite important here. If you do get a few lumps, you can hit it with the immersion blender to fix it, or just whisk hard.

How to do you store ginger crunch?
Ginger crunch can be stored at room temperature. It lasts up to a week, so pop it into an airtight container and keep at room temp.

Do I have to use golden syrup?
I haven't tried it without it so I don't know sorry. I get mine online but have seen it in stores too!

For more New Zealand slice recipes, check out:

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Recipe for Oaty Ginger Crunch

Small Batch Cheese Buns

These Small Batch Cheese Buns are super easy and fun to make. They have a fluffy dough made with the Tangzhong Method, and are filled with a thick and creamy cheese filling. The cheese rolls come together quickly, and are the perfect accompaniment to any meal. This small batch bread recipe can easily be doubled.

top down shot of buns with pretzel salt and chives

Small Batch Cheese Buns

Hi hi! My husband has requested that I let you know in this post that eating two of these small batch cheese buns in a row is too many. He suggests pacing yourself. He came home from work and promptly inhaled two very quickly, then had to lie down on the floor. Dramatic if you ask me, but good to know that they are just THAT good.

I small batched my Cheese and Chive Brioche Buns, which is a great recipe, but I had a feeling I could make it even better. So I did what I've been doing with every bread recipe lately - I added Tangzhong. Predictable. But it just works SO well. I wrote more about the role and origins of Tangzhong in this post - it is an asian method in which you start your dough by making a roux of flour and milk (or water).

This gives you a super soft and stretchy dough that can be kept relatively 'lean' and is SUPER soft and SUPER fluffy. It's a dream to work with, and it worked so well for these super cheesy, super fluffy small batch cheese buns. I adapted my super soft burger bun recipe, scaling it down and removing the egg to avoid any awkward egg dividing situations.

side on angle shot of cheese buns with chives

top down shot of small batch baked cheese buns

A Super Versatile Small Batch Bread Dough Recipe

This small batch dough recipe is super, super versatile, and I can certainly see myself using it for other small batch baking recipes. It is super soft and easy to make, and would work perfectly in both sweet and savoury applications.

It would also work great for a small batch dinner roll recipe - I will work on getting something together to share with you for the dimensions and rising time etc! You could divide the dough into 6 balls and then arrange in the pan for a tiny dinner roll situation.

It worked perfectly as the base for these cheese buns - I rolled the dough out to about half the dimensions of my regular recipe (just half the length, and took 2 inches off of the width). I then cut the dough into 6 buns and arranged in an Eighth sheet pan. Super, super cute. I hope you give these ones a go!

How to make Small Batch Cheese Buns

These small batch cheese buns are super easy to make. They have two components - the dough and the filling. Ideally the filling needs a little time to chill down so I like to make it the day before if I can. Here's the steps!

Make the cheese sauce filling - I use a mix of cheese here, but you can use whatever you like, as long as it all adds up to 130g. The filling is just a basic roux mix with some milk to make a bechamel, then allll the cheese goes in! I do a mix of cheese and then also some cream cheese. The cream cheese helps keep the filling spreadable. It will set quite thick but I did that on purpose so it doesn't all drop out in the oven. I like to do this the night before but if you are in a pinch, just pop the filling into a shallow dish and cover with plastic wrap to help speed up the chilling process.
Prepare the dough - Your mixer will do all the work here! Make the Tangzhong then add everything except for the butter and let it hang out. Then add in the butter and mix until incorporated. Leave it to rise for a bit.
Assemble the cheese buns - This dough is a little more squishy than a brioche so needs to be handled a little differently. It's puffy so you have to roll it out a little more gently. The dough is spread out then spread with the filling, rolled up and cut into buns. I like to use floss to cut these as opposed to a bread knife.
Second rise and bake - The buns need to go through a second rise. At this point I like to sprinkle them with pretzel salt, or you can use flaky sea salt. Bake them for perfectly golden fluffy buns!

side shot cheese buns with cheese filling

What sort of cheese should I use for the cheese buns?

I used a mix here. You are welcome to use whatever you like though - just whatever you have on hand! They are super good with some parmesan in there or a sharp cheddar. I do like to use some havarti or gouda just for smoothness but you do you here. You can also add in other things if you like - caramelised onion would be so good, or some wholegrain mustard. Mix it up and play around as you like!

Dental Floss vs Bread Knife for cutting buns - how to get the perfect clean cut

I usually cut my rolls using a sharp bread knife. I find that that gives me the cleanest cut, particularly if the buns have a filling such as nuts. However with this soft squishy Tangzhong based dough I used for the cheese buns, the best way to get a super clean cut on these buns is to use unflavoured dental floss.

To cut buns with dental floss you place the floss under the log of dough where you want to cut it. Try not to drag it up so it doesn't get caught on the dough. Then you just cross the ends over and it cuts them! I like to cut the dough into two sections first, then cut each one into three from there.

If you don't have unflavoured floss and are making these Small Batch Cheese Buns, you could use some kitchen twine, or some fishing line. I've also only had peppermint stuff on hand one time and it was honestly fine too. I won't tell anyone if you don't.

side shot of cheese buns showing the filling

Frequently Asked Questions about Small Batch Cheese Buns

What can I use if I don't have an Eighth Sheet Pan?
You can roll the dough to 14x14 and cut into 9 rolls and do them in an 8" pan. They will be slightly smaller but will work just fine!

Which Eighth Sheet Pan did you use?
I used this pan. They are so cute and can be used for so many things! A few other companies make them too.

Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes! You can roll it to 24"x14" (60cmx36cm) and then roll up from the long side. Cut it into 12 rolls and bake them in a lined 9"x13" (20cm x 30cm) pan.

Can this dough be made ahead of time?
Yes! You can do the first rise in the fridge overnight. Leave the dough to stand on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes, then pop it into the fridge to rise for the night.

Can I make the dough without a mixer?
I haven't tried - it is super soft and stretchy though so I would think that it really needs the mixer.

Do I need to use bread flour?
Yes. The dough needs it for strength. Otherwise you end up with slime.

Can I leave out the milk powder in the recipe?
I haven't tried it, but it should be ok to leave it out.

Can I add other fillings?
Yesss! Add anything that you like!

corner shot of buns with cheese and chives

For more Super Soft Bread Recipes, Check out:

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Answers to your baking questions

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Soft & Gooey Olive Oil Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Soft, fluffy, gooey vegan cinnamon rolls coming right up! These dairy-free cinnamon buns are special for two reasons: first, the recipe uses olive oil rather than vegan butter. Second, the cinnamon roll dough uses the Tangzhong method, a technique that results in the most tender, moist dough. This recipe has a room temperature rise of 60-90 minutes, but I've also included an overnight option for convenience.

Hi hi! I am just popping in to share this vegan cinnamon roll recipe! I have been sitting on the recipe for a wee bit and decided it is just far too good to keep to myself and I should probably just share it here now! This recipe makes 9 large, soft, and fluffy vegan cinnamon rolls.

These Vegan Cinnamon Rolls are SO GOOD. I love making homemade cinnamon rolls, but I don't have too much vegan baking experience (it is usually just a happy accident - my focaccia recipe and my ciabatta recipe are both vegan), so I was a little cautious going into this, but oh my, they turned out so well!

The dough for these vegan cinnamon rolls has a Tangzhong base, which gave me a great foundation to work on, then relied on bread flour for strength where eggs and milk would usually do the heavy lifting.

I filled the Vegan dough with a simple cinnamon sugar mixture, then added a wee layer of candied pecans just for texture and flavour. These Vegan Cinnamon Rolls are so soft and fluffy and come together quickly - I hope you love them!

Super Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

These Vegan Cinnamon Buns are super easy to make. The dough comes together super fast and because it doesn't have butter etc in it, it is just as easy to roll out at room temperature as it is cold.

Make the Candied Pecans - These Vegan Candied Pecans are super easy to make - you just cook toasted nuts on the stove with some sugar and oil until the sugar caramelises. I like to toast my nuts in the oven first to add a depth of flavour. The pecans are finely chopped for the filling of the cinnamon rolls.
Mix the Vegan Cinnamon Roll Dough - This dough uses the Tangzhong method, so starts with a paste made of milk and flour which is cooked on the stove. The rest of the ingredients then go in and it hangs out in the mixer for a bit before being left to rise
Assemble the Vegan Cinnamon Rolls - The next step is to roll out the dough, and top with the cinnamon sugar filling and the candied pecans. Then they get rolled up, sliced, and popped into a pan to rise and then are baked.
Finish with glaze - These Vegan Cinnamon Rolls just have a super simple glaze made from plant based milk and powdered sugar. You can make it as thin or thick as you like depending on preference! I used oat milk to make my icing, you can use almond milk or soy milk too if you like depending on preference.

How to make Vegan Cinnamon Roll Dough

I relied heavily on the Tangzhong method when making this vegan cinnamon roll dough. The Tangzhong method is an Asian Technique, and involves cooking part of the flour and water in a bread recipe to form a thick paste, or a roux. The process of making the Tangzhong gelatanises some of the starch in the flour. This means the flour is able to absorb a lot more water, and also holds onto it throughout the dough making process.

This gives an incredibly soft bread which stays soft a lot longer than other bread does. Tangzhong (which is a Chinese word) cooks the liquid and flour together, while the Yudane method (which is Japanese) involves adding boiling liquid to the flour and leaving it to set overnight. The benefit of using a roux means that the bread dough can stay 'lean' - so very little added fat etc but still stay extremely tender and soft.

This works perfectly as the base for a vegan dough as the strength from the Tangzhong means that there is no need for dairy or egg in the dough. The dough is super super light and fluffy, so does need to be dealt with differently than a traditional brioche (it is much more puffy), but it works so, so well!

Please note that if you are keeping these strictly vegan you will need to make sure your sugar is also vegan!

How to get a clean cut on Cinnamon Rolls

There are a few ways to cut cinnamon rolls - for a firmer dough I usually use a sharp bread knife. While that will work for these vegan cinnamon rolls, the dough is super soft and puffy so I use unflavoured dental floss.

To cut rolls with dental floss, I find it is easiest to cut the roll into sections first (in this case 3 sections), then cut each up. You want to place the log of dough over the floss rather than dragging it up the log, or it will catch on the underside.

Then you just cross the ends over each other and pull, and it gives you a perfect swirly cinnamon roll! Make sure your pecans are finely chopped for this too to avoid them catching on the floss.

If you only have flavoured dental floss I honestly don't think it's going to make a massive difference - thread or some thin string or fishing wire would work great too!

close up vegan cinnamon rolls with frosting

Sample Schedule for Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

I made these Vegan Cinnamon Rolls all in the same day. However, there are a few ways that you can do this to make them ahead of time. I often get asked if you can do the second rise for cinnamon rolls overnight and while you can, it is not my favourite. I find that the chances of over proofing your rolls are much higher, and the filling tends to leak. You then also have to still let them sit at room temperature while you heat up the oven. Here are the two ways I would do it:

Fridge rise first rise, room temperature second rise - I often use a cold rise for my first rise with dough. As I said earlier this dough isn't like a butter based dough which will firm up and be easier to roll when cold, but the fridge means you can make it on your schedule. You can either do the first rise in the fridge during the day (I would give it 10-15 minutes on the counter then a minimum of 3 hours in the fridge), or you can do it overnight.
Room temperature first rise, room temperature second rise - This is what I did when making these. The dough is super soft and puffy so only takes about an hour to do the first rise and about 30 for the second.

The candied pecans can be made well ahead of time and stored in an airtight container until ready to use. Remember to always go by how your dough is behaving rather than time on the clock!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is bread flour compulsory?
The dough heavily relies on the gluten in the recipe for structure. Bread flour provides that. It is also called 'high grade' or 'strong' flour in other countries. You can add in
'vital wheat gluten' if you don't have bread flour in your country, but I haven't tried it before so I am not 100% on the ratio sorry. For this same reason - I haven't tried making these GF sorry!

Do I have to use a mixer?
haven't tried without but I would say yes, you do need the mixer. The dough is soft and stretchy, and needs the mixer to help develop strength.

Why is there bread flour in the filling?
This is a little tip I borrowed from King Arthur - it stops the filling from leaking out!

What pan did you bake the vegan cinnamon rolls in?
I used a 10" skillet, but a 9" round cake pan or a 9" square pan would work great too. I cut mine into 9 pieces but you can do what you like here.

What is a good substitute for Cardamom?
If you don't have it, you can just leave it out of the dough. Cinnamon inhibits yeast, so don't replace it with that in the dough. You can replace the cardamom with 1 tsp cinnamon in the filling.

How do you store vegan cinnamon rolls?
Store vegan cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature, then briefly refresh in the microwave.

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Answers to your baking questions

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Homemade Garlic Knots

Super soft homemade Garlic Knots have a garlic butter topping that is brushed on both before and after baking. These easy garlic knots can be made in a variety of shapes and sizes and are perfect for your next dinner or gathering!

Super Soft Garlic Knots
What makes these Garlic Knots super soft?
How to make homemade Garlic Knots
Garlic Knots with Garlic Butter
How to shape garlic knots
How to make Garlic Knots ahead of time
FAQ for Garlic Knots
For more recipes using the Tangzhong method, check out:
Recipe for Homemade Garlic Knots

Super Soft Garlic Knots

Hi hi! Just popping in here to share the recipe for these homemade Garlic Knots with you! These Garlic Knots are super easy to make - the dough is based off of my burger bun recipe which I developed a while back and have been using in everything. The dough comes together really easily (the mixer does all of the work), and they are fun to shape.

These easy homemade garlic knots are brushed with a garlic butter before being baked. They are then finished with garlic butter and fresh herbs once they come out of the oven for the perfect garlicky buttery bread!

What makes these Garlic Knots super soft?

These Garlic Knots are super soft thanks to the Tangzhong method, and is super stretchy from the bread flour in the recipe which gives an incredibly soft dough which can withstand being shaped into knots. Homemade Garlic Knots are often made from pizza dough, but I wanted to level it up with this soft and fluffy dough.

Tangzhong (which is a Chinese word) is made by cooking the liquid and flour together, while the Yudane method (which is Japanese) involves adding boiling liquid to the flour and leaving it to set overnight. The benefit of using a roux means that the bread dough can stay 'lean' - so very little added fat etc but still stay extremely tender and soft.

How to make homemade Garlic Knots

This homemade Garlic Knot recipe is pretty easy to make - there are two components, the dough and the garlic butter. Easy easy!

Make the Tangzhong - The Tangzhong acts as the base of the dough, providing strength and moisture. I add cold milk directly to it rather than waiting for it to cool down.
Mix the dough - All the other dough ingredients except for the butter go in. I use bread flour for strength, along with some milk powder for softness. The mixer does all the work for you here to make a super soft and stretchy dough.
Add the butter - When the dough is developed strength, the butter is incorporated. The reason for this is to allow the gluten to develop before adding in the fat to the recipe, although it is not as important with a recipe that has a strong dough base, it is good practice!
Rise the dough - I just pop the dough in a warm spot to rise. This usually takes about 90 minutes for me but just keep an eye on it. Go by the dough not the time.
Form the knots - These knots use a super fun shaping method that I learnt from my friend Sarah's blog!
Leave them to rise - Arrange the garlic knots in the pan and leave to rise until puffy. While they are rising, you can make the garlic butter so it is ready to go at baking time. Again, keep an eye on your dough here rather than the clock.
Bake the Garlic Knots - The knots get brushed with garlic butter and then popped into the oven to bake. Once they are golden brown they come out and get drowned in a second round of garlic butter for a double dose of garlic! If you like, finish with a sprinkle of chopped fresh herbs such as parsley or chives, and a grating of parmesan cheese. Serve alongside some marinara sauce for dipping if desired.

Garlic Knots with Garlic Butter

I have a 'go hard or go home' mentality when it comes to making garlic bread, and these garlic knots definitely fall within the 'go hard' category.

I found that the best way to get as much garlic into them as possible was to do two rounds of garlic butter, made with melted butter. The first goes on just before they go into the oven, then the second lot of garlic butter gets brushed on when they are hot from the oven. I love this garlic butter, and use it on focaccia, garlic butter dinner rolls, and cheesy garlic bread.

The best way to get as much garlic flavour in without a super raw bit of garlic is to pre cook the garlic butter. What this does is infuse the butter with the garlic flavour. It also cooks down the minced garlic a little so that it doesn't have a super raw strong taste. This means you can and can load it onto the knots as soon as they come out of the oven.

The garlic butter goes onto the warm rolls, so if you are planning on making these ahead you can make the butter, do the first round before baking, then leave the second round off if you like. Then you can re-warm the garlic knots in the oven and add the garlic butter just before serving. They will be super good either way but this is just one way of going about it!

How to shape garlic knots

I borrowed my friend Sarah's method for these homemade garlic knots - instead of tying the dough into a full knot, you make a sort of twisted shape. I will try my best to explain, but you are best to watch the accompanying video to get a good idea.

Divide the dough into 12 pieces.
Working with one piece at a time, press the dough into a rectangle and then roll it up into a sausage. Making the rectangle first evens it out a little to help give you a nice even sausage.
Roll the dough into a sausage 13" (33cm) long.
Form the dough into a "u" shape
Cross one end over the other. You will now have a top piece of dough and a bottom piece of dough.
Take the bottom piece of dough, and bring it up and tuck it through the hole. Loop the top piece around to meet the bottom piece, and press the ends together.
Tuck everything in and round off the garlic knot.
Repeat with the remaining pieces. Transfer into your parchment paper lined baking pan.

This can take a little practice so you are best to practice with one piece until you get the hang of it, but I promise once you get the hang of it it is very easy!

How to make Garlic Knots ahead of time

You can make these garlic knots ahead of time. There are a few ways to do this:

Make the dough ahead of time - Mix up the dough, then leave to stand on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes to kick start the rising process. Then pop the dough into the fridge to do the first rise! You can either do this on the same day (so make the dough in the morning and rise in the fridge), or make the dough the evening before.
Make and assemble the knots and then do the second proof in the fridge - These only rise for 45 minutes at room temperature so you should be able to do the second rise in the fridge. I would leave them on the counter for about 10-15 minutes before putting them into the fridge. Remember to go by how the dough looks not the timing. I would not do this overnight, but would instead just use it as a way to delay the second rise.
Make the garlic knots ahead of time and finish them later - make the knots and bake them, but don't add the second lot of garlic butter. Then, when you are ready to serve them, pop the pan into the oven for 10-15 min (at about 350°f / 180°c) covered with some foil. Then re-warm the butter and add it on top of the rolls just before serving.

Remember with yeast dough that the fridge is your friend. If something pops up and you're worried about over-proofing, just pop the dough into the fridge. I do this all the time if I find it is rising too fast and i'm not ready, or I need a little more time etc.

FAQ for Garlic Knots

Can Garlic powder be added to the dough?
Garlic does weird weird stuff when added to the dough and it makes it lose strength. I have had this happen to me in the past and it's very odd. So I just went for a double dose of garlic butter!

How do you store Garlic Knots?
I just keep them lightly covered or in an airtight container at room temperature. Because of the Tangzhong they should stay quite soft but you can refresh in the microwave if you want.

Can I substitute Bread Flour?
No. I tried it with all purpose flour once and it was like edible slime. It didn't go well. Bread flour is often called 'strong' or 'high grade' in other places! If you can't find it you could try adding some vital wheat gluten to the dough to help add strength.

Can Garlic Knots be made without a mixer?
This dough really needs a mixer! It needs to develop the strength for the knots to hold.

Do you have to use that much garlic?
Nope. You can use less if you want! Make sure it is finely grated - either mince it or cut super fine. I haven't tried this with pre-minced garlic but it should work fine.

How to substitute active dry yeast for Instant
If you only have active dry yeast, this recipe will still work fine, but you will have to change your method. Make the tangzong and cool to room temperature in a bowl with plastic wrap pressed against the surface. Then bloom your yeast in the lukewarm milk with the sugar. You can't use the cold milk to cool down the tangzhong as it needs to be warm to activate the yeast.

Can you freeze Garlic Knots?
I haven't tried it but I have frozen my burger buns and it was fine. Don't add the second round of butter to them (it will go weird in the freezer), then freeze the baked knots in a ziplock bag or airtight container. To refresh, thaw out then warm in an oven covered in foil, and then finish with the garlic butter.

How do I know if I have over proofed the dough?
If you have over proofed your knots, they will probably deflate while adding the garlic butter before baking. Then, over proofed dough doesn't do much in the oven as there is no gas to rise the bread. They should still taste fine they might just be a bit saggy. Make sure to keep a close eye on them when they are rising and give them the poke test!

For more recipes using the Tangzhong method, check out:

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Recipe for Homemade Garlic Knots

Passionfruit No Bake Cheesecake

This Easy Passionfruit No Bake Cheesecake has a graham cracker cheesecake crust, a passionfruit cheesecake filling, and a passionfruit curd topping. This is the perfect easy dessert with no baking required.

Passionfruit No Bake Cheesecake

Hi hi! I am just popping in here to share the recipe with you for this Passionfruit No Bake Cheesecake! I grew up on No Bake Cheesecake (baked cheesecake isn't really a big thing in New Zealand), and it is one of my favourite desserts. It is super easy to make, and perfect to make ahead.

I made a passionfruit version this time around. I made a quick passionfruit curd, which I folded into the filling of the cheesecake, then reserved some and finished the cheesecake with a passionfruit curd on the top. This passionfruit no bake cheesecake is so easy to make, and just so, so good. I hope that you enjoy!

How to make No Bake Cheesecake

No Bake Cheesecake is super easy to make. Unlike a baked cheesecake, which is set with eggs, a no bake cheesecake is made with cream and cream cheese, and set with gelatine. The process is super simple - this one has an extra step with making the curd, but you can absolutely use store bought if you like too. I am all for wee steps that make things easy!

Prepare your passionfruit curd - this is super easy to make and I just do in the saucepan. You can also make this in advance if you like and store in the fridge.
Make your graham crust - this is just a regular no bake graham cracker cheesecake crust. I just mix together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, some sugar, and a wee bit of salt. Easy easy. Press it into the pan and pop it into the freezer while you prepare the filling.
Mix together the cheesecake filling - This has a few steps. First you whip up some cream and pop it in a separate bowl. Then, the gelatine gets dissolved in the smaller measure of cream, while the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla get all whipped up together. Gelatine mixture then goes into the cream cheese mix, and the whipped cream is folded in. At this point I also added in some of the passionfruit curd to make a passionfruit no bake cheesecake base.
Add the curd to the top of the cheesecake - after the filling goes in, you then swirl the remaining curd over the surface of the cheesecake. This process is super easy and really fun to do. I just use a knife to swirl it in there!
Leave the cheesecake to set - The cheesecake hangs out in the fridge for at least a few hours or up to overnight to set up properly, then you are good to go!

side shot cheesecake with passionfruit curd

How to make Passionfruit Pulp

I used fresh passionfruit for this cheesecake, but frozen pulp works great too. I love passionfruit seeds but they are super, super crunchy, so what I do is pop the scooped out passionfruit pulp and seeds into a food processor, and then give it a few good pulses. What this does is separates the pulp from the seed without crushing up the seed, so you can then just strain the whole lot and get the juice out and have the seeds left behind! I then add just a wee bit of the seeds back into the curd to give some crunch, without the seeds being too overpowering. You can just pass it through a sieve too if you want but it's going to take forever that way.

Easy Passionfruit Curd

I made a super quick passionfruit curd to go in the filling and also on the top of the cheesecake. You can make curd in a double boiler situation if you like, but I just popped everything into the saucepan - passionfruit juice, egg yolks, butter, sugar, and a wee bit of salt. For a curd, you want to cook it until it coats the back of a spoon to the point that if you run your finger through it, it should leave a clear track. You can also make this up to a few days in advance. If you wanted to make this a lemon curd cheesecake, then it would be great with lemon curd too!

How to make this Passionfruit No Bake Cheesecake Small Batch

I have a rhubarb small batch cheesecake coming up soon, which I made in a loaf pan. I adapted the quantities of this recipe just to get the crust to filling ratio correct.

If you wanted to make this a small batch, the quantities for crust and filling are below. I would do about 100g passionfruit curd into the filling of the cheesecake and then more on top. I scaled the filling by about 0.45. Gram weights make this super easy to do! I haven't tested these quantities with this exact cheesecake but it worked great for the rhubarb one so it is a good guide to go off.

Graham Cracker Crust

135g Graham Cracker crumbs
15g sugar
Pinch of salt
80g melted unsalted butter

No Bake Passionfruit Filling

130g plus 55g cream
1 tsp powdered gelatine
200g cream cheese
60g sugar
½ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
100g passionfruit curd in the filling, plus more for the top.

Frequently Asked Questions for Passionfruit No Bake Cheesecake

Can this be made with other fruit?
Yes! It would be so so good with a lemon curd too.Add image

Can cheesecake be made without Gelatine?
Not this one sorry! I haven't tried without or with veggie gelatine unfortunately.

Can I substitute sheet gelatine in this recipe?
I don't know sorry. You can look up the conversion from powdered gelatine to sheet but I have not tested it myself.

Where can I get passionfruit pulp from?
I used fresh fruit and separated out the seeds. However you can often get frozen pulp in the frozen section of supermarkets - my local stocks it. If you find passionfruit juice check it does not have added sugar as 'passionfruit nectar' often has it added.

Can I make this so it has less filling?
Absolutely. If you prefer a higher crust to filling ratio, then you are welcome to scale down the filling quantity to accommodate! This is why we make things in grams - it makes doing this so easy!

Do I have to make my own Passionfruit Curd?
Nope! Store bought is totally fine. Lemon or passionfruit or another fruit curd would work great!

Why are there two quantities of cream in the recipe?
The larger quantity gets whipped to form the base of the cheesecake, and the second quantity is used to dissolve the gelatine to add to the cheesecake.

What can I use instead of Graham Crackers?
If you can't get graham crackers where you are, you can use digestive biscuits or something similar - something relatively plain. You may have to adjust the butter quantity slightly - you want it to look like wet sand.

What pan did you use? Can I make this in an 8" pan?
I assembled this cheesecake in this 9" pan - I also have this and love it! Yes you can make it in an 8" pan just be sure to scale the whole recipe by 80%.

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Devil's Food Sheet Cake

This Devil's Food Sheet Cake with Rich Chocolate Buttercream is the perfect recipe for chocolate lovers! The easy devil's food cake comes together quickly and is baked as a chocolate sheet cake, and is then topped with swirls of smooth chocolate buttercream and sprinkles. This recipe comes from 'Zoë Bakes Cakes', the new book from Zoë François!

Devil's Food Sheet Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
Zoë Bakes Cakes by Zoë François
Devil's Food Sheet Cake
Silky Smooth Easy Chocolate Fudge Buttercream
How to bake Devil's Food Cake in other formats
How to scale a Sheet Cake Recipe
Frequently Asked questions
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Devil's Food Sheet Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

Hi hi! I am just popping in to share the recipe for this Devil's Food Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting! I made this a month or so ago and have been meaning to share it - my apologies for the delay, but I PROMISE you that it is worth the wait.

This Devil's food sheet cake is perfectly moist, and has a tight, tender crumb. The cake comes together super fast, and the chocolate buttercream uses a unique method which is new to me (more on that in a wee bit), which makes it the dreamiest, fluffiest chocolate buttercream I have ever made. I am FULLY obsessed.

Zoë Bakes Cakes by Zoë François

This recipe comes from my friend Zoë's new book, Zoë Bakes Cakes! Zoë has an amazing instagram page and website, and has written some amaaaazing books on bread, and I am SO EXCITED that she wrote one all about cake!

The book is everything you would want from a cake book and then a tiny bit more - it is jam packed with incredible base recipes. The first part of the book is called 'cake academy' and goes on a deep dive into everything you could need to know when it comes to the technicalities of baking cakes. It is full of tips and tricks, and is a one stop shop for learning all you need to know about cakes. Zoë's teaching method is straight forward and easy to follow, and she gives all the details on how to make beautiful cakes the way that she does.

The book has recipes for pound cakes and fruit cakes, layer cakes, loaf cakes and sheet cake, a whole section on soaked cakes and another on cakes which are based on whipped eggs, a buttercream chapter, and then how to put it all together. There's base recipes for almost everything you can think of. It is such an asset to have on your book shelf - run run and get yourself a copy right now! Congrats Zoë! The book is AMAZING.

Devil's Food Sheet Cake

Devil's food cake is a super rich chocolate cake. It is light in texture, but with an extremely chocolatey taste. It's one of my favourites - they are typically a little less sweet than a traditional chocolate cake, which means there is so much room to play with frostings.

Zoë's version is super easy to make and comes together in less time than it takes to preheat the oven. Here's how easy it is.

Prepare your pan. I used a 9"x13" pan for this, which I just lined with some parchment paper. The batter is quite wet, so make sure there aren't too many gaps for it to go between.
Prep your dry ingredients. Mix all the dry together in a bowl - flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, etc.
Combine your wet ingredients. Mix them all together too. Coffee and rum go together in a small bowl.
All together now. Wet and dry get combined, and then into the pan!
Bake it off. The cake gets baked, then left to cool. While the cake is cooling, you can start to prep the frosting if you like. It takes a while to cool and thicken, so this is a good time to do this.
Make the frosting. The chocolate frosting is super delicious and takes a wee bit of time, but is 10000% worth it for the dreamiest frosting ever.
Put it all together. Live your best swirling life with the frosting! Add sprinkles if you like.

Silky Smooth Easy Chocolate Fudge Buttercream

This cake has a new to me chocolate fudge frosting which is my new absolute favourite - I told Zoë it should be called 'Holy Shit' frosting because that's the first thing I said when I tried it - it is THAT good. Hopefully she consults me for recipe naming on her next book. hahahha.

This frosting is a true DREAM. It starts off with a ganache made from cream, butter, espresso powder and chocolate, which is cooked together and then left to thicken as it cools, then powdered sugar is beaten in. The frosting is fluffy and smooth and gets a little crust on it when it sets and OH MY it's just so, so good. It will be going on many, many things from here forward. Make sure you account for time for the ganache mix to cool - you can pop it into the fridge if it is a particularly hot day. I got impatient and did this, checking it every few minutes until it was the right consistency.

chocolate cake with frosting and sprinkles

How to bake Devil's Food Cake in other formats

I made this recipe into a sheet cake, but is is super versatile - you can bake it a whole load of ways. Zoë does it in a pullman pan in her book, but some other variations are:

As written in the book - baked in a pullman pan for about 1 hour 10 minutes until a tester comes out clean
Divided between two 8" (20cm) cake pans and baked for about 30 minutes until a tester comes out clean
Divided between 24 cupcake liners and baked for about 20 minutes until a tester comes out clean

Feel free to also mix and match your frosting! (The chocolate one I have here is INCREDIBLE but this cake would work great with any frosting you choose. Zoë has a whole section on mixing and matching in her book.

How to scale a Sheet Cake Recipe

The great thing about baking in grams is that it is super, super easy to scale a recipe. A general rule of thumb is that you can halve a recipe that is baked in a 9"x13" (20cmx30cm) pan, and bake it in an 8" pan. This would work great with this recipe, particularly as there are only two eggs in the recipe so makes halving it super easy.

Here is the basic math I do when working out how to scale any recipe. Let's use this one for example, scaling from a 9"x13" pan to an 8" pan. You work out the scaling by working out the area of both pans (which assumes the thickness of the cake stays the same). Units of measurements are not important here (cm vs inches) as long as you are using the same for both calculations, as this is a ratio.

Area of a 9"x13" pan: 9x13= 117
Area of an 8" square pan: 8x8=64
64/117 = 0.54 - so the size of the 8" square is 54% of the size of the 9x13" pan. This is close enough to 50% that halving the recipe will work just fine!

This method also works when calculating what size round pan to convert a square recipe to, for example an 8" square (area 64) and a 9" circle (area 63.6) are essentially interchangeable here.

Yay for math!

side shot chocolate cake with frosting swirl

Frequently Asked questions

Do I have to line the pan?
If you have trust in your pan and you don't want to line it, then don't. But remember this is quite a big cake and you will have to flop it out onto a serving platter. Because it's so tender, having parchment paper to lift it out is helpful.

What pan did you use?
I used a 9"x13 USA pan to make this cake in. Anything a similar size will work! I have also used a pan with a lid so that I can just frost the cake in the pan and pop the lid on for an easy transport.

Do I have to use coffee in the cake?
Zoë uses both rum and coffee - I didn't have rum so just used extra coffee. You can't taste either in the recipe but they both bring out the chocolate flavour perfectly. Zoë suggests you can use flat cola or stout if you want! You can probably just leave the espresso powder out of the frosting if you need to. Just make sure you taste and make sure there is enough salt!

Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes! The cake itself lasts great so you could make it a day or two ahead, then frost on the day, or prepare it all a day ahead

What can I use instead of espresso powder?
Finely ground instant coffee will work great.

For more sheet and snack cakes, check out:

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Mini Chocolate Layer Cake

This Mini Chocolate Layer Cake is the perfect size. It has two six inch chocolate cake layers, a balsamic berry cake filling, and silky chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream. The Balsamic Berry Cake Filling can be made with fresh berries or frozen berries so is perfect for using up anything you might have in the freezer. This Small Batch Chocolate Cake comes together quickly and easily, and is the perfect size for a small celebration, or any time you need a small batch cake baking project!

Mini Chocolate Layer Cake

Hi hi! Just popping in here to share this recipe for a Mini Chocolate Layer Cake. I have become completely obsessed with all things small batch. Mini layer cakes (particularly two layer cakes like this one) are super fun to make and a wee bit less stressful than your average layer cake.

I took my favourite chocolate cake recipe (which I have just finished developing), and layered it with a berry balsamic filling and a silky chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream. The components can be made in advance and the cake keeps super well in the fridge. This is a great wee chocolate situation to throw together whenever you need something a wee bit special - I love it so much and I really hope you do too!

Small Batch Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

There are a couple of simple wee things that make this mini chocolate layer cake so easy, but so, so good. The chocolate cake is delicious with the frosting, but to me, the balsamic berry filling really takes this over the edge.

Only two layers - A two layer cake is much easier to put together than a three layer cake. You only have to worry about doing one layer of filling between, and because it is nice and short, it is much easier to frost! I kept this one simple with some easy swoops on the outside.
Super rich chocolate cake - blooming the Dutch cocoa in hot water before adding it to the batter gives you a perfectly rich chocolate cake.
Incredibly easy to make - the cake layers are a stir together situation and can just be made with a bowl and a whisk (and a scale of course)
Light but rich cake - The chocolate cake layers are the perfect texture, and pair perfectly with the berry filling and chocolate frosting. The texture is thanks to the use of oil in the batter to provide fat and moisture.
Super smooth chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream - Chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream tastes a little like room temperature ice cream. I love it so much. It is creamy and smooth, and I used both melted chocolate and cocoa in it for an amazing depth of flavour.

Balsamic Berry Cake Filling

Balsamic is a great way to provide an easy depth of flavour in the filling and pairs amazingly with berries. It cuts through the chocolate in the cake for the perfect pairing. I always have the some on hand for baking but also for things like making salad dressing or finishing vegetables. It is an amazing all around vinegar, but I love how it pairs with the berries for this cake! The filling is super easy to make. It can be made with fresh or frozen berries so is great for using up any stray bags of berries you may have in your freezer.

How to make Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I used a chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream for this recipe. Swiss meringue buttercream, as you can tell by the name, is based on a Swiss meringue. A Swiss meringue is made by cooking egg whites and sugar together over a double boiler. The mixture is then whipped until stiff peaks form. Butter is incorporated a little at a time, until it is emulsified in. The result is a thick, creamy, silky buttercream. To make chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream you simply pop a little melted chocolate and cocoa powder in at the end.

Swiss meringue buttercream is not a crusting buttercream like American buttercream is (American buttercream is based on powdered sugar and butter), so it is super smooth to work with. You can take your time if you need as you are not worrying about it crusting over. The best. It can take a tiny bit of practice to get right, but once you have it nailed, the flavour combinations are endless.

Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Small Batch Chocolate Cake

There are a couple of wee tricks I use when making this mini chocolate cake to make it extra rich and the perfect texture.

Bloom your cocoa - Adding the cocoa to boiling water rather than in with the dry ingredients. Lots of cakes add boiling water or hot coffee at the end. I took this one step further by mixing the cocoa and espresso powder directly with the boiling water to make a paste. Blooming the cocoa brings out the ultra rich flavour, making your cake next level chocolatey.
Bake at a lower temperature - I have been playing around with this for a long time - working out how to make a cake which doesn't dome too much, without having to use cake strips (which are helpful but fiddly and I don't like them). The answer is a combination of batter consistency, leavener, and oven temperature. Dropping your oven temperature to 325°f (160°c) means the cake rises more evenly, reducing the chances of it doming.
Use oil rather than butter in your cake - Chocolate cakes use oil for a reason. Using a light, neutral oil in a cake provides moisture, and because the flavours are already so rich, it does not need butter for flavour or for structure like vanilla cakes or cakes which rely on the creaming method do.

How to make a Buttercream Dam

The best way to help keep your filling inside your mini chocolate layer cake is to use a buttercream dam. This is a circle of frosting piped around the outside of the cake which literally acts as a dam to hold in the filling. Adding your layer of buttercream frosting onto the layer before the dam creates a seal between the dam and the cake. This stops any leaking. The buttercream layer on the cake also stops the filling soaking into the cake and going soggy. If your buttercream feels a little warm and you are worried about the dam, there are two options:

Add your buttercream to the cake layer, then pipe the dam, then pop the whole thing in the freezer for about 5 minutes to firm up the ring of frosting. This will ensure that it doesn't go anywhere when you add the filling.
Pipe the dam on, fill it with filling, set the second layer of cake on top, and spread a very thin layer of buttercream on the outside of the cake (not the crumb coat, just around where the join is), then freeze that or chill it down just to lock everything in place. This means that when you crumb coat and finish your cake, you won't have to worry about the layers moving, which can happen if the buttercream is too soft.
Remember that if at any time during the process it seems like the cake layers are moving a little or the buttercream feels too warm - just pop it in the fridge for a little bit. That is the great thing about Swiss meringue buttercream as it doesn't crust. You can work on your own time.

Steps for assembling a layer cake

Here are the steps I take to assemble a filled layer cake like this one. Remember at any point you can pop it into the fridge if you need to.

Level off cakes if desired.
Place the first layer of cake onto the serving platter or turntable. I like to secure it with a little buttercream.
Add buttercream to the first layer of cake and smooth using an offset spatula. You can spread a little around the sides at this point too if you want to.
Pipe a buttercream dam around the outside edge of the first layer of cake (see images).
Add the filling inside the buttercream dam.
Put on the second layer of cake - I like to add this one upside down so that the top of the cake is flat.
Add a little buttercream where the two cake layers join and smooth out. At this point you can chill the cake if you like to ensure the dam holds firm.
Crumb coat the cake - this is a thin layer of buttercream over the whole surface of the cake.
Add your second layer of buttercream frosting to the top and sides of the cake and finish as desired.

How to keep cake leftovers fresh for longer

I have a sneaky wee trick to keeping cake fresh for as long as possible - leftover buttercream. If you have any buttercream leftover, keep it! Cut as many pieces of the cake as you like, but leave the rest of it intact. Once you are done, spread the leftover buttercream directly against the cut surface of the cake. Smooth it so it joins with the buttercream on the outside of the cake. Then, pop the whole thing into the fridge to harden slightly, then wrap in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. The buttercream prevents air from coming into contact with your cake, keeping it nice and fresh!

Frequently Asked Questions about Small Batch Chocolate Cake

Can this Small Batch Chocolate Cake recipe be doubled?
Yes, that should work just fine. You can double it and bake in two 8" pans.

What pans did you use?
I have Fat Daddio's pans - the 3" high ones. They are great quality - I have had them for years (I just checked and I got them in 2015!) and they are still in perfect condition! I own three 6" pans and 3 8" pans and they stack up super nicely.

Can I use a different frosting?
Yes! you can use any frosting that you like. The chocolate American Buttercream from my Funfetti cake would work great, or this Vanilla Bean Swiss meringue buttercream.

Can I use other berries in the filling?
Yes, you can use whatever you like - just make sure the total weight of 400g is the same.

Can I use regular cocoa in the place of the Dutch Process?
I haven't tried it, but dutch cocoa and regular aren't necessarily interchangeable due to the nature of them. Regular cocoa is acidic whereas dutch process cocoa has been put through an alkalising process. However this recipe uses both baking powder and soda so you are welcome to try, I just don't know how you would get on.

Can I use a hand mixer to make the buttercream?
Yes, that should be fine! You may not be able to get super super stiff peaks on your meringue but just make sure it is relatively thick and that it is not too warm. If you are using an electric mixer you may want to use butter that is room temperature or just slightly cooler than room temperature rather than cold, as the mixer is less powerful and won't incorporate it the same as a stand mixer.

How do you level off cakes neatly?
I use lids from my soda stream bottles, but you can use anything that is the right height. I line them up with the edge of the cake and use them as a guide for my bread knife so that I cut evenly and don't cut down too far. Egg cups or little bowls would work great too depending on what you have.

Can the components be made ahead?
Yes! The filling can be made up to a week in advance. The cakes can be made and tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for at least a week. Leave to defrost slightly before assembling. Buttercream can be made and frozen too - just bring it to room temperature and then re-whip.

Should I use fresh or frozen berries?
You can use either! I used frozen.

What did you assemble your cake on?
I have a little clear plastic disc that my husband cut me out on the laser cutter, but you can use a cardboard cake round, or just assemble it directly onto the plate that you are serving it on!

What should I do with leftover filling?
I had a little leftover filling (I always go for a tiny bit more in recipes so you're never caught short) and I popped it on some yoghurt for breakfast!

What turntable do you use to assemble cakes?
I have an ateco turntable. It is super helpful to have and spins really smoothly.

For more Small Batch Cake Recipes, check out:

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Mini Moist Carrot Cake Recipe (Small Batch)

This mini carrot cake is super cute - it's a small batch brown-butter carrot sheet cake baked in an eighth sheet pan, yielding 8 servings. Soft and moist, and speckled with grated carrots, it's topped with brown butter cream cheese frosting. Perfect for a small group gathering or celebration, or as a dessert for a few!

Mini Brown Butter Carrot Sheet Cake

Hi hi! Just popping in to share this recipe for homemade carrot cake with brown butter cream cheese frosting. This recipe is super easy to make. The Brown Butter Carrot Sheet Cake comes together in one bowl and bakes quickly. You brown one quantity of butter at the start of the recipe which then gets used in both the cake and the brown butter cream cheese frosting. This wee cake is so, so cute, and I can't wait to make more #tinysheetcakes!

This recipe is the perfect small batch dessert - with it only being one layer it is low maintenance and no-fuss, and I promise that the extra step of browning the butter is worth it!

If you are after a larger scale carrot sheet cake, my full-size carrot sheet cake is perfect, otherwise I also love this carrot cake loaf recipe!

Brown Butter Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

This cake is super simple - there is just a simple carrot cake, then a brown butter cream cheese frosting. The carrot cake layer is perfectly moist, and then the brown butter cream cheese frosting is one of my favourite things - I scaled down the frosting recipe from my favourite cinnamon rolls. The brown butter is what really makes this carrot cake sing - I love how toasty it is and the incredible depth of flavour it gives to the brown butter cream cheese frosting.

Brown the butter - in this recipe I am going to get you to brown all the butter you will need for the recipe all at once. This will save you having to brown two separate small amounts of butter. Brown it all, then leave it to cool for a tiny bit.
Make the mini carrot cake - The mini carrot cake is super easy to make. You just combine the brown butter, raw sugar, oil, and egg, then incorporate the dry ingredients. The carrot then gets folded in at the end and the whole thing gets popped into the oven.
Mix up the brown butter frosting - I like to use an electric hand mixer for this job, but you can do it by hand if you like. The brown butter needs to be cool but still spreadable for this. I like to pop it in the freezer and stir every minute or so until it is smooth and creamy.
Frost the cake - Plop the brown butter cream cheese frosting on top of the cake, live your best life with your offset spatula, then enjoy your mini carrot cake!

Tiny sheet cake baked in an Eighth Sheet Pan

I recently bought myself a whole bunch of Eighth Sheet Pans. I have had them in my kitchen for a few years - I have two by my stove to keep oil and things on and they are great for toasting nuts, baking a little piece of fish, baking a sweet potato, or for baking off two cookies. However as I have been exploring more small batch recipes, I started wondering if you could make a tiny sheet cake in an eighth sheet pan - and turns out that you absolutely can, and that it works great.

An eighth sheet pan gets its name from the size - it is an eighth of the size of a full sheet pan which makes it half the size of a quarter sheet pan (which is then a quarter of the size of a full sheet pan etc). It measures 9.5"x6.5" (24x16.5cm) approximately. A tiny sheet cake is the perfect size for just a few people, and it doesn't have the stress of assembling a layer cake. You get a great cake to frosting ratio. I LOVE them. This Mini carrot cake worked perfectly as a tiny carrot sheet cake!

I have a few eighth sheet pans - the ones from USA pan or Williams Sonoma or Nordicware all work great. The Williams Sonoma and USA pan versions are more heavy duty and non stick so I would recommend those! See the FAQ for alternative pan sizes! If you are going to invest in one (they are super cute and so handy), I promise there will be more small batch recipes coming your way too using them! There's nothing I hate more than a recipe that calls for a certain sized pan and then you have no use for it for the rest of your life. I won't do that to you. Promise.

If you're after more small batch recipes I have a whole load of them: Small Batch Baking Ideas

How to make Brown Butter

If you look at the mini carrot cake recipe you will notice there are a few different quantities of brown butter in there. There is an initial quantity called for - 110g, and then the cake uses 25g brown butter, and the frosting uses 50g of brown butter.

This is not a typo. I am not hiding mystery butter from you. When you brown butter, you are cooking off the water and browning the milk solids. This means that the butter will reduce in quantity as the water is cooked off, meaning that the yield of brown butter will be less than the initial starting weight of non brown butter.

I use an initial quantity to get you to brown all of the butter at once to help keep it easy. Generally the way I calculate the starting weight of butter needed is to calculate the quantity of brown butter needed in the recipe (in this case 75g, 25 for the cake and 50 for the frosting), and then multiply it by 1.3 and add a tiny bit. This accounts for the moisture loss, and makes sure you aren't caught short with not enough brown butter.

angle shot carrot cake with brown butter cream cheese frosting

Community Questions about Mini Carrot Cake

What can I use if I don't have an eighth sheet pan?
You can use a 9"x5" loaf pan! I made it in a 1 ¼lb pan just to test too and it came out great. It will be a tiny bit thicker so you may have to increase the bake time by a few minutes - just keep a close eye.

Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Yes! The carrot cake keeps really well in an airtight container at room temperature so you could make it up to two days in advance and it would be fine. You can make the brown butter cream cheese frosting ahead of time too if you like - just bring to room temperature and re-whip before using to frost the cake.

Can this cake be made into cupcakes?
Yes! This recipe makes 6 cupcakes. Watch this space for a recipe for that coming soon!

Do I have to brown the butter?
No, if you don't want to brown the butter you absolutely do not have to. Just use 25g melted butter in the cake and then 50g room temperature butter in the frosting.

What can I use if I don't have turbinado sugar?
Turbinado sugar, or raw sugar, or sugar in the raw, is the larger crystal sugar. You can use an equivalent weight of light or dark brown sugar if you don't have it on hand.

For more Small batch recipes, check out:

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I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!

Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Homemade Burger Buns

These super soft burger buns are fun and easy to make. They use the Tangzhong method, which gives a super soft hamburger bun which stays soft for days. These homemade burger buns can be made either in bun rings or freeform, and freeze extremely well. This burger bun recipe is super versatile and can be used for everything from burger buns to homemade slider buns.

Hi! Just popping in to share the recipe for these homemade burger buns with you! I have been working on this homemade hamburger bun recipe for a while, testing and testing. I am so excited to finally share it with you! These buns are easy to make, and the dough is super soft and really easy to work with. You can either make them using bun ring molds or freeform, and they can be scaled to any size that you like. I have made these about ten times since getting the recipe right, testing different combinations, and I know that you will love them just as much as I do.

The role of Tangzhong in bread dough

The Tangzhong method is an Asian Technique, and involves cooking part of the flour and water in a bread recipe to form a thick paste, or a roux. The process of making the Tangzhong gelatanises some of the starch in the flour. This means the flour is able to absorb a lot more water, and also holds onto it throughout the dough making process. This gives an incredibly soft bread which stays soft a lot longer than other bread does. Tangzhong (which is a Chinese word) is made by cooking the liquid and flour together, while the Yudane method (which is Japanese) involves adding boiling liquid to the flour and leaving it to set overnight. The benefit of using a roux means that the bread dough can stay 'lean' - so very little added fat etc but still stay extremely tender and soft.

I used this method recently in my hot cross bun recipe and loved how stretchy and smooth it made the dough, and had been meaning to work on a burger bun recipe for a while, so here we are! The Tangzhong means the bread stays soft for a long time, which means these keep and freeze super well.

The dough is super versatile - you can scale it as you like. I have a dinner roll recipe which does not use a mixer which uses the a variation on this dough, and I also use this same dough as the base of my homemade iced buns and garlic knot recipe.

Making Burger Buns with Burger Ring Molds

I made these burger buns with these super fun ring molds that my friend Campbell made for me! They are 10cm in diameter and 3cm high, and the perfect size to make burger buns! The ring means that the bun rises super evenly but also gives it a really nice ring around the edge, making it perfect to cut into burger buns.

You don't have to use the rings if you don't want to, it will still work great. There are instructions for both ways in the recipe.

The timing game - when are buns ready to bake?

It is important that when you make bread you go by how the dough is behaving and not just the time in the recipe. While the recipe is a good general guide, the starting temperature of your dough and also the weather and temperature of your room can affect how fast it rises.

The best way to tell that dough is ready to bake is to poke it gently with your finger. If it springs back straight away it is not yet ready. If your finger leaves a small indentation which springs back slightly, then you know that it is ready to bake. Remember to preheat your oven about 30 minutes before you think your dough will be ready in order to give it time to properly preheat. There is nothing worse than realising your buns are ready to bake and having a cold oven. If this does happen though just pop them into the fridge so that they don't over proof while you preheat your oven.

It's sad but it happens - over proofed dough

Sometimes this happens, and it's a huge bummer. Either you leave them proofing too long, or you forget about your buns rising, and they over proof. This means the yeast produces all the gas it is capable of making while doing the second proof and it has nothing to give in the oven. It's sad but it happens.

If you have over proofed your buns, they will probably deflate while egg washing them. Then, over proofed dough doesn't do much in the oven as there is no gas to rise the bread. They should still taste fine they might just be a bit saggy.

Scaling the recipe for larger or smaller burger buns

I made fairly big burger buns with my dough - 9 buns, each weighing in at about 90g worth of dough. You can make these whatever size you like. To figure out the weight of each bun, weigh the whole batch of dough (it's about 810g but weigh yours just to check), then divide by the number of buns you want to give you the dough weight of each ball. For example if you wanted 12 buns, each would weigh in at 67.5g.

Remember that if you make the burger buns smaller, the rising time for the second proof will be different. I made these and divided them into 12 and the rise time was only about 45 minutes as opposed to 1 ½ hours so just keep an eye on them.

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

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Recipe for Homemade Hamburger Buns

Everything Bagel No Knead Focaccia

This Everything Bagel No Knead Focaccia Recipe is a delicious twist on the original. Filled with chopped onion and Everything bagel seasoning, it is the perfect accompaniment to any meal and can be made as an overnight focaccia to fit your schedule. This No Knead Focaccia recipe also happens to be vegan, and can be made as a Sourdough discard focaccia, which is a great way to use up any sourdough starter discard that you may have!

Important Note - This blog post covers everything you need to know about making no knead Focaccia! Please pop over and give it a read too.

Everything Bagel No Knead Focaccia Bread
How to make Everything Bagel No Knead Focaccia
Sourdough Discard Focaccia
Everything Bagel Focaccia FAQ
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Recipe for Everything Bagel Focaccia

Everything Bagel No Knead Focaccia Bread

Hi hi! Just popping in to share this recipe for Everything Bagel No Knead Focaccia! This is just a wee riff on my regular No Knead Focaccia recipe. I had been thinking of an Everything Bagel Seasoning version for a long time and then a lovely follower on IG who works at a bakery told me about how they put chopped onion into the dough at her work, so I popped some in too and OH MY.

The original recipe is great, but this one is really something special for if you need something a bit different. The chunks of onion and bagel seasoning throughout give an amazing flavour - it's going directly into my rotation. I was also able to test using some sourdough discard in the recipe - see the notes for that!

close up baked everything bagel focaccia

How to make Everything Bagel No Knead Focaccia

The process for this is almost exactly the same as my original recipe, but with the addition of Everything Bagel Seasoning and chopped onions in the recipe. It's super simple and comes together really fast! Ps - this is also a sneaky Vegan Focaccia Recipe so great if you need a dairy free bread recipe or a vegan bread recipe.

Combine your dry ingredients in a bowl, and then mix together. We are using instant yeast so that just goes in with everything else.
Add your wet ingredients and mix to incorporate. Add your starter in here if you're using it. See notes below for quantities.
Leave the mixture to rest for 5 minutes. Cover the bowl and let it hang out for a bit.
Add in Onion and Everything Bagel Seasoning. Add your mix ins and then fold to combine.
Perform Stretch and Folds. You will do three sets of stretch and folds, each 2 minutes apart. These will help build strength in the dough without having to knead and also help the dough hold structure.
First rise - I like to do this one overnight but you can do it at room temperature if you like!
Transfer to the pan and do your second rise - This is where you leave it to get super jiggly in the pan and develop all the lovely bubbles.
Bake - Drizzle with more oil and sprinkle with more bagel seasoning, then pop into the oven and bake!

everything bagel focaccia with seasoning

Sourdough Discard Focaccia

While this isn't a sourdough focaccia bread recipe, I tested it to include some sourdough discard! If your starter is at 100% hydration, then you can use it to replace equal parts of the All-purpose flour and water in the recipe. For example I used 150g of discard, so I removed 75g of All-purpose flour and 75g water from the recipe and used the starter in its place. I feed my starter with All-purpose flour so I kept the bread flour quantity the same and only replaced some of the AP in the recipe.

If your starter is not at 100% hydration you can do this too, however you will just have to do some math to work out the quantity of flour and water to replace.

Please note that this does not replace the yeast in the recipe - it is just a great way to use up discard (you can save it in the fridge to add in), and also add in some flavour into your focaccia recipe! I am always looking for ways to use up sourdough discard and this worked great.

Quantities for the flour and water in the recipe if you use sourdough discard (at 100% hydration) would be:

300g Bread Flour
220g All-purpose Flour
500g water
150g Sourdough discard at 100% hydration.

All other quantities are the same - you can just add in the starter along with the water and oil in the recipe.

Everything Bagel Focaccia FAQ

Please make sure that you also read the FAQ on my easy focaccia recipe if you need more clarification

What is the best pan to use for Focaccia?
I use a 9"x13" USA pan for making this in. It is super super non-stick and I use it for everything (I use it so often I have two!). However anything non stick will work. If you're worried about it sticking, add a layer of butter to the pan first and then add your oil. Please note that enamelled pans are not naturally non stick so they need the butter!

How to stop focaccia from sticking
The onion in this dough does increase the chances of this sticking a little, so I would encourage you to butter your pan first before oiling just to make sure the bread really doesn't stick. I made this in a super non stick pan and it was totally fine with just a generous amount of oil, but if you're worried, butter up.

Can this be made into a small batch focaccia?
This recipe works perfectly halved. Either bake it in a 9" round pan, or an 8" square pan. See my focaccia recipe for more information on that, along with instructions for other sized pans.

Can Focaccia be made in the same day?
Yes. To make this a same day focaccia recipe, the first rise will take about 1 ½ to 2 hours, and then the second about the same time. Please see my focaccia bread recipe for a breakdown of sample schedules.

What is a good substitute for Everything bagel seasoning?
You can make your own! There are a few recipes online - this one looks good. If you are in NZ and Australia, Pepper and Me sells it!

Why is this recipe higher hydration than your other recipe?
I increased the hydration in this dough just a tiny bit more from what is written in my homemade focaccia recipe just to see if I can get away with it, and you can. This is a VERY sticky dough. Don't worry about it - it will be fine. Use oil on your hands when you are handling it and plenty in the pan and you will be ok. Unless you didn't make it by weight - then it may have gone wrong and it's time to invest in a scale.

What if my starter isn't 100% hydration?
80% of the flour weight in water, eg 80g water 100g flour) and you use 150g of total starter, you will replace 83g flour and 67g water in the recipe (This took a SERIOUS amount of mental gymnastics and a spreadsheet from adventure dad so if you have a better method for working out what quantity of flour and water to use for 150g starter at 80% hydration I would LOVE to hear it).

How should I adjust the salt in the focaccia recipe?
The Everything Bagel Seasoning that I have has salt in it, so I reduced the amount in the recipe. If yours doesn't have salt, please adjust and use 3 ½ tsp Kosher salt.

What is the best salt to use for bread making?
I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. This is important to note as not all salt is the same level of saltiness. If you are using Morton's salt use about half the amount of salt called for in the recipe (it is twice as salty as Diamond), same as if you are using a table salt. So if you are using a table salt, use a little less!

Can Focaccia be made with active dry yeast?
Yes, but you will need to activate it in the water along with the sugar before proceeding with the recipe. Quantity is the same.

Can I use more than 150g sourdough discard?
Yes that should work just fine - I used 150g but you could definitely push it to 200g or so if you wanted and replace 100g AP and 100g water in the recipe. If you do that and your starter is particularly runny, I would maybe knock back the water just a little bit if you need to - hold back about 30g or so just to see how you go and add it in if you think the dough can handle it.

Help! The dough is so sticky!
You're good. It's a Very wet dough. The pan holds it all in. Just oil your hands and you'll be good.

Do I have to use onion?
it in place of some of the onions, so if you do try it out please let me know how it goes! I am DYING to try this with chopped scallions (what we call spring onions in NZ) in it in place of some of the onions, so if you do try it out please let me know how it goes! I will be 100% doing that next time. Ramps would probably work great too!

Can you make focaccia in a glass pan
You can, but I don't recommend it. Glass is a very poor conductor and the bread is likely to stick. Same goes with ceramic. It is hard to get that crispy crust with anything other than a metal pan. You will need to be extra careful when greasing the pan. I highly recommend getting a metal pan if you don't have one already!

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Recipe for Everything Bagel Focaccia

30 Minute Brown Butter Anzac Biscuits

With over 200 five star reviews, these easy Anzac Biscuits are a crowd favourite. Made with all the usual suspects, my recipe also includes brown butter for the most amazing toasty depth of flavour. These Anzac Biscuits come together in 30 minutes, and my post includes all the tips and tricks for making the perfect Anzac Biscuit!

Hi hi! I have another New Zealand recipe (and Australian this time) classic to share with you today - Homemade Anzac biscuits! If you haven’t heard of or tried Anzac biscuits before, you are in for a treat.

Anzac Biscuits are an Oat based biscuit (what we call cookies). They are a stir together situation so are quick to make, and are chewy and delicious. They are a great homemade cookie recipe to have on hand.

Here's what makes my Anzac Biscuits so special: The Brown Butter. Once you try them, you won't go back. Promise.

The Anzac Biscuit recipe came about during the first World War, when people still at home would make biscuits from their ration packs to sell to raise money for the war effort, and the ingredient list originated from what was available - flour, rolled oats, sugar, butter, golden syrup, coconut, and baking soda.

Anzac biscuits are made around Anzac day, which is the 25th of April. This marks the day that the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (hence the name Anzac) landed at Gallipoli in 1914 and is a day of remembrance.

brown butter for anzac biscuits — Brown Butter - the brown parts are flavour, don't leave them out!

dry ingredients for anzac biscuits — Dry ingredients for Anzac Biscuits - combine these well.

Testing Variables for the perfect Anzac Biscuit

I did switch a couple of things up during my Anzac Biscuit Testing which I think made a difference to the final outcome. The variables I was playing around with were:

Ratios of brown to white sugar
Flour quantity used in the recipe
Baking temperature for the Anzac biscuits

Ratio of brown to white sugar.
For the most part, as is with most cookie recipes, brown sugar gives you a thicker biscuit. White sugar promotes spreading. So, coming up with a balance of the two lead to a cookie that has a nice spread and bakes up flat but still has enough thickness to give some chew in the middle.

I definitely went both ways with this, making some that were totally flat and crunchy and a couple that were like rocks. It was really interesting to see how the final outcome was affected by that ratio.

Please excuse the bad quality save from IG stories, but this stuff is so interesting!

Flour content.
This is a pretty standard one that I tweak when making a cookie recipe, playing around with the ratio of butter to flour to change how the cookie spreads. I added too much after the first test and my cookies hardly spread, so I dropped the quantity for the third test and we got there.

A note: I have made these a few times since coming home to New Zealand. I have been struggling with the biscuits spreading more which I think is due to a change in ingredient quality compared to the USA (I developed the recipe when I live in NYC) and found that increasing the flour by 20g means that the biscuits do not spread as much and I prefer the texture a little more. I have updated the recipe to include this, if you have had success making them with the 135g flour, please keep using this amount.

wet ingredients with baking soda — Wet ingredients with Baking Soda added

combined anzac cookie dough — Mix ready to be scooped into balls

Oven temperature.
Aside from the flour content the other variable I played around with was the oven temperature. This is a super easy one to test - I usually just divide up my batch and bake half at each temperature when I am testing.

Temperature really makes a difference in the final shape of the cookie - those baked at a higher temperature tend to spread a little more quickly than those baked a little lower, and for these a lower temperature was perfect, as it allowed them to spread a little slower, giving a chewier middle.

This highlights how important it is to make sure your oven is running to temperature - an oven thermometer is a great investment if you don’t have one already.

scooped out Anzac Dough — Scooped out balls - I like 50g portions

Rolled up Anzac Biscuit Dough — Roll into balls - do not press down.

Why are there two quantities of butter in your recipe?
The 175g butter quantity comes from adding a little extra to the initial quantity to account for the loss in volume when browning the butter. You are cooking off the moisture, so you need to start with more regular butter than the quantity of brown butter called for in the recipe (I usually multiply the quantity of brown butter I need by 1.3 to work out how much I need to start with). It's not a typo in the recipe. You need to start with more butter to get the right quantity of brown butter for the recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Help, my biscuits spread!
An oven thermometer is a great investment if you don’t have one, just to check your oven temperature and calibrate if needed. I found that if people have issues with spreading and their biscuits coming out flat, it is often to do with an oven that is running hot.

Do I have to brown the butter?
If you don’t want to brown the butter in these, just use 135g melted butter.

Can I chill the dough before baking?
I tested this, and found that the dough doesn't keep particularly well, so you are best baking them all off then storing the biscuits.

How to store Anzac Biscuits
Anzac biscuits keep super well - up to five days at least at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.

A few more tips and tricks for making Anzac Biscuits (important, please read)

If possible, bake these two trays at the same time. I found that the dough doesn’t rest super well, so you are best to bake them off just after mixing if you can. It isn’t the end of the world if you can’t but the texture of the second batch may be different to that of the first.
Watch your Anzac biscuits carefully as they can get a little toasty on the bottoms! Mine needed 15 minutes. If you want them a little less golden and a bit softer drop the baking time by a minute or so. Check on them at 12 minutes and go from there.
This recipe would halve very well as there are no eggs. However, the biscuits last a long time in an airtight container if you only have a few people in the house. (These will disappear quick though, promise!)
I get you to roll the mixture into balls. You don’t need to flatten them down - they will flatten off themselves in the oven.
If you would like to get your cookies super round you can do a #cookiescoot. Take a cutter slightly bigger than the cookie and place it over the top and use it to scoot it into a round shape when it is hot out of the oven.

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Thank you so much to Taste of New Zealand of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise for Sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.

Small Batch Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins

These Small Batch Chocolate Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling are super easy to make. This Small Batch muffin recipe only makes 6 muffins, and the double chocolate muffin batter comes together quickly. You can make them with a cream cheese chocolate centre for a chocolate cream cheese muffin, or just leave them plain for a regular small batch double chocolate muffin - this recipe is super versatile!

chocolate muffin with cream cheese filling

Small Batch Chocolate Muffins

Hi hi! Just popping in to share this recipe with you for Small Batch Chocolate Muffins! These muffins are super easy to make and also come together really fast. They have a double chocolate muffin base, and they are filled with a big chunk of cream cheese. The recipe is small batch and only makes 6 muffins, which, to be honest, is the perfect amount of muffins for most people! Small muffin recipes are quick and easy, and one of my favourites.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins

This small batch chocolate muffin recipe has kind of a weird back story - I worked on an oil rig before I moved to NYC. We worked night shift (7am-7pm, 21 shifts in a row), and in our little shipping container unit there was an oven we used for drying the rock samples. One night we worked out it went to a temperature that was good to bake at, and so the next day I grabbed some chocolate cupcake mix and a block of cream cheese from the supermarket, and popped together some chocolate and cream cheese muffins in our unit, and baked them in our sample oven. They were the best 3am snack I've ever had, and from then on each evening we would find something to bake in the oven. Probable giant health and safety violation? Yes. But very worth it? Also yes.

These Chocolate Cream Cheese muffins are super easy to make. You just make the muffin batter, then divide half between the cavities, shove a big piece of cream cheese into the middle, and top with the second half of the batter. So easy, and the cream cheese surprise in the middle is just so good.

What is the difference between a muffin and a cupcake?

Here’s my theory. A muffin is a mini ‘quick bread’ - so think like a mini version of a banana bread, etc. They are often (not always) a stir together recipe. The batter is usually a little wetter, and there is a higher ratio of leavening (the thing that makes the recipe rise) than in a cake recipe, and they often bake at a higher temperature. Cupcakes are wee cakes, so the way the batter is made is more similar to how a cake is made and usually baked at a lower temperature. Cupcakes often have a higher ratio of fat and sugar in the recipe too. Fun facts!

How to make your own muffin tin liners

I made my own muffin liners for these muffins to make them more 'bakery' style - meaning that they rose a little higher in the cups as the paper which sticks out also supports them as they bake. To do this I just cut some parchment paper into squares - 5.5" seemed to work well for me but feel free to go larger if you want. I then sprayed each cavity with spray, and pressed the paper down into it using the end of a rolling pin. A narrow glass would work great too. It does make them a little trickier to fill as the paper likes to jump out a little, but once you have the first quantity of muffin batter in there you are fine.

If you want to use pre-made muffin cups or just regular cupcake liners, go for it! If your muffin pan is super non stick you could probably also just do a good spray of baking spray or rub them with butter and do away with the paper completely.

chocolate muffin with bite taken out of it

How to adapt a Small Batch Muffin recipe for a regular muffin pan

I use a 6 hole pan for this recipe, but it would work great just in a regular pan too. If you make them in a regular pan recommend spacing the muffins out so there is one in every second hole with a gap between, just to help them rise evenly. My friend Michelle fills some of the holes with warm water which is so smart!

Can I leave out the cream cheese in the recipe?

Yep! If you don't want to add the cream cheese in the middle, then you can just leave it out! This is a super versatile double chocolate muffin recipe, so you can do with it what you want. I've done it with a square or two of caramello chocolate in the middle, or an easter egg.... you could also fold some raspberries through too if you wanted, or plop some jam or berry coulis in the middle. I would love to hear your variations in the comments if you do happen to try something! (That's on you though - if you try something and it doesn't work please stay away from the star ratings 😅)

Frequently Asked Questions for Small Batch Chocolate Muffins

Do I have to make my own muffin liners?
Nope! If you don't want to, then you can just use regular muffin liners, or if you trust your pan, just spray it or butter it!

Can I use chocolate chips for this recipe?
You do you here - I prefer chopped chocolate because it melts nicely (chocolate chips have stuff in them to stop them melting), but if it's what you have, it will work great!

What pan did you use to bake these in?
I used this Williams Sonoma 6 cavity muffin pan (I just shot it in the vintage one I have and transferred to the other pan for baking). USA pan also makes a 6 cavity pan which looks great, or see the recipe notes for using a regular pan!

Is it just a big chunk of cream cheese in the middle of the muffin? Nothing mixed into it?
Yes. That's exactly what it is.

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Vanilla Bean Cream Puffs (Choux au Craquelin)

These Vanilla Bean Cream Puffs or Vanilla Bean Choux au Craquelin are the perfect dessert. Crispy cream puffs are topped with a layer of craquelin and filled with a simple Vanilla Bean diplomat cream. This ultimate guide to making cream puffs walks you through all the steps, so that you too can make your very own homemade cream puffs.

Thank you so much to Heilala Vanilla for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own. You can use the code CLOUDY20 for a 20% discount in their online store. Enjoy!

vanilla bean diplomat cream filled cream puff

Vanilla Bean Cream Puffs / Vanilla Bean Choux au Craquelin

Hi hi! Just popping in here to share this recipe for Vanilla Bean Cream Puffs / Choux au Craquelin with you! I wrote a wee e-book for Heilala Vanilla back in 2019 and we thought it would be fun to share this recipe here with you to show off their Vanilla Bean Paste. The Paste has been a favourite ingredient in my kitchen for many many years now. If you've been here for a while you know how much I love all things Vanilla, so I am so excited to share this one! These Vanilla Bean Cream Puffs are extra delicious. They are filled with a Vanilla Bean diplomat cream which is super easy to make and just so, so good.

How to bake with Choux Pastry

Choux pastry is one of my favourite things to make, particularly because of how verstaile it is. You can pipe it into rings and fry for crullers or bake for Paris Brest, make it into eclairs, add cheese for gougeres, cover with pearl sugar for chouquettes, or pipe into mounds for cream puffs. If you add a layer of craquelin these become Choux au Craquelin, which might be my very favourite thing to do with choux pastry.

What is Craquelin?

Craquelin is basically a super simple cookie dough, made of butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and flour. You roll it out thin, then freeze it, and then use a cookie cutter to cut out discs. The discs get put onto the piped out choux pastry. When they bake, it melts down the sides of the cream puff to form the most perfect crackly layer. It tastes amazing but also gives an incredible texture and look to the cream puff. Such a simple concept but it just works so, so well.

What is Diplomat Cream?

These Vanilla Bean Cream Puffs are filled with a Vanilla Diplomat Cream, which is a pastry cream that has been lightened with whipped cream. It is super easy to make - you can make the pastry cream ahead of time. The recipe can be easily scaled as it is just a ratio of 1 part cream to 2 parts pastry cream by weight, so you can just weigh out however much pastry cream you have and then whip up half the weight of that in whipped cream and combine them together for a perfect filling. These Vanilla Bean Cream Puffs are also so, so good just filled with a little lightly sweetened vanilla bean whipped cream.

How to make Cream Puffs

There are a few steps to making these Vanilla Bean Cream Puffs, but the workload can easily be broken up. You can make the craquelin and pastry cream the day before, or the empty cream puffs can be frozen ahead of time too.

Make the Pastry Cream - These Cream Puffs are filled with a diplomat cream, which is pastry cream lightened with whipped cream. The pastry cream is a simple egg custard, thickened with a little corn starch. Make this ahead of time so it has time to chill down.
Prepare the Craquelin - This is super easy to make - you can just mix everything together in the bowl of your mixer and then roll it out between two pieces of parchment. I use pre-cut parchment which is 13"x18" and use that as a guide for how big to roll out the craquelin. Using two pieces helps to keep everything nice and smooth!
Make the Choux Pastry - Choux pastry is made by making a 'roux' from milk, water, butter, and flour. It is then cooled and egg is incorporated into it. Once you get the hang of it, it is super easy to make!
Assemble the Cream Puffs - Pipe your choux pastry out onto your template. Then cut the craquelin into discs and place on top. Bake until perfectly puffy and golden and then leave to cool!
Fill the Vanilla Bean Cream Puffs - Make the diplomat cream by combining the pastry cream and whipped cream. Pipe it into the cream puffs. I like to do this fairly close to serving if I can so that the cream puff shell stays crisp and you get a lovely variation in texture between the filling and the shell.

Baking with Heilala Vanilla Bean Paste

Vanilla Bean Paste is one of my forever favourite ingredients. I have had my cupboard stocked with Heilala Vanilla Bean Paste for a few years now. Heilala is a Women owned New Zealand business and they not only produce the most incredible vanilla products, but they are one of the only companies who control the production right from the growing of the vanilla bean to the production of the product. This means that their process is not only sustainable but means that they have an incredible relationship directly with their farmers, and are able to give back to the community at a granular level.

Heilala started in 2002 as a humanitarian project after the Kingdom of Tonga was hit hard by a cyclone, and has since morphed into the most incredible company run by amazing people, making the best vanilla ever. You can read more about them here - I truly cannot express just in words how amazing the company is.

Double fold vs Single fold Vanilla Bean Paste

Heilala has a few different varieties of their Vanilla Bean Paste. The one that I have used for this Vanilla Cream Puff recipe is their single fold, where 1 tsp of paste is equivalent to the seeds of one vanilla bean. The Vanilla Bean Paste is made of the vanilla seeds suspended in vanilla extract, and is the most amazing product. Not only does it give an incredible flavour but you get those perfect vanilla specks throughout your baking. I almost exclusively use the paste now in my kitchen - you can use it wherever vanilla is called for in a recipe. I highly recommend getting the larger size of the paste - you can use the code CLOUDY20 at checkout for 20% off your order.

Heilala also has a double fold variation which is the one that I use often in recipes. It is called double fold as it is double the strength of their single fold, so double the concentration of the vanilla seeds, and the extract base is also double the strength. A jar of their double fold contains the equivalent of 300 vanilla beans, with half a teaspoon of it being equivalent to one vanilla bean. A jar lasts me close to a year with extremely heavy use. This is what is used in high end pastry kitchens which is another thing I love about Heilala - you can get the exact same product that pastry professionals choose to use in their restaurants.

Sample Schedule for breaking up the workload

If you wanted to make parts of these cream puffs ahead of time, here is a sample schedule that you could follow if you liked. I do like to make the pastry cream at least a few hours ahead of time if I can. If you're in a rush to cool it down just pop it into something shallow like a dish or a clean quarter sheet pan. Increasing the surface area means it will cool faster.

Day One: Make the pastry cream. Prepare the craquelin and roll out and freeze ready for when you make the choux pastry. Both these components can be prepared up to two days ahead.
Day Two: Make the choux dough and bake off the cream puffs. Leave to cool, make the diplomat cream with the cooled pastry cream and whipped cream, and assemble the cream puffs.

How to Freeze Cream Puffs

If you really want to make these well ahead of time you can freeze the empty cream puff shells. They do tend to go stale fast, so even if you are making them a day ahead of time, store them in the freezer until you are ready to use them. They defrost quickly at room temperature. The freezer helps to keep them nice and fresh. To freeze the cream puffs, place them on a sheet pan and freeze for about 30 minutes, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer until ready to use.

To defrost frozen cream puffs, just bring them out and leave them to sit at room temperature to thaw. This should only take 10-15 minutes.

The importance of the "Just in case" egg

I have included an extra 'just in case' egg in the ingredients. Sometimes you need to add extra egg to the pastry if necessary. You want the mixture to be at a consistency where if you dip in the beater of the mixer, the batter will form a 'v' shape and eventually break off. If it is too stiff, and breaks off very quickly, you may need to add another beaten egg. Mix to incorporate and then perform the test again. See the video at the top of the page or my IG highlights for the correct consistency.

Frequently Asked Questions about Vanilla Bean Cream Puffs

Can I scale the recipe?
Yes! Feel free to scale the recipe as you like (this is why we love grams, right!?). However remember the empty cream puffs can be frozen for up to a few months, so you can always just fill half of them and leave the other half for another time if you don't need as many.

Do I have to add the craquelin?
Nope! Choux au Craquelin without the craquelin are just regular cream puffs, so leave it off if you like!

Can I make larger cream puffs?
You sure can, make these any size that you like. Just remember that they do puff up in the oven, so make sure there is enough space between them when you are piping them out. You just use the same sized cutter you used to trace the template to cut the craquelin, so these are easy to scale.

How do I stop my cream puffs from collapsing?
There are a few reasons your cream puffs might collapse or not puff up properly in the oven. The first is that you may not have cooked out the moisture enough. Make sure you give it a full 2 minutes on the stove. The second is that there is no way for the steam to escape when the puffs are baked. To avoid this I poke a hole in the side of each puff with a knife as soon as they come out to let the steam out.

Can I bake these two trays at a time?
My oven doesn't have the best track record with baking two trays of things at once, so I usually do one tray at a time. I pipe out all the puffs and then just add the craquelin to one tray and leave the other to sit at room temperature while it bakes. Then once the first tray is done, I bring the oven back up to temperature and add the craquelin to the second tray and bake them off. If your oven can handle two trays then go for it. I just use conventional bake - I haven't tried this with fan bake as I don't trust my oven but if you do, then please report back!

Do I have to use a stand mixer?
You don't have to - people can make choux by hand, but I haven't tried it so I'm not 100% on what the method would be.

Do I have to make the diplomat cream?
Nope! Fill these with whatever you like. They are so, so good just filled with a little lightly sweetened vanilla bean whipped cream too, or you can slice them in half and make ice cream sandwiches.... You do you here.

For more recipes featuring Heilala Vanilla Bean paste, check out:

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies with Mini Eggs

These malted chocolate chip cookies are a delicious twist on classic chocolate chip cookies. The addition of malted milk powder adds an amazing depth of flavour! Packed with dark chocolate chunks and chopped mini eggs, this is a small batch baking recipe that makes 12 chewy cookies, with no mixer needed. You can also freeze the dough to bake off just a few cookies at a time.

cookies with chocolate and mini eggs on wire rack

Hi hi! Just popping in here to share the recipe for these malted chocolate chip cookies. I made these small batch chocolate chip cookies with dark chocolate and mini eggs, but the dough is a super versatile base, so you can add whatever you like to it - extra easter candy, or just more chocolate to have a regular small batch malted milk chocolate chip cookie to add to your chocolate chip cookie recipe collection!

My Nutella recipe is also a recipe for Chocolate chip cookies with malted milk powder if you want to also add in something extra.

These are so, so good, and come together really easily with no mixer required. I have included instructions for freezing the dough if you like, although these don't last particularly long around here. If you are after a larger scale chocolate chip cookie recipe, check out my perfect chocolate chip cookies post! I also have a collection of recipes using malted milk if you're after a way to use up your jar!

mini egg chocolate chip cookies on wire rack

ball of cookie dough with mini eggs on top

Small Batch Mini Egg Chocolate Chip Cookies

These malted milk chocolate chip Cookies are small batch, so the recipe only makes 12-13 cookies. This is perfect if you only want to bake off a few at a time and freeze the rest of the cookie dough, or you don't need a full sized batch of cookies (as a baking blogger I usually have 5 or 6 things on the go here with testing so a small batch of cookies is my fave thing ever). These cookies are super easy to make.

Melt the butter - These Chocolate Chip Cookies use melted butter rather than room temperature. I adapted my small batch chocolate chip cookie, and just used regular melted butter instead of using brown butter. Melted butter gives a lovely chew to cookies and I also love that you don't have to bring butter to room temperature.
Whisk together wet ingredients - Pop the brown and white sugar, egg, and vanilla in a bowl and mix it all up.
Add dry ingredients - The ingredient list for these cookies is pretty standard, with the addition of malted milk powder, which goes into the bowl along with the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the mix-ins - I made these mini egg chocolate chip cookies by adding in some chopped up mini eggs and dark chocolate. You can really do what you want here though - add in some milk chocolate chips too if you would like!
Chill and scoop - This dough needs to rest for at least half an hour, but you can do up to overnight if you like.
Bake - Press some extra bits and pieces onto the tops of the cookies, bake them off, scoot if you like, and then leave to cool and enjoy!

I love to having dough in my freezer. When I am testing I will often bake off two or three of the batch and then freeze the rest to have on hand for when the need strikes.

Freezing cookie dough is super simple. Scoop it out and then place it on a lined sheet pan. If you want to add extra chocolate to the tops, then do that now as you can't press it onto frozen dough easily. Place the dough into the freezer and leave it to harden, then transfer to an airtight bag, making sure to label the dough if you have more than one sort in your freezer. Then when it comes time to bake, you just bake the dough from frozen, but reduce the oven temperature slightly. Make sure to also add a few extra minutes on to the bake time to account for the frozen dough.

For a full breakdown on how to freeze cookie dough and how to bake cookies from frozen, check out my ultimate guide: How to Freeze Cookie Dough

angle shot of mini egg chocolate chip cookies

Tips for perfect chocolate chip cookies

There are a few wee tricks that I use every time that I make chocolate chip cookie recipes, in order to get them to look as perfect as I can.

These tips are completely optional (except for baking using a scale), they are just little things that I use to get super pretty cookies that look nice and round!

The tips work especially well for recipes like these malted milk chocolate chip cookies which have chunky mix-ins such as mini eggs.

Scoot your cookies. This involves cleaning them up when they come out of the oven by scooting them back into shape using a cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie - scoot the hot cookie back into a circular shape.
Press chocolate and mini eggs on top of the dough before baking. This step means that you get a nice distribution of mini eggs on the top of your cookie as it bakes.
Add extra chocolate and mini eggs after baking. This is again an optional step, but I find that adding a few chopped mini eggs after baking looks super pretty.

For all my tips and tricks on perfect chocolate chip cookies, check out my mega base post: How to make perfect chocolate chip cookies

close up image of baked mini egg chocolate chip cookies

top corner shot of chocolate chip cookies on rack with milk jug

What is Malted Milk Powder?

These Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies have a slightly special ingredient, which is malted milk powder! Malted Milk Powder was initially made as a supplement for babies to help with their digestion.

Why add malted milk powder to cookies?

Malted milk powder lends an amazing flavour to baked goods - a super deep flavour profile, with notes of toasted milk. It's super hard to describe the flavour, but just trust me on this - it's so good. It keeps super well, so you can just grab a jar and have it on hand for adding into things. I used it for this Vanilla Malt Snack cake and it was so good.

What does malted milk powder do in cookies?

When you use malted milk powder in baking you don't have to adjust the flour quantity as it is an enhancer rather than a thickener, so you can pop it into lots of things. I get mine online.

What is a substitute for malted milk powder?

If you don't have malted milk powder then you can just leave it out! It adds a super nice depth of flavour though and so if you have been meaning to try it I highly suggest it. If you are outside of the US, Horlicks works well as a substitute I think!

cookies on wire rack with mini eggs in container

Frequently asked questions

Can I substitute the mini eggs in the recipe?

Yes you can - if you don't have the mini eggs or you just don't want to use them, you can just sub in the same amount of chocolate. A mix of dark and milk would be yum here. Alternatively you could use any other Easter eggs that you have! NZ has caramel ones which would be super yum in here too.

What cookie scoop do you use?
I use a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop - I like this one. You can also weigh your dough balls if you don't have a scoop. Mine weighed about 55g each.

For more chocolate chip cookie recipes, check out:

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I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!

Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Mini Egg Magic Bars

These Mini Egg Magic Bars (7 layer bars) are the perfect Easter Treat or a great way to use up leftover candy. They have a hazelnut shortbread base, then a coconut, hazelnut and caramelised chocolate filling, and are finished with milk chocolate mini eggs. You can customise these any way that you like!

Mini Egg Magic Bars

Hi hi! Just popping in to share the recipe for these mini egg magic bars with you! Magic bars are often also called seven layer bars, and consist of a base with a condensed milk topping, filled with all sorts of bits and bobs. This easy magic bar recipe can be made with whatever candy you have on hand.

What are Magic Bars?

Magic Bars, or 7 layer bars are made up of a base (often graham cracker crumb) with a condensed milk filling baked on the top. I was first introduced to them by my friend Jase a few years ago, when we came up with this Mini Egg version for Easter. Ours has a hazelnut base, and then a coconut, hazelnut, caramelised white chocolate and mini egg filling. It is super easy, and just so, so good.

Ingredients in Magic Bars

The best part about these Mini Egg magic bars is that you can really add whatever you like to them. They are super forgiving - you just make and bake off the base then combine all the topping ingredients and pop into the oven. Also feel free to switch up the chocolate that you use, change the nuts, add different easter eggs etc. They would be so, so good with pretzels in there too or something salty!

A wee tip that we used which works well is to hold back some of the topping ingredients for after baking. The mini eggs get a little cracked in the oven so for presentation's sake we added a little afterward too.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mini Egg Magic Bars

Do I have to use Chopped Nuts?
This recipe uses pre-chopped hazelnuts, but if you don’t have those, you can just blitz up some roasted hazelnuts until they are in chunks. You will need 105g total - 30g for the base, and 75g for the filling.

Can I leave out the nuts?
I haven't tried it but it should be fine - you will need to add a little more flour to the base and you can sub them with something in the filling if you want, or add in more chocolate.

Can I add other things to the magic bars?
Yes - add whatever you like! Throw what you have in your pantry in - chocolate chips, more easter eggs etc

How do I cut bars neatly?
A sharp knife is your best friend when it comes to slicing up bars. I like to do all the vertical cuts first (I use a ruler), and then go back in and do the horizontal ones next to cut into bars.

How to do you store mini egg magic bars?
In an airtight container at room temperature works great! These keep super well.

For more Easter recipes, check out,

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I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!

Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

This Chicken Pot Pie is a comfort food classic. It is easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time. You can either make your own Easy Chicken Pot Pie crust, or you can use a storebought puff pastry. This is the perfect cozy pie, perfect for any night of the week.

Easy Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Hi hi, just popping in to share an old favourite I have updated a wee bit - Easy Chicken Pot Pie! This recipe is a classic in my Husband's family and is the ultimate comfort food. The recipe came from a food technology class his sister took at school and was printed on a piece of paper and laminated at their house! It's just the best and is super easy.

Chicken and bacon are cooked down and then the chicken pot pie filling base is made with celery, carrots and onion. Stock and cream provide moisture and creaminess, along with some dried thyme. Then, the whole thing gets tucked in under some flaky pastry and baked until perfectly golden brown.

Assembling this chicken pot pie does take a little bit of chopping up etc but it is so worth it, and you can easily prepare the components ahead of time, or use storebought pastry. I have outlined how to do both below!

Side note - when I updated the recipe I upped the moisture in the filling a little bit which made it a bit more splattery. Chicken pot pie will forever be one of those #beigefoods that is so good to eat, but absolutely not the easiest thing to take photos of. You'll just have to trust me here that this is so, so good.

How to make Chicken Pot Pie ahead of time

The great thing about this Chicken Pot Pie recipe is that you can prep your elements for it ahead of time. There are a couple of ways you can do this. Remember that the pie dough ideally needs to rest for a few hours or overnight, so make that the day before or morning of if you are making your own crust.

Make your pie crust ahead of time. Then prep the filling ingredients - pre chop your bacon and chicken and put in a container in the fridge, and then cut your vegetables up and have them all ready to go too.
Make the filling ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to assemble. You may need to add a little more time onto the baking time just to make sure the filling is heated through. Look for it to be bubbling.
Make and assemble the whole pie and leave it in the fridge ready to bake. This works great if you want to make dinner earlier in the day. It also works well if you want to double the recipe and make some in an aluminium container to take to a friend etc. Just attach a wee note with baking instructions!

Chicken Pot Pie with Storebought Pie Crust

When it comes to the crust for Chicken Pot Pie you have two options:

Make your own Chicken Pot Pie crust - this is just an easy pie dough. I often make a few extra batches when I am on a roll making pie dough. Then I pop it into my freezer so that I have it on hand. This Chicken Pot Pie is a great use for freezer dough. Alternatively making the dough is super quick too and homemade is always delicious!
If you don't want to make your own dough then you can use store bought puff pastry to make this chicken pot pie. Just buy the frozen stuff in the sheets and defrost. I find it is easiest to just do a plain lid on the pie when using store bought rather than the lattice finish.

Frequently Asked Questions about Chicken Pot Pie

What should I serve with Chicken Pot Pie?
I usually just make a super quick salad to serve alongside chicken pot pie, or some roasted broccoli is so good too. Get your oven ripping hot (500°f / 260°c), cut up some broccoli into florets (I cut it with the stem still on and make long thin pieces rather than stubby florets). Place on a sheet pan and drizzle with some oil and some seasoning, then pop in the oven and cook, shaking the pan every few minutes, until the broccoli is nicely charred. Sometimes I like to hit it with some vinegar as soon as it comes out of the oven. We have this at least once a week - it is so easy and so good.

How should I reheat leftovers?
This chicken pot pie reheats super well. I usually just reheat it in the microwave but if you like you can cover the pan with foil and reheat in the oven until warmed through too. Take the foil off the last few minutes to crisp up the crust.

Can I leave out the bacon?
You can absolutely leave out the bacon. Just use a tiny bit more chicken, or add in some mushrooms. If you use mushrooms I would quickly fry them off separately just to cook out some of the moisture.

How can I make this as time efficient as possible?
Start by chopping up the chicken and bacon, and get that frying while you cut up the vegetables for the base of the filling. While the veggies are cooking, prep your pie crust and have it ready to go. Put it on a sheet pan and back into the fridge until the filling is done if you need. Have your oven preheated and ready to pop the pie straight in.

Can you freeze chicken pot pie?
I haven't tried it but I think this would work fine. You can either freeze the filling and dough separately (allow both to defrost in the fridge overnight), or you could freeze the whole unbaked assembled pie and bake from frozen. Just be careful here because you do not want to do this with a ceramic pie dish - ceramic dish and hot oven is a bad combination.

How much puff pastry do I need if I am using storebought?
600g should be enough!

What sort of pan should I use for this?
Anything casserole sized or a large pie pan will work! I used an enamel pan which was about 10"x12" (from this set) but as long as whatever you are using holds about 6 cups (pour water in to test if needed) you should be good!

For more Savoury Pie recipes, check out:

Chicken, Leek, and Sundried Tomato Pot Pie
Mushroom and Sundried Tomato Pesto Pie
Individual Steak and Mushroom Pies

❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️

I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!

Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Soft Hot Cross Buns

These Easy Homemade Hot Cross Buns are super soft. The hot cross bun dough is perfectly spiced and filled with fruit and is incredibly soft thanks to the Tangzhong method. These homemade hot cross buns are finished with a traditional flour and water cross which is piped on before the Hot Cross Buns go into the oven.

Super Soft Hot Cross Buns
What is the Tangzhong method?
Why use the Tangzhong Method for Hot Cross Buns
What is Bread Flour?
How to make Super Soft Hot Cross Buns
The best fruit to use for Hot Cross Buns
Super Soft Hot Cross Bun FAQ
For more Easter Recipes, check out:
Made this recipe and love it?
A note on salt and oven temperature
Why is this recipe in grams?
Recipe for Soft Hot Cross Buns

Super Soft Hot Cross Buns

Hi hi! Happy nearly Easter! I have been making my classic hot cross bun recipe for a few years now, but decided it was time to twist things up a little bit. So, here we have super soft hot cross buns, which use the Tangzhong method. I have written a bit more about this below. These are a slightly smaller batch than my regular recipe, but they are so, so soft and so good. I hope you give them a try! I tested a loaf of bread using this same super soft dough and it worked out great. Watch this space for that too!

Making homemade hot cross buns is super fun and easy. If you would like some other variations on hot cross bun recipes I have a chocolate hot cross bun and also an apple and salted caramel hot cross bun recipe!

What is the Tangzhong method?

Side note: One of my Instagram followers very kindly sent me this IG post about Shokupan (which is made with Yudane) and the name "Milk Bread" and how it has been colonised. I highly suggest popping over and having a wee look.

Why use the Tangzhong Method for Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns are great to make at home. However, I do find that they tend to go stale quite quickly. By using the Tangzhong method in these Soft Hot Cross Buns, the buns are not only incredibly soft to start with, but they retain that softness much longer than the traditional method. Both methods are great, but I wanted to see if adapting my original recipe to incorporate this method would work, and I am happy to report that it does!

My first test I totally overlooked the fact that I needed to use Bread Flour for the recipe, and therefore made the most bizarre dough I think I have ever come across. It was like slime - held together but SUPER stretchy. I made my next test with Bread Flour (strong flour or High Grade if you're outside of the US) and the dough was still super stretchy, but held up extremely nicely. Always check your gluten content!

What is Bread Flour?

Bread Flour is flour with a high protein content (Usually 11-13%). It is also called strong flour or High Grade Flour. Because this dough is so soft, it relies on the gluten to give it strength which is why it is so important to use bread flour. Check the % of protein on your bread flour too. Some places can't get bread flour or the bread flour is lower in protein. You can buy Vital wheat gluten and add some of that in if you need (I haven't tried it so not 100% sure of the ratios but it should help a lot)

How to make Super Soft Hot Cross Buns

These Soft Hot Cross Buns have a few steps to them and take a little time, but a lot of that is waiting for the dough to rise etc. I haven't tested doing the first rise overnight but I would say that it works just fine. I would leave the dough out on the counter for an hour or so just to kick start the rising process before putting it in the fridge, as the cinnamon inhibits the yeast in the dough which prolongs the process a little.

Make the Tangzhong - This involves making a roux by cooking down some of the milk and flour from the recipe to make a thick paste. The roux cools while the fruit for the recipe soaks.
Soak the fruit - I use Earl Grey Tea, but chai, or warmed apple or orange juice (or just boiling water) would work great here too.
Make the dough - Pop everything except for the butter and the draining fruit into the mixer and leave it to do it's thing, then add the butter and incorporate. Then, add the fruit in and mix in by hand.
First rise - The dough has a large proportion of spices in it so takes longer to rise than non spiced dough. You should allow 2-3 hours for this.
Make the Hot Cross Buns - Shape the dough into perfect hot cross buns and then tuck them in for their second rise.
Mix up the cross mix - The cross mix for these Soft Hot Cross Buns is just a flour and water mixture that you pipe on just before baking.
Bake the Hot Cross Buns - The Hot Cross Buns hang out in the oven for 30 minutes, then are brushed with a sugar syrup glaze and are ready to enjoy!

This recipe relies on the dough strength so needs a stand mixer. If you wanted to make hot cross buns by hand, my classic hot cross bun recipe is the best one to use.

The best fruit to use for Hot Cross Buns

I use sultanas or raisins along with currants to make hot cross buns. However you can use any fruit that you like - some include mixed peel or cranberries.

I soak my fruit in hot Earl Grey Tea to help them soak up some liquid before being added to the dough. If you don't like Earl Grey you could use hot black tea or warmed orange juice.

Super Soft Hot Cross Bun FAQ

Can these hot cross buns be made by hand?
These really need the mixer to develop the strength in the dough. If you want to make some by hand my classic hot cross buns would be a great option.

Do I have to use Bread Flour?
YES. You do. I tried without and it didn't go well at all. Bread flour is also called strong flour or high grade in other parts of the world.

Can I double the recipe?
Yes! Just use the '2x' button on the recipe card. You can use a 9"x13" (20cmx30cm) pan or just a baking sheet to make these on.

What pan did you use for the hot cross buns?
I used a 9" (23cm) metal nonstick baking pan - this one is from Williams Sonoma

Can Hot Cross Buns Dough be made ahead of time?
I haven't tested doing the first rise overnight but I would say that it works just fine. I would leave the dough out on the counter for an hour or so just to kick start the rising process before putting it in the fridge, as the cinnamon inhibits the yeast in the dough which prolongs the process a little.

My dough feels like it won't ever come together?!
Don't freak out. It will be fine provided you made the recipe by weight and got your measurements right. Set a timer and walk away from the mixer. If it really really isn't coming together you can add flour a teaspoon at a time (some brands are more or less absorbent) just to help it come together. If you didn't weigh your ingredients... you're on your own here.

Is the milk powder in the recipe compulsory?
No - if you don't have it you can leave it out.

Can I substitute Active Dry Yeast for Instant?
Yes, you will just need to activate in in the milk (which needs to be lukewarm), with some of the sugar from the recipe. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to get foamy then proceed with the recipe.

How do you reheat Hot Cross Buns?
I usually use the microwave but someone suggested covering them with foil and popping into a 350°f / 180°c oven for 5 minutes or so, so I will try that next time for sure 🙂 I also sometimes toast them!

How do you store Hot Cross Buns?
I store hot cross buns in an airtight container at room temperature.

For more Easter Recipes, check out:

Made this recipe and love it?

If you make this Soft Hot Cross Bun recipe, I would LOVE for you to leave me a review below and let me know how you liked it! Make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it!

A note on salt and oven temperature

It is important to note the type of salt that is called for in a recipe. I use Diamond Crystal salt throughout my recipes - if you use a different sort of kosher salt or regular table salt you will need to adjust accordingly as some salt is 'saltier' than others. Morton's salt is twice as salty, so you will need half the quantity. Same goes for a regular table salt. I am working to get gram measurements throughout my recipes for salt but still getting there.

All oven temperatures are conventional unless otherwise stated. If you are baking on fan, you will need to adjust the temperature. An oven thermometer is a great investment to ensure that your oven is the correct temperature.

Why is this recipe in grams?

I post my recipes in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. However, there is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. Posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups, then you are welcome to convert it yourself via google. However, please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking!

Recipe for Soft Hot Cross Buns

Chocolate Crackles

Chocolate Crackles are a classic New Zealand and Australian Kid's Birthday Party Classic! It is super simple, requires no baking, and can easily be made gluten free or Vegan. This recipe for Chocolate Crackle has two versions - the more nostalgic tasting one made with coconut oil and cocoa, and a fancy chocolate crackle made with chocolate.

Chocolate Crackles

Hi hi! I hope you are well! Just popping in to share this recipe for chocolate crackles with you! These are a NZ (and Australian) Kid's birthday party classic, and I decided a while back I absolutely needed some, so here is a wee recipe!

Chocolate Crackles are made with Rice Bubbles (What we call Rice Krispies in NZ and what I will be using as the name for the rest of the post), chocolate, and coconut. The ones we ate growing up use cocoa powder and either Copha or Kremelta, which is vegetable shortening which is made with predominantly coconut oil. I can't able to find either of those here in the US, so I have two versions - one is a more 'fancy chocolate crackle' with chocolate instead of just cocoa powder, and the the super nostalgic version too.

Both of the Chocolate Crackle recipes are amazing and super easy to make - you will have to let me know which version is your favourite!

Two Recipes for Chocolate Crackle

As I mentioned before, there are two versions of this recipe here for you today. One is the super nostalgic one which is just cocoa powder, desiccated coconut, icing sugar (powdered sugar), rice bubbles and then refined coconut oil. A bunch of people asked for Chocolate Crackles with no Copha, so here you are! Refined coconut oil is processed so it does not have a coconut taste, and works great here.

Then for the second version, melted dark chocolate replaces some of the coconut oil. I still use a little coconut oil in there because it helps with texture, and some cocoa for depth of flavour. The images in this post are of the chocolate version so if you make the coconut oil version it will turn out a little more matte. Both are so, so good. You do you here - the recipe is easy enough that you could easily just make both and compare! I like to cut them into little pieces and then keep them in a box in the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions for Chocolate Crackle

Can this be made Gluten Free?
Rice Bubbles / Rice Krispies are actually sneakily not gluten free, so if you want to make sure this is GF, use regular puffed rice.Add image

How do I store Chocolate Crackle?
The coconut oil ones hold up ok at room temp (bear in mind we are in the middle of winter here in NYC) but I found the chocolate based ones do get a bit melty so I would store it in the fridge!

Can I make this without the coconut?
I haven't tried but I am sure it would be fine - just add an extra handful of rice bubbles!

Is Chocolate Crackle Vegan?
The coconut oil / cocoa version of this is vegan (provided you are using vegan icing sugar), if you want to make the chocolate one vegan make sure you are using a vegan chocolate!

Can this recipe be made in cupcake liners?
The chocolate crackle I remember was always made in cupcake liners. I popped it into a square pan just to make it easy but if you want to do it in cupcake liners, you go for it.

What is desiccated coconut?
I used desiccated coconut which is different to shredded coconut - it's lightly ground so smaller pieces. You can either pop shredded coconut in the food processor or just use it and have slightly bigger pieces!

Can I use unrefined coconut oil?
I did this with refined coconut oil - unrefined would be too strong in coconut taste I think!

What sort of cocoa did you use?
I used dutch process cocoa but it doesn't matter what you use - whatever you have on hand is fine.

Can I halve / double the recipe?
A half recipe will work great in a loaf pan, but this keeps really well in the fridge so I'd make the full amount if I were you. If you want to double it, it will work great in a 9"x13" pan (20cmx30cm)

Can I add other things to this recipe?
Yep! Go for it - add whatever you like!

For more Classic NZ recipes, check out:

❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️

I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!

Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Easy Olive Oil Carrot Cake in Loaf Pan

Learn how to bake light, moist carrot cake in a loaf pan. No stand mixer needed. Recipe uses olive oil as the fat rather than butter for a terrifically moist texture. The loaf cake itself is dairy free, or you can finish with a not-too-sweet maple cream cheese icing.

Carrot Loaf Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Hi hi! Happy Spring! I am just popping in here to share this recipe for Carrot Loaf Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting. This is a super easy recipe that is great to have as a back pocket staple. It comes together fast, and keeps extremely well, so is great to make in advance. The Carrot Cake Loaf is light and moist, and the maple cream cheese frosting isn't too sweet and pairs perfectly. I hope that you love this one as much as I do!

I love making Carrot Cake any time of year - carrots are especially sweet in the winter. If you want a teeny weeny carrot cake, check out my small batch carrot cake, which is brown butter based rather than this carrot loaf cake which uses oil as it is needed for the moisture in a slightly thicker cake.

How to make Carrot Loaf Cake

This recipe is super, super easy. The Carrot Loaf Cake doesn't require a mixer of any sort - you just stir it all together and then pop it in the oven.

Combine the wet ingredients - We are counting sugar as a wet ingredient here. Brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
Mix together the dry ingredients - This carrot loaf cake has flour, leavener (baking powder and soda), salt, and then a few warming spices. I used cinnamon, ginger and cardamom, but feel free to mix it up a little if you like.
Combine it all together - Dump the wet into the dry, and mix until incorporated. Easy easy.
Add the carrot - Carrot goes in last. I like to fold it in with a rubber spatula or a whisk.
Bake - The Carrot Loaf Cake bakes for about an hour until perfectly golden brown and cooked throughout. Once it is done, remove it from the oven and leave to cool until you are ready to frost it!
Make the Cream Cheese Maple Frosting - The Maple cream cheese frosting is super easy to make - either combine everything by hand or use an electric mixer. Spread it on the top and you are good to go!

top down shot carrot loaf cakew ith frosting

Can this Loaf Cake be made ahead of time?

This Carrot Cake Loaf is super moist, so is perfect for making ahead of time. You can make the loaf cake, and store it either wrapped or in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days ahead. You can make the frosting ahead of time if you like too and just give it a quick re-whip when needed. I made carrot loaf cake to take to a friend during testing and just popped the frosting in a wee container so she could add it herself once she got home. She mentioned it was still soft about 5 days after, so the loaf cake keeps extremely well thanks to the oil in the recipe.

Carrot Loaf Cake with no Frosting

If you wanted to keep the whole carrot loaf cake recipe dairy free there are two options. The first is to finish the carrot cake with a little turbinado sugar before baking, and leave off the frosting. This will make it beautiful and crunchy on the top. The other is to make a glaze with a little powdered sugar and either lemon or orange juice, and use that instead! The Maple Cream Cheese frosting is super good though!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add nuts?
If you want to, go for it! I would add about 80 grams of chopped toasted walnuts to the mix at the same time as the carrot.

What loaf do you use?
I used a 1 lb Loaf tin for this carrot loaf cake (8"x4"). You can use a slightly larger one if that is all you have, but the cake will bake up a bit wider and shorter.

Can this be made as muffins?
Yes, it should be great as muffins too, although I haven't tried it. Muffins are mini versions of quick breads, which is what this loaf cake is (same as banana bread etc), whereas cupcakes are mini versions of cakes. Fun fact! The leavening is usually different in a quick bread and a cake, but for the most part a quick bread recipe can be turned into muffins easily.

Carrot Loaf Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

side shot of carrot loaf cake with frosting

❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️

I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!

Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Classic Hot Cross Buns

These traditional style classic Hot Cross Buns are perfectly spiced and filled with fruit. They are easy to make and have a vanilla bean pastry cream cross in place of the traditional flour and water cross for a super simple but delicious twist on the classic.

Hot Cross Buns with Custard Cross
Components of Hot Cross Buns
How to make Hot Cross Buns
What fruit is best to use for Hot Cross Buns?
Crosses on Hot Cross Buns
How to make pastry cream
Can Hot Cross Buns be made ahead of time?
How to store Hot Cross Buns
A note on high grade flour / bread flour
FAQ for Hot Cross Buns
Recipe for Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns with Custard Cross

Hi hi - just popping in to re-share this recipe for classic Hot Cross Buns with you. these are a Classic Hot Cross Bun - spiced dough, filled with fruit, and finished off with a pastry cream cross, which isn't technically a classic but is super, super good. The pastry cream cross is inspired by a restaurant in NZ called Ima who make the most incredible looking HCB every year - obviously I am a little far away so I had to make do with my own!

I re-made my recipe from 2019 and just updated the recipe a wee bit. I switched half the flour to Bread flour which provides a little more structure, and I also increased the milk and butter content in the dough by just a little. The recipe for pastry cream made way too much, so I've reduced it by half (although feel free to double as you can never have to much pastry cream!)

I have a couple of Hot Cross Bun recipes on my website now - these are the classic 'traditional' style hot cross buns. There is also a chocolate hot cross bun recipe, an apple and salted caramel hot cross bun, and a Tangzhong based dough that makes up the base of my Soft Hot Cross Buns.

Components of Hot Cross Buns

These classic Hot Cross buns have a few components, but they can be prepared ahead or the workload broken up with an overnight rise.

Soaked Fruit. Soaking the fruit means that it keeps a nice shape in the hot cross bun, and as it is already hydrated, it will not dry out your dough.
Hot Cross Bun Dough. My hot cross bun dough is super simple - it is enriched with butter, and filled with warming spices. I make mine in my stand mixer, but you could also make them by hand.
Pastry cream cross. This is the special touch to these Hot Cross Buns - a super smooth custard cross. This is an optional step - feel free to also give them a regular cross before putting them into the oven.
Sugar Syrup. The sugar syrup for hot cross buns goes on after the buns have come out of the oven - it gives them a delicious shine. You could also use watered down apricot jam for your hot cross bun glaze.

How to make Hot Cross Buns

These Hot Cross Buns are super easy to make, and just have a few extra steps to make them extra delicious. Here's the order that I do things in:

Soak your fruit - The fruit goes into some strongly brewed Earl Grey Tea (see FAQ for other options) and is left to soak for half an hour to hydrate.
Make the pastry cream - I do this while the fruit is soaking, then place it directly into the piping bag with a clip above the tip and another on the end of the bag, and leave it to cool in the piping bag, in the fridge. Alternatively you could pop it into an airtight container with some plastic pressed against the surface to cool.
Make the dough - This step uses the stand mixer although you could do it by hand too. Bring the dough together and mix until smooth, then add the butter in a little at a time until you have a lovely smooth dough.
Add the fruit - The fruit gets added in by hand - I find this is the best way to ensure it doesn't get squished.
First rise - Leave the dough to rise at room temperature until doubled in size.
Shape the Hot Cross Buns - The hot cross buns are shaped the same way as you would shape a bread roll. Tuck them into a pan and leave them to rise again until puffy.
Score and bake - The key to getting the pastry cream cross on these is to score the buns before they go in the oven. The dough opens up and gives you a 'trench' to pipe the pastry cream into.
Add the crosses - Add the pastry cream cross after 20 minutes in the oven, then return until done, another 10-15 minutes.
Glaze and enjoy - Brush the buns with a syrup as soon as they come out of the oven, then leave to cool and enjoy!

What fruit is best to use for Hot Cross Buns?

You can use whatever fruit you like in your Hot Cross Buns. I often just use sultanas or raisins and then some currants, but you can mix and match as you like with things like dried cranberries or dates. Some recipes use mixed peel, but I do not like the bitterness of it so I tend to leave it out.

Crosses on Hot Cross Buns

These classic hot cross buns have a pastry cream cross, but you can easily leave that off if you are not in the mood to make it, and add a flour and water cross (there is one in my soft hot cross bun recipe) to your homemade hot cross buns. You do not have to score the buns before baking if you add a flour and water cross - just pipe it on before they go into the oven.

How to make pastry cream

The pastry cream cross on these hot cross buns is just a classic custard. Make sure that you make it ahead of time so that it has time to cool and thicken up - I like to make it before I put the fruit on to soak. I transfer it straight into a piping bag and clip the end closed and just pop it into the fridge to chill up so that it is ready to use straight from the bag.

Combine sugar and corn starch. Whisking together the sugar and corn starch ensures that there are no lumps in the mixture, which helps to get a nice smooth pastry cream. Add the egg and mix well to combine.
Heat up milk. Warm the milk in a saucepan until there is just some movement around the sides
Add the hot milk mixture to the eggs. This step tempers the egg and stops it from scrambling.
Cook the pastry cream. Transfer all the mixture back into the pan and cook until thick, then remove from the stove and add butter and whisk to incorporate.
Transfer to a piping bag. The pastry cream needs to cool, so transfer it to a piping bag and clip closed until you are ready to use it.

If you have leftover pastry cream, you can serve it alongside the hot cross buns to spread on like butter.

Can Hot Cross Buns be made ahead of time?

Hot cross bun dough can be made the night before and stored in the fridge overnight for the first rise. Because the rise time on the dough is quite long due to the cinnamon and spices in the dough, leave it to stand on the counter for about 30 minutes to kick start the rising process before putting it into the fridge overnight.

The next day, the dough will need 20-30 minutes standing on the counter to soften a little before being shaped. Starting with cold dough will also mean that the second rise period takes a little longer. Go by how the dough looks rather than the rise time.

A way to tell if dough is proofed is to give it a gentle poke with your finger. If it springs back slightly but leaves a small dent, it is risen and ready to be baked.

How to store Hot Cross Buns

Store hot cross buns in an airtight container at room temperature. To reheat, either toast lightly, or refresh briefly in the microwave.

A note on high grade flour / bread flour

When I developed and tested this recipe, I was in the US where flour is much 'stronger' than NZ. This means that it is higher in protein, which helps with dough strength and gluten formation.

If you are in NZ, I suggest making these with all high grade flour, as it gives you a much stronger dough. Our plain flour is much lower in protein than all-purpose in the US. I have noticed a difference since being back - for most recipes it is just fine to use plain wherever all-purpose is called for but when you have a softer dough like this hot cross bun dough, high grade is needed.

FAQ for Hot Cross Buns

I don't like Earl Grey Tea - what can I use to soak the fruit?
If you don’t like Earl Grey Tea (you can’t really taste it, but some people just don’t like it), you can soak the fruit in some warmed orange juice, or strong black tea. They would be good soaked in chai too!

Can I use mixed spice?
We can't get mixed spice here in the US but you can replace the spice mix with mixed spice if you have it! I just made my own. Feel free to swap things out or in etc as you see fit.

What do I do with leftover pastry cream?
The original recipe made way too much pastry cream so I have reduced the quantity by half. You shouldn't have loads left over but you can use it in the place of butter when serving if you like!

Are Hot Cross Buns Egg Free?
They can be, you will just need to make a flour and water roux instead of the pastry cream. 40g water and 40g flour combined until a paste and then piped into crosses over the buns (no need to score) before baking. You can see how that looks on my soft hot cross buns post

Can these be made smaller?
You can make these any size that you want, they work well as 20 smaller buns. Just weigh your dough and divide that amount by however many buns you want. You will need to adjust the pan size.

Help - my dough is taking forever to rise!
Cinnamon inhibits the rise on yeast, so make sure you account for that. It will take about 2 hours for your first rise and about 1 ½ for the second rise. Make sure your yeast is not expired.

Can I substitute Active Dry Yeast for Instant?
You can use either instant or active dry yeast. If you want to use active dry then activate the yeast in the warm milk with some of the sugar before proceeding with the recipe.

Can Hot Cross Buns be made by hand?
It should be fine to make these by hand, it will just take some elbow grease! Make sure the dough is super soft and smooth before adding in the soaked fruit.

What is Bread Flour?
Bread flour is high protein flour - it is called High Grade Flour in NZ and Strong Flour in the UK! All-purpose is 'plain flour'

Can this recipe be halved?
It should work fine! Just divide everything in two. It may not work if you have a big mixer as it may not be enough dough but you should be fine!

What size pan should I use for Hot Cross Buns?
I used a 9x13" pan for the 12 buns, if you are dividing them smaller you will want to use a regular baking sheet and place them so they are only just not touching - you want them to rise and join together

❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️

I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!

Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Recipe for Hot Cross Buns

Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls

These Carrot Cake Cinnamon rolls are the perfect Brunch. Fluffy, spiced carrot brioche is rolled out and filled with dulce de leche and toasted nuts, and rolled into large, bakery-style carrot cake cinnamon rolls, and finished with a cream cheese frosting.

Original post from 2020, Blog post copy updated and reformatted March 2021

Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls

Hi! I hope the first part of spring is treating you well. I am super excited to share this wee springy take on my favourite cinnamon rolls - Dulce de Leche Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls! These Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls are inspired by the flavours of carrot cake. I incorporated some fresh carrot and spices into a fluffy dough, and then filled them with a super silky Dulce de Leche filling and some chopped walnuts, then finished them off with a cream cheese frosting.

Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls with Dulce de Leche Filling

Instead of the more traditional butter and sugar filling, I filled these carrot cake cinnamon rolls with a spiced Dulce de Leche filling. Dulce de Leche is super easy to make at home, and I used Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk to make the most beautiful caramel coloured filling for these rolls. If you haven’t made your own Dulce de Leche before it is super easy - I have included the method in the recipe for you. Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk only has two simple ingredients, milk and sugar, and it is a perfect staple to have in your cupboard for all your baking projects! I grew up baking with condensed milk with my Grandma, so the taste is super nostalgic for me, as I am sure it is for a lot of us.

Dulce de Leche originates in South America, and is made by slowly heating up milk and sugar (or in this case, slowly cooking Sweetened Condensed Milk). There are a few ways to make the Dulce de Leche with the Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk - my favourite is in the oven. You will see I have included the method in the recipe. This step can be done ahead of time, and you can store your Dulce de Leche in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

Close up photo of carrot cake cinnamon rolls

How to make Cinnamon Rolls ahead of time

These make the perfect breakfast, so you can easily make them ahead of time. Make the Dulce de Leche in advance, and then prepare the dough as written. Then, instead of proofing them at room temperature, cover the bowl and leave in the fridge overnight, where it will slowly rise. This means that it will be ready to roll out into your carrot cake cinnamon rolls in the morning, and then all you have do is assemble and bake!

You can also do the first rise in the fridge on the same day you make these - you will need to give the dough a minimum of 2 ½ hours in the fridge. I like doing my first rise in the fridge as it gives me great flexibility, rather than having to work on the dough's schedule.

Remember, if you ever need to slow down the process when making bread, put your dough in the fridge. This slows down the rising time and can buy you some time if you need it.

corner shot of carrot cake cinnamon rolls

Frequently Asked Questions for Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls

Can these be made ahead of time?
Yes! The dough can be made the night before and the first rise done overnight in the fridge. This is my preferred method when making cinnamon rolls - it makes the dough so much easier to roll out! Add image

Can the second rise be done overnight?
I often get asked this - and I don't recommend it. The filling leaks out overnight so you end up with super soggy rolls. You are best just accounting for a little extra time the next morning to assemble these. You can make the frosting ahead of time too if you want to save on time - just pull it out when you shape the rolls and give it a quick mix before using.

Can these be frozen?
I haven't tried it but they can probably be frozen once baked - just don't add the frosting. Cream cheese doesn't freeze well.

What other frosting can I use on these?
This brown butter frosting would also be delicious!

Can I leave the nuts out?
Yep! You do you. Or use Pecans, or replace them with anything else you like! The candied pecans from this post could be super yum in there too.

How do you toast nuts?
Preheat your oven to 350°f /180°c. Spread the walnuts out on a baking sheet, and toast for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown (you can snap one open to check they are toasted throughout). Leave to cool.

top down shot of carrot cake cinnamon rolls

For more Cinnamon Roll recipes, check out:

❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️

I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!

Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Thank you so much to Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.

Original post from 2020, Blog post copy updated and reformatted March 2021

Recipe for Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

These super soft Chocolate Hot Cross Buns have a chocolate chip cardamom dough. They are filled with chocolate chips and finished with a chocolate custard cross. These are the perfect Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns!

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns
Custard Cross for Hot Cross Buns
How to make Hot Cross Buns
How to make Hot Cross Buns ahead of time.
How to store hot cross buns
Chocolate Hot Cross Buns FAQ
For more Hot Cross Bun recipes, check out:
Made this recipe and love it?
A note on salt and oven temperature
Why is this recipe in grams?
Recipe for Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Hi hi! Just popping in to re-share the recipe for these chocolate hot cross buns. I made these back in 2019 but just wanted to update the blog post with a few more tips and tricks on how to make them etc! These chocolate hot cross buns are a super fun twist on the traditional hot cross bun. They have a chocolate cardamom dough, and are filled with chocolate chips. The buns are then finished with a chocolate custard cross, and a cardamom syrup. They are soft, squishy and super chocolatey - I know you are going to love them.

If you are making homemade hot cross buns this year and want a few options alongside these chocolate hot cross buns, I also have a classic hot cross bun recipe, a super soft hot cross bun recipe and an apple and salted caramel hot cross bun!

hot cross buns with pastry cream cross on tea towel

Custard Cross for Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns traditionally have a cross made from a roux on the top. A roux is basically a flour and milk paste, and it is often piped on the top just before baking. Roux is fine, but it doesn't actually taste like anything. It's just flour and water and so it's a bit bland.

Hot Cross Buns are kind of a big deal in New Zealand around Easter time, and a whole bunch of places offer them. One place in particular which has a unique twist on them is a place in Auckland, Ima, who finishes their hot cross buns with a custard cross rather than the traditional roux. I haven't actually tried them myself because I am always in the US at Easter, but I followed their lead, and swapped the roux cross for a chocolate custard one, and OH BOY. Game changer. The custard adds another level of complexity to these. I love custard in all forms, so therefore adding it in as the cross is a total no brainer.

If you would like to add a roux cross, I have one on my soft hot cross bun recipe. You will not need to score the dough before putting it in the oven.

How to make Hot Cross Buns

The steps to making these are pretty straight forward - you can break it up over two days, or do the whole thing in one day if you like!

Make the dough - The dough for these chocolate hot cross buns is super easy. Bring the dough together, then add the butter and allow it to mix in completely.
Add the chocolate - Incorporate the chocolate by hand on a work surface. You can do this in the mixer if you want, but I find that the chocolate stays more intact doing it by hand.
First rise - Leave the dough in a warm spot to double in size. You could also do this overnight in the fridge if you like.
Make the Custard - I like to do this while the dough is rising. The custard comes together quickly and then you leave it to chill until you are ready to use. The easiest way to do this is to put it directly into the piping bag with a clip just above the tip, then add the custard, and add another clip, and chill it straight in there.
Roll out the buns - Divide up the dough into however many buns you like, and ball them up. Place them evenly spaced in a prepared pan.
Rise the buns a second time - The second proof is to then get the chocolate hot cross buns oven ready!
Score - This is an important step, as it will provide a place for the custard to be piped. As the buns bake the cross scored on the top opens up to form a little trench, which is where you pipe the custard!
Bake - The buns bake for 15 min, then the custard is piped on and they return to the oven to continue baking.
Syrup - The final step to making these hot cross buns is to make a cardamom simple syrup to brush the chocolate hot cross buns with when they come out of the oven.

chocolate cardamom hot cross buns ready to rise

How to make Hot Cross Buns ahead of time.

You can do some of the steps for these chocolate hot cross buns ahead of time. You can make the dough the night before and do the first rise in the fridge. The next day shape them as usual and then leave them to rise for the second time. You can shape the dough straight from cold. Keep in mind you may need to add some time onto the rising time because of the cold dough. You can also make the custard for the cross ahead of time.

How to store hot cross buns

Store hot cross buns in an airtight container at room temperature. If you are eating them the day after you have made them I would suggest either briefly reheating in the microwave or toasting. Toast hot cross buns with a custard cross in a toaster oven rather than the toaster as the custard can burn.

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns FAQ

What should I do with leftover pastry cream?
You may have a little leftover - I spread it on the buns instead of butter.

Can Hot Cross Buns be made egg free?
Yes, the dough itself is egg free, you can either make a more traditional cross, or you can just leave it off!

Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?
To use instant yeast in the place of the active dry, use the same amount but skip the step where you activate the yeast in the milk and just add it in with the dry.

Can Hot Cross Buns be made smaller?
Yes - make them as small as you want - just weigh the dough, work out the number of buns that you want, and work out how much each should weigh.

Can I make hot cross buns by hand?
Yes, this dough should be fine to make by hand, it will just require some elbow grease!

What is the best pan for Hot Cross Buns?
I used this enamel pan to make these, but a quarter sheet pan or other large baking pan you have should work well too! I have included a photograph just after I popped them into the pan so you can see the spacing.

bottom corner shot chocolate hot cross buns

For more Hot Cross Bun recipes, check out:

Made this recipe and love it?

If you make this recipe, I would LOVE for you to leave me a review below and let me know how you liked it! Make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it!

A note on salt and oven temperature

Why is this recipe in grams?

I post my recipes in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. There is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. Posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups, then you are welcome to convert it yourself via google. However, please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking!

Recipe for Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Peanut Butter Brownie Bars

These Small Batch Peanut Butter Brownie Bars are a chocolate and peanut butter lover's dream! They have a small batch brownie base, topped with a smooth peanut butter filling layer, and are finished with a smooth chocolate topping.

Peanut Butter Brownie Bars

Hi hi! Just popping in to share this recipe with you for Peanut Butter Brownie Bars! These have been floating around on my recipe to-do list for a really long time now, and I finally got around to making them to share with you. I kept them small batch because I am loving on the little recipes these days, and I know you are too. I'm sorry I didn't do it sooner because they are just SO GOOD. But we are here now, and I think you'll forgive me quickly once you make them.

Components of Peanut Butter Brownie Bars

These are super easy, with a few components, but you can sort of mix and match them too if you like.

Small Batch Brownie - The base of these bars is a small batch brownie. I kept it pretty thin and fudgy to form the base - however if you wanted to only make this as a small batch brownie, you could use a slightly smaller pan. After the brownie bakes, leave it to cool for a wee bit before you add the topping.
Peanut Butter Filling - This is heavy on the peanut butter. Mix the butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt together, then add cream just to bring the mixture together into a soft, peanut buttery play doh like situation. Add the filling on top of the brownie base and smooth.
Chocolate Topping: I use my go-to here, dark chocolate which is melted together with a little neutral oil. This gives a super smooth chocolate topping, which won't crack everywhere when you go to cut it.

top down shot of slice of peanut butter brownie bar

The benefits of small batch baking - making brownies in a loaf pan

I know I'm not the only one sharing more small batch recipes on the internet - but they are definitely more popular as we approach a whole year inside. I love them for a few reasons. The first is that they are super fun to develop. There is something so satisfying about making a tiny sheet cake or a little wee pan of brownies. I love the challenge of working out how to scale down a recipe and make it still work. Recipes are often easy to double but can be tricky to halve, so small batch makes sense as you can easily double a recipe if you need more.

It is not uncommon for me to test something upwards of 10 times before it goes anywhere near the internet. I've been trying to get better at spreading out the tests so we can get through what I make / I can give it away to friends without totally bombarding them with boxes of baking (nobody has complained yet so I think I'm good), but small batch also means that I go through less ingredients in the testing process! I often will halve a recipe for testing to get leavening right etc and recently I've started just leaving them as a half recipe. You seem to love them as much as I do, so keep an eye out for a whole bunch of small batch recipes coming your way soonish!

Close up shot of peanut butter brownie bars

Can this recipe be doubled?

It sure can. The best part about making things in a loaf pan, is that you can very easily double them and bake them in an 8"x8" (20cm) square pan. These Peanut Butter Brownie Bars are no exception. They keep great in the fridge so doubling them will work well. Check the brownie base after about 20 minutes to see if it is done.

Other Frequently Asked Questions for Peanut Butter Brownie Bars

What pan did you use to make these in?
I use a 9"x5" (23cmx13cm) loaf pan. These are the 'larger' loaf pans (as opposed to the smaller 1lb capacity pans). I tested this in both this pan from USA pan, or also this enamel loaf pan is a similar size and works well. If you have a ⅛ size sheet pan, that would work great too.Add image

What sort of Peanut Butter should I use?
I used Smooth peanut butter from Fix and Fogg, which is a NZ company who recently opened in the US too and they make the BEST peanut butter. It is more on the 'natural' side so just make sure you give what you are using a really good mix before you add it in, and don't use anything that separates out really badly. The creamy stuff from the store works great here too! You could probably actually use crunchy too and you would get a crunchy filling.... I may need to test this because it sounds so good.

How should I store Peanut Butter Brownie Bars?
These need to be kept in the fridge. The filling doesn't set totally hard and the oil in the topping lowers the melting point of the chocolate, so keep them cold!

Can this be made Gluten Free?
I haven't personally tested it, but I think that a cup for cup gluten free flour sub (Bob's Red Mill makes a good one), would work great in the brownie base. The rest of the components are already GF so this one would be easy to do!

How do I get clean cuts on the bars?
Make sure your knife is hot, and wipe between cuts. Some of the chocolate might drag down onto the filling, but don't worry - you're fine. It will still taste great.

How should I line my loaf pan?
I just used a single piece of parchment paper for lining my loaf pan and didn't worry about lining the short ends. However, I have total faith in my non-stick loaf pan, so if you are worried, line it with two pieces of paper so all sides are covered.

Can this be made ahead?
Yep! The bars keep super well in the fridge, so you can make these a couple of days ahead if needed. The brownie layer can also be made in advance and stored in an airtight container until ready to use.

What Vanilla do you use?
I always use Heilala Vanilla in everything - the paste is my absolute favourite. You can use the code CLOUDY20 on their site for a discount if you like!

For more small batch baking recipes, check out:

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Homemade Tan Slice

Tan Square or Tan Slice is a Classic New Zealand Caramel Bars recipe. It is super simple - comprised of a shortbread and a caramel filling. The shortbread is pressed into the pan as a crust, topped with the caramel, then additional shortbread is then crumbled over the top for a perfect, buttery textured slice.

Hi hi! Just popping in to re-share this recipe for Tan Square / Tan Slice with you! I have a whole bunch of New Zealand baking recipes on my site, and this tan slice recipe is a classic. If you want to check out some of my other New Zealand baking, I love my Ginger Crunch Recipe, Louise Cake, and my Anzac Biscuit Recipe.

Tan Square (or Tan Slice) is a New Zealand classic recipe for caramel bars. It is made up of two components - a shortbread base and a caramel. Some of the shortbread is reserved and sprinkled over the top of the slice and then the whole thing is baked. It is super, easy to make, and so, so good! These are a super easy homemade bar recipe - I hope you love them!https://burn-all.today/blog/category/bars-and-slices/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E

Tan Square from Grandma's Recipe Book
Components of Tan Slice
How to Make Tan Slice
How to substitute Golden Syrup
Frequently Asked Questions

Tan Square from Grandma's Recipe Book

The original recipe for this one came from my Grandma's recipe book - it was given to her by a friend and I changed it up just a little bit so that it uses up a whole can of condensed milk rather than just a few tablespoons, because nothing is worse than a half can of condensed milk in the fridge.

This recipe is super special to me - it was one of the first ones I shared from Grandma's book, which I was lucky enough to inherit when she passed away. We used to spend every summer together at her house at the beach, where I spent many many hours standing on a stool in her kitchen while learning how to bake - I have her to thank for where I am today I think!

Components of Tan Slice

Tan Square / Tan Slice is a clever recipe in that it only has two components - a shortbread base and a caramel topping, but the shortbread base also serves as a crumb topping.

Shortbread base - This is just a standard shortbread base which is made up of butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt. It also has a little baking powder in it just to give some lift.
Caramel Topping - The caramel topping for Tan Square is super simple and made of butter, golden syrup, and condensed milk. I also added in a little salt and vanilla to add depth of flavour. You cook it together until smooth and then pour it over the base.

How to Make Tan Slice

Tan Slice is extremely easy to make, and it comes together all in one go. There is no par-baking of the crust or cooling of the caramel topping needed.

Make the Shortbread Base - The shortbread base is super easy - cream together butter and sugar, and then add vanilla, salt, baking powder, flour.
Divide Shortbread Base - Set some of the shortbread base aside, to use later to form the crumbs on the top of the Tan Square.
Press Shortbread into Pan - It is going to look like there isn't enough shortbread - but don't worry, you will be fine. I often find it easiest to break up the shortbread dough and spread it out within the pan first, and then press down with my fingers and an offset spatula and bottom of a measuring cup (shout out to the ⅓ cup measure)
Make Caramel Topping - The base goes into the fridge while you make the topping. The condensed milk, golden syrup, and the butter get combined in a saucepan. Then, they are cooked together until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil, then cooked until the mixture thickens slightly and darkens in colour a little. You are just looking for it to thicken up a little. It will cook more in the oven while it is baking.
Add Topping - Pour the caramel topping over the base, and then spread out.
Crumble Remaining Shortbread - The remainder of the shortbread base is crumbled over the caramel topping, and then spread out evenly.
Bake - Bake the Tan Square until the shortbread is done and the filling is a deep golden brown.
Cool - remove the Tan Square from the oven, then finish with flaky sea salt if desired. Leave to cool and then slice into pieces.

How to substitute Golden Syrup

This recipe for Tan Square uses Golden Syrup, which is a sugar syrup. I have not tested it without it, however you could likely try subbing honey and it should be totally fine, but just know that I haven't tried it!

I get golden syrup online, and sometimes supermarkets may also carry it in their baking aisle!

Frequently Asked Questions

What pan did you use to bake this in?
I used a 9"x13" (23cmx33cm) pan to bake this in. It comes out quite thinly but this works well as it means you get a thin caramel layer. If you want it to be thinner I would recommend halving the recipe and doing it in an 8" square pan. Make sure you have a little parchment sticking out from the sides of the slice to help you remove it from the pan. The parchment is important as the caramel can be sticky.

Why does my caramel look dark around the edges?
That happens! The very edges of the caramel will get a little dark. Just slice them off with a sharp knife.

How do you store Tan Slice?
Store your tan slice in an airtight container at room temperature.

How do you remove bars from the pan?
Because the Tan Square is thin, it may seem a little bendy. If you have an extra pair of hands you can each hold two sides and pull the whole thing out, or I prefer to just make sure that it is loose and then tilt the pan to the side and carefully slide it out onto a chopping board.

What is the best way to get neat cuts on a bar?
Use a super sharp knife! I have a big knife with a 12" blade which is really helpful for this sort of thing. Wait for the Tan Square to cool completely before slicing. Wipe the blade between cuts to make sure that you remove any excess crumbs.

For more homemade bar recipes, check out:

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Easy Banana Bread

This Easy Banana Bread is perfectly moist thanks to the greek yoghurt in the recipe, and has a crunchy turbinado sugar topping. It is the best way to use up over ripe, sad looking bananas.

Hi hi! I Hope you are well - I am just popping in to share this Easy Banana Bread Recipe. We are coming up to the one year anniversary of staying inside our homes and making banana bread, and so I thought what better time to add this recipe to the other 433,000,000 other hits that come up when you google banana bread!

My original recipe for Banana Bread actually comes from my friend's Dad, Barry (Hi Barry!). The blog post is one of the first things that I posted here so is super old, so I re-shot the recipe and tweaked it just a tiny bit - adding in some greek yoghurt and finishing it with some crunchy turbinado sugar. Rich can take down almost a whole loaf of this by himself in one day - it's super, super good.

Banana Bread made with Greek Yoghurt

I'm not going to give you a whole spiel on why this is the best banana bread you've ever made - because to be honest, it's just another banana bread recipe. I did loads of research into other people's recipes and they are all relatively similar, but use different ingredient ratios. However this is the recipe that I make all the time, and so thought I might as well share it here with you!

I added some greek yoghurt into the recipe because I love the moisture and super subtle tang that it adds to baking without making the batter too runny. It is my go to if I need something to help texture wise in baked goods, and I almost always have a container of it in the fridge, so popped some into this banana bread. The yoghurt will give the banana bread a nice soft crumb, and will help to keep it moist for a few days.

How to make Banana Bread

The steps for making this easy banana bread are just that - super quick and easy. If you can, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature and your oven is well preheated before you start!

Preheat your oven - Ovens often need about 20 minutes to properly come to temperature, so make sure you do this ahead of time to make sure the whole oven is warm, not just where the thermostat is.
Mash bananas - I like to do this with the electric mixer to minimise dishes. I just pop it into the bowl with the bananas and the yoghurt, and mix until the bananas are mashed and the yoghurt is incorporated.
Cream butter and Sugar- This aerates the batter and provide a base for perfect fluffy banana bread. The butter and sugar is creamed together, then the eggs are added and incorporated.
Add in Banana - The Banana and yoghurt mixture is added in and then incorporated. Either you can use your mixer here, or you can incorporate this by hand.
Combine dry ingredients and add - I like to combine the dry ingredients separately before adding them to the mixture to ensure the leavening agent is evenly dispersed. I usually just do it in the bowl that the banana and yoghurt mixture was just in to minimise mess.
Transfer to pan - Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and then sprinkle with turbinado sugar if using.
Bake - Banana bread needs to bake for a relatively long time, so bake until a tested inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Cool - I like to leave the banana bread to cool for about 5 minutes in the pan and then remove and allow to finish cooling on a wire rack.

What are the best bananas to use for Banana Bread?

The best bananas for banana bread are ones which are SUPER ripe and squishy. Ideally you want to leave them until they are almost black all over, and super mushy. Using these bananas will give you the sweetest, moistest banana bread. However, I make this all the time with bananas that are just looking a bit tired and beaten up - just make sure that they are some form of over ripe!

Banana bread with Frozen Bananas.

I get asked this often - can you make banana bread with frozen bananas?

Sometimes If bananas look like they are going to go rotten on me, I will throw them into the freezer with the skins still on to use for baking at another time. These work just great in baking - I thaw them at room temperature on a plate and then once they are ready to use, proceed with the recipe as usual. If they have leaked any moisture onto the plate, then just discard that. The banana quantity in this recipe is done by weight so you don't have to worry about accounting for any moisture lost in the freezing process.

What pan should I use to bake this in?
I used a one pound loaf pan (8"x4"x2 ¾") to make this. Here is the exact pan that I used. There are generally two sizes of loaf pan and this is the smaller of the two. If you use a bigger pan that's totally fine too, your bread will just come out a little wider and flatter! Add image

Can this be frozen?
Yes! I make this and freeze it all the time. I like to slice it into thick slices and then freeze the whole thing tightly wrapped. That way when you want some you can defrost it by the slice. Rich does this often and actually does it in the toaster!

Do I have to use the Turbinado sugar on the top?
Nope! If you don't have it, that's totally fine! Just leave it off.

Do I have to use an electric mixer for banana bread?
I tested this both by hand and with a handheld electric mixer and both worked great. The electric mixer makes things quicker but making this by hand works perfectly too.

What can I use in the place of greek yoghurt?
Sour cream or cream fraiche should work great as a sub for greek yoghurt. I sub sour cream for greek yoghurt 1:1 all the time and it works perfectly.

How do I know when the banana bread is baked?
I like to use a paring knife or a skewer (I find cake testers are too thin) to insert into the middle of the cake. If it comes out with wet batter on it, it needs a little more time - it should come out clean or with a few crumbs. Add some foil to the top of the banana bread if it needs a little more time and you are worrieda bout it getting too dark.

Do I have to use the cinnamon?
The cinnamon is just there to add a tiny little bit of warmth. I really like it but if you don't like cinnamon, just leave it out! I live with a cinnamon hater (who eats cinnamon rolls, go figure), and he didn't even notice it in there!

For more loaf cake recipes, check out:

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Easy Focaccia Bread (No Knead)

Homemade Focaccia is super easy. This no knead focaccia comes together quickly and and requires no special equipment. Homemade Focaccia Bread has a crisp outside and a soft inside. This easy Focaccia recipe super versatile, you can finish it however you like, or change up the schedule to suit - either a same day focaccia recipe, or an easy overnight focaccia.

Hi! Just popping in to share this recipe with you today for this easy focaccia bread recipe! I spent the last few weeks testing this focaccia bread recipe and all the different variations for you and I am so excited to share!

The focaccia dough comes together super quickly. It can be kept in the fridge for a long period of time to work with your schedule. I topped it with a simple garlic and rosemary topping, but you can finish this any way that you like. This is a great base no knead focaccia dough recipe and I can't wait to play around with it more to come up with more flavour and topping combinations. This easy focaccia is great for any occasion, but also makes a great sandwich bread or as an accompaniment to soups.

Sample Schedules for making no knead Focaccia Bread

I tested a bunch of different ways of making this focaccia dough, with cold and room temperature rises. The options you have after making the dough are:

Refrigerator first rise and room temperature second rise - This is my preferred method for making focaccia and the one that I have written in the recipe. Make the dough and then place it in the fridge for at least 12 hours, and up to two days. Then, transfer to the pan and do the second rise at room temperature. This will take anywhere from about 2 hours to up to 3 ½ to 4 hours. You need to watch the dough carefully. 3 hours seemed to be the sweet spot for me when testing.
Room temperature first rise and refrigerator second rise - This is a great option if you need the focaccia earlier the next day and don't have time to wait for it to take 3 hours to rise. Do the first rise at room temperature (about an hour and a half). Then, transfer the dough to the pan, cover with plastic wrap, and place into the fridge overnight. The next day, pull the dough out from the fridge and leave to stand on the counter while the oven preheats, just to warm the dough slightly before dimpling, topping, and baking.
Room temperature first rise and room temperature second rise - The first rise will take about an hour to an hour and a half. Then transfer the dough to the pan and do a second rise, which should take anywhere between 40 minutes to an hour. Preheat the oven soon after putting the dough into the pan to ensure that it is ready when you are ready to bake.

Baker's Percentage and Calculating Hydration in Recipes

This is a fairly high hydration dough - it is 89% hydration. Bread baking will sometimes use Baker's Percentages to determine things like hydration. Baker's Percentages are the weight of each ingredient, relative to the weight of flour. To calculate the percentage, you divide the weight of the ingredient by the weight of the flour.

Therefore, the hydration (amount of water) in a recipe is calculated by dividing the weight of the water (535g) by the weight of the flour (600g). So, the hydration of this bread is 89%.

Can I use sourdough starter in my focaccia?

Yes - if you wanted to use some sourdough discard in your focaccia bread (rather than using the sourdough to leaven the focaccia, it just provides flavour and is a great way to use up discard). To do this you replace some of the flour and water in the dough recipe with some sourdough starter.

For example, we want to add in 150g sourdough discard - we would leave out 75g of water and 75g flour, provided that your starter is at 100% hydration (equal parts flour and water).

The new quantites are for making sourdough discard focaccia:

300g bread flour
225g All-purpose flour
460g water
150g sourdough discard at 100% hydration.

All the other quantites are the same. Add the sourdough discard along with the water and olive oil.

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

How To Make Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

This post will teach you how to make perfect chocolate chip cookies from scratch. It is a detailed guide, full of tips and tricks to help you make amazing homemade chocolate chip cookies. This easy chocolate chip cookie recipe makes a great base, so you can customise your chocolate chip cookies as you like!

I am not claiming that these are 'the best chocolate chip cookies' ever, but to me, this easy chocolate chip cookie recipe has everything I look for in a chocolate chip cookie. As a baking blogger, I have made my fair share of homemade chocolate chip cookies, and this cookie recipe is my back pocket, everyday simple chocolate chip cookie recipe. It is the one I go back to time and time again, for so many reasons:

The dough comes together super quickly with no additional steps.
Three kinds of sugar gives you amazing texture and chew.
Huge chocolate puddles (which are optional), are my favorite.
Crispy outsides, and a chewy chocolate chip cookie middle
The dough freezes amazingly, so it is great to keep on hand.

To me, these are the perfect chocolate chip cookies. I have also stuffed this post full of tips and tricks for making the best chocolate chip cookies - a lot of these tips can be applied to any chocolate chip cookie recipe, I just wanted a place for them all to live!

If you love this simple chocolate chip cookie recipe, make sure to check out my brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe! For a quick and easy cookie situation with no scooping and rolling needed, my chocolate chip cookie bars are the perfect thing.

How to make the best chocolate chip cookies
What is the best chocolate to use in chocolate chip cookies?
How to keep cookies fresh
The 'Cookie Scoot' - for perfectly round cookies every time.
Cookie troubleshooting
How to customise your chocolate chip cookies

cookies with chocolate puddles on sheet pan

How to make the best chocolate chip cookies

There are a few steps to make sure these perfect chocolate chip cookies work out as well as possible:

Make sure your butter and sugar are properly creamed.

This chocolate chip cookie recipe yields a slightly thicker cookie, and part of that comes from the beating of the butter and sugars. This aerates the mixture, providing both lift in the recipe and texture.

It is important to ensure that the mixture is light and fluffy before adding in the eggs. Using melted butter in a recipe such as in my M&M cookie recipe and my mini egg cookie recipe, or brown butter like I use in my small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe gives a slightly denser, chewier cookie.

Measure your ingredients properly.

I think we all know now how important baking with a scale is to ensure accuracy - this applies here too.

Portion with a scoop.

Having nice evenly sized cookies means that they are going to bake evenly. I like to use a spring loaded cookie scoop to scoop out my cookie dough, but if you do not have one, you can weigh the balls of dough - each one should weigh about 55g.

Chill the cookie dough.

This is an important step for this recipe - chilling the cookie dough allows the flavours in the cookie batter to develop, the flour to hydrate slightly, and the butter to chill down. Give the cookie dough at least an hour in the fridge, or up to overnight.

How to make gooey chocolate chip cookies - bake until just set.

The level of doneness on a chocolate chip cookie is obviously personal preference. I prefer mine only just baked. Removing the cookies from the oven when they are just done gives you a nice gooey inside and a slightly crispy edge - remember they will set up on the pan a little too.

How to make chewy chocolate chip cookies

The role of sugar in cookies is important - both the amount in terms of the ratio of sugar to other ingredients, and the ratio of brown to white sugar.

When I am testing, I will play around with the quantities of white and brown sugar in a recipe - if i want the cookie to be thicker, a little chewier, and spread less, I will use more brown sugar, whereas if I want slightly crispier edges and more spread, I will increase the ratio of brown to white sugar.

I often get asked if it is possible to reduce the quantity of sugar in a cookie without compromising the texture - the short answer to this is no. Sugar plays an important role in the structure of the cookie, as it contributes to the moisture level while also interacting with the fat to provide lift within the cookie.

If you want to make a cookie appear less sweet, you can make sure that the dough is properly salted, and use darker chocolate in the cookie to offset the sweetness.

This recipe has brown, white, and raw / turbinado sugar in it. The brown and white sugar provide texture, while the turbinado gives a little crunch that I love so much.

Adding an extra yolk to chocolate chip cookies can also help provide chew - I do this in my egg yolk chocolate chip cookie recipe.

What is the best chocolate to use in chocolate chip cookies?

I almost always use chopped chocolate in my chocolate chip cookies. There are a few reasons for this:

Sizing - Cutting up chocolate into chunks gives you a great range of size in your chocolate. This means you get a good distribution throughout
Melty Pockets of chocolate - Chocolate chips often have a stabiliser in them which means they don't melt. This makes them great for things like muffins, but I much prefer using chopped chocolate for cookies because the chocolate melts, and you get pockets of chocolate throughout.
Quality - if you use chopped chocolate, you can use whatever quality you like. It's also a great way to mix up the types of chocolate you use too - I like doing a mix of dark and then sometimes a fun flavour
Chocolate Dust - This is a name I made up, but the dust is what's left from chopping chocolate. It all goes into the bowl and you get tiny chocolate specks all throughout the cookies.
Melty Chocolate Puddles - Chopped chocolate means you can press extra chocolate onto the top of the cookies to get big chocolate puddles!
If you want to use chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate, by all means go ahead?

How to get big puddles on chocolate chip cookies

This means that when the cookie bakes, the chocolate will end up spread across the top of the cookie, and give you those big chocolate puddles on the tops. If you are freezing your cookie dough, do this step before they go into the freezer. You can't squish frozen dough!

How to keep cookies fresh

Store chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. To keep them fresh, you can place a marshmallow or a piece of bread in the container with them to help stop them from going stale.

However, I prefer to only bake of the amount of cookie dough that I need, and freeze the rest for another time.

How to freeze chocolate chip cookie dough

This dough freezes perfectly. Scoop it out, chill for an hour, and then bake off whatever you are wanting to bake off. Transfer the rest to a parchment lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid.

This is a flash freeze and should take 30 minutes to an hour. Then, transfer to a ziploc bag and label with the type of cookie dough you have. You can bake it directly from frozen - decrease the baking temperature to 325°f / 165°c and bake for the same amount of time - you may need to add an additional minute or so.

For all my tips and tricks on freezing cookie dough and baking from frozen, check out my post: how to freeze cookie dough

How long does cookie dough last in the fridge?

You can chill your cookie dough for a minimum of an hour before baking, or up to overnight. If you want to make it in advance, cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days, although if I know I will not be needing it for some time, I will freeze my cookie dough and bake from frozen.

If you want a no chill cookie recipe my olive oil chocolate chip cookies are great for this - they are also a dairy free variation of a chocolate chip cookie if you need that!

Side shot perfect chocolate chip cookies

The "Cookie Scoot" is my secret weapon to perfectly round cookies. It's a totally optional step, but one that I really love. All you do is take a round object slightly larger than the cookie.

As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, while they are still hot, put the cutter over the cookie and 'scoot' it into a perfectly round shape. The best. I do it basically every time now.

I use a cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie. I have a set of all different sizes which is made by ateco - it is super handy to just grab the one that you need!

There are a couple of things that can go wrong with cookies - they will likely still taste delicious, but there are a few common issues?

Why are my cookies flat?

Your baking powder / baking soda is expired so it is not doing the job it is meant to.
You did not chill the cookie dough sufficiently before baking
The ingredients were too warm, so the cooling period was not enough to chill the dough enough for it to not spread.
Your oven is running hot - this is the most common issue. If your oven temperature is off, this will greatly affect the spread of your cookies. Make sure you are baking the recipe according to the oven directions (my recipes are all conventional bake), and make sure your oven is calibrated.
You didn't use a scale - time to get one! Baking in cups isn't accurate, and cookies need accuracy!
You used a silpat / silicone baking sheet - this causes cookies to spread a lot more than parchment paper due to how slippery they are.

Why did my cookies not spread?

This is a much less common issue, the main culprit is usually oven temperature. I bake my cookies straight from balls of dough - no need to flatten!

Your oven temperature is off. If your oven is running cold, it will slow the spread of the cookies.
You didn't use a scale - time to get one!

How to customise your chocolate chip cookies

I love to use this easy chocolate chip cookie recipe as a base, and mix things up when it comes to mix-ins.

Feel free to add in things such as candy, peanut butter cups, nuts, etc. I use this recipe as a base for my peanut butter cup cookies and my popcorn cookies, as well as my peanut butter stuffed chocolate chip cookies. I usually keep the weight of the mix-ins the same if I am swapping in things like candy or nuts, and replace some of the chocolate for whatever I am adding. You could also add things like salted caramel chunks like I did in my salted caramel cookies, or pieces of Nutella, piped out and frozen - I did this for my Nutella Cookies and it is amazing.

If you want to play around with the texture, ratio of sugars etc you are welcome to try, but please know I have not tested these so if you make changes, you are making your own recipe, not following mine. I am happy to help suggest other recipes if this one for my perfect chocolate chip cookies does not suit!

For more chocolate chip cookie recipes, check out:

close up chocolate chip cookies with puddles

❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️

I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!

Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Funfetti Snack Cake

This Funfetti Snack Cake with Raspberry American Buttercream Frosting is the perfect small celebration cake. A fluffy Vanilla Snack Cake is filled with sprinkles and is topped with a Raspberry American Buttercream and Finished with Sprinkles. You can use any sprinkles or frosting you like for this recipe to make it suitable for any occasion!

Funfetti Snack Cake with Raspberry Buttercream

Hi hi! Hope you are well. Just popping in to share this recipe for Funfetti Snack Cake with Raspberry American Buttercream Frosting. This cake is super easy, and with Valentine's just around the corner, I mixed things up a bit and traded my regular rainbow funfetti sprinkles for a pink and red mix. This Funfetti Snack cake comes together quickly, and has a nice soft texture from the yoghurt and butter in the batter. It is filled with rainbow sprinkles, and then I topped it with a super easy one bowl Raspberry American Buttercream, which is a fun twist on traditional American Buttercream! I love this one - I hope you do too! x

side on shot of funfetti snack cake with sprinkles

funfetti snack cake on wire rack with frosting

What is a Snack Cake?

I had never heard of the term "Snack Cake" until I moved to the US, and now I want to use it all the time because it is the best way to describe a cake ever. A Snack Cake is generally a single layer cake, baked in a smaller pan, and finished with a simple powdered sugar, glaze or frosting situation. They are fun and easy to make, and are perfect for if you want cake but don't need a whole layer cake. I love making them because they are the perfect opportunity to swoop fluffy frosting around - of my favourite things. My friend Yossy also wrote a whole book on snack cakes, filled with all sorts of gems - you should absolutely check it out.

The great thing about this funfetti snack cake is that it is super versatile. The base is just a vanilla snack cake recipe, which I adapted from Ovenly's book. I have been making their vanilla cake for years - it was the bottom tier of my wedding cake! I scaled the recipe back, and changed the ratio a bit, but the base recipe is all theirs and is so, so good.

You can leave the sprinkles out of this for a regular vanilla snack cake recipe, or you can change up the sprinkles you use to give it a seasonal finish, like I have done here with valentine's coloured sprinkles. Add whatever frosting you like - here I have done a Raspberry American Buttercream Frosting, or leave it naked and finish with some powdered sugar. You do you here, you can't really go wrong. (You can, but you get the idea).

frosted funfetti snack cake with sprinkles

How to make Funfetti Snack Cake

This recipe is super easy - all you have to do is make the cake, leave to cool, and then pop the frosting on and you are good to go. Sprinkles are optional but also not really, if you know what I mean. Here's how to make it:

Combine your wet ingredients. This cake has greek yoghurt and milk, which are combined with the vanilla.
Whisk together your dry ingredients and have them ready to go! Nothing fancy here - flour, baking powder, and some salt.
Cream together your butter and sugar until light and fluffy. You can use a stand mixer if you like. I just used an electric handheld mixer in a bowl to keep things easy.
Add the eggs and mix to combine. You can scrape things down here a little if you need.
Now for the ingredient sandwich - dry and wet ingredients go in. Dry goes in in three additions and the wet goes in in two. So it goes dry-wet-dry-wet-dry. This gives everything a chance to incorporate evenly. If you add all the wet, the mix would be too runny and get weird, if you add all the dry first, you're going to have a too thick batter which will lead to over mixing when you incorporate the dry. Alternating the ingredients reduces the chance of this happening!
Add your sprinkles! Fold in the sprinkles of your choice. You can read about what the best sprinkles are for funfetti cake a bit further down.
Bake! Add the mixture to your prepared pan and bake until done. Leave to cool.
Make your frosting. This comes together quickly in one bowl, then is plopped on top of the cake and swooped on. You can add sprinkles if you like here! I always do.

funfetti snack cake batter with funfetti sprinkles

funfetti snack cake in pan ready to bake

How to make Raspberry American Buttercream Frosting

I am not usually one for American Buttercream Frosting, but there is a time and a place for it - and that time and place is right here. American Buttercream is made with powdered sugar and butter, as opposed to its Swiss, Italian and German cousins which are meringue and pastry cream based. It is super quick and easy to make, and super nostalgic, so was a great choice for this easy Funfetti Snack Cake.

American Buttercream is a crusting buttercream, meaning that it will form a crust when exposed to the air from the powdered sugar in the recipe. It is relatively stable and will set up once it goes on the cake, making it easy to transport and serve.

The trick to making a good American buttercream is to make sure that it is nice and fluffy - a few tablespoons of heavy cream added to the mix before whipping it helps a lot with this. It is also important to balance the flavour. American Buttercream is very sweet, so needs to be balanced. You can do this by making sure there is enough salt in the recipe. You can also add some vanilla to round out the flavour, or add in another flavour like freeze dried raspberry powder.

To make Raspberry American Buttercream, I just added a little freeze dried raspberry powder to the frosting. This is a quick and easy way to add both colour and flavour to the recipe. You can use any freeze dried fruit powder that you like here - I just grabbed mine online.

cut shot of funfetti snack cake with raspberry buttercream

Reverse Creaming vs Traditional Creaming in Cakes

There are a few different methods used when making cakes, specifically butter based cakes like this funfetti snack cake - the reverse cream and the 'traditional' creaming method (please note that I am just calling it the traditional method as a way to differentiate - it is not necessarily called that!)

Reverse Creaming is when the dry ingredients are combined and then room temperature butter is incorporated into the dry ingredients, then the wet ingredients are added. I use this method for my Funfetti Layer Cake and my Vanilla Layer Cake. Reverse creaming means that the butter coats the flour, which prevents gluten formation and gives a denser, tighter, but very tender crumb. It is a great method to use for layer cakes as it also bakes up fairly flat.

Traditional Creaming involves whipping the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy at the start of the cake making process. This whips air into the mixture, giving a lighter, more fluffy crumb. The cake will dome slightly more than a reverse crumb cake. You can trim this if you need, but this particular funfetti snack cake only domes a little so trimming is not required.

Both methods work great for cakes, but have their differences depending on what sort of crumb you are looking for. I originally tested this recipe with the reverse creaming method but discovered it was a little too dense for what I was looking for, so switched to a traditional creaming method instead. There are also oil based snack cakes, which are generally a stir together situation and have a looser batter which produce an even fluffier, softer crumb. Science!

What are the best sprinkles to use for Funfetti Cake?

Not all sprinkles will work for funfetti cakes. You want to go for something that isn't going to bleed too too much in the batter. The waxy rainbow sprinkles, aka Jimmies, work great. I get them from here but any online source will work great. The 'confetti' style sprinkles also work well as they don't melt, and often come in fun shapes. Stay away from Non Pareils which will make your batter brown. Also steer clear of Silver Balls and Dragees, which lose their colouring and get hot and melt in your cake.

For this Valentine's themed Funfetti Cake, I used a mix from Sprinkle Pop Shop. It is filled with Jimmies and the confetti style sprinkles, so I knew they wouldn't bleed too badly in the cake. I also added in some heart shaped confetti sprinkles. You can really do your own thing here and make some blends of sprinkles if you like!

If you're in New Zealand, these look like they might do the trick! I haven't tried them, but they look super similar to what I was using in the US!

Frequently Asked Questions about Funfetti Snack Cake

Can this be made into a sheet cake?
Yes! I haven't tested it but the quantities will work fine - double it and bake in a 9"x13" pan. You may need to increase the time slightly.

Can this be made ahead?
Yes, you can make the cake a day ahead. I like to pop it back into the pan I baked it in and cover tightly with plastic wrap until ready to frost, or you can transfer to an airtight container.

Can I make this with regular Vanilla American Buttercream?
Yes! If you don't want to make the raspberry buttercream you can just follow the recipe as written but leave out the freeze dried raspberry powder. If you want to still make it pink, then you can add a little gel food colouring. You can also do any flavour frosting that you like - chocolate would be great here too!

How do I store Funfetti Snack Cake?
I store the cake in an airtight container. If it is super hot then pop it in the fridge, if not then it is fine at room temperature for a few days.

What can I use instead of greek yoghurt?
You can use sour cream in the place of greek yoghurt - I often use them interchangeably. Make sure you don't use regular yoghurt as it is much runnier and will affect the texture. Greek yoghurt has been strained so is a little thicker.

How do I transport Snack Cake?
The best way to transport cake, I have found, is by putting it back in the pan you baked it in. You can frost it in there if you like. Keeping it in the pan you used means it won't wiggle around too much - you can pop a piece of plastic wrap or foil (or a lid if your pan has one) over the frosting to protect it from any dust.

For more Cake recipes, check out:

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Answers to your baking questions

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Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies are super easy to make. Small Batch Cookies are made with brown butter and can be made by hand - no mixer required. This cookie recipe makes 12 homemade chocolate chip cookies, and can easily be doubled. This cookie dough freezes well, so that you can always have a stash of frozen cookie dough to bake as needed!

Hi hi! Just popping in to share this recipe for Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies. This recipe makes just 12 cookies, and comes together with just a whisk or an electric hand mixer - no stand mixer required! The dough is great to freeze and have on hand in the freezer for whenever you need a cookie!

I have a lot of homemade chocolate chip cookies on my site, and few brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipes - but wanted to make something that can be made by hand and doesn't make two dozen cookies.

These small batch cookies are great to whip up for a quick dessert, or to just have when you need a few cookies. Back when we used to have friends over, or if we were going somewhere for dinner, I would make cookie dough ahead of time and then pop it in the oven to bake after dinner.

Why this is (one of) my favourite recipes

There are a couple of things that make these cookies so, so good. I think I made them about 8 times while testing - playing around with flour quantities, sugar ratios, leavening, chilling time, and baking time. I finally landed on what I think is the best small batch cookie dough.

Small Batch - This recipe only makes 12 chocolate chip cookies, which is perfect if you are in a small household or have limited freezer space. You can easily double this recipe for a full 24 cookies if you need!
Brown Butter - I love adding brown butter to recipes. It adds a depth of flavour that isn't immediately obvious what it is, but adds a complexity to the cookie.
No Mixer Chocolate Chip Cookies - I made these using just a bowl, a whisk, and a spatula! You can use a handheld electric mixer if you like, but a whisk works just fine.
Easy to freeze - If you don't want to bake all of this small batch cookie dough off at once, you can freeze some of the dough. I'll add tips for that further down the post.

For a perfect freezer stash - make these ahead!

If you want to make this chocolate chip cookie recipe super small batch, and have six cookies now and six later, you can freeze some of the dough. Chill all the dough down. Then, place however many balls of dough you are wanting to freeze on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Cover lightly with plastic and then freeze until solid (also known as a flash freeze) - 30 minutes to an hour. Transfer the dough to an airtight container or ziploc bag, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

I like to label the dough with what it is and baking time - you will need to add 2-3 minutes onto the baking time when baking frozen dough. There is no need to defrost. You can bake it straight from frozen! Sometimes we will bake just two cookies off to have in the evening. I like to drop the temperature when baking to 325°f / 160°c and increase the bake time by a few minutes to account for frozen dough.

For all my best tips on freezing cookie dough and baking from frozen, check out my post: How to freeze cookie dough

pulled back shot of cookies on sheet pan

How to get perfect chocolate puddles

Moisture loss when browning butter - this is important!

Ranting aside, it is particularly important that you use a scale to bake with for small batch recipes, or recipes using brown butter. Small batch recipes rely on the ratio of ingredients being correct and there is much less room for error. And the best way to get this correct is to by using a scale. Different butters will have different moisture levels, which affects the yield of brown butter. American style butter have a higher water content, so will produce less brown butter when the water is cooked off. European or New Zealand style butter, which is higher in fat than American butter, will have less water that needs cooking off, so you will end up with a higher yield of brown butter.

The quantity of the butter in the recipe is important here, so the best way to measure it is by using a scale. You start with an initial quantity of butter - in this case 120g, and then cook it down. You then re-measure the weight of the brown butter, and use 95g of that in your cookie recipe. I have accounted for the moisture loss from the initial quantity of brown butter in the recipe.

close up of scooped small batch chocolate chip cookies

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Answers to your baking questions

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Small Batch Dairy Free Brownies

Small Batch Dairy Free Brownies are super easy to make. They are made with cocoa powder and oil, so are the perfect chewy brownies, and can easily be made into gluten free brownies. They are made by hand in a bowl, no electric mixer required!

Small Batch Dairy Free Brownies

Hi! Just popping in to share this recipe for Small Batch Dairy Free Brownies with you! These are super easy to make, don't require a mixer, and are super rich and chewy. They can easily be made into gluten free dairy free brownies with just a quick sub of the flour. I have made them a whole bunch this week - they come together super quickly. They are made in a loaf pan, so yield 8 small brownies. I love these, and I hope you do too! There are a bunch more small batch baking recipes coming your way!

brownie in loaf pan ready to go in the oven.

small batch brownie on cooling rack, ready to be sliced

Why these are the best Small Batch Dairy Free Brownies

Small Batch - These are made in a 9"x5" loaf pan, so yield 8 perfect brownie squares!
Dairy Free - These Dairy Free Brownies are oil based rather than butter based and are made with cocoa rather than chocolate, so are super chewy, super rich, and dairy free.
Gluten Free if needed - I tested these brownies with a Gluten Free Cup4Cup flour blend, and we almost couldn't tell the difference between the brownies made with all-purpose flour and the Gluten Free Brownies!
No Mixer required - Because these are small batch, they can just be made in a bowl with a whisk or a handheld electric mixer. I used a whisk but either work!
Perfect Crinkly Top - These brownies have a perfect crinkly top which comes from whipping the sugar together with the egg before adding in the rest of the ingredients. I topped mine with some chopped chocolate, but you can also just leave them plain and finish with some flaky sea salt.
Super Chewy - These Small Batch Brownies are cocoa based, which makes them super chewy and delicious. I love both chewy and fudgy brownies, but these chewy ones are extra good!

Small Batch Dairy Free Brownie Sliced on tray

Small Batch Brownies with Oil

The ingredient list in these Small Batch Dairy Free Brownies is pretty straight forward - using things you probably already have in your cupboard!

Sugar - Brown sugar makes brownies fudgy, while white makes them chewy. I went for a 1:2 ratio of brown to white for these brownies.
Egg - Provides texture and chew. Whipping the egg with the sugar until light and thick also gives that perfect crinkly brownie top!
Dutch Cocoa Powder - I used Double Dutch cocoa powder, which is actually a mixture of Dutch cocoa powder and Black cocoa powder. You can use whatever you have on hand though because there's no leavening in the recipe! Read more about this in the FAQ section.
Flour - I tested these both with all-purpose flour and Gluten Free flour, and both works great, so you can make these Small Batch Brownies gluten free super easily!
Espresso Powder - I added just a little. It really helps bring through the flavour of the chocolate. You can leave it out, or use the super fine instant coffee too.
Salt - I used both Kosher salt in the brownies and finished the brownies with flaky sea salt. It really helps to cut through the chocolate. Always salt your brownies!
Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste - Vanilla also helps make these super flavourful. You can use either Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract.

How to make Small Batch Brownies

These Small Batch Dairy Free Brownies come together super quickly - in less time than it takes to preheat the oven. There are only a few steps to get these ready to go, which is why I love the recipe!

Whisk together the Egg and Sugar - This step is critical for getting that crinkly top on the brownies and really makes a difference to the final outcome. I used a whisk, but you can just as easily use a handheld electric mixer.
Add the olive oil and Vanilla -Oil and vanilla goes in, and then given a good mix to combine.
Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, and espresso powder -It is important to do this step in a separate bowl just to make sure that you don't have any lumps in the final mixture.
Transfer to the prepared pan - Spread the mixture into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. It will look super thin and maybe feel like a loaf pan is a weird choice of pan. Don't worry - it puffs up and the baked brownie isn't super thick.
Top with Chocolate - If desired, sprinkle the top of the brownie with some chopped dairy free chocolate. This step is optional!
Bake until done - The brownie needs about 20 minutes in the oven. It will puff up a little, and you will know it is done when the edges are set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs. 20-22 minutes is about how long you will need.
Slice and Enjoy! Leave the brownie to cool, then remove from the loaf pan using the parchment paper sling. Slice into pieces and enjoy!

close up shot of dairy free brownie with salt

corner shot of small batch brownie with bite taken out

Cocoa Powder vs Chocolate Brownies

Brownies are typically either made with either cocoa powder or melted chocolate, or a mixture of both. Brownies made with melted chocolate tend to be more on the fudgy side, while cocoa brownies are generally chewier. Using cocoa powder in these Small Batch Brownies meant it was super easy to keep them dairy free, and also meant I was able to control the fat content in the brownies, which has a big impact on texture. I used ultra Dutch process cocoa to make these. You can use a Dutch process cocoa, or half black cocoa and dutch cocoa, or also just regular cocoa. You can read more about cocoa in the FAQ section. These brownies are dark, rich, and super chewy.

Stack of small batch dairy free brownies

Can Brownies be made Gluten Free?

Yes! These can be Small Batch, Dairy Free, Gluten Free Brownies! I tested the recipe with both All-purpose flour and a cup4cup Gluten Free Flour (I used Bob's Red Mill) and it worked perfectly. It worked so well we almost couldn't tell the difference between the ones made with Gluten Free Flour and the All-purpose flour. It worked great in this application because the brownies don't rely on the flour for structure - they are perfectly fudgy and chewy.

What is the best loaf pan to use for Small Batch recipes?
I use a 9"x5" (23cmx13cm) loaf pan. These are the 'larger' loaf pans (as opposed to the smaller 1lb capacity pans). I tested this in both a 1-¼ lb pan from USA pan, or also this enamel loaf pan is a similar size and works well. If you have a ⅛ size sheet pan, that would work great too.

What is the best way to line a loaf pan?
I like to spray my loaf pan with some nonstick cooking spray, then fit it with a parchment paper 'sling' which hangs over the edges. I then clip the parchment into place using binder clips so that it doesn't flap around when I'm spreading in the mixture. The parchment sling also makes it super easy to remove the baked brownies when done.

Can I use regular cocoa powder in this recipe?
If you can't find Dutch process cocoa powder or Black cocoa powder, you can use whatever you have on hand. Because this recipe doesn't have any leavening agent, the cocoa powder that you use doesn't make a difference to the final outcome. Dutch cocoa powder has gone through an alkalising process, whereas regular cocoa has not. In recipes with leavening agents, the cocoa powder used matters. Recipes using regular cocoa powder is slightly acidic so can react with baking soda, whereas dutch process is alkaline so needs baking powder to provide leavening. However this recipe doesn't have baking powder or soda, so you can use whatever cocoa you have!

Do I have to use chocolate on the top of the brownies?
You don't - it's totally optional. You can either sprinkle a little chocolate on the top, just before baking, or you can leave these plain. Make sure to check the ingredients list to ensure the chocolate is dairy free if you want to keep these strictly dairy free. I used chopped 72% chocolate.

Can I double the recipe?
Yes! If you wanted to make a larger batch of these, spread the batter into an 8" square pan. You may need to adjust the baking time a little too - start checking after 20 minutes.

Can I leave out the espresso powder?
Yep! There's just a wee bit in there to bring out the flavour of the chocolate. Either leave it out or use the finely ground instant coffee.

What is the best way to cleanly slice the brownies?
I use a super sharp knife. You can warm it under some hot water if you like and then dry it off, but as long as it is sharp you should be fine. I like to give the blade a wipe between cuts to keep it clean.

Can these be made egg free?
Yes! I haven't tested it, but people have had success using Bob's Red Mill Egg replacer in these. If you try another egg substitute I would love if you can leave a comment so I can recommend to others!

close up of sliced small batch dairy free brownies on tray with salt

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!

Apple Crumble

This Apple Crumble (Apple Crisp) recipe is the perfect cozy apple dessert. Made with sliced apples and an Oat Apple Crumble Topping, it comes together very easily, can be made ahead, and can also easily be scaled to whatever size you need - a small batch apple crumble or one which can feed a crowd.

Apple Crumble - The Perfect Apple Dessert

Hi hi! I hope you are well! I took a little time off over the holidays just to have some time off of baking, but I am excited to be back and sharing recipes with you. There are a whole bunch of new ones coming, but I also plan to give some old recipes on my site some love. When I first started this site I was still learning all about how to best write recipes and structure posts so that they can be as informative as possible, so I am excited to re-share some of my favourites with you with my new website format!

This Apple Crumble (or apple crisp if you are in the US, we call it crumble in NZ) Recipe has been making an appearance in our house for a while now so I decided it was finally time to publish it here! I actually have an apple crumble pie recipe here on the site that is SUPER similar to this recipe, so it made sense to make a separate post with a few wee tips and tricks here for you. Apple crumble is the perfect cozy apple dessert. It comes together super quickly and is great for making ahead, and leftovers are just as good as the freshly made dessert. We love this one so much, and I know you will too! xx

sliced apples in bowl with flour and sugar

How to make the best apple crumble

Apple Crumble is super, super simple, and comes together quickly. There are really only two components - the filling and the topping!

Make the Crumble Topping - To me, this recipe is the best topping for apple crumble. All you need to do is combine the dry ingredients - I like to add in ground almonds / almond flour for some flavour and texture, but have included a sub in the recipe if you don't have that on hand or are in a nut free house. Oats are then added, and then butter is rubbed into the mixture to create a clumpy, crumbly apple crumble topping.
Make the Apple Filling - This is super easy to make - you just combine sliced apples with some sugar, flour, vanilla bean paste and salt, then toss together. I use a mandolin for my apples but you can slice them thinly by hand if you like. They get packed into a pan of your choice.
Add the Apple Crumble Topping - The Apple Crumble topping goes onto the apples. It may seem thick but it will cook down in the oven.
Bake the Apple Crumble - The crumble cooks with foil on top for the first 20 minutes to prevent the topping from browning too much. Then the foil is removed and the crumble finishes cooking until the filling is cooked through and bubbly.

Large Batch or Small Batch Apple Crumble

The best part about this recipe is that it can be easily scaled. You can make a larger one for a group. Or, you can also make it in a loaf pan for a small batch apple crumble. To scale the recipe, you can use the guide below.

For a large Apple Crumble: double the recipe using the scale button in the recipe card, then assemble in a 9"x13" (23cm x 33cm) pan or something similar sized. Leave the foil on for the first 25 minutes then bake a further 40 to 45 minutes until topping is golden and filling is bubbling.
For small batch Apple Crumble: Halve the filling ingredients
- 550g apples
- 40g turbinado sugar
- 15g flour
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- Pinch of salt
And then, do a ⅔ quantity of the Crumble Topping
- 65g almond meal
- 65g all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
- 30g turbinado sugar
- 65g brown sugar
- 50g old-fashioned oats
- Big pinch of kosher salt
- 80g unsalted butter
Assemble in a 9"x5" loaf pan. Bake for 20 min with foil on, then remove and bake for a further 30 to 35 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

How to reheat Apple Crumble

The best part about apple crumble is how well it reheats! I often make a big one and then we will eat it throughout the week. Apple Crumble also makes a great breakfast. Either you can microwave it, which is our usual method, or you can cover with foil and reheat at 350°f / 180°c in the oven until warmed through. Usually we tend to just warm up individual servings as needed though in the microwave. Apple crumble is also amazing cold!

The best apples to use for Apple Crumble

I like to choose a mixture of apples when I am making an apple dessert. For this apple crumble I grabbed a few Granny Smith apples, then some fuji and honeycrisp. This recipe is also great for using up any fruit that might be slightly tired - you can cut off any really bruised bits.

Can I add other Fruit to this crumble?

Absolutely. The great thing about this apple crumble recipe is that it is super versatile. You can add in a handful of berries, some chopped rhubarb, or some stone fruit. If it's super sloppy you may need to adjust the starch in the filling a little bit but this dessert is VERY FORGIVING so add all the things!

How to prepare Apple Crumble ahead of time

There are a few ways that you can make Apple Crumble ahead of time. If you are making it on the same day as you are planning to serve, I like to just assemble the whole thing, then cover with foil and place into the fridge until I am ready to bake it. You may need to add on 5 or so minutes with the foil on (so increase to 25 min) to account for the cold fruit, but this works perfectly and I have done it loads of times.

To get a head start on making this a day or more before you plan to serve it, you can make the crumble topping and store it in the fridge in an airtight container up to 2-3 days ahead of time. Because the apples will start to oxidise once sliced and go a little brown, I prefer to slice them the day that I am making this.

Frequently Asked Questions for Apple Crumble

Can I leave out the Almond Meal?
Yes, if you need to, you can replace it with more All-purpose flour, or you could use a flour such as rye or spelt to give it some flavour. Just watch how it comes out though - if it seems super dry and isn't holding together when you squeeze it, you can add in a little more butter.

What can I use in the place of the turbinado sugar?
If you don't have turbinado (also called demerara or raw sugar), you can use brown sugar in it's place.

Can you make Apple Crumble without Oats?
Yes! You will need to add a little more flour or almond meal if you are using it - about 40-50g in the place of the oats. I used Old Fashioned oats (rolled oats) here, but you can use the lightly shredded ones too if you like! Again, make sure you check the consistency of your crumble and add a little more butter in if it is seeming too dry without the oats.

Can this be made Gluten Free?
I personally haven't tried it, but I am sure that it would be easy to make a Gluten Free Apple Crumble. You would just need to switch the flour in the filling for either corn or tapioca starch (I have seen a recipe using custard powder too). Remember corn starch and flour are not a direct sub so you will have to search the conversion. You can replace the All-purpose flour in the crumble with a cup4Cup type Gluten Free flour and it should work great! Again, you may need to adjust the butter quantity - the crumble topping should hold together when you squeeze it.

Do I need to peel the apples?
You don't have to peel the apples if you don't want to. I usually do, but if you can't be bothered and don't mind some apple skin in your apple crumble, you can leave the apples unpeeled!

Can I use a different sized pan?
You can use whatever size pan you like. An oval baking dish will work great here too. I used an 8" (20cm) square cake pan.

For more apple recipes, check out:

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Answers to your baking questions

Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:

I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!