I’m not sure what day it is and I’ve definitely eaten too many fruit mince pies, but I love the time between Christmas and New Years. It just feels so relaxed, the perfect time to do some reflection, journalling and goal setting for the year ahead. I honestly can’t believe that I’ve been writing this little blog since 2007 and we’re now heading into 2020! My little baby blog turns 13 in July!
I am really proud of the recipes I shared – 25 posts in total this year. There were breakfast ideas, drinks, jam, pickles and some delicious simple dinners. I am always seeking to improve my cooking, baking, preserving, styling and photography skills and share what I’ve learned here.
I just want to say THANK YOU for reading my new posts, trying my recipes, tagging me in your photos on Instagram and supporting me here for so many years. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. I hope you have a lovely start to your New Year, and without further ado, here are my best recipes of 2019!
1. Raspberry and Ricotta Baked French Toast
When I still lived at home we had a tradition for Easter, Christmas, Mother’s Day and birthday breakfasts to make something special and different from the day to day. I had these memories in mind when I made this recipe. I love that this French Toast can be assembled the night before and just popped into the oven while the coffee brews. The addition of raspberry jam and ricotta was so delicious. I just know I will be making this again over and over.
2. My Favourite Homemade Zucchini Pickles
Pickling and preserving has become a massive passion of mine over the years. I can’t believe it took me this long to share my absolute favourite pickle recipe! This uses zucchini instead of cucumber and it’s perfect on burgers, toasties, sandwiches and cheese boards. Making things from scratch is so satisfying. You definitely don’t need to live on a farm or even grow your own veggies to be into preserving. I really encourage you to give homemade pickles a try in 2020!
3. Pimm’s Cup ‘Spider’ Ice Cream Float
Now this is a fun little drink. One of my best recipes of 2019 was this Pimm’s Cup Ice Cream Float. Here in Australia, we call it a ‘Spider’ and I grew up drinking them as a kid. This boozy version is a grown up take and made me feel all kinds of nostalgia. It’s a cocktail and a dessert all in the one glass! I love boozy desserts and dessert inspired cocktails, so this ticks all the boxes for me.
4. Sticky Date Smoothie Bowl
A Smoothie Bowl is a great way to get in some nutrients first thing in the morning and this one is like eating dessert for breakfast! Sticky Date Pudding is my favourite dessert ever. It’s the most delicious smoothie I’ve ever made! But what’s a smoothie bowl without toppings? You want taste as well as texture in every spoonful so I topped it with fresh figs, homemade granola, almonds and a drizzling of rice malt syrup.
5. Hot Cross Bun Pull Apart Bread
This was a fun Easter recipe – like a Hot Cross Bun and a cinnamon roll had a baby. The filling tastes exactly like a hot cross bun with brown sugar, spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice, fresh orange zest and plump sultanas. There’s something about the beginning of autumn that makes me want to get in the kitchen and bake. And this will definitely make your kitchen smell amazing as it cooks!
6. Creamy Chicken Pesto
I decided to re-photograph and republish one of my earliest recipes and I’m so glad I did. I can easily say I’ve made this recipe more than 150 times over the last decade! It’s one of my favourite quick weeknight dishes that has definitely stood the test of time. The pesto sauce comes together in less time than it takes to boil water and cook pasta. This one has also been very popular on Pinterest, so I hope you have tried it too!
7. Pear and Pistachio Crumble with White Chocolate
Every winter, crumble seems to be my go-to dessert because it’s endlessly adaptable, always delicious and super comforting. This Pear and Pistachio Crumble is something special. I love the in-season fruit cooked with dessert wine and a hint of cardamom and rosewater. The crumble topping is perfectly buttery and crisp with the addition of pistachios and coconut. Plus, it’s easy, which is a big tick in my book!
8. Fruit Mince Crumble Pies
My most recent favourite recipe, I ended up making FIVE batches of these babies over the Christmas season. Literally everyone said they were the best fruit mince pies they’d ever tried. What an incredible compliment! I loved the boozy, spiced fruit filling with fresh lemon zest and ginger and the crunchy crumble topping that turns golden brown in the oven. I know I am going to get requests to make these for years to come!