MAY- JUNE: GRACE’S COINTREAU BRIOCHE PUDDING

Change was clearly in the air here at Buttersweetsymphony because just like Kerri, I’ve also had a change in international postcodes… although for us it was moving to our hometown of Sydney, Australia. It might have been a move home, but we sure did it the least straightforward way possible- fitting in a trip in the opposite direction to Croatia (via Helsinki, and no, that is not on the way), and ending with such a complicated 4+ days worth of travel that to be honest, I’m still not entirely sure where I am, let alone where my baking supplies are!

With that in mind, boozy infusions may have been just what the doctor ordered, yet I was definitely likewise challenged as to what I could make in our “home” (aka temporary apartment). Then, one chilly* Sydney winters night, as I hugged a mug of tea, half a brioche leftover on my kitchen bench, it hit me- bread and butter pudding. The sweet salvation of hearty comfort food is surely one of the great things about winter, so with a few tweaks here and a few sips of cointreau there (for taste testing purposes of course), we found ourselves with a crowd pleaser.

 

There’s nothing not to love about this super simple recipe. It won’t win any contests for its lumpy looks but that intoxicating smell well draw you in and that custardy sloppiness is just perfect for dipping a big spoon into again and again…

Winter calls for indulgence so it’s not necessary but highly recommended to serve this with some cream whipped with vanilla beans/essence .

You can find the recipe here.

*I am well aware that compared to most of the world, Sydney has no place complaining about any winter “chills” but having been in Singapore the last 3 years, anything under 10 degrees is COLD (and I’ve loved it!)

March-April: Grace’s Lavender and Lemon Friands (with Earl Grey Drizzle)

I am a grazer. When I was young, feeding me would last an entire day as I nibbled my way through meals and even as an adult, I’m such a serial snacker. Big meals intimidate me, but I’ll happily feed like a rabbit all day long, just give it to me bite-sized. So this challenge was one I relished! So much in fact, that I had trouble deciding what to make- cake pops, the wonderful world of cookies and biscuits, scones, muffins, truffles… it’s a dangerous rabbit hole to fall down! 

In the end, I decided to kill two birds with one stone. Tea blending is another passion of mine, and since I’m on the journey to perfect a lavender infused earl grey, I figured I’d make the most of the fragrant lavender buds and earl grey teas I had on hand. Staying inspired by those glorious summers in Provence, I decided on friands, an essential in any french high tea set. 

Warning: the intoxicating smell of lavender as it infuses with the melting butter is seriously seductive.

Happy sweet sweet snacking, these definitely didn’t last long in our house!

Flavours that just work: home blended earl grey with lavender, fresh lemon zest and the deliciousness of almond meal.

You can find the recipe here.

Jan-Feb: Grace’s Christmas Spiced Carrot Cake

When I was little, some of the best school days involved cake. Bake sales, birthdays, school fete’s… cake’s were a very regular occurence. There were no rules; anything and everything was gobbled up- sure, most of us ended up a little too hyped up on sugar but the worst parental nightmare was usually just someone throwing up from mixing rainbow cake, chocolate icing, fairy bread, a lot of running around and hanging upside down from monkey bars. There may have been a nut allergy or two among the class but it was a simpler time.

These days, the world of food allergies seems to have just exploded and it’s all a lot more complicated. There are consent forms, disclaimers, rules on where things can be served and terrified teachers on constant watch for any signs of accidental cross contamination from sticky fingers. No more bringing in a supermarket mix cake for the entire class, you’ll need a few varieties of cupcakes whose recipes have been pre approved! 

With this in mind, I decided to just tackle the “allergy of the moment”-gluten.  Humble gluten, responsible for the elasticity in dough, is found in many staple foods from obvious wheat based candidates like bread, to rye, barley, and any foods containing these grains- so most cakes involving flour whether it be plain, self raising, cake or pastry. So what to do? With Christmas is still on my mind and a desire to throwback to those cake filled childhood days, I settled on a gluten-free variation on my beloved carrot cake, which can be found here 

It’s a simple recipe really, the most tedious thing was grating up all those carrots! It’s also relatively healthy with refined sugar replaced with honey. and I personally loved this variation on the traditional cream cheese icing- the orange zest and orange juice really brightens things, although traditionalists may resist. My husband will attest to the fact that I’m renown for tampering with dessert recipes in an effort to “healthise” them but I’m happy to report that in this case, no one will be the wiser and everyone will ask for seconds.