Things I've Been Baking Lately

Friday Food Chat with Kath

Are there recipes you go back to again and again?

I find, no matter how many cookbooks I have and how many new recipes I create or come across from other people, there are still a number of recipes I go back to again and again.

I’m not sure if it’s the comfort of knowing the recipe will work, or that I know it is delicious, but sometimes I just want to bake the same thing over and over again.

My need to make the same thing over and over again, is probably partially why I never seem to bake my way through any one cookbook (does any one actually do that?!). Even if I only make two or three recipes from a book, the book still has value on my shelf. Especially if I make those same recipes multiple times.

Many of the recipes I go back to over and over come from my Grandma’s collection, or things I have adapted from her recipes (like many of the recipes in my cookbook Everyday Bakes). They are recipes that fit into my everyday life, are dependable and often last well or even freeze well.

Below are some of the bakes on high rotation in my kitchen at the moment.

Let me know in the comments, what recipes do you make over and over again?

1. Banana Blueberry Loaf (pictured above) - this recipe came from my Grandma and also features in my cookbook. It’s a great one to make if you have some bananas to use up, and it freezes well which I love. It is best served toasted in a sandwich press and slathered in butter.

2. Pikelets (pictured below) - I have made many batches of pikelets recently. They are quick to cook, and make the nicest breakfast. I serve them with berries and maple syrup, and found leftovers (sans any toppings) kept well in the fridge for an easy breakfast for the next couple of days. This recipe is similar to the one I’ve been using (which is in Amy Minichiello’s book Recipes in the Mail!).

3. Caramilk Biscuits - This recipe is one of my original favourite easy biscuit recipes. I recently made some and substituted two egg yolks for the egg so I could use up some leftover egg yolks and it worked a treat! I also used melted butter in place of the oil, and froze the dough to bake later on which worked really well. For those not in Australia, Caramilk is a caramelised white chocolate made by Cadbury - you can substitute with any chocolate you like if you can’t get any!

4. Savoury Scones - I know I have been talking about these for months, but I am truely addicted to making (and eating) savoury scones! I make them to use up milk/cream/buttermilk and any stray herbs that might otherwise not get used (chives and dill are my current favourites) and freeze them for future scone enjoyment. This recipe came from my Grandma’s collection, and I shared it with my paid subscribers as part of my Heirloom Recipes series. In this series, I am going through my Grandma’s handwritten recipes, testing them out and trying to piece together where they fit in her life. You can sign up to become a paid subscriber to get exclusive access to these recipes and more!

Some of the many pikelets made recently!

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Apple and Honey Loaf

This is another recipe I go back to again and again. I love the combination of apples and honey, plus the cake freezes really well so you can keep it for when the cake need strikes. It’s also a great one for using up apples that are languishing in the fruit bowl (or are consistently returned in school lunch boxes!).

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