Rhubarb and Marzipan Torte & Rhubarb and Strawberry Buckle Cake

Robin BoyleCakes & Biscuits, Dessert, Dinner, European, Morning or Afternoon Tea, North American

There has been lovely quality rhubarb in the markets over the last two months. Being under COVID-19 lock down restrictions much of that time has given us the chance to try new recipes. Here we give two rhubarb recipes that are terrific for morning or afternoon tea or as a dessert. Both last well in the fridge and both reheat …

Icelandic Rhubarb Cake – A Family Farmhouse Recipe!

Robin BoyleCakes & Biscuits, Dessert, Dinner, European, International Travel & Photos, Morning or Afternoon Tea

Iceland is covered in ice! Well that perception needs to be debunked. It’s all rhubarb! Is it not perhaps the most amazing country on Earth! Even the food – like this remarkable cake – is full of surprises. The scenery Yes, there is a lot of snow in Iceland, and the weather is cool, with July summer temperatures only averaging …

Shortbread – With Vanilla Bean Sugar!

Robin BoyleAustralian, Cakes & Biscuits, Morning or Afternoon Tea, Snack, Traditions-Feasts

When the term ‘vanilla version’ is used in general, it means the simplest, least complicated version of what we are talking about. Thus, vanilla ice cream is considered to be the simplest flavour of all. However, when it comes to shortbread, the ‘vanilla version’ has no actual vanilla in it. Thus, the key ingredients for the typical shortbread made in …

What’s in the Fridge? No. 9

Robin BoyleAustralian, Cakes & Biscuits, Dessert, In the fridge?, Morning or Afternoon Tea

Christmas Sink Cake The Olive’s Kitchen recipe for Summer Fruit Cake is very versatile. You can modify the ingredients in many ways, keeping the key cake ingredients (dry and wet) to roughly the same proportions. The fruit, including the apple, can be varied according to what you have on hand. The recipe came in handy before Christmas for Rhonda’s family’s …

What’s in the Fridge? No. 7

Robin BoyleAustralian, Cakes & Biscuits, In the fridge?, Morning or Afternoon Tea

Banana Bread We recently had short notice that interstate friends were in Melbourne and turning up for morning tea. We had about two hours to put something together. We could have gone shopping. Instead we searched the fridge and freezer. We found five frozen bananas, some frozen cream and a pack of frozen butter. (If we have excess bananas, ripening …

El Calafate – Glacier Country!

Robin BoyleAustralian, Cakes & Biscuits, Dessert, Latin America, Morning or Afternoon Tea, Photos: Food, Travel

This post follows on from: Torres del Paine Calafate and El Calafate The Calafate berry is symbolic to Patagonia, being indigenous to the region. Around a metre tall, the bushy plants produce edible berries that look a little like blueberries and have a taste that some describe as hinting of black currant, mulberry and/or blackberry. You will find them in …

Making The Impossible! No. 4

Robin BoyleAustralian, Dessert, Dinner Party, Impossible?, Miscellaneous, Morning or Afternoon Tea, Pastry

A Sweet Pastry – Blind baking made easy! Blind baking or par-baking a pastry shell for a tart or quiche can be a little testing as it normally means lining the shell with baking paper or foil and filling with ‘weights’, such as rice, beans or metal weights, then baking for around ten minutes or so. We have always used …

Bruny Island – An isolated but idyllic foodie destination

Robin BoyleAustralian, Breakfast, Cakes & Biscuits, Cheese maker, Fish & Seafood, Morning or Afternoon Tea, Recipe, Snack, Travel

Bruny Island is developing into a brand within a brand, being a subset of the clean and green Tasmanian gourmet image. With two Melbourne friends we recently spent three days on the island but still didn’t have the chance to sample all the food offerings nor experience all the activities. Activities Bruny is surprisingly large, the fourth biggest Tassie island …

Europe 2016 – Part 2

Robin BoyleCakes & Biscuits, Dessert, European, France, Morning or Afternoon Tea, Picnic

Continued from Europe 2016 – Part 1. A German Style Plum Sheet Cake Our plum sheet cake experiment would happen, but at Chamonix in France, not in Bavaria. The key steps in our method are described below – follow them, or find a recipe for this type of cake in your cookbooks or on the Internet. It is a very …

Making The Impossible! No. 1

Robin BoyleCakes & Biscuits, French, Home-Made, Impossible?, Miscellaneous, Morning or Afternoon Tea, Recipe

It is impossible to make croissants at home! Right? Well I think so! Decent ones, anyway. I did try to make croissants once but I have selectively cleared my mind of the details of that unfortunate experience. The complexity of the process and the dismal result warrant the jettisoning from the memory bank. Despite this memory cleansing, my love for …