easy banana bread with chocolate spread.

If you haven't made banana bread yet, you've probably seen slices scattered all over your social media. I've no idea how every household has ended up with so many surplus bananas, but when life gives you bananas, I guess you make banana bread. It's a super easy recipe too, where you can use any leftover spread to dot into the mix, as well as any extra nuts to scatter over the top. For this, I made a classic easy banana bread recipe, then using some leftover chocolate spread and some flaked almonds from the back of the cupboard. Adapt fillings and topping as you wish, but always enjoy with your favourite tea or coffee.

creme egg macarons.

Just in time for Easter... Creme Egg macarons! Made with two tone yellow and chocolate macaron shells, I've well and truly jumped on the Cadbury Creme Egg baking recipe train with these tempting treats. They're then filled with a classic Creme Egg buttercream to make an Easter inspired delight.

diy wedding macaron favours.

Whether you're planning a wedding or an invite has dropped through your letterbox, there's no doubt macarons make the perfect homemade present or DIY favour idea. I made these pretty pink and gold macarons for a friends' wedding gift this Spring! So, I thought I'd share the recipe for those looking for little bit of wed-spo (is that a word now?) or maybe even a treat for the hen do.

almond & pumpkin muffins.

An autumnal bake to brighten up your weekend. Spiked with warming spices and topped with flaked almonds, this basic pumpkin sponge recipe is the perfect base for some autumnal muffins. If you're wondering how to create a simple sponge mix with pumpkin puree you've come to the right place. This recipe creates the perfect base for seasonal bakes galore - such as my super easy pumpkin spiced baked doughnuts with maple glaze. Can you tell it's my fave season yet?

sea salt and dark chocolate cookies.

Milk and cookies; the perfect combination. Just like tea and toast, cheese and wine and jam and scones, this American tradition goes together like peas and carrots. One of the latest foodie trends though is mixing sweet and savoury in baking. Like salted caramel, sea salt with chocolate can add a little extra flavour and texture to sugary bakes.

Inspired by America's famous Sweet Corner Bakeshop and their sea salt chocolate chip cookies, I've created my own recipe featuring a duo of sea salt and dark chocolate. Warmed up and slurped down with a glass of milk? Perfection!

white chocolate and raspberry cookies.

Delicious, freshly baked cookies with a cuppa. I love white chocolate in cakes, cookies and biscuits and just find it's the perfect accompaniment to raspberries. Bake until golden with a slightly crispy edge and gooey white chocolate - perfection!

cherry, lemon and pistachio shortbread.

Inspired by Summer, this lovely and light shortbread recipe is made up of fresh cherries, crushed pistachio and zesty lemon. Bringing together sweet, tart and nutty flavours makes this an easy, make-ahead dessert that wouldn't look out of place at a family BBQ, packed up in a picnic or as an easy dinner party dessert. The Picota Cherries especially bring a sweetness and depth to this homemade shortbread, which is offset by the contrasting ingredients.

Hailing from the beautiful Spanish valley of Jerte, 200km west of Madrid, signature stemless Picota Cherries follow a natural blossom and harvest season. This means that every day the arrival of the deliciously sweet cherries is different - for 2018 it's July and August. You can now get them in Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrison's and Aldi from July - but be quick, they may only be around for another month or so.

You can also be in a chance of winning a picnic hamper with Jerte Picota Cherries! Each hamper includes two delicious punnets of cherries, a bottle of Cava, flutes, a cherry pitter and napkins. Scroll down for the granita recipe, as well as to find out how to enter...

nutella macarons.

Macarons have got to be one of my favourite things to make. And let's face it, who isn't fond of Nutella? That pretty much sums up how these Nutella macarons came about. Made using a French macaron recipe and lashings of your favourite hazelnut spread, these little delights are gluten free and super indulgent. 

jelly bean chocolate shortbread with vimto mini jelly beans.

A teatime treat which features a twist on the traditional. This buttery shortbread is topped with lashings of dark chocolate and a swirl of white before being scattered with tasty Vimto jelly beans. To celebrate the launch of their vibrant little jelly beans, which contain real fruit juice and natural colours, the well known British brand have set a baking challenge! They aren't quite millionaire's shortbread slices, but I feel the absence of a caramel centre is made up for in the chewy, fruity morsels jewelled on top. A yummy pairing against bitter dark chocolate if I say so myself.

vimto jelly bean macarons.

The latest addition to my macaron recipe collection... featuring a well known British soft drink. These Vimto macarons have been coloured pastel purple before being sandwiched together with sweet Vimto infused buttercream. Established in 1908, Vimto is known for it's unusual fruity flavour made with a medley of grapes, raspberries and blackcurrants.  

A recent member of the Vimto family are their mini jelly beans - the very inspiration behind this recipe. So when I was asked if I wanted to join in the Vimto Jelly Bean Bake Off I knew I had to make macarons!

guinness cupcakes.

Another Nigella Lawson favourite. I've adapted her deliciously indulgent Guinness cake recipe to create cupcakes. Complete with a hint of chocolate (okay maybe more than a hint...) these Guinness cupcakes are make with a moist stout infused sponge and topped with moreish cream cheese frosting. 

mini chocolate pecan pies.

A bitesize treat for the Thanksgiving season - teeny, tiny chocolate pecan pies. These mini morsels are made up of dark chocolate pastry, a sweet sticky filling, whipped cream and topped with a caramelised pecan and dark chocolate shavings.

With match.com hosting their Short & Sweet Thanksgiving Speed Dating Event this Thursday 26th, I was tasked with creating a tiny dessert for their American themed menu. Budding love birds will be able to enjoy speed dating over dessert with the likes of New York Cheesecake, Pumpkin Pie along with my sweet recipe too! If you aren't heading the even but fancy a try anyway, here's the pecan pie recipe for you to feast your eyes on...

psl macarons.

Hello September, I'm starting to kinda like you. The evenings may be getting darker and my house a little colder, but I've remembered that's an excuse to make warming one pot meals and start on some Autumn baking. Oh, and the PSL. How could I forget? Pumpkin spice lattes have to be one of the best things about September. So naturally I had to make a macaron out of them.

24 glorious gluten free recipes.

Today marks National Coeliac Awareness Day - September 13th. With so many fantastic bakes, sweet treats and delicious dishes from fellow food bloggers, I thought it was about time I put together a round up of gluten free recipes. I have a few friends and family who live with coeliac disease, and am always keen to see restaurants putting alternatives on their menu too. 

It was also great that GBBO did a free from episode this year, which raised awareness of sugar free, dairy free and wheat free baking. So from desserts and cakes right through to pizzas and muffins - here are 24 sweet and savoury gluten free recipes to enjoy!

earl grey and lemon loaf: cake swap with xameliax.

Today's recipe is brought to you from my lovely blogging friend Amelia, who is a fellow foodie and afternoon tea extraordinaire. How gorgeous does her Earl Grey and lemon cake recipe look? With further ado, I'll pass over to the lady herself...

Hey guys! I'm Amelia from the lifestyle and food blog xameliax.com and YouTube channel xameliax! I love in the middle of England and have an insatiable passion for food and drink, cooking and baking my way through my own kitchen and eating out at a myriad of restaurants across the country. I love mixing new and exciting cocktails and tasting fab wine and I review all sorts of eateries from purse friendly pub grub to Michelin star establishments. 

Like Emily I love a big mug of Earl Grey tea (although I take mine black with a slice of lemon!) and as i've always wanted to give tea loaf a go I thought this would be a brilliant opportunity to get creative! This cake is perfect for whipping up if you have guest coming round for a quick cuppa and will keep in a tin for up to a week or even in your freezer for up to three months so you always have some homemade cake to put out when mum pops round unannounced! 

earl grey bunny biscuits with lemon drizzle.

Easter! What better time to combine your love of tea into the shape of a bunny rabbit and call it seasonal? Made with a crunchy Earl Grey infused biscuit and drizzled with signature lemon icing, these are the perfect Springtime treat for little ones and grown ups alike. I used the lovely new bunny cutter from the Laura Ashley Easter range too - which you can win in my latest giveaway.

gluten free millionaire's shortbread.

An indulgent millionaire's shortbread recipe, that's also gluten free. The classic recipe has a gluten free shortbread base, syrupy caramel and a naughty double chocolate topping. Since there is no reliance on gluten like with bread and pasta, I've found gluten free flour works really well as a like for like replacement in shortcrust pastry and most crumbly, biscuit like recipes. without further ado, let's get baking!

chocolate, coconut & cardamom tart: baking with malibu.

inspired by sweet indian dessert flavours of coconut, pistachio and cardamom, this malibu infused chocolate tart is actually vegan and gluten free. i brought it to my friend's house for the sweet course, after a delicious indian banquet of freshly made pakora, tandoori salmon and potato and pea curry. i could eat it all over again. anyway, on to the recipe...