baked caprese style risotto.

 

Bringing together two of my favourite Italian recipes - the iconic Caprese salad and the reliable risotto - this dish is a warming take on usually more summery flavours. You still get the bursts of tomato and fragrant basil coming through, whilst combining with a great quality mozzarella which oozes and turns golden as it bubbles in the oven. 

For this recipe, I'm working with the new Ciao Gusto range from Ocado, a place where fellow fans of Italian cuisine can find all the best, authentic ingredients. This wholesome dish features their Auricchio P.D.O. Buffalo Mozzarella Campana, which, like many Italian ingredients and good cheeses, is beautiful served simply on its own. 

homemade pumpkin spice syrup.

We're fully into Autumn now, and I'm loving it. Autumn for me means cosy nights in, my birthday month, an excuse to buy a new coat... and of course pumpkin spice lattes. I've already made PSL macarons so the obsession is loud and clear (PSL and macarons that is). So I've taken it upon myself to make some homemade pumpkin spice syrup and bottle it up for when those red cups make an appearance. Pumpkin spice forever.

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!