A pavlova always makes a grand impression. This PEACH + PASSIONFRUIT PAVLOVA is probably my all time favourite version of the dessert! The sublime combination of juicy peaches and tart-sweet passionfruit, billowy whipped cream and chewy-crisp meringue, is certain to make you swoon.

Whenever stone fruit season rolls around, Marian Burro's infamous plum torte seems to pop up everywhere on my Instagram feed.  You may have missed it ... if you live under a rock ;) She wrote this iconic recipe for the New York Times in the 80s and they claim it is one of their most requested recipes.  I never did get around to making her original recipe but this grain-free adaptation of her plum torte is so dang good I don't think I ever actually will!?  

Hot on the heels of my last post for Perfect Gluten-Free Choux Puffs, I now give you this most essential follow-up recipe: Profiteroles with Lilac-Vanilla Lemon Curd Ripple Ice Cream.  Basically, the most refreshing, tart and creamy dessert perfect for the summer months ahead.   

I'll just come right out and say it. These gluten-free choux puffs are legit. Very legit. The kind of legit when someone may not even notice they are gluten-free!   And with a few tips and loads of images for visual cues I share in this post, they're quite easy to make.

Years ago, a friend gave me a jar of Rooibos loose leaf tea to try.  She told me it is an non-caffeinated tea with health benefits aplenty.  I later read that Rooibos is high in antioxidants, helps lower high blood pressure, aids in cancer-prevention and digestion health, bone health and more.  Seems like I should be drinking this stuff like water!  Instead, it sat in my pantry untouched for months, or closer to a year.  When it comes to hot beveraging, I can't help but choose an Americano, a matcha latte or for so many years, my top choice was English Breakfast tea with a splash of milk (a reflection of my British-influenced Hong Kong ties). 

Tea in desserts, on the other hand, I dig!  A LOT.  Like these earl grey cookies or the earl grey ice cream I made for pear frangipane tart.  Heaven.  So it is no surprise this Rooibos Chai Panna Cotta Tart with Honeyed Strawberry Rhubarb Compote is totally my jam.  The only surprise is why I didn't think of it sooner.  Everyone I served it to thoroughly enjoyed it too!  Weeell if I'm being honest, everyone except my 4 year old who ate only the tart crust and "saved" the panna cotta part for her mama.  But I can't blame her for loving the crust - it's so dope.

To state that we are a granola-loving family would be an understatement.  I have two Granola Monsters here.  Apart from the year when we were following a modified Paleo diet where grains like oats and quinoa are disallowed, granola is a mainstay here because it is such a healthy and convenient option for breakfast.  Not to mention totally addictive.

Pavlovas don't normally come to mind in the winter since they are generally regarded as a summer dessert.  I always questioned the sense in that though?  High humidity is the serial murderer of pavlovas.  Sure there are other factors that could undermine your pavlova, such as whites contaminated with yolks or grease / water in the mixing bowl, but I assert that weather is public enemy number one since it is not a factor you get to control. 

Does it seem like I went to crazy town with this one?  Yes, I made a filling out of salt-cured egg yolks and peanut butter and sweetened it with maple syrup.  I stuffed it inside a dough made with glutinous rice flour (aka 'sweet rice flour' not to be confused with 'rice flour'!), coated them in peanut crumble and pan-fried them.  They turned out suuper addictive!  We could not stop munching on this warm, chewy, salty-sweet snack!  So the lunacy was justified...hence I urge you to continue reading.  Plus also there's a giveaway I want you to know about :)   

WHUT.  Christmas is less than a week away, and the year is done-zo in less than two!  How are you feeling?  Are you getting holiday stress?  I had myself a panic moment a few days ago when Aubrie asked me why there are still no presents under our tree.  I mumbled something about not wanting them to poke around the presents and wreck the wrapping like last year, instead of the truth, which is I was procrastinating the mundane task of wrapping them up.  On the actual gift-buying side, I had 90% of gifts purchased by early December but the last 10% is by no coincidence, the most difficult.  People like my dad, dad-in-law, etc are impossible to buy for.  So I'm still working on that last 10% ... kiiiinda cutting it close, I reckon.  Socks?  Again?

This season, Vitamix came up with this Winter Spice Seasoning of cinnamon sticks, crystallized ginger, cardamom, pink peppercorns, cloves, dried orange peel, salt and brown sugar (tip:  sub coconut sugar for Paleo / refined sugar free version!) blended into a fragrant seasoning of warmth and WINTER MAGIC. 

Vitamix and theFeedfeed partnered up to sponsor this post so that I can bring you this recipe I created using that heavenly seasoning mix.  Can you smell it in your mind's eye...eerrr, nose?  I want to put it in everything, both sweet and savory!

I'm giddy with excitement this time of the year when holiday season is in full ramp-up mode!  It's my favorite.  I love that the season is about giving to others.  While I don't condone frivolous over-consumption (which is admittedly a huge downside associated with the holidays), I really enjoy putting careful thought into the gifts that I am giving to the special people in my life.  There's a dizzying joy and smug satisfaction when I just know I've found the perfect gift for someone. 

I'm still giving myself pats on the back for the Aesop hydrating cream for my mom / sister, and the fold-able (brilliant!) vegetable spiralizer for my brother-in-law last year.  We won't talk about the socks I gifted my dad tho - he's a hard one to buy for!

This one is my favorite twist on banana muffins.  I am a die-hard fan of the distinctive flavor of black sesame seeds.  In these muffins, I especially love how its earthy nuttiness balances the sweetness of the bananas.  A liberal sprinkling of extra black sesame seeds and coarse sugar give the muffins delightfully crunchy tops, making them extra special.

The girls showered me with their praises when they tasted this loaf.  And since I thrive off flattery and compliments (heehee), I made a second loaf immediately for next morning's breakfast which was greeted with the same gleeful enthusiasm.  

Stroke stroke stroke.  My ego.  

Never you mind that the judging panel was comprised of a 6 year old and a 3 year old.  I decided I would definitely share this recipe on the blog with you so you too can have your ego stroked.  Or at the very least, have your breakfast sorted.

I'll concede that as far as food trends go these days, you're much more likely to see a chia pudding appear on your Instagram feed than a tapioca pudding! You might even say the latter is a little old-school. But to me, this MANGO TAPIOCA PUDDING has a special nostalgia and holds a supreme ranking as far as desserts that delighted me as a child. And as an adult :)

These CHEWY SALTED CHOCOLATE PECAN NO-BAKE BARS are the answer to your cravings for something salty-sweet, chewy, nutty and chocolate-y......buuut still kinda healthy and definitely not tooth-achingly sweet.  They’re perfect for stashing in the freezer for a quick treat. Enjoy a square (or three)!

Sometimes a classic flavor combo just beckons.  Like this CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY MASCARPONE BUTTERCREAM.  Classic chocolate cake with a simple American style buttercream made more luxurious with the additions of mascarpone cheese and homemade strawberry puree (or really good strawberry jam).

Due to popular demand, I'm putting up this recipe which is an oldie I found through the Food Network website and have made it again and again.  These days we are limiting gluten and refined sugars but I make exceptions when I'm baking for others or just as an occasional treat.  Believe me I don't go wasting that 'quota' just on anything.  I have to tell you, these shortbread cookies are well worth it.  

If you love a little pucker with your sweet with a little tropical twist, you'll go mad for this tart!

Every celebration cake I make feels special, of course.  But this one was exceptionally so, because I made it for my daughter's 6th birthday according to precise specifications ('white cake with chocolate frosting and those crunchy yellow things on top').  It was also extra extra special because we decided to suspend all dietary restrictions (primarily, grain and dairy) to thoroughly enjoy the celebration and all the trimmings that a young girl's birthday celebration should have, including a little magic and a damn good birthday cake.  

In my previous post, I wrote about my family's (temporary) grain-free and dairy-free diet. Since then, we had our follow up visit with the naturopath and received an 'okay' to consume rice, oats and quinoa in small amounts.  I won't pretend to understand naturopathy at all. I don't. As a fairly science-based household (my husband is an intellectual property lawyer with a specialty in biotechnology and medical devices, while I worked nearly a decade at a global pharmaceutical company in a Finance capacity), this venture into alternative medicine is a giant leap of faith.  A leap we had not choice but to take since traditional medicine failed to help my daughter beyond full-body topical steroid cream applications to treat her eczema and absolutely nada to diagnose or treat her mild but persistent, daily stomach aches.