Sometimes the simplest recipes have the best result, like this easy as it comes choc coconut slice. Photo / NZH
Sometimes the simplest recipes have the best result, like this easy as it comes choc coconut slice. Photo / NZH
As I have confessed before, I tend to bake my way to sanity (or at least as close as I can manage) during lockdown. So I thought as I mix, whisk and fold my way through this level 4 situation we find ourselves in I would share some of my favourite escapism baking recipes. Some of these are time-consuming labours of love and others can be thrown together in no time. Get baking, stay sane.
Banana bread
Last lockdown everyone was baking banana bread, and for good reason, it is delicious and a great way to use up over-ripe bananas. So if you stocked up on those potassium-packed goodies at the beginning of lockdown and now they are looking a bit worse for wear, this loaf is for you. Serve it warm with lashings of butter and a drizzle of honey.
This basic bread recipe can be used to make buns, as a pizza base if you like a more leavened pizza, and for focaccia. Experiment and make it your own by adding raisins or seeds (cumin, fennel, sesame, poppy) when you knock it back. You can double the ingredients if you want to make more. If you have a machine with a dough hook you can use it here to save yourself the job of kneading – although the kneading is very satisfying if you have the time.
There are few things more satisfying to bake than cookies. A basic chocolate chip is a classic for a reason, they are simple, moreish and loved by all. If you felt so inclined you could use a combination of white and dark chocolate or add nuts or cranberries if you have them lying around.
Earlier in the week I posted my Lockdown Lemon Bars recipe, and my love for baking with lemons doesn't stop there. If I am not making those incredible bars I am making this moist lemon cake with lemon drizzle icing. For me, this is the lockdown loaf we all need right now.
This is the ultimate lockdown slice as it uses pantry staples you usually have on hand and it comes together in minutes. No need to cream the butter and sugar, just mix, pour and bake. It would take a very strong will to say no to a piece of this slice.
If you didn't jump on the sourdough craze last lockdown but secretly wished you had then now is the time. These step-by-step instructions will see you create a bubbly sourdough starter in just a few days.
These are a little time-consuming, but overall are pretty straight forward. I tend to do these in two parts and put the prepped buns in the fridge overnight, ready to bake the following morning. The icing is literally just icing sugar and water, I recommend adding it when the buns are still a tiny bit warm so it runs over the edge and into all the yummy crevices. I also like to add a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Mmmmmm... so good.
This recipe is for plum clafoutis, using fresh plums, but you can make this with just about anything, including tinned fruits like apricots, peaches or even frozen berries or mango. Clafoutis is a French dessert that is a bit like a baked custard, but also a bit like a pie without the crust. The best part is how easy it is. I simply combine all of the ingredients, except the fruit, and whizz it with a stick blender, then spread out my fruit in a rectangular baking dish and pour over the mixture. Serve with cream or ice cream and you will be in a very happy place.
