The quinces and almonds in this cake make a wonderful marriage but it is the addition of pastry cream that gives its fabulous texture and sticky crust ….

Easy to whip up and even easier to devour, our gluten-free, Pear, Chocolate and Vanilla Cake is as delicious eaten warm as it is at room temperature. But don’t be put off by its modest appearance. A slice will deliver wafts of vanilla, sweet and juicy slices of pear and bursts of chocolate all in a moist, sweet gluten-free cake ….

A Tarte Tatin was traditionally only made with caramelised apples and known as an upside-down apple tart but these days anything baked with the pastry on top, a good suntan, and turned up to serve, is referred to as a something-or-other Tatin, sweet or savoury ….

Our beef short ribs, slowly braised in the oven with a simple paste of fresh garlic, ginger, coriander and onions, some chicken stock and sherry, will make a very tender and succulent stand-alone dish. But when topped with its Hot and Sour Salad it will zing with chilli, fresh herbs and lime ….

This ambrosial Fresh Date and Vanilla Tart is the genius of Sydney pâtissiere, Lorraine Godsmark, and she is deservedly famous for it. I have basked in her glory for the many years I have been making her wonderfully rich, sweet and aromatic concoction….

The big flavours of gluten-free walnut crispbread, pickled carrots, spicy nduja and cucumbers with mustard and dill all combine to make an unusual but very delicious entrée ….

New Zealanders, it seems, have quite a reputation for home baking. Their 1908 cookbook, Edmonds Cookery Book, provides recipes for a plethora of favourite sweet-treats including the classic and now politically incorrectly named, Afghans ….

Our Valentine’s Day Lime and Rose Cheesecake is on the more delicate end of the scale and uses lime juice and zest to cut the richness a little. And to fit the occasion we’ve made it in a heart shape, decorated with dried rose buds ….

We’re signing off for the Christmas and New Year break and will be back into the gluten-free kitchen in early February. We thank you for your support and hope you have a wonderful Christmas. We sincerely hope that 2024 will bring real peace to the lives of those who so desperately need it. Our hearts are with them.

These delicious Ginger, Cranberry and Pistachio Chocolates, made with the red, green and gold of Christmas, are too easy to prepare and too easy to tuck away too many ….

Where we live we happily enjoy our festive season in the hot summer months when chestnuts are not in season. However, like Santa Snow, they are still often thought of as a traditional Christmas component ….

Traditional with a bit of a twist. That’s our suggestion for your main meal this Christmas. We’re offering a rolled and stuffed pork neck cooked slowly in apple cider, accompanied by vegetables …. with a bit of zing ….