One of the few cakes I can stomach at the moment.
Lucky I made so many for Christmas presents that I had one left over! If only I could have a whisky with it!
monday 7 january 2019
tuesday 1 january 2019
Happy New Year!
Yep! I’m pregnant!
2019 is set to be the best and biggest and most crazy year yet! In June Dom and I are going to become parents!
If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been for the past 2 and bit months the answer is throwing up, feeling the most tired I’ve ever felt in my life and eating alllllllllllll the white carbs, Pad Thai, pho, dahl, crackers, sushi and pizza in an attempt to stay alive and calm the parasitic devil (I mean darling baby) that has taken possession of my body.
I hope to back in the kitchen soon. Whilst I managed a big bake up of Christmas puddings and cakes and 4.9 million gingerbread it was a struggle and I didn’t have the energy to ‘gram any of it. The idea of baking a cake still makes me want to heave. Honestly, at this point I have no idea who I even am, beyond an excited, vomiting mess!
Wishing you all the very best for the new year and I hope to be back sharing more with you all soon. Sorry if my engagement has dropped away! I still love seeing what you’re all up to.
Now please excuse me, I haven’t eaten in 2 hours, the nausea is taking over and I need to go smash a bowl of mashed potato.
tuesday 27 november 2018
< vanilla & strawberry three tier mini >
Things are a little quiet in the Kelmscott Kitchen at the moment.
But don’t worry it’s nothing bad or sad.
Still, I wanted to say hi and let you know that I’m still rattling around!
thursday 22 november 2018
< lemon sponge with blueberry compote and lemon zest frosting >
A lil flashback to September when the ranunculus were blooming for all those September birthdays - mine included! Such a magical flower.
friday 16 november 2018
A home grown beauty from my mum’s garden. The biggest, softest, most incredibly scented old roses.
I’m trying to figure out how to dry rose petals at the moment but all the advise I read online says you need to pluck off the petals when the rose is super fresh and before it fully opens, otherwise they’ll discolour. Seems like torture. I can’t bring myself to do it. Tips?
thursday 15 november 2018
< persian love cake >
I’ve been a bit quiet on Instagram lately. Sometimes I need a little head space from social media.
My short absence has revived my creativity and I think it is time to start up November’s rose spam.
The rose season this year is going gangbusters and I’ve been growing, cutting, caking and photographing them like a a woman possessed. It’s time to share. Who’s ready?!
monday 12 november 2018
The only thing getting me through the onset of the hot weather and the rapid approach of Summer is thinking of the fruit that will soon be in abundance (clingstone peaches and cherries!) and the flowers (dahlias and hydrangeas!).
thursday 9 november 2018
Feeling like a pin-cushion at the moment. Anyone else getting the same prickly, confused but beautiful vibes from the universe?
sunday 4 november 2018
Fruitcake for a new mum. My secret recipe. Packed full of dried Victorian fruit: plums, figs, apricots, three types of grapes, currants, raisins, apple and cranberries. Don’t worry I cooked off all the booze!
friday 2 november 2018
A sunny yellow straw flower smile on top of vanilla bean Swiss meringue buttercream.
There is lots to smile about today!
FRIDAY! Annnnnnnd.... LONG WEEKEND!
thursday 1 november 2018
< malted wattle seed cake with honey cream cheese icing & salted white chocolate crumbs >
The wattles in my neighbourhood have now formed green seed pods and like the month of October the bloom to seed cycle is now complete.
November has started with a heat wave and I’m hating it. Nothing like the fresh hell that is being in a kitchen with the oven on when it’s over 30! At least the butter comes to room temperature quickly I guess!?
What are your summer baking survival tips?
I think baking late in the day and then letting the kitchen and oven cool down over night with the windows opens helps... a tiny bit.
wednesday 31 october 2018
< malted wattle seed small cakes with honey cream cheese icing >
I’ve had so much fun sharing my first recipe this month. Thank you all for your support.
I’ve had some great feedback and people have made some lovely twists and tweaks. I hope to pop some of them up under the notes section of the recipe page on my website (if the Halloween spirits grant me some extra time this week). It’s such a joy seeing my recipes out in the big wide world and in people’s kitchens.
More exciting things coming in November!
tuesday 30 october 2018
Leucospermum cordifolium and tiny pumpkins. Scared yet?
monday 29 october 2018
< carrot cake with vanilla bean cream cheese frosting >
Three layers of carrot & pecan cake, oodles of cream cheese frosting and a carrot explosion out the top.
I’m already thinking up a whole line of vegetable explosion cakes - broccoli on top!? Hehehehe!
sunday 28 october 2018
< vegan chocolate & raspberry cake >
I decided on my November Recipe today!
Get excited, two seasonal ingredients coming up.
There is a hint in the above photo...
saturday 27 october 2018
The last of the Lady Banks' Rose in my neighbourhood. It has been splendid while it lasted. I'll miss its sweet fragrance on my morning dog walks.
friday 26 october 2018
#FridayFollow: the amazing inner city bee keepers/honey makers/artists of @honey_fingers. Nic and his team produce the most delicious urban honey in my neighbourhood and around the inner north of Melbourne. They also collaborate with some of amazing Melb creatives on the most inspiring and interesting projects (@allarewelcomebakery, @hattiemolloy and @metchantroadmelb are just some).
The project @honey_fingers are currently working on, Bee Bread, will be unveiled next weekend at M Pavillion. It explores how BOTH humans and bees ferment their food to control rates of decay and how Bee Bread (its a thing!) and Human Bread (sourdough) are created using the same form of lactic acid fermentation! So freaking cool!!!!!! And so beautiful too!!!!
My time as a member of the Bee Keeping Team at the British Museum a couple of years ago (they had hives on the roof tops) introduced me to the world of bees. I’ll never forget learning how remarkable these tiny, flying filtration systems are. They can turn pollen from the dirtiest, ugliest, most neglected city tree into pure, sterile honey.
Certainly, honey has to be one of the most magical foods in the world. I love how ancient it is, how long we have been harvesting and cooking with it - many, many thousands of years. Such historic connections make me feel more alive, more rooted to this earth, more adamant in my fight to protect the world and planet from the devastation it currently faces.
Bees are our barometer- listen to them, they are telling us something.
thursday 25 october 2018
My Mum's rhododendron is showing off in the spectacular way this year.
It has the most beautiful cinnamon/clove fragrance.
Props to Ma.
wednesday 24 october 2018
< malted wattle seed small cakes with honey cream cheese icing >
Another sweet snap of October’s recipe made mini!
Sadly wattle season is now well and truly over, unless you live in a much cooler part of Victoria or Tassie. But lots of other beautiful natives flowering right now and keeping the rowdy parrots in my neighbourhood happy - currently they are going bonkers over bottle brush! As my Nana would have said, “They are as excited as a box of budgies!”
tuesday 23 october 2018
< malted wattle seed cake with honey cream cheese icing & salted white chocolate crumbs >
October is rapidly coming to a close and that is a terrifying fact. This year has gone faster than any before. Ever.
However, it does mean that November’s cake is only a few weeks away! So while I run around like a headless chook trying to whip that recipe into shape (fair warning: it will be a released a few days late), here is a flash back to an early version of my October cake when I had all the flavour elements working and I was only working on the consistency of the icing. The trick it turned out would be raw honey. And I found the most beautiful stuff at @theboroughdeptstore by @hill_top_hives. You can taste the happiness of those Gippsland bees in their glorious thick, creamy, opaque honey.