freestyle tout

Vanilla crème brulee with mixed berries, vanilla bean ice cream, nut biscotti, fairy floss and raspberry sorbet.  

Warm flourless chocolate cake with dark chocolate sauce, mixed berries, raspberry sorbet and chocolate sail.

White chocolate raspberry brioche dumplings with mixed berries, vanilla bean ice cream and dark chocolate dipping sauce.

Pumpkin, Danish fetta cheese, pine nuts and rocket pizza with calabrese salami.

After years of planning and then failing to make my way to Freestyle Tout, I finally managed to make a visit earlier these holidays. The dessert menu was what I was mainly craving and as always, I had a lot of trouble settling on just one thing to order. The girls and I were really happy with our chosen dishes – all insanely delicious and really filling. I have a feeling Freestyle dates are going to become a bit more regular now.

xx

summer sparkle

On a hot summer’s day, there’s nothing better than chillaxing on the deck, by the pool or at the beach with a refreshing drink at hand. This sparkling strawberry lemonade is simple to make, utilises natural flavours and can be easily made into a summer cocktail.

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend and made the most of this beautiful weather!

Thil

xx

glasshouse fragrances

My friends and I were shopping earlier this week and felt inclined to enter a store because of an amazing scent coming from it. We soon discovered that a Glasshouse Fragrances Tahaa Vanilla Caramel candle was burning inside. I cannot describe how incredible it smelt, and am now utterly and completely in love with the scent. I have since spent a copious amount of time on the Glasshouse Fragrances website wishing I could buy every single item on there. Whilst the Tahaa candle remains my favourite, their diffusers, hand and body crèmes, body bars and other candles look equally delectable.

xx

16th on park

Caramel Latte.

Thick cut French toast with maple syrup and double cream.

The Big Breakfast.

White chocolate and raspberries cheese bombe with passionfruit sorbet.

There’s nothing better than snuggling up to a warm cup of coffee on a cold, rainy day, enjoying the likes of a hot breakfast at 11:30am and finishing off a wonderful date with a couple of your favourite girls by sharing an amazingly scrumptious dessert. Can't wait for more 16th on Park deliciousness!

xx

my coffee fix

Whilst I’ve given up on trying to drink coffee because of the bucket loads of sugar I add to it, the actual flavour of coffee is one I love. You’ll find me buying coffee ice cream, indulging in tiramisu and searching for dessert recipes that include coffee as an ingredient. Coffee cake is a favourite of mine to bake and one which usually doesn’t last more than a day or two. I tried a new coffee cake recipe a few months ago, loved it and have used it ever since. Instead of making small individual coffee cakes like in the recipe, I simply bake one coffee cake for ease. Another thing I alter is the amount of coffee in both the cake and icing – I tend to add it according to my own taste preference.

Perfect for a dinner party dessert, a snack on the go or an afternoon tea, I hope you enjoy this scrumptious cake as much as my friends and I do.

Thil

xx

i scream for ice cream

It's summertime, which I hope means you're all making ice cream consumption part of your daily agenda - I know I am! Whilst I'm out and about, I like to find the best gelato shop around and indulge in a scoop or two of my favourite ice cream on a crisp waffle cone. However, when I'm at home I'm inseparable from my tub of Connoisseur Cookies and Cream ice cream. For those who have yet to have the pleasure of experiencing the goodness of Connoisseur, I suggest you go to your local supermarket and buy a tub (or two or three)...

xx

mini baked cheesecakes

Despite being an avid cheesecake lover, I have never actually made my own cheesecake. So in an attempt to rectify this situation, I decided to take baby steps and make something quite simple - mini baked cheesecakes. For this recipe, I tried making twelve individual cheesecakes instead of the ten recommended, thus why my cheesecakes are slightly vertically challenged. So my advice is stick to making ten portions. I also used half the quantity of lemon juice because I wanted a more subtle lemon flavour, so alter the amount according to your own taste preference. Having made these cute little cheesecakes with ease, I’m looking forward to creating a more complicated and flavoured cheesecake in the near future.

xx