Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes aka Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes

I've just finished an amazing rotation in obstetrics and gynaecology, one of my very last as a medical student (4 weeks to go eek!).  I was part of an incredible team of doctors, midwives, nurses, and health assistants who worked passionately and tirelessly over crazy long hours to help mums bring little bubbas into the world.

What a responsibility. What a rush. What an incredible privilege.

So what better way to thank these amazing human beings/super heroes than with some scrummy thank you baking: Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes. Like a Ferrero Rocher in a cupcake.

Baked Cinnamon Apple Mini Doughnuts

As you ramble on through life, Brother,
Whatever be your goal,
Keep your eye upon the doughnut,
And not upon the hole
~ Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin

Hello everyone!

Very sorry it has been such a long time between posts. I'd taken my eye off the doughnut for a little while, concentrating on getting through my last year of medical school, but am hopefully getting my baking mojo back!

I thought I'd come back with a bang with these Baked Cinnamon Apple Mini Doughnuts (a.k.a. doughnut holes or cake doughnuts).  I am a doughnut fiend and these wee delights are actually one of my favourite recipes I have ever baked.

Big call I know, but they just hit the spot. There is really nothing like the smell of cinnamon sugar doughnuts at a rugby game or fair.  It's like a siren's call.  And now you can recreate it at home and as a healthyish baked version too! Baking dream fulfilled.

Banana Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Loaf

Hazelnuts are such an underrated nut.

Sure Nutella is all the rage but whole hazelnuts are often forgotten behind it's more popular nutty cousins.

A quick look on Pinterest (yea yea who am I kidding right, who ever goes on Pinterest for only a quick look??) will tell you that the peanut butter craze is still going strong, followed closely by all things pecans or pistachio. There is the odd walnut creation but alas the humble hazelnut doesn't often make a show.

We will remember them: Anzac Crumble Ginger Muffins

We do not gather together to glorify war - but rather to remember the men and women who served their country, and especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
 ~Lt Gen The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae, Governor-General of New Zealand.

Today, 25 April 2015, marks the 100 year anniversary of the Anzacs landing in Gallipoli in the Great War.

We huddled this morning with our fellow Wellingtonians at the Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in the dark before dawn and contemplated all the brave souls who lay down their lives for us a century ago and in the conflicts in-between, those away today, those who didn't make it home, and those who come home forever changed. 

It was particularly special for us: both my husband's great grandads served in World War I, his maternal grandad was a prisoner of war in WWII and our friend Curt lost both his legs in Afghanistan 3 years ago while serving for the Australian Army.  

We remember and honour them not to glorify war but with gratitude that their sacrifice means that we may never need to know the atrocities of the battlefield.

In the Governer-General's address, he spoke of "mateship" and camaraderie as enduring ideals we should aspire to. Wonderfully positive, don't you think? And boy was it in full force today.  Forty thousand strong at Pukeahu Memorial Park alone and hundreds of thousands more kiwis and aussies banding together across both countries and in Turkey.  So incredibly moving.

We carried on the mateship theme with the rest of the day by having a good goss and photo-nerding sesh with the very gorgeous Katie over copious cups of tea and these Anzac Crumble Ginger Muffins. 

Hot Cross Muffins for Easter

Would you like some warm Spring pie?
Then, take a cup of clear blue sky.
Stir in buzzes from a bee,
Add the laughter of a tree.

A dash of sunlight should suffice
To give the dew a hint of spice.
Mix with berries, plump and sweet.
Top with fluffy clouds, and eat!
~ Paul F. Kortepeter, Holly Pond Hill: A Child's Book of Easter 

Happy Easter everyone!

I just love Easter and all the chocolate eggs and bunnies, hot cross buns and simnel cakes laced with rich spices and fruit. Chocolate and baking AND a holiday, what a more could a girl ask for??

I also love that Easter is all about new beginnings, restarting and recharging. I don't know about you but by the time we get to April I sure am ready for a bit of holiday!

This year in particular, Easter for me has been a bit of time for reflection. I am coming to the end of a long journey from lawyer to doctor. Starting from scratch again as a student, slogging it out for five years of study and now in the process of applying for my very first job as a doctor. A resurrection of my own.  It's both exciting and terrifying and to be honest in the last little bit I've been a bit overwhelmed by it all. But with nice sleep in and a long weekend ahead I feel refreshed, rejuvenated and with renewed energy for the months to come. Bring it! 

{friturdays are the best}

So in my happy place right now with a hot cross bun and cuppa in the sun listening to Ed Sheeran and wishing you all a relaxing and refreshing Easter break too!  And if you are feeling like getting your bake on this Easter try out these Hot Cross Muffins - a quick and easy cakey cousin to the hot cross bun.

Walnut and Coconut Bourbon Salted Caramel Slice

We've come home recently from the most amazing camping trip in the Hawkes Bay. Gorgeous sunny weather, hours of tramping in breathtaking scenery, lots of clean green living.  Got home relaxed, refreshed, rejuvenated and feeling super fit and super motivated to be healthier.

I even started on the cardiology run as a trainee intern, which one would think would provide you with plenty of incentive to be good for a while.

{sunset at lake waikaremoana. no filter needed.}

But alas, a few weeks back and I've already slid into a trash food rebound. I'm talking curly fries, fried chicken, peanut butter pie and weekday merlots kinda rebound. The best kind.

So since I was following team cardio this weekend I thought I'd share the love - and the calories - with this gorgeous Walnut and Coconut Bourbon Salted Caramel Slice.  Might as well fall off the bandwagon in style I say.

Happy Valentines Day! Raspberry Chia Pudding

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

We are heading off for a 2 week camping trip in the beautiful Hawkes Bay today woop! Super exciting but this means we are packing and on the road for most of Valentines Day.  Not the most romantic date ever so we celebrated instead with a Valentine's themed brekkie: a super healthy, oh so pretty in pink, totally swoon-worthy Raspberry Chia Pudding.

Coz nothing says I love you better than chia pudding.

Lol jokes, we all know chocolate = love. But this is pretty darn delicious and a healthy breakfast in your belly is sure to put a little love in your heart.

But first, cake: Cheat's Orange Blueberry Sour Cream Cake

Before I launch in to my HK foodie musings, I wanted to share with you this amazingly quick and incredibly easy cake recipe. 

I'll warn you straight up that this recipe uses boxed cake mix. I know baking purists out there are horrified right now but a box of cake mix can be a total life saver in baking emergencies.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for making things from scratch. There's a certain meditative quality to measuring out your flour, butter, eggs but every once in a while you need to produce baking in a bind and tout suite and for those situations I always keep a couple of boxed cake mixes in the pantry.  

Think of cake mix as a baking emergency kit. You have a bare bones pantry, a friend is popping round in an hour, what do you do???

Happy New Year and a Sneak Peek of my Delectable Electable Tour of Hong Kong

Happy New Year everybody! Hope your start to 2015 was as delicious as mine!

The end of 2014 and start to 2015 has been an action packed food extravaganza with Christmas, New Years, and an amazing 5 weeks of eating my way through Hong Kong.

{ice cream chocolate fondue: does a more perfect four-word combo even exist?}