To answer your question; yes, it does taste as good as it looks.... perhaps even better!

Lately on a Sunday, I've been waking up not wanting the usual toast, cereal or hot cross bun. Sunday breakfast is meant to be special, a day when you wake up and not worry about your calorie intake. So bring on the bacon if that's what you feel like!

Whilst looking for a recipe for the last cookbook challenge, I stumbled upon this recipe for breakfast. It looked easy enough, and something Hamsley and I would both enjoy when we crawled out of bed. I chucked everything in the oven; including the bread as I bought a "bake at home" Turkish bread loaf as it was nice and cheap. In about 10 minutes we had breakfast with a nice hot cuppa coffee for Sir Hamsely, and a nice cuppa chai for moi.

Breakfast BLT
Bill Granger

Get your hands on:
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 short-cut bacon rashers
2 teaspoons olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 avocado
2 tablespoons creme fraiche (or sour cream)
1 tablespoon snipped chives
Dash of Tabasco sauce
4 slices sourdough bread
4 small cos lettuce leaves


1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Put the tomato halves and bacon on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake for 10 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp and tomatoes are slightly wilted.


2. Mash the avocado, creme fraiche, lemon juice and chives together and season with salt and pepper. Add Tabasco, to taste. Toast the bread and spread two of the slices with avocado mixture. Top with lettuce leaves, some bacon and tomato halves and then sandwich with the other slices of bread.


Serves 2.

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I've wanted to make these muffins since seeing them on Adski's blog, Totally Addicted To Taste.
I thought the Bourke Street Bakery cookbook was a bakery in Melbourne, as we also have a Bourke Street. But low and behold I was wrong, and it was actually in Sydney. When I have a trip up to Sydney, this place will be on the list of places to try.

After much debating if I actually wanted this cookbook, I put it on my Christmas list and mum popped it under the tree for me.
This is the first recipe I've made using this book. I found it a bit annoying that some ingredients were listed with cup measurements, then others in grams. I would have liked some consistency!

The muffins were pretty damn good though. Hamsley had a sample, and wasn't sure so he sampled a second one. I liked the melted chocolate throughout the muffin and on top. The combination of raspberries and dark chocolate is delicious; with the tartness of the raspberries, the bitterness of the dark chocolate and the sweetness of the muffin batter.
I'm looking forward to another one for breakfast tomorrow!


Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Muffins
Paul Allam and David McGuinness

Get your hands on:
400g (2 2/3 cups) plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
300g caster sugar
310g unsalted butter
480ml buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
225g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
225g raspberries, fresh or frozen
55g raw (dermerara) sugar
Icing sugar, for dusting


1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Lightly grease a 12-hole muffin tin and line with paper cases.


2. Sift the flour and baking paper into a bowl and add the sugar, mixing well to combine.


3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, then remove from the heat and stir in the buttermilk. Using a whisk stir in the eggs to combine. Pour over the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Use a large spoon to gently fold through the chocolate and raspberries.


4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tins. Sprinkle the tops with raw sugar. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 20-25 minutes. It may be necessary to drop the temperature about 10 minutes before the end of baking time if the muffins are starting to brown on top.


5. To test if the muffins are done, push the top gently to feel that it is firm. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before eating. Dust with icing sugar to serve.


Makes 12.

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Since it's egg week, I had endless possibilities. I settled for one of Mum's and Hamsley's favorite egg dishes; eggs benedict.
I followed the recipe, and my poached eggs came out perfectly. I am still chuffed with myself!
I however, prefer my eggs scrambled.

The hollandaise sauce was beautiful and creamy.
It was a very quick and easy meal to make. I can see myself making this dish quite a bit in the future!



Eggs Benedict
Australian Women's Weekly

Get your hands on:
8 eggs
4 english muffins
200g shaved leg ham
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives


1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 egg yolks
125g unsalted butter, melted


1. Make hollandaise sauce: combine vinegar, juice and peppercorns in small saucepan; bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until liquid is reduced by half. Strain through a fine sieve into small heatproof bowl; cool 10 minutes. Whisk egg yolks into vinegar mixture. Set bowl over small saucepan of simmering water; do not allow water to touch base of bowl. Whisk mixture over heat until thickened. Remove bowl from heat; gradually whisk in melted butter in a thin steady stream, whisking constantly until sauce is thick and creamy.


2. To poach eggs, half-fill a large shallow frying pan with water; bring to the boil. Break 1 egg into a cup, then slide into pan; repeat with three more eggs. When all eggs are in pan, allow water to return to the boil. Cover pan, turn off heat; stand about 4 minutes or until a light film of egg white sets over yolks.
Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper; cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining eggs.


3. Meanwhile, split muffins in half and toast.

4. Serve muffins topped with ham, poached eggs, sauce and chives.


Serves 4.

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I have always wanted to try this recipe for bircher muesli.
I didn't even know what bircher muesli was all about for quite some time. That was until I tried it on a recent trip to Brown Sugar Cafe.... it was ❤ at first bite.

So, in an attempt to save money, I made a delicious Sunday breakfast at home, with freshly made coffee from our coffee machine. It was so damn good, I made it again the weekend after!

Traditionally with bircher muesli recipes, you need to soak the oats overnight in juice. This recipe only requires you to soak the oats for 30 minutes... so if you are like me and forget to soak your oats the night before.... wake up -> soak your oats -> relieve your bladder -> crawl back into bed until you're ready for breakfast!

Complete with natural yoghurt, crunchy flaked almonds, the delicious sweetness of honey, and the shear awesomeness that is grated apple... what more could you want for breakfast?!

Given that I love pretty much anything with apple in it, even down to shampoo; I really really loved this recipe. I could happily eat it everyday for breakfast. The most fiddly part of the whole dish is having to grate an apple. But if you can get over that, you'll have yourself a tasty treat!

Bircher Muesli
Donna Hay

1 1/2 cups (150g / 5 1/4 oz) rolled oats
1 cup (250ml / 8 fl oz) apple juice, warmed
2 green apples, grated
1 cup (250g / 8 oz) thick natural yoghurt
1/2 cup silvered almonds
honey, to serve

1. Place the oats and apple juice in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 30 minutes or until the oats are softened.

2. Stir in the grated apple.

3. To serve, divide the yoghurt between 4 serving glasses, top with the oat mixture, almonds and honey.

Serves 4.

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