We went on a 12-day cruise around Japan during July, one of the hottest and most humid months of the year. The cruise gave us the opportunity to explore some smaller towns outside the major cities, even stopping in Busan for a day.
Summer in Japan
Hojicha White Chocolate Cookies with Sesame Toffee
These cookies are flavoured with matcha’s underrated cousin, hojicha. When combined with white chocolate and studded with bits of sesame toffee, they deliver a delicious balance of sweet, toasty flavours and a texture that’s both crisp and chewy.
Strawberry and Cream Èclairs
This is an elevated, gluten-free take on the classic chouquette, a mini choux pastry coated in pearl sugar. I’ve made them into éclairs filled with crème légère and macerated strawberries.
Vanilla, Passionfruit and Raspberry Dome Cake
This is my first time making a dome cake – I’ve been seeing them all over my feed lately. Whilst it’s not perfect, I’m still pretty pleased with how it turned out.
Gluten-free Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart
I was in between recipe testing a hojicha basque cheesecake and banana cake (both of which were unsuccssful), and wanted to revisit this tart which I made several years ago.
Lemon Meringue Cake
Inspired by a lemon meringue tart, this cake is light, tangy and not overly sweet. It features layers of gluten-free vanilla cake, filled with swiss meringue buttercream and lemon curd, and covered in toasted meringue.
Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Everyone has their own version of a perfect chocolate chip cookie. I like mine crisp on the outside, chewy in the middle, and with a balanced ratio of chocolate to actual cookie dough.
Sydney
I’ve visited Sydney many times over the years to see family, but it’s only recently that I’ve had the chance to truly explore the city. I’m excited to share some of my favourite spots, restaurants and bakeries.
