Making your own cheesy garlic bread has never been easier or tastier. You really want to try this recipe with roasted garlic.

Roasting the fresh garlic gives it a whole different flavor and becomes soft and delicious. The cheesy garlic bread is the perfect side dish but can also be used as part of a snack board.

Make your own garlic bread

I got the idea to make this garlic bread after seeing a lot of (delicious) videos on TikTok last year. This cheesy garlic bread recipe was all the rage and had been on my to make list for quite some time.

Since I make no secret of the fact that I’m usually way behind on trends, I started working on the recipe a year later. And how unbelievably delicious it was! I could see why this easy recipe for making garlic bread was so popular. Nothing better than a warm slice of cheesy garlic bread.

Now that I was convinced of how good the bread was I quickly wrote down my version of this cheesy bread. You can eat it as an appetizer or serve with a cup of soup or a fresh salad as a main course.

You might immediately think of the store-bought garlic bread. It’s a bit like that, but a lot tastier. That’s because this garlic bread has cheese in it, but also because you make your own delicious herb butter and mix the garlic into it.

There is just nothing better than that and it beats the ones bought at the grocery store every single time.

Roasted Garlic

Roasted garlic is much softer and sweeter in flavor than the fresh (raw) variety. It is not as pungent and “garlicky” as you are used to.

For the best garlic flavor you add two whole heads of garlic to the bread. That might sound like a lot but trust me that it is delicious and the garlic mixture makes the bread absolutely perfect.

If you already know that this roasted garlic is going to steal your heart, prepare an extra head. In fact, you can store the roasted garlic in the refrigerator for up to a week and use it in another dish later. For example, toss a roasted garlic clove into a homemade soup, hummus, or aioli.

If you love strawberry cheesecake, you’re gonna want to make these strawberry cheesecake popsicles. You make them with fresh strawberries and cream cheese. Absolutely delicious on a hot summer day.

Strawberry cheesecake popsicles

The fun part is that these homemade popsicles really do taste like cheesecake. The first time I made them I did a little happy dance after tasting them.

The creamy texture in combination with the fresh berries is just the best! No one wants to stand in front of a hot oven in the summer, so this is the perfect replacement!

What do you need for making these popsicles

Apart from the below ingredients you will also need popsicle sticks and silicone popsicle molds for making this strawberry cheesecake popsicle recipe. And once you have all the ingredients it’s the easiest thing to make. Check the recipe card for full details

• cream cheese – use your favorite brand
• sugar – I use fine granulated sugar
• vanilla extract
• heavy cream – or whipping cream
• milk
• fresh strawberries – you can also use frozen strawberries if strawberries are not in season. But fresh is still best.

If you want it to be even more like cheesecake another great option is to add graham cracker crumbs to the ice cream as well. Graham crackers is the logical choice since that is most often used as a crust, but you could absolutely use other cookies as well. I’ll explain how to do that below.

Making the popsicles

As I mentioned before, making these strawberry cheesecake popsicles is super easy. The hardest part is collection the ingredients (and that’s easy too)!

You just add all the ingredients to a food processor or a blender, blend until smooth and pour into your favorite ice cream mold. You can also turn this into ice cream bars or make ice cream waffles by adding the frozen popsicles on vanilla wafers.

Since the fruit is so soft you don’t really need a high-powered blender for making this, but if you use harder fruits that might be a good choice for the smoothest result.

You can use an ice cream maker if you have one but I usually just pop them in the freezer. They will need about 3 to 4 hours to freeze completely.

Now if you want to add that graham cracker crust to the popsicles you fill the entire mold a little less full and sprinkle the crumbs on top. Making layers is also an option and you can absolutely add your favorite flavors to the mixture. I find it a perfect way to eat a little more fruit during warmer weather.

Additions and variations

You can turn this fruity cheesecake into your favorite flavors of cheesecake by changing the strawberries to raspberries, peaches, cherries; you name it.

If you want a little less cream cheese you can replace half of it with Greek yogurt if you want. Since it is mostly very simple ingredients it is also really easy to vary with different fruits. You can change the strawberry mixture by adding additional fruits as well.

This delicious strawberry peach cobbler is the perfect recipe for summer. With the abundance of fresh strawberries and juicy fresh peaches I love making this. Delicious on it’s own but even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! The perfect summer dessert.

Strawberry peach cobbler

If you’re not familiar with a cobbler, it is somewhat similar to a crumble, like this apple crumble or rhubarb crumble, but instead of the crunchy crumbles that you’re used to it features a relatively soft batter that is poured over the fruit. I would almost say it is the best of both worlds.

When you take the strawberry peach cobbler out of the oven the top layer is still beautiful golden brown and crispy and the bottom layer is soft and creamy.

I can’t tell you enough how much I love it. Of course it’s perfect for strawberry season and peach season but you could even make it with frozen fruits.

And the fun part is that you can easily turn this into another cobbler using almost all kinds of fresh fruit. Turn it into a cherry cobbler when it’s cherry season for instance. Or use other fresh berries.

What goes into the strawberry cobbler

Make sure you have all the ingredients at room temperature before you start making the cobbler. Check the recipe card for full details. I’ve used a pretty basic topping but you could add a bit of cinnamon for next time or other spices.

• strawberries – use lovely fragrant ripe strawberries. If you’re using frozen strawberries, make sure to defrost and drain any excess fluids.
• peaches – you need about 5 peaces which you turn into peach slices
• custard powder – the custard powder helps soak up the natural juices that will come out of the fruit and make it soft and creamy
• butter – you can use vegan butter if you like
• sugar – you can use caster sugar or brown sugar
• egg 
• vanilla extract
• self rising flour – or if you only have all purpose flour check how to substitute here.

Making the cobbler

Now this is a pretty easy recipe so making it takes no time at all. You start by preparing the fruit mixture. Add all the sliced fruit into a large bowl and mix it with the custard powder. Shake the bowl gently to make sure the custard powder is divided equally across all the fruit filling. If you want you can add a little bit of lemon zest to give it a fresher touch. I wouldn’t add lemon juice as that would add too much liquid.

Now for making the cobbler batter you take a separate bowl and whisk the sugar with the butter until light and fluffy. It’s easiest to do this in a food processor but you can also use a hand mixer for this. Once the butter mixture is fluffy you add the egg and the vanilla extract.

The last step is to add the self rising flour and mix it until well combined.

Once all is mixed you add the fruit first to a baking dish. You can use a round baking dish or a square baking dish. That really makes no difference to the end result. You could even bake this in an cast iron skillet. Whatever is oven proof will work. Or make individual portions by dividing it over smaller ramekins.

Now pour the flour mixture over the fruit and smooth the top if necessary.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 to 35 minutes or until you have a lovely golden brown and crisp topping. You can serve the strawberry peach cobbler warm or cold. It will be delicious either way. Enjoy!

Appetizers are one of my favorite recipes to make. They can easily serve as a snack for any party and this blooming quesadilla ring is absolutely perfect. It’s a showstopping appetizer that is also a clever way to use up leftover tortillas. Easy to adjust to your liking too.

Blooming quesadilla ring

This quesadilla ring not only looks really good but it’s pretty tasty too. In the center of the ring I place an easy dip which makes it even better.

It would be perfect served – for instance – during the super bowl, but you really can’t go wrong with this simple recipe. Below I will give you some tips on variations to the recipe.

Looking for more snack recipes?

• Saucijzenbroodjes (Dutch sausage rolls)
• Cheesy pull apart bread
• Dutch bitterballen

What do you need for making the chicken quesadilla ring

Make sure to check the recipe card for full details on the ingredients needed!

• chicken breast – for preparing the chicken I cook it in a small saucepan filled with chicken broth for the best flavor of the shredded chicken
• cheddar – I like a spicy cheddar but you can use other kinds of cheese as well like monterey jack cheese or similar
• mozzarella
• bell pepper – you can use yellow peppers or red peppers
• corn
• soft flour tortillas – use small ones or the cones will be too large
• tomato sauce – you can use a taco sauce or your favorite sauce. I like adding some sour cream to it as well but that is optional
• barbecue rub – you use this to season the chicken mix so use your favorite brand
• tomato salsa – I’ll soon be sharing a recipe for a tomato salsa as well, but you can use your favorite salsa or your dip of choice

Making the tortilla cones

For making the cones you need a tortilla half. Once you’ve made the filling you slice all the tortillas into halves with a sharp knife. Spread some of the mixture on a halved tortilla and roll it up into a cone shape. To prevent the edges of the tortillas to unfold place it on a serving platter (oven proof) and make sure that the points of the cones are pointing inwards. Once it is baked in the oven the melted cheese will make sure everything sticks together.

It’s easiest if you use a dish for serving that can be both in the oven as well as on the table. A large baking sheet will work as well but it will be trickier to place the quesadilla ring from the baking sheet on a serving plate. If you’ve used a baking sheet you can best slide it onto a wooden board and serve it like that

Once you’ve filled all the tortillas sprinkle the top with the rest of the cheddar and place in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are lightly golden brown.

Additions and variations

Now these cones of soft tortillas are a great appetizer. Perfect for using up leftover chicken and in combination with the melty cheese it is one of the best appetizer recipes. You can add some of your favorite toppings to the dish. Think about adding some fresh cilantro or sliced spring onions on top.

You can add additional fillings to the blooming quesadilla ring as well. For instance some red onion or add some black beans. It’s a fun way to serve tortillas for taco night too!

Any leftover tortillas? Try these tortilla chips as well!

If you love clafoutis, I highly recommend this delicious version with strawberries and rhubarb. Perfect for this time of year!

What is clafoutis

Maybe you never heard of clafoutis, but it is a classic French dessert featuring fresh fruit. Traditionally the dish is made with a custard batter and black cherries.

The fun part is that you can make this with most fruits. In this case I went with fresh strawberries and fresh rhubarb. But you can use any other kind of red fruit or summer fruit you like.

Strawberry rhubarb clafoutis

This clafoutis is truly one of the most delicious I have ever made. The classic cherry clafoutis is still a wonderful treat, but this strawberry rhubarb clafoutis is my favorite for this season.

The strawberries provide the sweetness, while the rhubarb makes it a fresh whole. This is enough for two people, but if you serve it with a scoop of ice cream, you could easily make it 3 or even 4 portions.

That is, if you are prepared to share. Definitely recommended now that strawberries and rhubarb are in season.

What you need to make the strawberry clafoutis

For making this recipe you will need the following ingredients:

• fresh strawberries – hulled and chopped in pieces
• fresh rhubarb – chopped in smaller pieces
• eggs
• milk – I used semi-skimmed milk here but you can use whole milk or any kind you like. Think coconut milk for a more tropical taste or almond milk
• vanilla extract
• all purpose flour
• sugar – I’ve used regular white sugar but you can use brown sugar, coconut sugar or icing sugar

Making the clafoutis

Now making this strawberry rhubarb clafoutis is super easy to do. You need two single serving size ramekins for this or use one larger buttered dish. Now place the rhubarb pieces and the sliced strawberries in a single layer in the bowl.

Take a large bowl and add the milk, eggs, vanilla, flour, salt and sugar to it. Mix it till you have a smooth consistency. You don’t really need a food processor for doing this as the mixture is quite easy. Pour mixture over the fresh fruit and place in a preheated oven.

Bake it until the eggs are set and the top of the clafoutis is golden brown.

You can eat the clafoutis warm or cold. It’s delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. But some whipped heavy cream is also really good.

Love French desserts? Check out the recipes below!

• Madeleines
• Crème brûlée

Ever wanted to make your own homemade twix bars? This easy recipe will teach you just how to do it. The good news is, it is super simple. I made this recipe for one of my cookbooks. This one was specifically aimed at kids, so making my favorite candy bars was a no-brainer!

Making Twix candy bars

Whenever I eat something I like, I almost always want to try to make it myself. Making my own Twix has been on my baking list for a while now. It is so much fun!

First you bake the crispy cookie layer, then you start working on the caramel layer. Finally, a nice chocolate dip for the final chocolate layer and your homemade Twix bars are done.

The recipe has a few parts, but all of them are easy to make. So don’t be alarmed by the steps as anyone can make these homemade candy bars!

BAKING TIP: When you make your own Twix bars, you can make them just the way you like them. Use white chocolate instead of milk chocolate, or dark chocolate if you prefer. You can also add a pinch of salt to the caramel sauce for a salted caramel filling.

What do you need to make the Twix bars?

Since the recipe is made up of three steps you do need a bit more ingredients but all of them are pretty simple. As always make sure to have all the ingredients at room temperature before you start making the recipe.

For the cookies

• caster sugar
• unsalted butter
• egg
• all purpose flour
• salt

For the caramel

• condensed milk
• unsalted butter
• dark brown sugar

And lastly you will need milk chocolate for the final layer.

Making the homemade twix bars

Start by making the cookie base for the bars. This is essentially a bit similar to a shortbread crust. You bake the cookie crust in the oven and once baked and lightly golden brown you take it out of the oven to cool down.

You need the cooled crust for the next step. For making the layer of caramel I used condensed milk which makes it extra delicious.

Place condensed milk, butter and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Now while you normally don’t stir caramel, in this case you can and you do.

Keep stirring constantly until the mixture has the right consistency. You want it to resemble something like a thick chocolate spread. Be aware that this is extremely hot, so if you’re working with kids make sure to not let them get too close to the caramel.

Pour the caramel over the chilled crust, spread it with an offset spatula and let it chill completely in the fridge.

Once you have the chilled caramel layer it is time for the final step. First to slice the bars into small strips, resembling the size of an original twix bar (although you can make them as big or as small as you like).

Once everything is chilled you move on to make the chocolate coating. Take a large bowl and make a double boiler.

Melt two third of the chocolate, once melted you remove the bowl from the pan and add the other one third of the chocolate.

You will essentially be tempering the chocolate that way. (Check how to temper chocolate without a candy thermometer here) Dip each bar into the chocolate, place on a sheet of parchment paper and let it set completely.

TIP: If you want to make the classic texture on top of the Twix bars, you can make it with a fork. While the chocolade is still soft, press a fork on the bar gently en pull up. Repeat this until you are happy with the texture of the chocolate.

If you’re already thinking about Friday afternoon drinks this weekend, this recipe for Loaded Sweet Potato Pizza fries will be music to your ears. When you put these on the table, it’s definitely party time!

It’s also a great choice if you can’t decide if you or your guests are more in the mood for fries or for pizza. Enter the loaded pizza fries! It’s a pretty fun meal, that can work as a side dish, appetizer or as a full meal as well.

Loaded sweet potato fries with pizza toppings

The recipe for these loaded fries came from the book of one of my blogger friends. I changed it a tiny bit by adding sweet potato instead of regular french fries but you can absolutely use either of the two.

I personally think that the best way to serve these hot fries is over drinks. It’s a fun food and you can use whatever toppings you like.

What do you need for the loaded pizza fries?

Now in this recipe I assumed you already know how to make sweet potato fries or you use ready made sweet potato fries from the grocery store.

You can find easy sweet potato fries that are made in the air fryer. Whatever you choose will work fine. On top of the sweet potato I used the following:

• spicy tomato sauce – you can use a pizza sauce, marinara sauce or add a bit of hot sauce to regular tomato sauce for a spicy effect
• olives – I added green olives, but you can use any kind of olive you like. Or if you don’t like olives you can leave them off as well.
• mozzarella cheese – now mozzarella is one of my favorite cheeses as it melts so lovely but you do need some extra cheese for additional flavor
• parmesan cheese – I used parmesan in addition to the mozzarella but you can use any kind of cheese you like
• pepperoni
• fresh basil – you can use any kind of other Italian seasoning as well.

You could even load more onto the loaded fries. Think black beans, green onions, red onion, red peppers or make sweet potato cheese fries (my next favorite loaded fries!!) by adding a whole lot more cheese. But like I said you can use your favorite toppings.

Making the loaded sweet potato pizza fries

For making the loaded fries you need a large baking sheet or a sheet pan. You start by baking the sweet potato in the preheated oven or in the air fryer.

Once that is done it is time to pile up the toppings. I like to start with the mozzarella. Just spread it over the fries. Add the peperoni if using and sprinkle the parmesan over it as well. Place back in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and finish with the other toppings, like the olives and fresh herbs. Enjoy!

Appetizer tip: Enjoy your fries with some homemade cheese croquettes!

As you can imagine: I bake a lot! I made a selection of my most used and favorite baking pans. This collection is perfect for every home baker.

My collection

If you love to bake, you know that your cupboards are slowly but surely filling up with baking utensils. I know that especially baking pans take up a lot of space. For a while, I bought and received special baking pans with some regularity, but I found that I ended up using them little to none.

I almost always reach for the same basic tins and rings anyway. I use them a lot and like to make room for them in my cupboards.

I’m currently cleaning out my cupboards. I have the most used pans in a drawer in my kitchen, the rest are in my office, in my junk room or in the attic. Totally inconvenient to have all these different places. So I’m going to change that soon.

At the same time, I’m going to take another look at what shapes I really want to keep. Today I will tell you more about my most used and favorite baking pans. And I have also created a list with a bakeware collection for the avid home bakers.

Sizing is a little bit different between European standard sizing in centimeters and the inch sizing so I’ve rounded up the inch. So a 8.9 inch pan will become a 9-inch pan.

Loaf pans

I have 2 metal loaf pans that are 25 cm/10 inch long. I find this to be the perfect size for cakes and I use them a lot. I have tried several brands over the years and find that there is not much difference in quality. I currently have 2 of these loaf pans at home.

As far as I’m concerned, you don’t need expensive loaf pans. They cost a few dollars and for that amount of money I don’t mind if you have to replace them at some point.

I use them quite a lot myself and I want to look at a slightly more expensive loaf pan to replace them, mainly because I am curious to see if I actually find it nicer to work with and if it will last longer. I will give an update when the time comes 😉 .

Springforms

For years I have been working with springform tins from two particular brands, Patisse and Kaiser which are more than fine to work with. For about 2 years now I have owned two Le Creuset springforms.

They are quite expensive and I don’t know if I would have bought them if I hadn’t been given them. However, now that I know how they work, I am sure I would buy them myself. They are fantastic.

If one of them fails, I’m sure I’ll buy the same one again. But it will be a long time before I do, because even though they are used a lot, they still look pretty good.

I have a 20cm/8 inch and a 24cm/ 9 inch springform pan, both of which I use a lot. I have been using them for about five years now and they still look great.

Cake Pans

A baking pan is a solid bottom pan and comes in all shapes and sizes. I own (or have owned) several different shapes and sizes, but there are only a few that I actually use a lot.

Those are the 20 x 20 cm square pan (perfect for brownies) and the 15 and 20 cm round pans. I even have three of the 15cm ones, which are perfect for baking layer cakes.

Of course, you can do this with just one pan, but it’s much faster and more convenient with multiple pans. Highly recommended if you make this type of cake regularly.

There are several brands of pans. Mine are almost all PME, but I also have a few from Wilton. These brands are mostly available online. These are mine:

• Square cake pan 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inch)
• Round cake pan 15 cm/6 inch (I have 3)
• Round 20 cm/8 inch baking pan

Rectangular pans

I just mentioned my square baking pan, which is also available as a rectangular baking pan. Personally, I use oven baking dishes whenever I need a rectangular baking pan. From cakes to crumbles, I use them for almost everything.

While baking pans are all standard sizes, baking dishes are very different. The sizes I use most often are 16 x 25 cm (6 x 10 inch) and 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inch), but any size close to that will work.

Otherwise you can just convert your recipes with my conversion tool. This set of 4 baking dishes is nice to have around the house. The small one is similar to what I often use for baking recipes, the large one is perfect for casseroles.

As far as brands go, I don’t really have a preference. I have baking dishes from Le Creuset and a lot of other brands you can find online. I also have a set of these rectangular sheet pans which are great for lots of different things too. From sheet cakes to using as cookie sheets.

Baking rings

I have had a set of baking rings for a few years now and I use them a lot, which I never expected. I mostly make tartelettes and rondos, but you can use them for anything. Baking rings have no bottom, you put them on a baking tray covered with baking paper, which forms the bottom.

I personally have these baking rings that are 8 cm/3 to 4 inch in diameter, an ideal size. I have a set of 6, but would like to expand to 10 or 12. Then I don’t have to clean them in between and can just keep baking. You can also use these tall baking rings, you can use them for even more dishes in the kitchen.

Quiche and tart/pie pans

I bake quiches and pies in round quiche pans with a (solid bottom and) scalloped rim. I have both ceramic and metal pans, both of which I use regularly.

The ceramic quiche pan I have is 28 cm/11 inch, a hefty size but very handy for savory pies. The metal one is 25 cm/10 inch and is a flan/quiche tin with a removable bottom, very handy for getting your pie out of the tin easily. I use this one for both savory and sweet pies.

I don’t have a strong brand preference. My metal mold is unbranded and the stone mold is from Le Creuset. The important thing is that the metal mold has a good non-stick coating. And a loose bottom works so well with a metal pan. It’s also very convenient to have different sizes.

Other specialty pans

That was quite a bit of text about the baking pans I like and use a lot, but there are more! These are more specific pans for “special” baking. For example, I wouldn’t want to be without my muffin pans. I have one for regular muffins and cupcakes and one for mini muffins and cupcakes.

My molds are from Wilton, the first one I ever bought is about 10 years old and still good. But any good brand will work.

I bought my madeleine pan at a grocery store and I wouldn’t be without it. In fact, I would rather have another one. After all, you can often fill two molds with one recipe.

Finally, bundt cakes, one of my favorite baking molds. Also one where I have a strong brand preference. All but one of my bundt pans are from Nordic Ware. You pay a little extra for them, but they are worth it.

Besides the special and beautiful shapes, they have a very good coating. I just use a baking spray to grease them and all my cakes come out of the mold beautifully. Although I already own 4 of these pans, I have many more on my wish list. The designs are unique and they keep coming up with new and beautiful designs.

All in a row

Here are the cake pans that I like to use a lot and that I think are useful in any baking enthusiast’s kitchen:

• 1 or 2 25 cm loaf pans
• 20 and 24 cm springform pans
• 15 cm round baking pans (maybe several per size)
• 20 cm round baking pan 
• 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inch) square baking pan
• Baking dish set
• Rectangular sheet pan
• Set of 8 cm baking rings
• 28 cm/11 inch quiche pan
• 25 cm pie pan (with loose bottom)
• Muffin tin (for regular and small muffins)
• Madeleine mold
• Bundt pan(s)

That’s a pretty big list. I have many more molds, but the ones I mentioned are the ones I use the most and would really miss if I didn’t have them anymore.

Do you have a lot of baking pans at home? Or are there many more on your wish list? I am curious about your favorite baking pan(s)!

I have another delicious recipe with a perfect flavor combo: lemon poppy seed muffins! They are fluffy, moist, easy to make and one of my favorite muffin recipes.

Lemons and poppy seed

These delicious lemon poppy seed muffins where first made for a photo shoot I did a few years back. At the time I wrote a weekly column for a Dutch magazine which always featured a new recipe plus a photo of me. Because we needed a few new head shots I figured it would be nice to make these lemon poppy seed muffins.

People often look at me a little crazy when I say I put poppy seeds in a batter (at least they do here in the Netherlands), but after they taste it, they are convinced.

I think the best example of this was when I was at a food market with the lemon poppy seed cake from my second book. I encouraged everyone with raised eyebrows (poppy seeds, in a cake? Why?!) to try a piece, and it was so funny to see everyone start laughing as they chewed. They loved it!

Since I like the combination of lemon and poppy seeds so much, I decided to combine them again, this time in muffins. I love muffins. In a few minutes they are in the oven and before you know it you are enjoying delicious muffins.

What goes into the lemon poppy seed muffins

Making this lemon poppy seed muffins recipe is really super easy to do. I always love how easy it is to make muffins, and the lemon flavor in this muffin recipe is just so delicious! I love all things lemon, it’s my go to ingredient in spring and summer.

You need the following ingredients:

• sugar – I use regular granulated sugar for this recipe
• all purpose flour
• baking powder
• baking soda
• lemon – you need fresh lemon zest as well as fresh lemon juice
• poppy seeds
• eggs
• milk – I use semi skimmed milk for making these moist lemon poppy seed muffins.
• sunflower oil – or another neutral vegetable oil

In addition to the above you will also need paper muffin cups, a muffin tin and a wire rack to cool down the muffins once baked.

Preparing the muffin batter

The good thing about making any kind of muffin is that the batter is usually simply a matter of combining the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.

You also don’t need to whip it for very long so a large bowl is usually enough. No need to use a food processor either.

Just mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, lemon zest and poppy seeds. Use a whisk to mix it through and use a separate bowl for mixing the wet ingredients. It’s ok if there are a few streaks of flour in the batter. And that’s all there is to it.

Place each muffin liner inside of your muffin pan and fill with the batter. You want the batter to be just below the rim of the paper so you will get nice round muffin tops.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and cooked. The baking time is roughly 12-18 minutes.

I love making a quick batch of these muffins and freeze them for later use. Perfect to include in your weekday breakfast or as a snack and even better for lemon lovers!

Check out these lemon recipes as well:

For all my lemon lovers, here are a few recipes you might like:

• Lemon bars
• Lemon fudge
• Candied lemon slices
• Lemon loaf

What are your lemon recipes? Let me know in the comments below!

There is something so satisfying about working with phyllo dough. It is the crispiest after baking and these baked feta bites in phyllo pastry are my new favorite.

It’s super easy to make and the crispy outside layer with the creamy feta on the inside is just the best! One of my favorite feta recipes.

Baked feta bites in phyllo pastry

Phyllo pastry or filo pastry can be a little bit tricky to work with if you’ve never used it before. There is also quite a big difference in quality.

I like to buy my phyllo pastry in the Turkish grocery store as I find they have the best phyllo that is easiest to handle. But you can certainly use regular phyllo pastry too. Just something to be aware off.

The most important thing when working with this kind of pastry is to not let it dry out. So as soon as you remove it from the package, cover the sheets of phyllo with damp paper towels.

Also don’t be afraid to use a lot of olive oil. That will prevent the phyllo from breaking.

What do you need to make the feta bites

Now as I said you only need four simple ingredients to make the feta bites.

• phyllo pastry – you need 5 sheets of phyllo
• feta cheese – make sure to get a whole block of feta and not little cubes. You want to be able to cut oblong strips from the feta. Also make sure to use Greek feta for the best taste.
• honey
• extra virgin olive oil – you can also use melted butter instead

Making the baked feta bites

The first step is to cut the sheets of phyllo in half length wise. Cut your feta block into 10 feta rectangles and make sure they are a little narrower than the halved sheets.

Have both the honey and the olive oil ready in a small bowl. Brush a generous amount of oil over the pastry sheet. Place one feta cube on top and add a drizzle of honey over the feta.

Now roll the sheet of phyllo up around the feta, folding the sides inwards as you roll. Place the phyllo-wrapped feta on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Repeat this proces for all 10 rolls. Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Looking for more easy snacks and appetizers?

I’ve got you covered! I love to create appetizers and savory snacks and there are a lot of recipes I want to share with you. These recipes are a fes of my favorite Dutch snacks:

• Dutch bitterballen
• Sausage rolls
• Saucijzenbroodjes

While I love being in the kitchen for more elaborate recipes, I also love the baked goods you can make in a pinch. Take lemon fudge, for example! Basically, this is a chocolate fudge made with white chocolate.

I also added lemon extract and lemon curd to make a deliciously fresh lemon fudge. Because of the additions, the fudge is a little softer and has a creamy texture, but that actually makes it even more delicious. I wrapped the pieces of fudge in sheets of parchment paper for storage.

Easy lemon fudge recipe

Apart from being absolutely delicious, these also make a great gift to someone who loves that zesty lemon flavor. You can fill a bag, a tin or a jar with some wrapped pieces of the creamy lemon fudge and you’ll make someone really happy.

This recipe makes more than enough to fill your own candy jar. Plus it’s super easy and you need just a few simple ingredients.

• white chocolate chips – or use white chocolate bars
• condensed milk – the condensed milk also provides extra sweetness (on top of the chocolate) so no additional sugar is needed
• lemon extract 
• lemon curd – you can also add a bit of lemon zest for even more lemon flavor

In addition to the ingredients you need a square or rectangle pan lined with parchment paper to pour the fudge mixture in.

How to make the lemon fudge

There are several methods for making fudge. A traditional fudge recipe would require the use of a candy thermometer and can be a bit more fiddly to get right.

I personally love easy fudge recipes and this lemon fudge is really quite simple. No need for thermometers or other fancy equipment.

Just melt, stir and cool. That’s basically all it takes. As always make sure to check the full details in the recipe card.

You only need a large saucepan where all the ingredients would easily fit in. Place the pan on low heat to maximum medium heat (you don’t want it to get too hot) and gently melt the chocolate.

Once the mixture is smooth and creamy you pour the fudge into your prepared pan or baking dish. Spread evenly with a spatula, cover with aluminum foil and place in the fridge for at least 4 to 6 hours to set.

Wrapping the individual pieces

Now if you are thinking of making this sweet treat into a lovely gift you can wrap each piece in a bit of parchment paper.

Wrapping also helps in storing it, because the lemon fudge is a little softer than normal fudge. So wrapping it makes it easier to handle.

When you’re cutting your fudge, do this straight from the fridge with a sharp knife. Don’t leave it at room temperature and then cut it as that will be more difficult.

More recipes with lemon

I know I’m not the only one that loves those fresh lemon recipes. I share a few of my favorites, but know there are many more lemon recipes on the blog:

• Lemon loaf
• Lemon bars
• Lemon curd

If you love pancakes, you’re going to adore these delicious fresh lemon poppy seed pancakes. Delicious for breakfast or lunch or a lazy Sunday morning, this easy recipe for homemade pancakes will get you started right away!

Making Lemon Poppy seed Pancakes

Poppy seed for baking may sound strange, but it is surprisingly delicious! Lemon poppy seed combinations are quite common in the US (not so much in The Netherlands, although it’s a bit more common now).

Think about lemon poppy seed muffins (my favorite muffin!) or lemon poppy seed bread. The list of recipes goes on and on!

Ever since I created a lemon poppyseed yogurt cake for one of my books, I am addicted to this delicious combination. So I wanted to do more with these two ingredients.

Be prepared for more recipes with these ingredients coming up soon. It’s that bright lemon flavor that does it for me every single time.

What goes into the lemon poppy seed pancakes

These fluffy pancakes are not difficult to make. You will need the following:

• all purpose flour
• baking powder – the combination of baking powder and baking soda make for fluffier pancakes.
• baking soda
• sugar – there is not a lot of sugar used in this recipe. A mere teaspoon is all you need, but you’re welcome to add more if you like.
• lemon – for the lemon I use the zest as that has the most lemon flavor. If you want you can add a bit of lemon extract to increase the citrusy flavor.
• poppy seeds
• eggs – Medium eggs as always
• milk – whole milk. Sometimes I also use a little Greek yogurt instead of the milk.

For baking these pancakes I use melted butter, but you can also use oil if you prefer. I like the butter better as it browns all pancakes recipes better in my opinion.

How to make the pancakes

Take a large bowl and add the dry ingredients into the bowl. Mix it for a bit before adding the wet ingredients. Mix it all through. A few lumps is not a problem, it doesn’t have to be super smooth.

Now add enough butter into a large skillet (on medium heat) and add about a quarter of a cup of batter into the pan. I also like to use an ice cream scoop to pour batter into the pan.

Let it gently simmer on medium-low heat until the top of the pancake gets a bit dry and bubbly. At that point you can flip the pancakes and bake the other side until both sides are golden brown.

Add a little butter and repeat these steps with the remaining batter until all pancakes are done. You can serve the pancakes with fresh fruit, some warm maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar.

More Lemon Recipes

There will be more lemon and poppy seed recipes coming up soon but for now I do already have a few delicious lemon recipes lined up for you:

• Lemon curd
• Candied lemon slices
• Lemon bars
• Lemon loaf