For my last Rosie Makes of 2020, I thought I would once again share a round-up of my favourite bakes of the year. I’ve tried to reflect the seasons, flavours and occasions – big or small – associated with each month of this most strange of years. Click on the month to see all the recipes from that month in my 2020 archive. I know my kitchen has been a great solace for me this year and it’s been so lovely to hear you making recipes I’ve shared and how they’ve brought joy to your homes as well. Do let me know if you have any baking requests for the new year. Happy Hogmanay when it comes!
A vegan chocolate pear and cardamom cake making the most of seasonal fruit and warming spice for Veganuary. (I also shared a recipe for the salted honey cake with hazelnut brittle, pictured above).
After our trip to Paris I was inspired to make these blood orange and chocolate madeleines to make the most of citrus season.
March saw the start of lockdown in the UK and these brownie crinkle cookies were popular. A cross between a gooey brownie and a comforting cookie provided baking respite.
These chocolate and cardamom hot cross buns brought some joy to a lockdown Easter in the UK.
May:
These white chocolate, rhubarb and stem ginger cookies filled the hungry gap with sharp rhubarb, sweet chocolate and fiery ginger in a cookie that tastes like a cross between a blondie and an oaty flapjack.
June:
Another hit here and on Instagram was these delicate, Summery elderflower custard creams combining a crumbly custard cream biscuit with light elderflower buttercream.
July:
A personal highlight for me was eating this gooseberry pavlova – thanks mainly to the Fife gooseberries from Edinburgh Food Delivery; another highlight of this strange year!
Blackberry season is always highly anticipated in my house. I celebrated the first of the berries with these blackberry and star anise friands: an almond rich cake filled with warming spice and seasonal fruit, topped with sweet blackberry icing.
Kicking off crumble season with this plum crumble cake – a sweet sponge with a crunchy crumble topping for the best of both worlds.
It had to be chocolate pumpkin spice cake for October – I’ve heard from lots of you making and enjoying this one, which is so lovely to hear.
This pear and ginger upside-down cake combines two types of ginger – stem and ground – in a light sponge, topped with sweet pears and a ginger caramel topping.
These clementine and almond buns, filled with marzipan and seasonal citrus, were a hit on Instagram. I’ll be making them again this festive week!
I hope you enjoyed my best bakes of 2020. Thanks for following in this challenging year and for all the comments, follows, shares and saves – they mean so much. A very happy new year when it comes!
2 comments
Happy new year, my friend! x
And to you, lovely Gill! x