Drinks – Baking with Gab

Chocolate orange oreo milkshake and Halloween creations

I’m not usually the type to buy cookies. Ninety per cent of the time, I can pretty much guarantee that there are enough baked goods in my house/belly that I have no need for store-bought ones. But when I saw the Oreos chocolate orange Halloween creations, I couldn’t resist. Having just drooled over Terry’s Chocolate Orange, I figured it was only appropriate to continue the chocolate orange Halloween recipes.

Can I just say, this little beverage is DANGEROUS. It’s not overpoweringly sweet, and it has a subtle jaffa-like taste, which means you could easily drink the whole serving instead of sharing. And it’s quick to make.

It seriously is witchcraft.

If you’re not in the mood for Halloween, just use regular oreos, it’s equally as good.

Chocolate orange oreo milkshake

Serves 1-2

8 Oreos
1 1/2 cups of milk
3 scoops of vanilla ice cream
70g dark chocolate, melted

Blend together your oreos and ½ cup of milk together until you have a smoothish paste. Pour in your melted chocolate and mix well. Add in the ice cream and remaining milk, then blend until drinkable.

That’s it! Go forth and make milkshakes.

Citrusy earl grey cocktail and tea obsession

I literally cannot remember the last time I went a whole day without having tea. Whether it’s hot, cold, or in my food, I’m a sucker for anything tea-related. When I was in England recently, I carried tea bags around with me. I also based a couple of my city stops on where I wanted to buy tea from (hello Betty’s and Daman Freres!)

Continue reading “Citrusy earl grey cocktail and tea obsession”

The best hot chocolate in the world

Want the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day? Chocolate.

That is all you need. (Well, that’s all I need!)

It’s no secret that I love chocolate. When it comes to food, the more chocolate something has in it, the better. That is why I skip cocoa and go straight for a block when I make hot chocolate. Your loved one/s will love you for this, trust me. Continue reading “The best hot chocolate in the world”

Mango lemonade and Summer drinks

Summer is definitely here. After a bit of a stormy start, Summer has reared it’s glorious head. I got burnt yesterday at the beach; I applied sunscreen (patchily, as it turns out) and have awkward sunburn patches on my back and legs.

On top of the 30+ degree weather, this sunburn makes me feel like I’m melting! I had a box of quickly ripening mangoes and was in need of something refreshing, speedy and healthy to ease the pain of the sunburn. This mango lemonade ticks all of these boxes and it tastes like a little bit of heaven. I’m in love with it. Continue reading “Mango lemonade and Summer drinks”

Berry slushies and hot Summer days

This is the kind of drink that I wish I had on tap on cold days. It’s probably a good thing that a drink like this takes a little bit of preparation, otherwise I’d drink it like water! It’s simple to make, but should be made a few hours in advance just to make sure that it’s set in time. Continue reading “Berry slushies and hot Summer days”

Strawberry lemon cordial and Spring!

I know I’m a little late jumping on the bandwagon, but it’s Spring and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

My favourite flower in the entire world happens to be the freesia, which only rears its gorgeous little head for the shortest period of time. Spring is that time. If you’ve not seen a freesia before, I’ll give you a little crash course.

They’re small, predominantly white flowers that grow best in the wild. They like company; four or more flowers will grow, side-by-side, on the same stem. They’re trumpet shaped and tend to have shades of purple and yellow dabbed around the outer edges. Continue reading “Strawberry lemon cordial and Spring!”

Anzac day and passionfruit mint cocktails

I’ve already posted an Anzac biscuit recipe. It’s my dad’s recipe and they are delicious. He’s in the kitchen making them as I type. The smell of melted butter combined with the oats and brown sugar is such a simple delight. The mixture is to die for, raw or baked.

Instead of posting another Anzac-based recipe, however, I’m sharing a cocktail today. Sharing a drink with friends is so deeply ingrained in the Australian culture, that I’m pretty sure my entire long weekend consists of pub catch ups.

This cocktail is a far cry from the usual macho feel of Anzac day, where beer and two up are king, but it’s a gorgeous way to brighten up your rainy Anzac day. I also got most of my ingredients from my farm visit last weekend, so this cocktail is a little celebration of Australia in a glass.

With fresh, zesty flavours, it’s also pretty delicious. Enjoy your Anzac day!

Passionfruit mint fizz:

Makes 4 cocktails

8 passionfruit
5cm chunk of ginger
2 small lemons, juice and zest
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups water
White rum
2 cups soda water or lemonade

Slice the skin off your ginger, then score it lightly to ensure it releases lots of flavour. Pop the ginger in a heavy based, medium-sized saucepan with the passionfruit pulp and seeds, juice and zest of the lemons, sugar, and water.

Put the mixture of a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Set to one side to cool. You should end up with about 2 cups of syrup, which will make four cocktails.

When the syrup is cooled, pour about ¼ cup into a tumbler, add 30ml (or more) or rum and top up with soda water or lemonade. You can always omit the alcohol and serve it as a home made cordial if you please.

Enjoy!

Revitalising rooibos iced tea and Summer

I’m a new convert to iced tea. I usually opt for piping hot tea, regardless of the temperature, but Pinterest has inspired me to be a little bit more adventurous. The ice teas that pop up on Pinterest are colourful, beautifully styled and no doubt taste fantastic. I wanted something like that!

So with a little trepidation, I left the oven off and stuck to fresh, revitalising ingredients for my iced tea. Everything about this drink screams Summer to me –it’s full of invigorating ingredients, super quick to throw together, it’s best over ice, and the colour is divine! Continue reading “Revitalising rooibos iced tea and Summer”

Delicious Pimm’s and fond English memories

I love Pimm’s. I first discovered it when I was staying in the north of England a few years ago. I asked the bartender what cocktail I should try and he recommended Pimm’s. It was the middle of Winter and I was home-sick and slightly frozen, but the Pimm’s made me feel like I was at home. The cool, refreshing drink did not match the cold English weather at all, but it didn’t matter! Continue reading “Delicious Pimm’s and fond English memories”

Raspberry Mint Iced Tea and abundance

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, there is too much mint in my garden. The mint has gone wild. Not literally, but it’s pretty abundant. So I’m going to use it up, even if it means that my family complain about the repetition of flavours.

And they probably will.

I’m going to try and switch it up though, keep them on their toes so they don’t know whether they’re going to be eating or drinking it, or whether I’ll serve it to them in sweet or savoury dishes. I’ve got to keep myself entertained somehow. Continue reading “Raspberry Mint Iced Tea and abundance”