Best of 2014

I hope you all had a really lovely Christmas and some time off to relax. I always get quite reflective around this time of year on the things that have happened and how fast time is flying by! This year was all about hard work and learning as I started to build my freelance business. I didn't get to bake and blog quite as much as I tried to get used to my crazy new work schedule, but I have some exciting things planned for this space in the next little while so stay tuned for a few changes to come! This year I turned 26, this blog turned 7, we adopted a cat and I didn't leave Sydney at all! I hope that 2015 brings a little more balance, growth and hopefully some travel. Here is a little look back on some of my favourite posts for the year.

1. At the beginning of 2013 I made these Berry and White Chocolate Blondies and set a few goals for the year. Happy to say I almost made it to 20 books (currently reading #18) but really didn't keep up with my adventures once a week as work and life often got in the way. This is definitely something to focus on in 2015.

2. The most popular post of the year (and also the third most popular post of all time!) was the Tipsy Peach Iced Tea, which was a delicious and refreshing summer drink. You guys have good taste ;)

3. The award for dessert eaten the most quickly has to be the Churros with White Chocolate Raspberry Ganache! I guess you can't go wrong with fried dough, chocolate and sprinkles!

4. This was a very special cake, because I love making birthday cakes and this Chocolate Chip Passionfruit Naked Cake was for my sister Beth's 21st birthday party. I was so happy with how this one turned out and everyone loved it too, especially the birthday girl!

5. I was so happy that I finally tried making a Dutch Baby served with Chai Poached Pears and Caramel. I loved the wintery flavours in this decadent breakfast, but I'd also love to try it again with summer fruits soon. I also really embraced caramel this year, apparently!

6. I loved this winning combination of ingredients in a simple but impressive Star Anise Panna Cotta with Caramelised Pineapple. It was actually halfway between a panna cotta and creme caramel, which made it totally delicious.

7. As you know, I love love love making doughnuts, but I was thrilled to try a recipe for a baked version that tasted just as good as a fried one! Definitely check out these Baked Doughnuts with Fresh Berry and Pomegranate Glaze. It's a great one for kiddies as they are healthier than their fried counterparts and the glaze is made with colour and flavour from the berries - nothing artificial here!

8. This pretty Hummingbird Cake was probably one of the recipes that surprised me the most, it is such a simple combination of ingredients but it works so well and is very very pretty :)

I also just wanted to say a massive thank you as always to all of my fabulous readers. I read every single one of your comments and they mean the world to me. Thanks for joining me on another year of sugar and sprinkles, and I wish you the most wonderful year ahead xx