Wildflower Focaccia Recipe: A Taste of Spring

Staying in October's theme of meadows and wildflowers, I thought it would be fun to share a simple, fun, delicious AND beautiful Wildflower Focaccia Recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp instant yeast

• 2 cups warm water

• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• Edible flowers and herbs for decoration

Instructions:

• Mix flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl.

• Add water and 1/4 cup olive oil. Mix until a sticky dough forms.

• Cover and let rise at room temperature for 8-24 hours.

• Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Oil a baking sheet.

• Spread dough on the sheet. Dimple with your fingers.

• Drizzle with olive oil and arrange edible flowers/herbs on top.

• Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Edible Flowers in New Zealand:

• Nasturtiums

• Pansies

• Violas

• Calendula

• Borage

• Lavender

• Chamomile

• Fennel flowers

Tips:

• Ensure flowers are pesticide-free

• Use flowers sparingly as garnish

• Press flowers gently into the dough before baking

• This focaccia is not just delicious – it's a beautiful celebration of spring!

Tag us in your wildflower focaccia, we'd love to see your delicious designs.

A Spring-Inspired Lemon Loaf Recipe

Spring has sprung in New Zealand, and with it comes an abundance of bright, zesty lemons.

At Little Batch Wax Co., we believe in celebrating each season with all our senses, from the scents of our candles to the flavours in our kitchens. Today, we're excited to share a delicious lemon loaf recipe that's been a hit with our monthly email subscribers.

This lemon loaf has the perfect balance of tart and sweet that pairs wonderfully with your morning coffee or afternoon tea. Level up your next girl's coffee catchup and treat them to a homemade lemon loaf.

Here's the recipe for our Perfect Lemon Loaf:

Ingredients:

For the loaf:

• 1/2 cup (113g) butter, room temperature

• 1 cup (200g) white sugar

• 3 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 Tbsp lemon zest (from about 1 large lemon)

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 1 1/2 cups (185g) all-purpose flour

• 1/4 tsp table salt

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 1/3 cup (75 ml) sour cream, room temperature (*option: swap with plain yogurt)

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup (65g) icing/confectioners' sugar

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice, plus more as needed

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).

• Prepare an 8x4-inch loaf pan with baking spray and parchment paper.

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).

• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.

• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

• Alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream to the butter mixture, starting and ending with flour.

• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

• Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a rack.

• For the glaze, mix icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over cooled loaf.

This recipe is versatile too. Freeze for later, or add poppy seeds for a bit of crunch, or swap the lemon for orange or lime for a different citrus twist. You could even add a handful of blueberries to the batter for a fruity surprise.

As you enjoy your lemon loaf, why not enhance the experience with one of our spring-scented candles? Our 'Sage and Cedar' or 'Cottage' scents complement the citrusy notes perfectly.

We'd love to see your creations! Share photos of your lemon loaf on Instagram and tag us @littlebatchwaxco. And don't forget to subscribe to our email list to be the first to receive seasonal recipes, product updates, and event announcements.

Happy baking!

Grandma's Secret Revealed: The Perfect Banana Walnut Cake Recipe

Our little country kitchen has been given a much-needed makeover (yay). The extra space along with the cooler Autumn weather has inspired me to bake.

Among the three desserts I whipped up this weekend, the Banana Walnut Bread Cake was a firm favourite.

This recipe is relatively simple. I made the wet and dry mixtures the night before so I could pour and bake early the next morning. This cake is substantial enough to feed about 10 people for morning tea, comfortably.

Note: The walnuts are from a tree on our farm, but are optional if they are difficult to find. The cake pan is this one from New World, but this one from Warehouse Stationary would also suffice.

INGREDIENTS:

For the cake...

6 ripe bananas

1 cup (230g) unsalted butter

1 cup buttermilk (or make your own)

4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or maple syrup)

2 cups brown sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

For the frosting...

1 cup walnuts

2 cups powdered sugar

6 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or maple syrup)

1/3 cup butter diced into small cubes

METHOD:

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Grease cake pan.

In a medium bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas, mix until combined. Add in buttermilk, vanilla, sugar; mix until well combined.

Add dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix to incorporate.

Pour mixture into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a butter knife comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before icing.

Prepare the frosting...

Mix all ingredients (aside from walnuts) in a bowl with a stick / hand blender until thick and creamy.

Once cake has cooled, spread evenly on top and sprinkle with walnuts.

Serve warm with coffee or tea.

I hope you enjoy this cake. Let me know in the comments if you've tried it and if you'd like to see more recipes here on our journal page.