Hi, welcome to my baking and photography blog! This is my online recipe book so to speak, of some of my favourite tried and tested recipes.

I’m Alana, a home baker, amateur photographer and mum of two young girls living in Christchurch, New Zealand.

I have always had a passion for baking. I grew up in De Aar, a small Karoo town in South Africa. I have seen (and helped) my mother and grandmothers time and time again cooking and baking delicious eats from scratch (not to mention all the ‘basaar pannekoek’ and ‘tuisnywerheid melktert’ I ate as a youngster). I have done many things in life (qualified as a dentist, a diploma in orthodontics, a basic patisserie course at Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand, a cake business, photography and barista courses), but my love for baking has endured throughout. This blog is my creative outlet for all things baked and beautiful while paying homage to my heritage.

I hope you find some recipes you like. Some are super easy (my four-year-old makes them) and some are more challenging (like the macaron recipe I have spilled many tears over perfecting). Let me know if you have made any, I would love feedback (or tag me on Instagram).

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch (via the contact page or leave a message in the comment section below each recipe).

I would love to hear from you!

Happy baking!

Alana