Sarah says: “I’ve always loved making braided breads; I find so much beauty in the lines of colour in the dough, all twisted and wrapped in various shapes and sizes. You can use either salted or unsalted pistachios here; I like the flavour of salted, and it is usually what I have on hand.”

Makes one 9” (23cm) twist

Ingredients

For the filling:

100g brown sugar

30g roasted, shelled pistachios, finely chopped

2 tsp ground cardamom

Pinch of salt

For the pull-apart bread dough:

120g warm milk (35-42°C)

2 tsp active dry yeast

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1½ tsp salt

444g plain flour, plus more for dusting

8 tbsp (113g) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature

For the assembly:

Plain flour, for dusting

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

For the icing:

2 to 4 tbsp orange juice or water

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

180g icing sugar

Roasted, shelled pistachios, finely chopped, for sprinkling

Method

To make the pull-apart bread dough

Grease a large bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the milk and yeast on low speed. Let sit until the yeast has dissolved, about 5 minutes, then add the eggs, honey, granulated sugar, and salt and mix until well combined.

Add the flour, mixing on low speed until incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the butter, one piece at a time. When all the butter has been added, increase the speed to medium and beat the butter into the dough until all the little butter pieces are incorporated, 1 minute.

Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl. The dough will be very sticky and you will need a spatula to scrape the dough into the bowl.

Cover the bowl with cling film and let the dough rise for 30 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and place your fingers or a spatula underneath the dough to gently pull the dough up and fold it over itself. Give the bowl a quarter turn and fold the dough over again. Repeat six to eight more times, until all the dough has been folded over on itself.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 30 minutes. Repeat this series of folding the dough three more times, every 30 minutes, for a rise time of 2 hours.

Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days.

To make the filling

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, pistachios, cardamom and salt.

To assemble and bake

Grease a 9” (23cm) springform pan. Line a sheet pan with baking paper.

Generously flour your work surface. Roll out the dough into a 12x20-inch (30.5 by 50 cm) rectangle. Brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle the filling evenly over the surface, pressing it lightly into the butter so it adheres.

Starting at a long side, roll the dough into a tight log. Pinch the seam gently to seal it and position the dough seam-side down. Trim about ¾ in (2 cm) off of each end of the log and discard.

Place the log on the prepared sheet pan and transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes (this makes cutting a little less messy).

Remove the pan from the refrigerator and place the dough log on your work surface.

With a bench scraper, scissors, or a sharp knife, starting 1” (2.5 cm) from the end, carefully cut down the centre of the log lengthwise, all the way through, so you have two strands of dough attached at the top, with visible layers of dough and filling.

With the cut side facing up, gently lift the right strand over the left strand. Repeat, always placing the right strand over the left and keeping the cut sides up (so the filling doesn’t fall out), until you have twisted the entire log.

Press the ends of the strands together and coil the braid tightly into a spiral, making sure not to leave any gaps.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Loosely cover the pan with cling film and let the dough rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours. (The bread can also do a slow rise in the refrigerator overnight.)

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 180°C.

Bake until the top is golden brown and set in the centre and registers 92°C on an instant-read thermometer, 30 to 40 minutes.

Check the bread halfway through baking; if the top is browning too quickly, cover loosely with a piece of foil. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the bread cool for 10 minutes.

To make the icing

While the bread is baking, in a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp of the orange juice, the melted butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth.

Add the icing sugar and mix together, then whisk until well combined and smooth. Add more orange juice, 1 tbsp at a time, to thin the icing, if desired; it should be thick but pourable.

Pour the icing over the warm bread in the pan and sprinkle with pistachios. Let sit for 20 minutes. Remove the bread from the springform pan and let cool slightly before slicing and eating.

This bread is best eaten the day it’s made, but it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Sarah says: “It’s impossible for me to choose between banana bread and scones for a favourite morning treat, so here is a way to easily enjoy both. Please don’t skip icing the scones! It really makes them shine.”

Makes 8 scones

Ingredients

For the scones:

113g mashed bananas (about 1½ bananas)

80g double cream, plus more for brushing

1 large egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

320g plain flour, plus more for dusting

65g granulated sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

12 tbsp (170g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ in (12 mm) pieces

30g pecans, toasted and chopped

For the rum icing:

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 to 2 tbsp blackstrap rum or other dark rum

Pinch of salt

120g icing sugar

Method

To make the scones

Line a sheet pan with baking paper. In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the mashed bananas, double cream, egg, and vanilla. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Add the butter to the dry ingredients, and use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter until the flour-coated pieces are the size of peas. Add the chopped pecans and stir to combine. Add the refrigerated wet ingredients and fold with a spatula until just combined.

Transfer the dough to a generously floured surface and knead 10 to 12 times, until it comes together, adding a little flour as necessary.

Pat the dough into a square and roll it into a 12 in (30.5 cm) square, dusting with flour as necessary.

Fold the dough in thirds, like a business letter.

Fold the dough in thirds again by folding in the short ends, making a square. Transfer it to the prepared sheet pan and put it in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Return the dough to the floured surface, shape it into a 12” (30.5 cm) square, and fold the dough in thirds again. Turn over the dough, so it’s seam-side down, and gently roll out the dough into a 12x4-inch (30.5 by 10 cm) rectangle.

With a sharp knife, cut it crosswise into four equal rectangles, then cut each rectangle diagonally into two triangles. Transfer the triangles to the prepared sheet pan. Freeze the scones for 30 minutes.

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 190°C.

Brush the tops of the scones with a little double cream, making sure it doesn’t drip down the sides. Place another sheet pan under the scones, so the pans are double-stacked (this helps prevent the bottoms of the scones from browning too quickly). Bake the scones, rotating the stacked pans halfway through, until the tops and bottoms are light golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes.

Transfer the top sheet pan to a wire rack and let the scones cool slightly.

To make the icing

While the scones are baking, in a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, 1 tbsp of the rum, and the salt. Add the icing sugar and mix together, then whisk until well combined and smooth.

Add more rum (or water), 1 tbsp at a time, if needed, to reach the desired consistency. Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to top each scone with the icing.

Scones are best eaten the same day they are made.

Sarah says: “I have always been a leftover-dessert-for-breakfast-the-next-day kind of person, but I decided to go all out here and straight-up serve fresh dessert. I’ve made this crisp slightly healthy with (of course) fruit, whole-wheat granola, and a yoghurt whipped cream. This is perfect for a sleepyhead weekend breakfast or a gathering of friends.”

Makes one 9” (23 cm) crisp

Ingredients

200g granulated sugar

25g cornflour

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

16 oz (454g) fresh or frozen blueberries

8 oz (227g) fresh or frozen strawberries, quartered

8 oz (227g) fresh or frozen raspberries

8 oz (227g) fresh or frozen blackberries

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the wholewheat streusel:

78g wholewheat flour

71g plain flour

45g rolled oats

50g granulated sugar

50g brown sugar

¼ tsp salt

7 tbsp (100g) unsalted butter, cut into 7 pieces, at room temperature

For the yoghurt whipped cream:

120g vanilla Greek yoghurt

2 tbsp honey

240g double cream

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method

To make the wholewheat streusel

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine both flours, the oats, both sugars, and the salt on low speed.

Add the butter, 1 tbsp at a time, until the mixture comes together but is still quite crumbly. Store the streusel in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 1 month.

To assemble

Position oven racks in the lower and middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a sheet pan with baking paper and grease a 9 by 13 in (23 by 33 cm) baking pan.

Pour the streusel onto the sheet pan in an even layer.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, cornflour, cinnamon, and salt.

In a large bowl, combine all of the berries. Add the sugar mixture and stir until completely combined. Pour the butter and vanilla over the top and stir again until it is mixed in.

Pour the fruit into the prepared baking dish and place in the oven on the middle rack.

Place the streusel on the lower rack. Let the streusel bake for 8 to 12 minutes, until golden brown and crisp, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Remove the streusel from the oven and let cool.

Let the fruit bake until it is soft and the liquid is thick and bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes (this may take longer if using frozen fruit). Make sure the liquid bubbles for at least 5 minutes.

To make the yoghurt whipped cream

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whisk together the vanilla Greek yoghurt and honey on low speed until combined.

With the mixer still running, add the double cream in a slow, steady stream, then add the pure vanilla extract.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and continue whisking by hand with the whisk attachment or a handheld whisk for a few more seconds, until the whipped cream is the desired consistency. Whipping by hand gives you more control and makes it more difficult for you to whip the cream too much. Whipped cream is best used right away, but it can be made up to 2 hours ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Carefully remove the pan from the oven and top the fruit evenly with the streusel. Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and let cool slightly before serving.

Serve topped with the yoghurt whipped cream.

The crisp can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days (without the yoghurt whipped cream); reheat before serving.