Dayna Hoskin
Bio
Hobby baker, chicken wrangler and passionate eater of all things sweet. Coming to you from a humble half an acre in Australian suburbia. www.hoskinshens.com
Stories (16/0)
Lemonade Scones with Strawberry Jam and Cream
Scones, Skones or biscuits, whatever they’re called, wherever you’re from, it spells delicious! Scones have been a tea time tradition since the day when Anna, the Duchess of Bedford ordered her servants to bring her some tea and sweetbreads for afternoon tea. The assortment of sweetbreads they provided Anna, Duchess of Bedford just so happened to include scones, and she loved them so much that she ordered them every single afternoon thereafter. Just like that, the tradition of eating scones at tea time was born! Speaking of tradition… I recently heard that in some parts of the world it’s traditional to apply the cream to a scone before the jam… umm, what!? How do you spread strawberry jam onto the top of the cream, is this even scientifically possible? and more to the point, why? Do you enjoy making your life harder than it needs to be? Ok, rant over.
By Dayna Hoskin5 years ago in Feast
L'Espresso
5/5 Dayni Rating. L’espresso has been a key feature on Ballarat's Sturt Street for as long as I can remember. It’s a quaint little space that’s very cleverly laid out with the entrances leading to separate sides of the cafe that are divided by shelves filled with vinyl records, CDs, newspapers, and magazines. The age of the building shows in the ornamental roof, moody green wall paint, and the 70s-looking wooden tables, chairs, and front counter, but the creative decision to have low lighting really plays into the retro feel of the cafe in a very clever way. It feels warm, and cozy, and even on a random Monday morning... the place was PACKED! Everyone was chatting away, even if they didn’t arrive or dine together, which tells me that this place is filled to the brim with locals (which is always a great sign), but not only were they locals, every single person in the cafe, besides my sister and I, seemed to be regulars! And THAT is a very good sign, a cafe with an army of regulars is always, without a doubt, no questions asked, serving great food. The atmosphere can be as warm and cozy as can be, but if the food's not up to scratch, people won’t come back, and I can safely say that L’espresso does not have this problem!
By Dayna Hoskin5 years ago in Feast
Ballarat White Night
Ballarat White Night. What an incredible night out! We wandered around our historic city, gorgeously illuminated by White Night for hours, and upon sourcing the program in order to learn the names of the exhibits I photographed, I’ve realized we didn’t even see it all!
By Dayna Hoskin5 years ago in Wander
Australian Carrot Cake
It’s the gateway vegetable dessert for many. Having been a staple since medieval times, first in the form of pudding, then as pie, and then finally emerging in 1783 as a cake… it’s no wonder nobody bats an eyelid when they hear the words carrot and cake in the same sentence, we’re just used to it! Granted, the carrot cake recipe has evolved a little since 1783, but honestly… not much! The modern version IS more of a carrot and walnut cake in comparison, and the original version most definitely didn’t sport this gloriously silky cream cheese frosting! But still! It’s not a far cry.
By Dayna Hoskin5 years ago in Feast
Spiced Dutch Honey Cake
Spring has sprung here in not so sunny Ballarat, and although many may associate spring with flowers, I associate spring with bees, so naturally, today I’m baking with honey. Every time I walk through the international section at the supermarket I eyeball the Dutch Honey Cake, but I always opt to leave it, because the version available in the supermarket always looks overly processed, dense, and dry, so today, I made my own! And I can assure you that it is neither overly processed, dense, nor dry! It even got the tick of approval from hubby! But, that was because he thought it tasted like ginger kisses, even though there is not a spec of ginger in this Spiced Honey Cake recipe. I don’t know, don’t ask me! I just couldn’t taste it.
By Dayna Hoskin5 years ago in Feast
Hydrant Food Hall
5/5 Dayni Rating Hydrant Food Hall was a cafe/hall that has been invading my Instagram feed for months on end, All my fellow foodies were swarming to the place, and the photos coming out of this old Fire Hydrant Factory were gorgeous to say the least. So today, when my folks asked me where I wanted to head for lunch… of course I said Hydrant Food Hall!
By Dayna Hoskin5 years ago in Feast
Lime and Mango Curd Tarts
Recipe collab with Local Pantry Co. I am so honoured to be working with some of the gorgeous produce from Local Pantry Co. When I was first asked to look through the store and pick some items I’d like to play with, these Artisan Cordials by Small Batch Food Company caught my eye immediately. With flavour combo’s like Pear and Wild Hibiscus, Granny Smith Apple and Ginger, Yuzu and Rosemary, Passionfruit and Lemongrass, Raspberry and Pomegranite, and of course Mango and Kiffir Lime, I just knew I could have so much fun with them! Plus, they’re made in Melbourne with 100 percent Australian ingredients, and I LOVE that! Cordials can be so versatile in baking, you can use them to poach fruit, create a syrup, jelly, flavour pretty much any cake, be it baked or not, or to make gorgeous curds like we have today. I must say I am so pumped to be working with Local Pantry Co on this Lime and Mango Curd Tart recipe. Our collaboration was organised through a mutual friend, then turns it out that we also have a mutual family member, small world, hey!?
By Dayna Hoskin5 years ago in Feast
Lemon and Blueberry Mochi Donut (Pon de Ring)
I really regret not trying one of these gorgeous donuts when I was in Japan last year. If I’m being honest, I never even looked into a Mister Donut shop! I was on the hunt for Japanese desserts, and I just assumed (wrongly assumed) that the Donuts at Mister Donut would be the same as the ones back home. Oh how wrong I was! Because since then, Japans Mister Donut Pon de Ring Mochi Donuts have been taking the world by storm! They’ve even recently reached Sydney Australia! But, because I live 970.8 km away from Sydney, well, I’ve resorted to making my own Pon de Rings in order to experience the amazing ‘mochi-mochi’ (chewy, doughy, elastic rice cake-like texture) donut that the world has gone bananas over.
By Dayna Hoskin5 years ago in Feast
Confections of Sovereign Hill
Sovereign Hill is an outdoor museum set in the 19th century and dedicated to Australia’s fabulous goldrush history. BUT! Some would argue it’s more famous for its confections than its gold! And it just so happens that my husband, William, is one of the team of about 15 19th century confectioners at Sovereign Hill that make these famous lollies, so we got the inside scoop!
By Dayna Hoskin5 years ago in Feast
Custard Apple Ruffled Pie
I've seen the custard apples on the shelves in the Supermarkets every winter for as many years as I can remember, and I've always thought they looked really interesting, but for some reason have never picked one up... Until today! So for a bit of backstory, I have had a couple of disasters in the kitchen this week. I know things can’t always go exactly as planned, but one bake was so disastrous that it was too bad even for the chooks, and I swore I wouldn't step in the kitchen again (that lasted two days...) but when I saw the Custard Apples today, I just knew they would be my saving grace. I was not going to let the kitchen defeat me a third time!
By Dayna Hoskin5 years ago in Feast
Whole Baked Jersey Caramel Apple Parcels
I remember when I was in primary school, my mum would regularly bake muffins for us to pack in our lunch boxes. White chocolate raspberry was always a popular choice, but on occasion, we would score some Jersey Caramel muffins, and these were my favourite kind! The Jersey Caramels melted into a gorgeous caramel goo, not quite a sauce, but no longer a Jersey Caramel either, and it was sooo delicious! I lived for those muffins! So when I decided to do my own take on baked caramel apples, I knew that this childhood flavour of gooey Jersey Caramels was going to be at the center of it… literally.
By Dayna Hoskin5 years ago in Feast