Warm up your kitchen: Winter bakes to cosy up with

As the chill of winter settles in, there's nothing quite like the comforting aroma of something delicious baking in the oven to make your home feel warm and welcoming. This season, we’re turning up the heat in the kitchen with a collection of irresistible winter bakes, perfect for cosy family evenings, weekend treats, or simply indulging in a little self-care.

A citrus loaf is perfect for winter, zesty, comforting, and ideal with a hot cup of Rooibos. Here's a quick and easy Orange or Lemon Loaf recipe, using locally available ingredients:

Zesty Orange Loaf

Moist, fragrant, and full of citrus flavour, this loaf is simple to make and perfect for tea time.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Pinch of salt

½ cup canola oil

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs

½ cup plain yoghurt

Zest of 1 large orange

¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)

Optional glaze:

½ cup icing sugar

1–2 tbsp citrus juice

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a loaf tin.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, eggs, zest, juice, and yoghurt.

3. In another bowl, sift flour, baking powder, bicarb, and salt

4. Fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined (don’t overmix).

5. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

6. Let cool, then drizzle with citrus glaze if desired..

Banana & Buttermilk Scones

Great for using up ripe bananas and goes beautifully with jam or butter.

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

2 cups self-raising flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup buttermilk or emasi

2 tbsp sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.

2. Mash bananas, then mix with buttermilk and sugar.

3. Stir into flour and salt to form a soft dough.

4. Roll out, cut into scones, bake for 12–15 min.

 Easy Apple Crumble Cups

No pie crust needed, perfect for weeknights or dessert for guests.

Ingredients:

2 apples, peeled and chopped

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp flour

For crumble: 1/4 cup oats, 2 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp butter

Method

1. Mix apples, sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Divide into ramekins or muffin cups.

2. Mix crumble ingredients and sprinkle on top.

3. Bake at 180°C for 20–25 minutes until golden.