1 Year of Blogging: Cinnamon Nutella Cake

Remember when I marked my first week of blogging? 

It has now been a year. My baby blog is a year old! Clearly, this calls for celebration. And true to my blog's namesake, I've got cake.

Mawa Cake {Daring Bakers}

[Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen was our August 2013 Daring Bakers' hostess and she challenged us to make some amazing regional Indian desserts. The Mawa Cake, the Bolinhas de Coco cookies and the Masala cookies - beautifully spiced and delicious!]

Chai Almond Teacake

The first time I ordered chai tea in a cafe in Sydney, I was surprised.  I had been expecting a pot of black tea and a small pitcher of milk.  

Instead, what came to the table was a pot of fragrant, soothing tea brewed directly in whole milk.  Obviously, I was living under some sort of rock until then because it had never crossed my mind I could brew tea this way.  The result, however, is as lovely as it sounds - a pot of warmly spiced comfort, creamy and exotic, reminiscent of the days when I would be tucked into bed with a story of once-upon-a-time and a mug of warm milk that could put me instantly to sleep.