A few months ago, quietly and without fuss My Darling Lemon Thyme turned 10. I wanted to scream it from the rooftops, TEN YEARS, that’s a really long time to be in this blogging game. But with the world in such turmoil it just didn’t seem all that important. But I knew at some stage, when the time was right I had to celebrate this milestone, WE had to celebrate this milestone. Cause you guys deserve it as much as I do. So many of you have been here from my very first post, many of you have become great online friends and we’ve grown together over this past decade, swapping family and life updates via email, commenting backwards and forwards on here and in more recent years, following each others lives via Instagram. It’s all quite emotional and overwhelming to think back ten years ago and to see how much has changed, how much I’ve changed and more importantly, how much our world has changed.
It makes my heart heavy to think of all those souls I’ve lost in the past 10 years, some of my most favourite people ever including both sets of grandparents and one of my mentors and dear friends. I’ve nearly hit rock bottom a couple of times and learnt a lot about myself and humans in general. But, with time has also come many amazing things. We had a surprise wedding and I made my own cake, naturally. My little family and I moved to Western Australia for 5 years, meeting and making friends with some of my favourite people in the whole wide world, I wrote and photographed two cookbooks, I won some awards including this big one, we moved back to New Zealand and bought our land, I landed my dream job creating recipes, styling and photographing a regular column in Cuisine Magazine (I also landed myself in hospital after I thought it was a good idea to walk 100km for charity… 3 years on I’m still battling the on-going health issues as a result!). In the last 10 years I’ve traveled solo to America and Sri Lanka, twice and with my family to Vietnam, Southern Western Australia and Bali, twice. We’ve lived in 4 different houses, including one in Perth, Western Australia with two huge mango trees in the backyard.
A lot has happened during this time and I can’t thank you all enough for being here and for your ongoing support. It truly blows me away.
I hope and I pray that you’re all doing ok? Aside from my over-thinking and a slight drop in work, my family and I are all well (thanks for those who have checked in via email wondering where I’ve gone these past few months). I’ve been working on a big project this year which has consumed much of my brain space up until now and with everything going on I felt the need to take a break and step back, hence my lack of posting these past 6 months. We’re busy on our property getting ready for spring and summer planting, the kids are growing by the day (can you believe I’m now the mother of a 12 and a 14 year old! They were only 2 and 4 when I wrote my first blog post). I’ve also just turned 40, another milestone. What a bloody year.
Although this cake doesn’t exactly scream celebration, I think it’s fitting for the times. I’m guessing some of you might have stocked up on tinned beans months ago and are now faced with the task of using them all up? This is a delicious way to do just that, and with only 6 every day ingredients, it’s really simple and achievable too. I tend to use kidney beans, but black or pinto beans also work great too. I serve un-iced, but for even more decadence you could top with a chocolate ganache and/or serve with cream or ice cream.
Flourless Chocolate cake
Ingredients
- 200 g dark chocolate melted + slightly cooled
- 400 g tin beans (black or kidney are great) drained and rinsed well
- 3 large free-range eggs
- 100 g (1/2 cup) raw sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder gluten + aluminium-free
- Cocoa powder to dust, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Grease a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin and line with baking paper.
- Place drained beans, eggs, sugar, vanilla, baking powder and a good pinch fine sea salt into a small food processor and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed. Add chocolate and blend until combined. Transfer mixture to prepared cake tin and bake 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Serve dusted with cocoa powder or ice with chocolate ganache for an extra chocolate kick.
12 Responses
That looks beautiful! Congratulations on ten years of blogging! I have both of your books and return to the recipes time and time again – I really get the sense they are the things you cook for yourself regularly, they are so full of flavour, clear steps to follow, and are just the kind of nutritious things I want to eat!! I’m always looking for great gf + veggie meals and snacks, and too many times I’ve cooked tried a new recipe that turns out disappointing – written to fill a page or for the photo, but that’s never the case with yours! They’re always from the heart! Thank you so much xxx
Aww that’s the best feedback I could ever hope to receive! I most definitely create recipes from the heart and recipes I truly want people to cook and make part of their lives. I’m so stoked they’re well loved in your house and thank you for your sweet comment, it means the world XX
Ahh, well isnt that worth celebrating! Always happy to see your posts through the years I realize this must be a tough racket.Your gorgeous recipes and kindness have shone through it all!Hope you can keep it up:)Kids still ask for Emma’s pancakes almost every Sunday:)
Oh that’s the best! Sending all my love to you and your family, it’s been such a treat chatting and emailing over the years. Lotsa love from NZ XX
Congratulations!! Ten years is a big deal. Just this week we made your Vietnamese pancakes again. They’re on regular rotation in our house but had a break over winter. Thanks for your honesty, your beautiful photos and delicious recipes xx
Thanks so much Kate, and for the reminder to get back into making Banh Xeo regularly! I’ve haven’t made them in awhile and they’re one of my favourite things to eat in the whole wide world 🙂 XX
This looks great. I used to make a chickpea one which was always a winner.
I love your blog! I’ve only been following for the last couple of years after I stumbled across your first cookbook in Aldi (of all places). I bought it cause I loved it, so beautifully done (layout, photos, fonts, extra information) as well as gorgeous recipes. The brownie recipe with raspberries and pistachios is my favourite!! I’m gf cause of leaky gut and sensitivities and it’s so nice to have an amazing recipe that non gf people think is amazing too!
You’re very clever and your work is beautiful…And your recipes delicious.
I also love reading about your life and your journey through hard stuff too. Very refreshing and encouraging.
Thank you.
Thanks so much Jo. Stoked you all love the brownie recipe 🙂 XX
Congratulations Emma!
My copies of your books are strewn with my handwritten notes of my experiences and substitutions cooking your recipes. Your cook books are the first I pull off the shelf when looking for inspo or something to make with ease (and I have about 100 cook books).
My foodie friends who know I make notes pour through the books to look for my latest notes additions.
At our first gathering post lockdown, this note detailing my experience making a cake for the third time was discovered and got A LOT of laughter mileage: “Made this today. Even make the icing. This is the best it has turned out so far but that’s probably because it’s the first time I remember using 50g of cornflour… Don’t laugh.”
Am glad you’ve found your groove and wish you serenity and connectedness for the next 10 years. 💗
INSPO QUOTE for today: “So far you’ve survived 100% of your worst days.” 🙌🏻
Thanks so much for your sweet comment Amajjika! I love that you add your own notes 🙂 XX
Yay you! 10 years is definitely worth celebrating!
Thank you! X