Alice Taylor reveals her favourite kitchen appliance, plus her recipe for the easiest, most delicious and adaptable scrolls.
It's a new year (still, essentially) and that always makes me feel like I should get my life slightly more organised than it was last year.
I'm a firm believer that the freezer is the most underrated kitchen invention. It gives me freedom; instead of thinking every night about “what on earth am I going to cook”, I use what I've already made and stashed. I don't have to eat out or create something from scratch every single evening. I just defrost, heat and eat. Below I've outlined just some of the ways I'll be making 2026 the year of the freezer.
Breakfast and brunch, sorted
There are two things I always keep in my freezer: banana bread and scrolls.
With banana bread, I slice it straight away and try not to eat the whole thing in one sitting. I wrap each slice in baking paper and then pop them all in a zip lock bag. In the morning I can pull out a slice, microwave it for a few seconds and have it with a cup of tea.
When I was working in a corporate job, this was life changing. I would take a slice before I left the house, and by the time I'd driven to work it was defrosted and perfect. It’s the little things in life!
Recipe: the freezer scrolls that do not judge you
I love this recipe because it's so flexible. You can make the scrolls sweet or savoury; sometimes I add cinnamon, sometimes Nutella, and sometimes pesto and feta. They also freeze brilliantly; just take them out and microwave them for 20 to 30 seconds and they're ready.
Makes: 8 to 9 scrolls
Time: About 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1¼ cups self-raising flour (or 1¼ cups plain flour plus 2 teaspoons baking powder)
- ½ cup milk, any type
- 1 egg
Choose one:
- Sweet: 2 tablespoons diced butter
- Savoury: ½ to 1½ cups grated cheese
Plus your fillings:
- For example pesto and feta, Nutella, Vegemite, jam, chutney, ham and cheese.
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Line a baking tray.
In a bowl, mix the flour, milk, egg and your chosen butter or cheese into a rough dough. If it feels too sticky, add another tablespoon or two of flour.
On a floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle (Handle the dough lightly for the fluffiest result.)
Spread your chosen filling evenly over it.
Roll up from the longer side and cut into slices about 2.5 centimetres thick.
Place the scrolls on the tray with a little space between each.
Bake for about 13 minutes or until golden. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
NOTE: For dietary swaps, use gluten-free flour with added baking powder, dairy-free milks and spreads, or a 'flax egg' made from 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons water.
Fake-aways to save real cash
Of course I also keep basics in the freezer like stock, frozen pasta, frozen bread and even homemade noodles, but there is another way I use the freezer that saves me even more money: fakeaways.
Takeaways can be brilliant, but they are expensive, and often not something I want to pay for every week. Instead, I make big batches of food and freeze them, ready for those evenings when I can barely be bothered.
One of my favourite budget meals that tastes like takeaways is spaghetti bolognese. I make a big vat of ragù, let it cool, portion it into zip lock bags and freeze it flat. When I want it, I just defrost what I need for one person or two or more.
Another favourite is burger patties. I mix mince with a good pinch of salt, lots of pepper and a splash of water. I know that sounds strange but the water stops the patties drying out. I shape them between little squares of baking paper and freeze them flat. You can cook them straight from frozen, which means that on burger night I grab a patty, cook it, add cheese if I want it and dinner is ready.
Little bits, big flavours
Another trick I use is saving all the odds and ends from veg, fruit or even leftover chicken bones. I chuck them all in a big bag and freeze them. When the bag is full, I add water and make stock. It is such a simple way to use every last bit and make something tasty.
The best freezer hack ever
And the absolute best thing I have discovered in the freezer? Raw cookie dough.
I make a simple cookie dough, roll it into balls and freeze them. Unexpected guests? Instant homemade cookies! Sometimes, when I want a cookie, instead of making a whole tray, I pull out one dough ball and bake it from frozen. A fresh, warm cookie in minutes. Do I often go back and bake two more? Yes I do. But that's beside the point.
Chef Alice Taylor posts cooking videos as @alicetayloreats on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok. Her Ebook Alice Taylor Eats: Cheap and Realistic Recipes ($12) is available on alicetayloreats.com.
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