Kim Evans

Through the windows of Little and Friday you’ll see the powder to plate process at its clearest

When the queue for a café stretches out to the pavement on most weekends you know that you are about to experience something divine. Slightly tucked away in suburban side-streets, cult followers flock to Little and Friday’s Takapuna and Newmarket stores in Auckland.
Little and Friday’s journey began in Sydney with cash-strapped fine arts student, Kim Evans baking goods in exchange for art supplies. Years later, back in New Zealand, the self-taught baker returned to baking and for five years owned the company Ice It, which made sculptured cakes for weddings and special occasions. After some time in Christchurch, Kim made the move to Auckland and with no capital the solo mother of two set up a small operation baking goods and taking them to the masses at the Takapuna Market.
Over the next two years Kim slowly gained enough money to buy a bigger oven, new appliances and so on until she had enough for a commercial kitchen. A quaint eatery was built around the idea of transparency for its customers. Early each morning the team gets to work, and for those who meander past the Little and Friday windows they can see them hard at work.
“I’m very protective of how I want my food to look and taste so I make sure I have the right people working with me,” Kim says. “The business has consumed me. Because we had no capital every second of my time was devoted to the business.”

Originally only open on Fridays (hence the name) Kim loved the idea of taking out the guess work for customers as to whether what they were buying was made that day. She would prep all week to sell her goods in the shop on Fridays and then at the markets on Saturdays and Sundays.
Kim says the community based feel to the café has meant that Little and Friday has become the bustling neighbourhood local: parents congregate around the communal table to catch up while kids entertain themselves covering the pavement in chalk drawings. By morning tea the sleepy street is overrun with foodies from further afield, who appreciate seeing bakers bringing trays laden with treats straight from the ovens to their plates. As the day goes on, the cabinet and shelves empty out, the ovens are turned off and latecomers scavenge through the slim pickings of the day’s leftovers. The street breathes a sigh of relief and reverts back to its former sleepy self – until tomorrow.
Kim supports all things free range and organic. It is a cause she feels so passionately about that “if someone sat me down and asked what I’d like to do if children and money weren’t an issue and I said to have a café that served only organic products.”
Little and Friday has a working garden that grows all the salad greens, herbs and tomatoes in her baking. She uses free-range meat and has developed strong relationships with local farmers. These relationships have lead to a great contra arrangement, whereby Little and Friday reduces its waste by giving food scraps to local pig and chicken farmers in return for free-range pork and eggs.
With no intention to ever write a book, Kim was approached by one of her regulars, ‘a big wig at Penguin Books’ to produce a collection of Treats From Little and Friday.
All involved were virgins to the published word. But didn’t they do well! With over 65 recipes, Treats From Little and Friday is a stunning celebration that shares Kim’s most popular cakes, loaves, biscuits, slices, sweets, tarts, doughs, savoury tarts and pies. Full of easy helpful tips and with sections on pastry, preserves, finishing and fillings, these approachable recipes have been adapted for the home cook so that even the novice baker will be able to master the style and delights of Kim’s delicious café treats.
www.littleandfriday.co.nz
 
Banana Cakes
 
This is our interpretation of the Edmonds Cookbook Banana Cake. We make it as a double-layer cake sandwiched together with gooey caramel and mascarpone.
 
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
125g unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup caster sugar
2 eggs
3 cups mashed banana
1 tsp baking soda
4 tbsp hot milk
1 cup walnuts
To assemble
½ cup Caramel (see page 161)
¼ cup mascarpone
1 recipe Cream Cheese Icing (see page 158)
chopped walnuts or banana chips, to decorate
 
Makes 12 small cakes or one 23cm double-layer cake
1. Preheat oven to 160ºC. Grease two 6-hole Texas muffin trays or two 23cm cake tins and line the bottom and sides with baking paper cut to fit exactly.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on a low speed until light and creamy.
4. Slowly add sugar and continue to beat on low speed until light in colour and fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, and making sure to incorporate each egg before adding the next. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. With the mixer on low speed add the banana.
6. Dissolve baking soda in hot milk.
7. Fold flour mixture and milk into the banana mixture in three equal measures. Lastly, fold in walnuts.
8. Divide mixture evenly between prepared cake tins and bake for 20–25 minutes for small cakes or 45 minutes for large cakes, or until the tops spring back when touched lightly and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle.
9. Let cakes cool completely in tins before turning out.
10. If making small cakes, carefully cut them in half horizontally. To assemble the cakes, spread Caramel over bottom layer, then spread a thin layer of mascarpone over the top. Place second cake layer on top. Spread with a thick layer of Cream Cheese Icing. Drizzle with extra Caramel and decorate with walnuts or banana chips.
 
Kitchen Notes
Place in an airtight container and store in a cool place (not the refrigerator) for up to three days. The banana flavour gets better with age at room temperature.
 
Caramel
 
2 cups caster sugar
600ml cream
 
Makes 3 cups
1. Place sugar in a small saucepan and just cover with water to achieve a wet sand consistency.
2. Bring to the boil but do not stir. Using a wet pastry brush, clean down sides of saucepan to remove any stray sugar crystals.
3. Continue to boil until the sugar turns amber. At this point, quickly remove from heat.
4. In a small saucepan, heat cream to boiling point. Gradually add this to caramelised sugar, stirring constantly to achieve a smooth consistency. This may take a while but it will eventually combine.
 
Kitchen Notes
Timing is paramount with Caramel. Both the cream and the sugar need to be really hot when they are combined.
 
Cream Cheese Icing
 
Makes 3½ cups
 
125g unsalted butter, softened and cubed
500g cream cheese, cubed
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
 
1. Thoroughly cream butter in an electric mixer on high speed, continuously scraping down sides of bowl.
2. Soften cream cheese by squeezing through your fingers and add to butter. Continue beating on high until there are no lumps, scraping down sides of bowl frequently.
3. Turn mixer to slow speed and add sifted icing sugar. When icing sugar is fully integrated, turn up speed and beat until mixture is smooth. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
 
Caramelised Onion & Feta Tarts
 
These are the first tarts I made and they have never left the menu. They still prove to be the most popular tarts we make.
 
1 recipe Paprika & Gruyère Pastry
 
Filling
1 cup grated tasty cheese
2 cups crumbled feta
3 cups Caramelised Onions
salt and freshly ground pepper
12 eggs
¹∕³ cup cream
 
Makes six 6cm tarts or one 28cm round tart
1. Grease six 6cm or a 28cm loose-bottom tart tin.
2. On a fl oured bench, roll out Paprika & Gruyère Pastry to 3mm thick. Line base and sides of prepared tins, trimming edges. Rest in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Place lined tins on an oven tray. Sprinkle with tasty cheese and crumbled feta and top with Caramelised Onions. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Whisk eggs and cream together until combined. Carefully pour egg mixture into pastry case to 2mm below rim. If egg mixture overflows tart will stick in tin.
5. Bake for 35 minutes for small tarts or 50 minutes for a large tart in centre of oven until egg mixture is set and top is golden brown. Check by pressing gently on top of tart; if no liquid seeps out, it is ready. Leave to cool before removing from tin.
 
Paprika & Gruyère Pastry
This pastry can be frozen in the tins. Thoroughly cover pastry-lined tins in cling film and freeze. When required, simply remove the cling film and fill; you do not need to defrost the pastry first.
 
75g unsalted butter
1¼ cups flour
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp mustard powder
½ cup grated Gruyère
salt and pepper
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp iced water
 
Makes one large tart or six 6cm tarts
1. In a bowl, rub butter into flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together paprika, mustard powder, Gruyère and salt and pepper. Mix in egg yolk and water.
3. Add cheese mixture to fl our and lightly knead together to form a soft dough.
4. Wrap in cling film and rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using. This pastry keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a week. Use leftover pastry to line extra tins, which can be wrapped in cling film and frozen until needed.
 
Caramelised Onions
8 large onions, peeled and finely sliced
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 tbsp brown sugar
 
Makes 4 cups
1. Place all ingredients into a large saucepan over a high heat and stir frequently.
2. When onions begin to brown and liquid reduces, lower heat.
3. Remove from heat when onions turn dark brown.
4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
 
 
Walnut Pesto, Leek
& Halloumi Galettes
 
This is our most popular galette topping – we will never take it off our menu. For a very nice variation, replace the halloumi with a good-quality Brie.
 
1 sheet Flaky Pastry
Egg Wash
Topping
½ cup Walnut Pesto
½ cup Caramelised Leeks
salt and freshly ground pepper
6 × 5mm-thick slices halloumi
12 Oven-roasted Tomatoes
olive oil
6 sprigs fresh thyme, to garnish
 
Makes 6
1. Line two trays with baking paper.
2. On a floured bench, roll out Flaky Pastry to 4mm thick. Using a sharp knife, cut into six rectangles measuring 10cm × 15cm. Do not drag pastry as it will prevent it from puffing up. Score a line 1cm in from the edge to create a border, taking care not to cut right through pastry.
3. Brush pastry with Egg Wash. Place pastry bases 2cm apart on lined baking trays and rest in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 200ºC. Spread 2 tbsp Walnut Pesto evenly over each base inside scored border.
5. Spoon 2 tbsp Caramelised Leeks on top of pesto and season to taste.
6. Place one slice of halloumi on top of each galette.
7. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top each galette with 2 small (or half a large) Oven-roasted Tomatoes and garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme. Serve hot.
 
Egg Wash
2 eggs
2 tbsp cream
 
Place eggs and cream in a bowl and whisk until smooth. You can make as much Egg Wash as you need by using the same ratio of eggs to cream.
 
Walnut Pesto
1 cup walnut halves
4–6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 handfuls curly parsley
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
 
Makes 2 cups
1. Place walnuts, garlic and parsley into the bowl of a food processor and blend until combined but still coarse.
2. With the motor running, pour in olive oil. Add just enough oil to combine – the mixture should be dry and not overly oily. Season to taste.
3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
 
Caramelised Leeks
Slice 2 leeks in half lengthwise. Cut leaves crosswise to 5mm thickness. Heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a frying pan.
When piping hot add prepared leeks and sauté, taking care not to overcook. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add a knob of butter and remove from heat. Makes 2 cups.
 
 
Ginger & Honey Loaf
 
I’ve adapted this recipe from a Hansell’s cookbook from the 1920s. Manuka or a good bush honey are worth the extra expense for the beautiful rich flavour they bring – we buy a Great
Barrier Island bush honey from a man at the Takapuna Markets.
 
115g unsalted butter
½ cup golden syrup
½ cup good-quality honey
1 cup brown sugar
2½ cups fl our
2½ tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spice
½ a nutmeg, grated
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
Ginger Syrup
1 recipe Sugar Syrup
½ cup ginger syrup (available from specialty stores)
 
Makes 2 loaves
1. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Grease two 22cm × 11cm loaf tins and line with baking paper.
2. In a saucepan, combine butter, golden syrup, honey and sugar, and heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon until combined and mixture is hot. Remove from heat.
3. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour butter mixture into dry ingredients. Stir to combine, then add milk and egg. The mixture will be quite runny.
4. Pour into loaf tins. Bake for 60 minutes. Loaves are ready when the tops spring back when lightly touched and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the loaf.
5. While the loaf is cooking, prepare the Ginger Syrup. Place Sugar Syrup in a saucepan on a low heat and when hot add ginger syrup, stirring until fully combined and right consistency is reached.
6. Remove loaves from oven and pour ½ cup Ginger Syrup over each while still in the tins. Remove from tins when cool.
 
Sugar Syrup
1 cup caster sugar
2 cups water
 
To make the syrup, place ingredients in a saucepan on a low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat and boil for 5 minutes or until syrupy.
 
Kitchen Notes
Ginger syrup can also be used for hot drinks and cocktails. We use Hakanoa organic syrup but there are a variety of brands available.
 
Copyright line
Reproduced with permission from Treats from Little and Friday by Kim Evans.
Published by Penguin Group NZ. RRP $44.99. Copyright © Kim Evans, 2012