Easter Blondies

Almond Mandarin Cake

1. Put the whole mandarins in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 45 minutes or until tender when tested with a skewer, topping up water as necessary. Drain, cool to room temperature, cut in half and remove any pips.
2. Preheat oven to 160°C and line the base of a lightly greased 20cm springform cake pan with baking paper.
3. Blend the cooled mandarins, eggs and sugar in a food processor until well combined. Add the almond meal, baking powder and orange blossom water (if using) and pulse until combined.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle with almonds. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Choc Date Balls

1. Place the dates, sultanas and oats in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until pureed.
2. Gently warm the coconut oil and honey in the microwave until oil is liquid. Add to the date mixture with the cacao, water and orange rind. Mix well.
3. Roll teaspoonsful into balls and roll in pepitas. Refrigerate until required.

Zucchini Salad

Cut the zucchini into long, thin ribbons using a mandolin or vegetable peeler.

Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil, season.  Pour over the zucchini, gently toss to combine then allow to sit for 10 mins to marinate.

Drain zucchini and arrange on a serving platter.  Sprinkle over pine nuts, sultanas, raisins and feta.  Scatter over mint leaves just before serving.

Sunbeam Raisin Toast

Gather the ingredients.

Yeast needs warm water to activate, not hot. Just warm. Sprinkle your packet of yeast over the top of the warm water. You don’t even need to stir it in.

Once you get the yeast on the water, add about a teaspoon of granulated sugar.

After a couple of minutes it will start to look cloudy and have a little bit of foam on top.

Once you see the foam, & bubbling you’re ready to use your yeast in this recipe.

In a large bowl, combine the Sunbeam raisins, warm milk, butter, sugar, and salt; stir to dissolve the sugar. Let the mixture cool to lukewarm.

Stir 1 1/2 cups of the flour into the milk mixture and beat until smooth.

Add the yeast mixture and the beaten eggs to the milk mixture and mix to blend well.

Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft but stiff dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Butter or oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the greased bowl. Turn it over to grease the entire surface of the dough.

Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it stand in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Punch the dough down and divide it into two equal portions. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Shape the dough into two loaves and place them in two greased 8-by-4-inch loaf pans.

Cover the pans with a kitchen towel and let the loaves rise for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until the dough has almost doubled in bulk. Then preheat oven to 180c.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Place foil over the loaves for the last 10 minutes if they look overly brown.

Remove the loaves from the pans and let them cool on racks.

Toast & enjoy!

Fancy Fruit and Nut Cake

Preheat oven to 150°C

1. Grease a standard loaf tin (21 x 13cm or larger). Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 6cm above rim to form a collar.
2. Coarsely chop half the nuts, glacé fruit and cherries and place in a large bowl (reserve the remainder of each for topping). Add raisins and dates and stir to combine.
3. Sift flours and cinnamon, then stir 1⁄4 cup into the fruit mixture.
4. Beat eggs, sugar, 2 tablespoons of brandy and rind together until light. Add remaining flour and stir to combine, then fold through fruit mixture. Spoon into prepared tin/s and press down with back of a spoon.
5. Cut remaining glacé fruits into quarters. Press gently on top of cake along with whole nuts and whole cherries.
6. Cover top of cake with paper bag or baking paper, resting on the collar. Bake large cake for 11⁄2-13⁄4 hours or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool in tin.
7. Place apricot conserve and remaining brandy in a small saucepan. Simmer, stirring for 3 minutes. Strain, then brush over cake. To serve, cut into thick slices.

Pumpkin Macadamia Salad

Preheat oven to 180ºC.

1. Place pumpkin and onion in large baking dish, add 2 tablespoons of oil and mix to coat. Roast or grill until tender (approx 30 minutes), turning once. Cool, and then gently mix with rocket, macadamias and raisins.
2. Combine lemon juice, honey, ginger and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in screw top jar. Shake and pour over salad. Gently toss to combine.