Easter Blondies

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!

Easter Rocky Road

Place almonds in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 3-4 mins, stopping every 30 seconds to stir, until nuts are lightly toasted.
Grease a 20cm square cake pan and line the base and sides with baking paper.
In a large bowl combine almonds, raisins, marshmallows, cherries, coconut and 200g of the Easter eggs; toss to combine.
Place chocolate into a microwave safe bowl and microwave on medium for 2 mins. Stir every 30 seconds or until melted. Pour 1/4 of the chocolate into the base of the prepared pan; sprinkle the nut and marshmallow mixture over the top. Pour remaining chocolate evenly over the top. Tap pan gently to remove any air bubbles from the chocolate, then sprinkle the top with extra almonds, raisins, coconut flakes and remaining 100g Easter eggs. Refrigerate until set then cut the square into quarters and each square into half to form 8 rectangular pieces.

Dark Chocolate Rocky Road

1. Grease and line base and sides of a 27cm x17cm slice pan with baking paper, extending the paper over sides.
2. Place chocolate and coconut oil in a large heatproof bowl over saucepan one-third filled with simmering water. Stir until melted and remove from heat.
3. Add raisins, marshmallows, macadamias, coconut and three-quarters of the seed mix (saving some for the top). Stir to combine and spread into prepared pan. Scatter with reserved seed mix.
4. Set aside to cool for 1 hour or until set. Refrigerate if weather is hot. Cut into 24 pieces to serve.

Pistachio & Fruit Cheesecake

Family Fruit Mince Tart

1. Blend or process butter, and sifted flour and icing sugar until crumbly. Add egg yolk, extract and the water; process until ingredients come together.

   Enclose in plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.

   Roll pastry between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line 18cm x 30cm rectangular loose-based flan tin.

   Lift pastry into tin, press into sides, trim excess; prick base all over with a fork. Cover; refrigerate 20 minutes.

   Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200°C.

   Place tin on oven tray; line pastry with baking paper then fill with bakers weights. Bake 15 minutes. Cool.

   Add fruit mince in an even layer over tart base.

   Roll pastry scraps on floured surface, cut out desired shapes. Brush each pastry shape with beaten egg and place pastry egg-side down on fruit mince.

   Bake tart about 20 minutes or until browned lightly. Dust with a little sifted icing sugar before serving.

    

Hot Cross Buns

In a small saucepan, heat the milk until just boiling. Pour ¼ cup of the hot milk into a small bowl. Set aside remaining milk.

Add 1 tsp of the caster sugar to the ¼ cup of milk. Sprinkle the yeast of the top and stir. Sit at room temperature until bubbly and doubled in size, approx. 10 min.

Meanwhile, add the butter to remaining reserved hot milk and stir to combine. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, place flour, bicarb, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the milk and butter mix. Stir. Then add the yeast mix. Stir to combine. Add the egg. Continue to stir until a sticky dough forms.

Tip onto a lightly floured clean surface, and knead until it becomes a smooth dough, about 5 mins.

Place the dough into a large oiled bowl. Cover with cling film, sprayed with oil and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size. Add the sultanas, mix again, and recover. Rest again in a warm place for another hour.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C. Grease and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll into balls on a lightly floured surface.

Arrange onto prepared tray, leaving a 2cm space between each ball. Spray with oil, cover and rest for 30-60 mins, or until dough has risen again.

For the paste:

In a small bowl, combine flour and icing sugar. Gradually add water, 1 tbspn at a time, until a paste forms.

Using a piping bag with a small nozzle (or a small snap lock bag with the corner snipped) fill with the paste and pipe along the centre of each row of rolls. Turn the tray and repeat this across the centre of the rolls to form a cross.

Bake on the middle rack in the oven for 20 mins or until golden.

Gently heat the jam to melt to a syrupy consistency. Brush the tops of the warm buns to glaze.

Serve warm or at room temperature.