Banana Coconut Bread

Smoked Eggplant Dip

Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).

1.  Prick eggplant all over with a fork. Place both eggplants over a low gas flame on your cooktop, turning often until skin is charred all over. Remove to a lined baking tray and continue cooking in the oven for 30 minutes or until completely tender and cooked through. 
2. When cool, peel skin away from eggplants, discarding stems and juices.
3. Roughly chop the flesh and combine with yoghurt, lemon juice, tahini, garlic and seasonings. 
4. Combine currants with sherry vinegar and set aside for 10 minutes.
5. For serving, toss together the drained currants, pine nuts, parsley and seasonings. Spoon eggplant dip into a serving dish and sprinkle with pine nut mixture. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve with warmed turkish bread.

Chocolate Ripple Christmas Wreath

You will need to begin this recipe the night before

Whip the cream to soft peaks. 

Spread a few tablespoons of whipped cream onto the base of a 26-28cm round serving plate.  This will stop your wreath from sliding around.

Dollop 1 flat tbsp of whipped cream onto a biscuit and top with another biscuit.  Repeat until you have a stack of 5 biscuits, the top biscuit should not have any cream on top.

Repeat to make 8 stacks of biscuits.

On the prepared serving plate, arrange the biscuit stacks into a wreath shape.  Spread the entire biscuit wreath with just enough whipped cream to ensure the biscuits are covered on top and around the sides.  Refrigerate overnight, reserving remaining whipped cream.

When ready to serve, spread remaining whipped cream around the wreath.  Decorate with dried fruit and nuts.

Macadamia Nut Cookies

Preheat oven to 180℃ and line a few large baking trays with baking paper 

Add the butter and sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix for 3-4 minutes until well combined and whipped. Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract together, then slowly add to the butter mixture until combined.   

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix on low until you form a dough. Stir in the white chocolate and macadamias. Then gently fold in the raspberries, careful not to overmix so the raspberries melt and mix through the whole dough.  

Scoop out the dough into balls and place onto the prepared baking sheets, keeping cookies 5cm apart to allow for spreading. Place into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are browned.  

 Remove from the oven and allow to cool and set slightly before transferring to a wire rack.  

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.

Chocolate & Prune Pudding

Sultana & Cornflake Cookies

Preheat oven to 180°C. Beat butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until smooth, add egg, beat until combined. Stir in sultanas and sifted flour.  Fold flour, 1 cup cornflakes, sultanas through mixture. Roll rounded teaspoons of mixture in lightly crushed cornflakes, place about 3cm apart on greased oven trays; flatten slightly. Bake in oven about 20 minutes or until browned. Cool on trays.