Traditional Hot Cross Buns
Preparation 25 Minutes
Cook 1 hr 50 min Minutes
Serves 12
Method
Place your flour, yeast, sugar, allspice, cinnamon and salt in your mixing bowl and briefly mix until combined.
Add in your melted butter, warm milk, eggs and raisins.
Mix with your dough hook on medium speed for 5-7 minutes until a dough ball is formed and is coming away from the sides of the bowl.
Leave the dough covered with clingfilm in a warm place for approximately 1 hour or until doubles in size.
Knock the air out of the dough and roll it into a log before cutting it into 12 even pieces.
Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place into a grease proof paper linen baking tray (approx. 30cm x 20cm) in a 3 bun by 4 bun pattern.
Cover balls of dough with cling film again and let rise for approximately 40 minutes or until it has risen to about 70% of its original size.
Pre heat oven to 180 degrees after leaving it to rest.
Right before placing it into the oven make your cross mixture by mixing your flour and water until a thickish paste forms. Using a ziplock bag with the corner cut off or a piping bag, pipe your crosses down the center of each bun horizontally and then vertically.
Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until nice and golden brown.
Meanwhile, place jam and water in a bowl and microwave for approx. 30 seconds until melted and combines.
Once buns are fresh out the over, brush your glaze over each one to give them a beautiful glossy finish.
Ingredients
9g dry yeast
110g caster sugar
375g warm milk
640g bread flour
1 tbsp cinnamon powder
1 tbsp all spice
½ tsp salt
220g Sunbeam Australian Currants
50g unsalted butter, melted
1 whole egg
For the cross:
75g plain flour
5 tbsp of water
For the glaze:
2 tbsp apricot jam (or your jam of preference)
2 tbsp water
Recipe Collection
Walnut Cheese Log
Cheese to room temp.
In a bowl, mix cheese & alcohol in a processor with salt and pepper until smooth.
Mix chilli with herbs and nuts, then sprinkle on a 30cm piece of plastic wrap, leaving a 2cm border.
Spoon cheese along one end of herbs. Lift wrap and roll cheese away from you into a log, pressing gently to coat well in herbs, shape the mixture into a log, then wrap and refrigerate for about an hour, until the mixture is firm.
Serve with crackers
Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Currants
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Roughly chop one half of the onion and add to the bowl of a food processor. Add the lamb, torn apart bread, spices and coriander. Pulse until well combined. Remove to a mixing bowl and add pinenuts and seasonings. Mix well and form into large balls using approx. 1½ tablespoons mixture for each.
- Heat half of the oil in a large pan and sear the meatballs until well browned, set aside to drain on paper towel.
- Finely dice the remaining onion half and add to the pan with the remaining oil and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes over a low heat until tender. Add the passata, stock and currants, mixing well. Return meatballs to pot and cover with a lid. Place into oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove lid and cook a further 5 minutes.Alternatively this can be cooked on the stove top, partially covered until meatballs are cooked through. Remove lid to reduce liquid if desired.
Panforte
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake pan.
- Place sugar, honey and chocolate in a large saucepan and gently heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in the raisins, figs, cherries, cranberries and nuts. Mix well.
- Add flour, cocoa and spices to mixture and working quickly mix it together until all combined. You may need to wear a thick rubber glove. Press mixture into prepared pan and bake for 13-15 minutes. Set aside to cool before removing from pan to cool completely.
Simnel Cake
Preheat the oven to 180degress.
Butter the walls of your Bundt tin well.
Chop your glace cherries into quarters and mix into your mixed fruit.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and add the lemon zest.
Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and ground almonds into a bowl and stir to combine.
Into the whipped butter and sugar mix, add 1 of the eggs with a quarter of the dry ingredients.
Add in the other 2 eggs in the same way, followed by the rest of the dry mix remaining.
Mix in the mix, then the fold in the fruit.
Spoon the mixture evenly around the Bundt tin and smooth out the mix.
Bake on 180degrees for 30 minutes and then turn down the oven to 150 degrees for 1.5 hours or until the cake has risen and a skewer comes out clean.
Let the cake rest for 15 minutes before turning it out to cool further.
For the icing, mix the icing sugar, milk and orange juice together and pour over and enjoy!
Almond & Herb Crusted Chicken Schnitzel
1. Combine almond meal, parmesan, herbs and lemon, Season well.
2. If using 2 large chicken breast, cut each into two horizontally to form thin chicken breasts. If using 4 small breasts, slightly pound with a mallet so they have even thickness.
3. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture and drain off any excess. Then press into the almond mixture, coating each side well.
4. Heat oil in a large frying pan and add chicken, cooking for 3-4 minutes each side until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towel, then serve with lemon slices.
Crunchy Apple Slaw
- Place pine nuts and sesame seeds in a small frying pan and cook for 5 minutes until golden and toasted. Set aside.
- Combine the cabbage, apples, spring onions, raisins and mint in a large mixing bowl and toss well.
- Whisk together the oil and vinegar. Season to taste. Pour over apple mixture and toss well. Spoon onto serving platter and sprinkle with toasted seeds and nuts and some additional mint leaves.
