Easter Treat

                                                  Happy Easter to All 


                                                Hot Cross Buns
                                    

Ingredients:  
1/3 cup Castor sugar                             2x 7g sachets dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm milk                           600g plain flour
pinch salt                                                1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. mixed spice                             60g butter, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten                             2/3 cup currants or sultanas your choice
Paste for Crosses
  1/2 cup plain flour
  4 tblsp. water
  2 tsp. Castor sugar
  Glaze
  1 tblsp. very hot water
  1 tsp. gelatine
  1 tblsp. Castor sugar




  Method:
Combine castor sugar, yeast and milk in a bowl, stir until smooth, cover and rest in a warm place for 10- 20 mins or until frothy.
   Sift flour, salt, cinnamon, and mixed spice into a large bowl. Use your fingertips to rub butter into flour mixture.  Stir in yeast mixture, egg and currants until well combined.
   Cover and rest in a warm place for 40-50 mins or until mixture has doubled in size.
   Preheat oven to 220degrees.
   Check on dough,  then turn dough onto a lightly floured surface/ board, and knead until smooth and elastic.  Divide dough into 16 even pieces and roll into balls. Place balls into a lightly greased pan lined with baking paper.
  Rest covered for 10-20 mins,  or until balls have risen to the top of pan.
Crosses
  Combine paste ingredients in a small bowl,  using a piping bag or similar,  pipe crosses over buns.
  Bake in oven for 20-25mins or until browned and cooked.
Glaze
 Combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl and stir until  sugar has dissolved.  Brush buns with warm glaze and cool on a wire rack.
  Makes 16 buns.





                                                                     
                                                                                                                       

Easter Time

      

       Well folks  that time  is here again,  Easter Time.  Wow the year is going fast or is it that I am  maturing at a faster pace!!!!!!

        Easter is the time of year when most people and families get together for a break.  Some go camping,  fishing,  holidays or just catching up with loved ones.  

       

       Easter  is a fun time for the children,  with the Easter Bunny  arriving and  a lot of Easter egg hunts.   Easter Sunday  is a time for celebrating  the rising of Jesus from the dead,  for some families.

        

        Now it is time for another recipe for all my regular followers,  so I hope you enjoy the next recipe.

                                                       

                                            Crusted Barramundi   

            Ingredients 
      1)  4 Small fillets of fresh Barramundi
         2)  1 1/2 cups Breadcrumbs
         3)  2 Eggs   and  3 tsp water
         4)  Salt and pepper   seasoning 
         5)   Oil for frying
         
            Method  
       1)    Make sure bones have been removed from  fillets,
          2)    Whisk egg and water together in bowl
          3)    Put breadcrumbs, and seasoning  in a tray that the fillets will fit nicely
          4)    Place fillets in egg mixture, coat both sides of fish
          5)   Place coated fish into tray of breadcrumbs mixture  and toss to cover fish 
                 completely.
          6)  Place coated fish onto a plate and refrigerate for around 30mins.
          7)   Heat oil in pan on moderate heat,  place fish in pan,  fry for 3 mins on both sides, 
               until a nice golden color.
          8)    Place on prepared plate,  serve with  a slice of lemon, garnish  and a lovely salad if 
                   preferred .


                   Enjoy   your Barramundi Meal........





        




                                    

St. Patricks Day

Bailey's Creme Brulee

Ingredients   serves 6                                                                                          

             300mls  thin cream

             300mls  thick cream

             1 split and deseeded Vanilla Bean

             75g castor sugar

             1 egg,    plus 3 egg yolks

             100mls  Bailey's Irish Cream

             raspberries  ( chilled) to serve

            Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 160 degree's C

2.  In a pan, place creams, add vanilla pod and seeds, then heat over low heat. 

3.  In a bowl  whisk egg,  egg yolks and sugar until light. Add warm cream and Bailey's, continue whisking.

4. Divide into 6- 1 cup ramekins. Place in roasting dish,  add enough water to pan, halfway up sides of ramekins.

5. Bake for 45mins or until set. Remove from pan, cool and chill for 2-3 hours.

6.  When ready to serve, sprinkle  brulee's with extra sugar and place under grill for  2-3 mins,   until tops are golden and caramelized.   You can use a blowtorch instead if you have one.  

7. Serve with raspberries.

A Hearty Meal

 

                                                        Braised Lamb Chops                                                                                                                                        

  Ingredients:

    1kg lamb chops,                                            2 tblsp oil
    2 medium onions                                           2 carrots
    1 swede                                                        1 turnip
    2 sticks celery                                               1.25 litres water
    2 tblsp barley                                                1/4 cup flour
   1 cup water, extra                                          salt and pepper,  chopped parsley

   Method:

     Peel onions, cut into quarters.  Peel swede, carrots and turnip, cut into slices. Chop celery.
    Heat oil in a large saucepan, add chops and brown well both sides. Remove from pan. Add prepared
    vegetables stir until lightly brown. Pour off excess fat, add water,  season with salt and pepper, add barley.
  Add chops back to saucepan,  cover, bring slowly to boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 1/4 hrs or until chops
  are tender.  Blend flour with extra water until smooth.  Stir into saucepan,  stir gently until mixture boils and
  thickens.   Stir in chopped parsley.       Serves 6.

       This recipe is a great meal for a winter evening.

                                                                   

Australia Day Afternoon Tea

   Well we are into another year,  with Australia Day just around the corner. So I thought a great treat for Afternoon Tea on Australia Day would be some Lamington's.

                            Picture  compliments  Taste.com.au               

                                        Lamington

   Ingredients :

              1 Basic Butter cake made in a Lamington Tin.   The cake is best if 1-2 days old.
              2 cups Coconut

     Icing:   
           
             1 tblsp. Butter,  2 cups Icing Sugar, 1/3 cup Cocoa, 1/4 cup Milk, 1/4 cup Boiling water

     Method:

             Trim edges of cake.  Cut into same sized squares as desired.  In a small bowl mix butter until smooth,
        then add icing sugar and cocoa mix.  Add milk and then the boiling water, mix until smooth.
           Using 2 forks,  dip each cake square into  the warm icing,  let excess drip off then roll the square into
      the coconut, until covered. Let stand on a wire rack until set.



       
        

      

Passionfruit Mallow Pie

                                              Picture from Sui-Yin's Sanctuary

Pastry:
    Ingredients:
    1/2 cup Self raising Flour,  1/2 cup Plain Flour,  pinch salt, 
    2 tbls. custard powder,  2 tbls. sugar, 90grams butter (margarine), 2 tbls. milk

    Method:
        Sift dry ingredients into a basin, rub in butter, mix to form dough with milk.  Knead lightly on floured  board, roll  to 6.35mm thick.
   Line a greased  23cm pie plate  with pastry,  prick edge of pastry with fork. 
  Bake in a hot oven 180 degree, for 15-20 minutes.   Cool. 

 Filling:
   Ingredients:
   60gms butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tbls. cornflour, 3/4 cup water,
   1/4 cup lemon juice, pulp of 2-3 Passionfruit,  1 egg yolk

  Method:
      Place in saucepan,  butter, sugar, water and cornflour (blended with lemon juice).
     Stir over low heat  until mixture boils and thickens, add passionfruit  continue stirring simmer 1 minute.
     Remove from heat, add egg yolk stir.  Cool slightly and pour in cooled pastry case.

     Marshmallow:
        Ingredients:
            1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 tsp. gelatine, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg white,  passionfruit pulp
            
    Method:
     Dissolve gelatine  in hot water, allow to cool. Add lemon juice. Beat egg white stiffly gradually   add  dissolved gelatine then add sugar, beating until thick.  Pile on top of filling, spoon passionfruit on top, refrigerate until needed.

Current Tea Cake

Ingredients:
   1 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
   1 cup cold tea
   2 cups S.R. Flour
   375g currants
   1 egg, beaten 

Method: 

    Soak tea, sugar and currants  overnight, or at least 4 hours.
    Add flour and beaten egg.  Grease and line a loaf tin.   Bake in moderate oven  1 1/2 hours.