Hot Cross Buns

Thanks to Artywah for this one!

Makes 12

400g white flour
2 tsp dried yeast
1 tsp allspice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
125g mixed dried fruit
100g sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup milk
50g butter
1 egg

Sift flour, yeast, allspice & cinnamon into large bowl.
Add mixed dried fruit, lemon zest & sugar & combine.
In saucepan melt butter & milk together over low heat.
Once butter has melted add egg & whisk.
Make well in dry ingredients & slowly add milk mixture folding dry ingredients over as you pour.
Combine all ingredients to form dough.
Tip dough onto floured bench & kneed for about 10 min.
Divide dough into 12 pieces & shape into balls & place on lightly floured tray.
Cover with some damp kitchen paper.
Place tea towel over top.
Set aside for 12 hrs – dough should roughly double in size.
Preheat oven to 180ºC.
Pipe on cross (see below).
(This step can be left out if you just want sweet fruit buns.)
Place buns on lightly greased baking tray & bake for 20-25 min or until cooked through & lightly brown on top.
Glaze (see below) & set aside to cool.
Serve warmed with butter.

Variations
This recipe is for hot cross buns with mixed fruit but you can use just raisins or leave the fruit out completely depending on your personal preference.
You can easily modify this recipe to make choc-chip or mocha versions of hot cross buns (see below).

Cross

2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp water

Mix flour & water together in bowl to form smooth paste.
Transfer to piping bag & pipe cross onto each bun.

Glaze

3 tbsp golden syrup
1 tbsp dark rum

Add golden syrup & rum to saucepan & gently heat until golden syrup becomes runny.
Stir & then brush glaze over buns.

Choc-chip Hot Cross Buns

125g choc bits

Follow Hot Cross Buns with fruit recipe as above, with following changes:
Do not add mixed fruit or lemon zest but add half choc chips to the mixture instead.
Add remaining choc chips when kneading dough.
Decorate with chocolate cross (see below).

Mocha Hot Cross Buns

1/2 cup espresso
1/4 cup choc bits

Follow Hot Cross Buns with fruit recipe as above, with following changes:
Do not add mixed fruit or lemon zest.
Replace 1/2 cup milk with espresso & add choc bits.
Decorate with chocolate cross (see below).

Chocolate Cross

10g choc bits

Melt choc bits.
Add to flour & water in Cross recipe above.

Basic Capirinha

Makes 1

2-3 limes, roughly chopped
1 tbsp sugar
45-60ml cachaça (Brazilian sugarcane liquor)
ice

Put lime pieces & sugar in cocktail shaker.
Muddle.*
Add cachaça & ice & shake well.
Pour into glass & top with more ice if needed.

* Muddle: crush & mash together with wooden muddler (kinda like a pestle).

Pisco Sour

Makes 1

1/4 cup pisco *
1 tbsp sugar syrup
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp egg white

In blender, whirl 3 ice cubes, pisco, sugar, fresh lime juice, and egg whites.
Whirl until smooth (you'll no longer hear the ice cracking against the side of the blender) & serve straight up in short glass with a dash of aromatic bitters or nutmeg.

* You can buy good pisco in Australia from Pisco Peru

Moist Apple & Walnut Crumble Cake

This is gluten free & delicious.

for crumble
3/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp groung cinnamon
for cake
1 cooking apple (approx. 170g)
125g unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup gluten free self raising flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup maize cornflour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
1/2 cup milk (approx.)
1 tbsp brandy (optional)

Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced).
Grease 11cm x 21cm loaf tin or 20cm round springform tin & line base with baking paper.
Process crumble ingredients & set aside.
Peel, core & grate apple & set aside.
Cream butter & sugar in small bowl of electric mixer until pale & thick.
Add eggs one at a time.
Scrape down sides of bowl.
Sift flours, cinnamon & baking powder together.
Add to creamed mixture with about 1/4 cup milk.
Do not over-beat.
Fold in apple & brandy, if desired.
Add remainder of milk only if batter is too stiff.
Spoon half batter into tin & sprinkle with half crumble.
Spoon in remaining batter & sprinkle with remainder of crumble.
Bake for 30-40 min or until cooked when tested with skewer.
Cool in tin for 5 min before turning out onto wire rack.

Easy Avocado Dip

Serves 4 as a snack

2 large ripe avocadoes, mashed
3-4 tbsp lemon juice
sea salt & cracked black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 red onion
3-4 large carrots
6 stalks celery
2 red capsicums

Blend together avocado, lemon juice, salt, black & cayenne peppers, & onion until smooth.
Taste dip & adjust seasoning if necessary.
Cut carrots, celery & capsicum into sticks for dipping.
Serve garnished with a sprig of parsley or coriander.

For both recipes below, you can use red chillies if yellow ones are not available.

Causa a la Limeña

Serves 6-8

1.5kg starchy potatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
3 yellow chillies (ají amarillo), seeded, deveined & finely chopped
sea salt & cracked black pepper
stuffing
250g canned tuna, drained (or shelled prawns)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 avocadoes, thinly sliced
1 red onion, minced
garnishes
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
chopped flat-leaf parsley
lettuce leaves
pitted black olives
lime slices
large red chilli, sliced lengthways

Boil potatoes in salted water.
Peel & mash with lime juice, oil, chillies, salt & pepper until smooth.
On platter, flatten out half mixture to about 1 inch thick, shaping it into a circle (or oval).
In layers add mayonnaise, tuna/prawns, avocado & onion.
Cover with remaining potato, smoothing top & sides.
Garnish & serve in slices like a cake.
Note: you can also make smaller individual causa. This dish is usually served as an entrée.

Ají de Gallina

Serves 6

2kg whole chicken
6 garlic cloves, 4 minced, 2 whole
1 bay leaf
1 carrot, peeled & cut into 4 pieces
sea salt & cracked black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 red onions
6 yellow chillies (ají amarillo), seeded, deveined & chopped finely in blender with little oil
5 slices white bread, soaked in milk & squeezed
2 tbsp walnuts (or pecans), finely chopped
50g parmesan cheese
1kg potatoes, boiled salted water & peeled
1kg cooked rice
pitted black olives
3 hard-boiled eggs, halved

Boil chicken in water with whole garlic cloves, bay leaf, carrot, salt & pepper until tender.
Remove chicken from broth & set aside 1 cup strained broth.
Remove skin & bones from chicken & shred meat into medium-size pieces.
Heat oil in large saucepan & stir fry minced garlic, onions, chilli, salt & pepper until onion is clear & soft.
Add bread & half reserved broth, stirring well till bread dissolves.
Add chicken pieces, walnuts & parmesan, mixing well.
Check texture - sauce should be creamy - & add more broth if needed.
Check salt levels & add more if needed.
Serve with rice & sliced potatoes & garnish with olives & eggs.

Coleslaw

I like to use white and red cabbage for the colour, but you can use just white, if you want.

Serves 6-8

1/2 cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, grated
2 celery sticks, finely sliced
1 1/2 cups green onions (shallots) or spring onions, finely sliced
dressing
1 cup whole egg mayonnaise
3/4 cup thickened cream
3 tbsp lemon juice
cracked black pepper

Put dressing ingredients in small bowl & whisk well to combine.
Put salad ingredients in large bowl & toss.
Stir dressing through salad to coat ingredients well.

Fig & Goat's Cheese Tarts

Makes 8

2x 200g sheets store-bought shortcrust pastry
125g soft goat's cheese
4 black figs, halved
3 eggs
185ml single cream
1 tbsp chopped chives
20g finely grated parmesan
sea salt & cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 180°C.
Cut each pastry sheet into 4 squares.
Line 8x lightly greased 8cm-round, fluted tart tins with pastry.
Trim excess pastry & lightly prick bases with fork.
Divide goat's cheese & fig halves among cases.
Place eggs, cream, chives, parmesan, salt & pepper in bowl & whisk until well combined.
Pour egg mixture into cases & bake for 25 min or until puffed & set.
Cool to room temp & serve.

Simple Lime Sorbet

Recipe can also be used for lemon, grapefruit or orange sorbet; simply substitute juice for your favourite citrus fruit.

Serves 6-8

1 tbsp gelatine
1 1/2 cups cold water
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
1 cup lime juice

Sprinkle gelatine over 1/2 cup cold water in medium pan.
Stand for 10 min.
Add boiling water & stir over low heat until gelatine is dissolved.
Add sugar & stir without boiling until it's dissolved.
Add remaining cold water & strained juice.
Refrigerate.
Pour into freezer trays & freeze for 2-3 hours until just firm.
Alternatively, pour into bowl of ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
Scrape or scoop frozen mixture into chilled dessert dishes or wine glasses.
Garnish with citrus leaves or shreds of lime rind.

Weekend cocktails:

Campari Lady

30ml gin
45ml Campari
120ml ruby red grapefruit juice
30ml tonic water
1 cup ice cubes

Shake ingredients together.
Strain into highball glass with some of ice & garnish with a cherry.

King of Denmark

60ml Pernod
15ml Crème de Cassis
45ml blackcurrant cordial
120ml water

Stir Pernod, creme de cassis & cordial.
Add several big ice cubes with water.

Liquid Love

For Virgin Love, omit vodka.

45ml vanilla vodka
4 medium frozen strawberries
90ml cranberry juice
10ml sugar syrup
10ml lime juice
1 cup ice

Blend all ingredients until smooth.
Pour into glass & garnish with strawberry & straw.

Mango Nectarine Daiquiri

60ml Bacardi
60ml mango liqueur
30ml lime juice
1 mango, skin & stone removed
1 nectarine, stone removed
1 cup ice

Blend ingredients until smooth.
Serve in a hurricane glass.

Pimm's No.1 Cup

Serves 4

4 cups ice
1 lemon, sliced thinly
1 orange, sliced thinly
160ml Pimm's No.1
125ml lemonade
125ml ginger ale
1/2 Lebanese cucumber, cut into thin strips

Place 1/2 ice in 1L-capacity jug.
Add lemon & orange slices.
Pour in Pimm's, followed by lemonade & ginger ale.
Stir to combine.
Divide remaining ice among 4 tall glasses.
Place cucumber strip in each glass & fill with cocktail.

For more cocktails, see here