Hot Cross Buns

Other than a song we all learn to play on the recorder in primary school, hot cross buns are a staple on almost every Easter breakfast table. It's basically raisin toast in bun form, with a flour paste cross on top! They're pretty easy to make if you have a couple of hours, and you must have them hot with butter. They are called HOT cross buns after all! Have a happy Easter!

HOT CROSS BUNS

Place the dry ingredients into your mixer:

- 3 cups plain flour
- 1 cup raisins
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp dry yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg and all-spice
Slowly mix in 50g melted butter, 1 cup of warm milk and 1 beaten egg
Knead for 10 minutes

Place the dough in a greased bowl, covered in cling wrap

Leave in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour

Knead again, then shape into equal sized buns - I made about 10

Place dough balls onto a greased baking tray and cover in cling wrap

Leave in a warm place to rise for about half an hour

Pipe crosses onto the buns with a paste of 1/3 cup flour and enough water to make a paste

Bake at 190C for 20 minutes

To make the glaze bring 1/4 cup sugar in 1/4 cup water to the boil

Brush over the buns fresh from the oven

My Cousin's Baby Shower

What a gorgeous day this was - albeit a hot one! I've only been to a few baby showers, so I'm no expert, but this one was simply beautiful. It was a Pinterest dream come to fruition! To coordinate with the day's palette (and to celebrate a little man on his way), I created baby blue, chocolate brown, and white macarons.

Candid capture of me doing what I do best!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I always have almond meal in my pantry - mainly for making macarons. As you know, almond meal isn't the cheapest ingredient, so I tend to buy more if it's on sale!

When used in cakes, almond meal gives you the most beautiful, moist, chewy texture. I've even forgotten about the time and been late to check on an almond meal cake in the oven, to find that it still turned out beautifully juicy inside. Because it doesn't behave like flour, the secret to achieving airy lightness is all in the eggs.

I was so fortunate to acquire 2 extra mixing bowls for my KitchenAid at my last birthday. They have certainly been so useful for cakes such as these which need different components whipped (such as egg yolks and whites).

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

In a medium saucepan add 200g chopped butter, 200g chopped dark chocolate and 1/4 cup strong black coffee.
Stir constantly over low heat until melted then immediately transfer to a bowl to cool.

Do not be tempted to turn the heat up, and make sure you keep the mixture moving, to prevent the chocolate splitting.

In a large mixing bowl, whip 4 egg yolks with 1 cup caster sugar until thick and glossy.

Fold 2 cups of almond meal and your cooled chocolate mix into the egg yolks.

In another mixing bowl, whip 4 egg whites to stiff peaks.
Fold in 1/4 of the whites to the chocolate-yolk mix to "loosen" it.

Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites, being extremely careful not to knock out all those precious air pockets.

Gently transfer to a springform cake tin and bake at 160 C for about 45 minutes.

Chocolate Mug Cake

Here is my next Valentine's recipe for 2, perfect for a quiet night alone when it's been a long day.

I'm sure there are purists out there who would turn their nose up at the thought of microwave cookery - particularly for making cake, and in a mug of all places!

I love mug cakes for many reasons: 1. I love cake, 2. Very little clean-up, 3. I'm lazy and 4. I don't have to wait so long for cake!

CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

Into each mug add:
- 3 tbsp self-raising flour
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cocoa
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp black coffee

Mix together really well with a fork until all the flour lumps are gone.

Microwave on high for 90 seconds.
Every microwave is different so you may need to keep cooking in 15 second bursts.
It is done when the top is set.

Best served with a dollop of Nutella on top!
(And even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!)

Strawberry Tart

When I think of "romantic" food, strawberries definitely come to mind. There's just something about lazily swirling the little buds in velvety melted chocolate... then the feeling when it hits your lips. Sweet, warm, rich chocolate first, followed shortly by the piercing of your incisors into cold, sweet, crunchy, with a hint of acid.

No fondue sets to be seen this time though. I have paired the little red beauties with soft crème pâtissière, encased by crumbly biscuit.

STRAWBERRY TART

First, get started on the crème pâtissière.

Mix together 60g egg yolks with 60g caster sugar and 25g cornflour.

(it worked out to be 3 egg yolks for me)

Heat 1 cup of milk with 1 tsp vanilla extract

(vanilla bean paste would be better but I didn't have any)

When tiny bubbles appear on the surface, pour the milk into the egg mix and stir.

Pour back into the saucepan and stir on low heat for about 1 minute.

Make sure the heat is low and that you keep stirring.

Don't worry if it still seems thin - it thickens on standing.

Pour back into the bowl.

Cover with cling wrap, pressing down on the surface to prevent a skin forming.

Pop it into the fridge while you make the pastry.

Traditionally you should use your hands to make this but:

1. I was lazy

2. I wasn't in the mood for getting butter under my nails and

3. Using a mixer (instead of my hot sweaty hands) keeps everything cold...

(at least that's the excuse I'm sticking with)

Add 1 heaped cup plain flour, 1/2 cup icing sugar and 100g chopped butter to your bowl.

 Using the dough hook, mix on high speed until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Add 1 egg then mix again until the dough comes together.

You may need to add more flour.

Wrap your dough in cling wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Roll out the dough 5mm thick onto a floured surface and cut rounds for your pie dishes.

I managed to stretch this out for 3 dishes.

Blind bake at 180 C for 20 minutes.

Remove baking beads and bake another 10 minutes.

Leave pastry to cool before piping in the crème pâtissière and topping with your strawberries.

Pavlova

If you hadn't already guessed, I love dessert. As UK food critic Gregg Wallace says, dessert is completely unnecessary - we don't need to eat it to survive. Perhaps that's what makes it so special.

With Australia Day coming soon, and because Australian Valentine's Day falls during summer, I thought it fitting to post a recipe for pavlova for 2.

Many of you may have your own fail-safe secret family recipe, but I just tried making pavlova through trial and error - so please don't judge me too harshly!

PAVLOVA

Mix 2 egg whites on medium speed until frothy, then increase to high and mix until you get soft peaks.

Mixing on medium speed, add 1 cup of caster sugar, 1 spoon at a time.

Make sure each spoon is incorporated before adding the next.

Lastly, add in 1 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp cream of tartar and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

It will look shiny shiny shiny!

Spoon onto a lined baking tray.

I draw a circle on the paper because without it, my pav would look like a lopsided blob.

I like to shape a bowl area to hold the topping.

I reserved some meringue to pipe into rosettes to add on later.

Bake at 100 C for 1 hr 30 min, then turn the oven off and prop the door open with your oven mitts.

Allow your pav to cool completely before handling.

Whip about 200ml of thickened cream with 1 tbsp icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Top your pav with the cream and any fruit of your choice.

My hubby and I simply got a couple of spoons and dug straight in.