15 steps to a more successful Easter.

Not sure if everyone remembers my hot cross buns or should I say hot cross rock cakes from last year...

But this year I had much more success... yes a little early but with all these delicious smells in bakery's I couldn't help myself. I used a different recipe and they turned out 100 times better.

And don't they look delicious and fluffy?

The recipe I used was based on one from taste.com.au but changed it slightly as not sure if you know but the one thing I HATE is sultanas... so I used craisins instead which did make the buns not as sweet and less spicy but my alterations have fixed this.

Cranberry Hot Cross Buns

1 1/2 cups of warm (body temp) milk

2 tsp (7g) dried yeast

1/4 cup caster sugar (plus extra one tbs of caster sugar)

60g melted butter

1 egg, slightly beaten

4 1/2 cups of strong bakers flour (plus extra for kneading)

1 tsp salt

4 tsp mixed spice

1 cup of dried cranberries

1/3 cup cold water

1/2 cup apricot jam

1. Combine milk, yeast and the one tbs of caster sugar in a bowl and then set the bowl in another bowl which is filled with warm water (hotter then the milk). This helps active the yeast.
2. Put flour (only 4 cups), salt, mixed spice and sugar in a bowl and add your dried cranberries. Stir to combine.
3. Once the yeast has started to bubbly or change appearance in the milk add the melted butter (not piping hot) and egg and whisk to combine. 
4. Make a well in your flour mixture and pour in milk mixture stirring to combine.
5. Bring together with your hands and turn out onto a dusted surface and knead for 10-15min.
6. Keep warm for 1 hour in a floured bowl covered with a tea towel. Using the same method as in step 1 by placing the bowl with the dough in it in another bowl with warm water in it.
7. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius and grease a 23cm cake tin.
8. Punch dough down and knead for 2-3 min.
9. Divide into 16 pieces and shape into balls.
10. Arrange dough in the cake tin side by side and then set aside for half an hour to rise again.
11. Mix the 1/2 cup of flour and water together to form a paste and pipe down the centre of each row and back the other way to make crosses on each bun.
12. Bake in the oven for 10min then reduce the heat to 180 degrees Celsius and bake for a further 20min. The buns will sound hollow when they are done.
13. Turn out on a cooling rack.
14. Place jam in a saucepan until it melts (approx. 2min). Strain and brush over hot buns.
15. Serve warm with butter or toasted.

Serves 16

FFF... what more can you ask for?

I think the tradition is to have boiled eggs on Easter Sunday but my Mum's family tradition is to have them on Good Friday. So that it exactly what we did. I did over cook them though... a little disappointing as my soldiers didn't work as well as i wanted but the 2nd batch we cooked worked perfectly. This was because the King of Eggs did come to the rescue :)

Recipe #39. Boiled eggs.

I do have to admit though I didn't go exactly by Jamie's recipe with the first batch but did with the 2nd and they worked perfectly as I mentioned above.

Jamie's tip with boiling eggs is to get the water to boiling temp and then dip each egg in and out. This helps prevent the shock of the change in temperature if your eggs are coming straight from the fridge and avoids them cracking. 

Nigella puts a match in the water when she cooks hers... haven't done her trick but Jamie's is useful.

Boiled eggs... Mmmm yum!

I have eaten so many eggs over this weekend... Its been a fabulous weekend full of food, family and friends. 

P.S. I am reading this FABULOUS book at the moment and I recommend it to any foodie out there. It's called 'Lunch in Paris' by Elizabeth Bard. After every chapter there are recipes. It leaves warm fuzzy feelings and the urge to cook delicious french stews and of course all the food sounds sexy because it is french. Daube de Boeuf or Crumble Fraises Rhubarbe anyone??

Happy Easter!

So I know this is not part of my 'mission' but I couldn't resist making Hot Cross Buns since its easter and because I have got a little Nigella mad lately and went with her recipe. I did however leave out the orange, clove and cardamon pods for Mum's sake. She doesn't like hot cross buns too spicy.


I also have to admit that I used the wrong flour and only read the recipe note saying if you don't have the right flour (bread flour) don't bother making them until after they were in the oven. Ah well. I thought they were nice.


Sultanas to me are disgusting, one thing I cannot bring myself to eat or even make myself like. So instead of these disgusting nuggets I used currants which I do like. The buns didn't rise much but I think that was my impatient-ness and the fact I used home-brand plain flour... So instead of looking like shop bought Hot Cross Buns they were more like Hot Cross scones. Still delicious! I will make them again for sure... with good bread flour and maybe also more time to rise.. eg over night :)