I seem to have lost the art of couch potato-ing.

The thought of sitting in front of a Television set when I’m at home doesn’t appeal to me anymore.

Have I come of age? Has television programming become stale and robotic? Is my couch not as comfortable as it could be? Has the Internet become my new form of edutainment?

I think all of the above are correct in someway with one more added statement to describe my lack of tele-watching  enthusiasm.

The kitchen has become the heart of the home again.

I can happily say that I would much rather be cooking and sharing the food love with my family then sitting stone faced in front of the box watching reruns of terrible American sitcoms.

Last night was no exception as I skipped merrily into the kitchen and produced this super little dessert with the help of Miss8 and visiting Miss6. In fact it was so simple they did all the stirring and licking of bowls for me!

Sticky Date and Molasses Pudding

Ingredients:

200gm pitted dates ~ roughly chopped

1 ¼ cup water

½ tsp baking soda

60g unsalted butter ~ softened

¾ cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

¼ cup molasses

1 cup self raising flour

Pinch of salt

1 tsp ginger

Methodology:

• Preheat the oven to 180c on Fan bake.
• In a small saucepan bring to the boil the dates and water. Reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 5 minutes until the dates begin to breakdown.Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
• In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and the sugar is dissolved.
• Mix in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
• Pour in the molasses and mix until well combined.
• Sift together the flour, salt and ginger and fold through the wet mixture lightly.
• Pour the mixture into a well greased pudding basin or 6 individual greased ramekins and bake in the oven for 25 minutes for individuals or  40 minutes for a large one or until a skewer inserted into the pudding comes out clean.
• Serve hot from the oven with clotted cream, ice cream, or butterscotch sauce

Photo Credits: Roberto Kapp of www.bobbykphotography.com. and Ben Sutherland via Flickr

photo by Allerina & Glen MacLarty

Firstly prepare your fish bones … I’ve always wanted to start a dessert post with just such a statment.

Had we been preparing this Italian dessert tradizionale we would have started with the preperation of our fish bones which were used as the thickening agent.

Techonolgy now on our side, we are able to utilise a sprinkle or two of gelatin… thank fully.

Panna cotta hails from the Emilia -Romagna region of Italy,  the long held strong hold of Italian Gastronomy. For centuries the people of Emilia-Romagna have been delighting our palates and amplifying our bellies with such regional delights as Prosciuttio di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano and of course the frangible and lightly cooked panna cotta.

The literal translation of panna cotta is “cooked cream”, which it is only just . The gelatin is used to set the dessert and I have added white chocolate to this recipe to make it extra decadent.

This relatively simple dessert, consisting traditionally of only four ingredients is made challenging only in thought ~ as too much gelatin will cause the dessert to turn out rubbery, and conversely, too little gelatin will cause the dessert to run forth onto the plate. By nature, panna cotta should be wobbly and voluptuous as a womens bosom which is not hard to achieve if you follow this simple methodology.

Serve elegantly plain or when summer berries are in abundance with a spoonful of these macerated goodies for a  sweet-tart contrast.

Ingredients

180gms white chocolate

600mls full cream

4 Tbs caster sugar

1 vanilla pod ~ scraped of its seeds

3 tsp / 10gms powdered gelatin

1/3 cup of boiling water

6x dariole moulds ~ lightly greased with non stick cooking spray

3 handfuls of fresh berries such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.

2-4 Tbs caster sugar

1/4 cup of red wine, white wine or cider

Serves 6

Methodology

Into a heavy based saucepan place the white chocolate, cream, sugar and vanilla seeds.

Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly to ensure the mixture is smooth and does not begin to catch on the base of the pot. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for a couple of minutes to give the flavours time to get to know each other a little better.

Sprinkle the gelatin over the boiling water and wait a few minutes for the granules to dissolve.

Pour the gelatin liquid into the cream mixture and stir through to combine.

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove any potential lumps, and then divide the mixture between the 6 moulds.

Lightly cover the moulds with cling film and allow to set in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours  ~ or overnight if need be.

Photo by ginnerobot

While the pannacotta are setting to their delicious jelly like state, you can prepare the berries to go with the dessert by heating them in small non-stick pan with 2 Tbs of caster sugar. Once you begin to smell the sugar caramelising slightly in the pan, add in a 1/4 cup of red wine, white wine or cider.

Allow the berries to come to a gentle boil so they begin to break down a touch and the flavour of the sauce begins to develop. Taste the sauce at this point ~ adding more sugar if the berries are particularly tart.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave the berries to sit and cool which once agian will help those wonderful flavours to shine through.

To serve your decadent dessert treat, unmold the panna cotta by running a sharp knife around the edge of the mould.

Hold the mould upside down in the palm of your hand and gentle shake the mould until the panna cotta comes loose and slides into your hand ~ now slid the dessert on to a deep dished plate and surround with berries and a spoon or two of the lovely berry sauce.

Photo by powerbooktrance

The Wonder Breakfast When Your on the GO!

Sweet nothings  can deny me  my favourite way to start the day… OK my SECOND favourite way to start the day ~ wink wink nudge nudge, nuff said.

I’m consciously aware of the importance of a hearty breakfast in our daily diet, but up until this point it has  eluded me in the physical sense. I’m either to busy, to lethargic  or too busy being lethargic .

I craved something tangible … I quick fix.

Something that was swift to prepare and easy to digest, would fill me up and was light and SUPER tasty.

The day that my Banana and Manuka Honey Smoothie slid into my life is a day I will never forget. It sums up breakfast on the go for me like toast and marmalade  could never do.

And did I mention the health benefits???

So here comes the wavier first.  Though I’m no doctor, the ingredients that make up this smoothie are good for your heart, kidney’s and bones that will help to enhance your mood if your feeling a little flat.

Along with the wonders of the Banana as mentioned above, you also have the added benefits of calcium rich yogurt with its benefical bacteria and your favourite super food and mine ~ Manuka honey.

Manuka honey is fabulously exclusive, thanks to it  being produced by bees that collect pollen from the Manuka trees that grow on the East coast of New Zealand.

This particular honey has all the benefits of normal honey plus the added bonus of being antibacterial and antiviral. In fact, Manuka honey is medical grade honey ~ great for wound healing, burns, wrinkles, acne and a myrid of other ailments.

For those of you similar to myself who like the idea of drinking your yogurt and bananas rather than chewing them ~ this is the Breakfast treat for you!

Banana and Manuka Honey Smoothie

~makes enough for 1 large glass

1 Banana ~ ripe and smooth, best to avoid unripe bananas  in a smoothie as it wont be as creamy

2 Tbs Greek yogurt

2 tsp Manuka honey

350mls of chilled apple juice

Place all ingredients into a blender and whizz until nicely combined and oh so smooth ~ie.

Photo by kthread

You know how  memories can sometimes be triggered by certain smells and distinct aromas?

The smell of freshly fallen  rain hitting hot asphalt is reminiscent of playing hide-and-go-seek with my older brothers and the neighborhood generation Y ~ running through our backyard until we heard the call that it was bed, bath or dinner time.

The sweet lingering smell of honeysuckle flowers brings back memories of my bedroom in our old house as the honeysuckle vine used to grow along  the side of the wall and almost come creeping through my window.

And nothing speaks volumes of summer more than the smell of succulent juicy peaches, ripe and tender, dangling from the tree patiently waiting to be plucked and devoured.

I’m taken back to beautiful memories of running through the peach orchard, picking as many of these wondrous fruit as my little plastic bucket could carry whilst constantly wiping away the peach juice dripping down my chin as I scoffed the warm golden globes.

Peaches  when in abundance  were treated in only a few ways in my household. They were left to eat as is, fuzz tickling the back of your throat, or they were preserved in heavy syrup for leaner times.

As I’ve grown into my chefs jacket, I’ve had the great fortune of being able to experiment with this delightful stone fruit and have given you a couple of my favorite ways with this summery sensation.

Photo by mccun934

Grilled peach crumbs with mascarpone and balsamic syrup

Ingredients:

2 large firm peaches ~ stoned and sliced in half

4 Tbs brown sugar

4 tsp butter ~ chilled

4 Tbs white flour

4 Tbs mascarpone

Balsamic glaze

Fresh mint leaves

Procedure:

• Make the crumb topping by mixing together the flour and brown sugar and rubbing the chilled butter in with your fingertips
• Lay the peach halves on a roasting tray and top with crumb mixture.
• Grill for 15-20 minutes on medium to high until the peach is tender and the crumb topping is golden and crisp.
• Lay two peach halves per plate and top with a dollop of mascarpone and a drizzle of balsamic syrup. Garnish with a few mint leaves and serve.

Serves 2 as dessert

photo by jules:stonesoup

Poached Peaches with honeyed chestnut cream and sticky meringue

Ingredients:

2 firm peaches ~ halved and stoned

¼ cup of chestnut puree

1- 2 Tbs of dark liquid honey

¼ cup of thickened cream

2 soft meringues ~ broken into pieces

1 liter of sugar syrup

Cinnamon sticks

Star anise

½ Vanilla pod ~ scraped

Procedure:

• Poach the peaches gently in the sugar syrup with a few cinnamon sticks, star anise and the vanilla pod until the peach is tender, but still in tact. This should take approx 20 minutes.
• Cool the peach slightly.
• Sweeten the chestnut puree by mixing into it 1 Tbs of the dark honey.
• Assemble the dessert by stacking peach, meringue, cream and chestnut puree into a wine glass or small glass bowl ~ remembering to watch the layers as you assemble so that the dessert looks appealing in its glass confines. Finish with a small drizzle of honey, a cinnamon stick and vanilla pod.

Serves 2 as dessert

Nana, My Mum~Tere and Uncle Rex

I adore my Grandmother, Lyn Jameson, a remarkable women from a resilient era.

Nana (As we call her) is a funny old stick ( as her son-in-law, My father USED to call her) who can spin a good yarn, make a delightful carrot cake with lemon cream cheese icing and loves nothing finer than a glass of claret and a belly full of laughs.

Photo by jules:stonesoup

My Nana is  quite the accomplished cook. Her Steamed fruit pudding that she invented some 60 years ago has won her fame the globe over and appeared published as a winning recipe  in the Geelong News on December the 17th 1991. I will publish it in its entirety shortly, for the online community to enjoy!

She is also a published writer “Akatere~ a place far away“  which is a novel based on her youth  and an artist that uses the medium of oil on canvas.

Every time I make the south bound journey to visit with my Nana she  has a few choice narratives and humorous fables that we share over a glass or so of her favorite ‘plonk’.

Upon visiting with her a few weeks ago, she ambushed me with a hand written recipe that she then made me stand up and read a loud to her and my then giggling mother.

Hmmmm, I sense a conspiracy.

Although she does not take credit for this clever recipe, credit lies in the passing on of wisdom between a Grandmother and one ever so grateful granddaughter.

I love you Nana! Thank you for making me smile

My Nana Lyn and Grandpapi Cliff

Fruitcake Recipe ~ and

Guaranteed to make you one!

Please ensure you read this recipe a loud to someone you love from start to finish…

Ingredients:

4 Liters of Whiskey

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

2 cups dried fruit

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup brown sugar

Lemon juice

Nuts

Method:

• Firstly sample the whiskey to check for quality.
• Take a large bowl. Check the whiskey again to be sure it is of the highest quality. Pour one level cup and drink.
• Repeat.
• Turn on the electric mixer and beat 1 cup butter in large fluffy bowl.
• Add 1 teaspoon sugar and beat again. Make sure the whiskey is still O.K.
• Cry another tup. Turn off mixer.
• Break 2 legs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
• Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters, pry it loose with a drewscriver.
• Sample the Whiskey to check for tonsisticity.
• Next, sift 2 cups of salt or something. Who cares. Check the whiskey.
• Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
• Add one tablespoon of sugar or something. Whatever you can find.
• Grease the oven. Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees.

Dont forget to beat of the turner. throw the bowl out the window. Check the Whiskey again. Go to bed.

Who the heck likes fruitcake anyway.

Bottoms UP Nana!

photo by mao_lini

There are a myriad of tangible things one can achieve in 3 minutes.

In 3 minutes you could win the Eurovision Song Competition.

3 minutes is all you need to start a dance party like this king of the fandango managed to do at the Sasquatch Music Festival.

Take 3 minutes out of your busy schedule and learn how to play the ukulele or  invest 3 minutes to find your soul mate.

But when given the challenge to cook a chocolate cake in 3 minutes, I have to declare I was skeptical.

I decided to bring in the big guns, the heavy hitter so to speak. My 14 year old niece Lilly, to test the theory~ An edible chocolate cake in 3 minutes that doesn’t begin life in a packet. Hmmmm… We had to have our witts about us.

I began feeling anxious. Was there going to be enough time or  were we leaving it to the last minute?  The last 3 minutes. It was the final day of the mid-winter school holidays…we had to get humming!

Scouring the Internet, I came across scores of quick cooking cake recipes, but none of them  were deemed  acceptable.  Using Lilly’s intuition we were able to tweak the recipes to something we could both be proud of.

Drum roll please…

Lilly’s Totally Edible 3-Minute Wholemeal Chocolate Cake Miracle

4 tablespoons of wholemeal self-raising flour

5 tablespoons of caster/fine sugar

2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

1 large egg

3 tablespoons of milk

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips

Pinch of salt

Into a bowl  or using a blender~ mix together all the ingredients until well combined.

Pour into a large mug and cook on high in the microwave for 3 minutes!

Serve immediately with fresh strawberries, creamy ice cream, runny cream or on its own with a long spoon.

Share with someone you love!

Crepes by Bridget

I weighed. I tested. I tasted. I rejected.

My thirst for finding the best crepe recipe was unquenchable.

I was living life on the boulevard of broken dreams, having been let down by so many crepe recipes that had been unable to deliver their promised thin pancake goodness. I was feeling desperate, a  fugitive without her crepe sucrees.

My luck was about to change, as I finally happened upon on a recipe that would alter my crepe making destiny.

It was the day after Bastille Day, Le Quatorze Juillet…Viva La France! and I had just finished watching Julia Child’s “The French Chef” re runs on You Tube. I was feeling somewhat nostalgic with the words of Julia Child ringing sweetly in my ears… “In cooking you’ve got to have a WHAT THE HELL attitude…”

What the hell…I decided to give my crepe search one last ditch attempt by picking through a few cookbooks that have been lurking unceremoniously  in a pile under my bedside table.

I was reunited with some dear old friends like Philip Johnson’s Ecco 2 and The Two Fat Ladies Ride Again before I came across a tender favourite from years gone by. Encased in the pages of Charlie Trotters white hardcover dessert cookbook was what I had been looking for.

Here was a recipe for crepes that was decisively different and richer sounding than any other recipe I had previously stumbled across. Voila!

So a few dummy runs, a couple tweaks and some minor adjustments later,  I have come up with a glorious crepe recipe that produces rich and silky pancakes with good chew and a soft interior.

Combined with fresh lady finger bananas, oh so sweet and starchy. Crunchy toasted pecan nuts, lightly crumbled to perfection and a très agréable salted caramel sauce makes for a decadent and simple dessert.

A dessert reminiscent of dinner party delights that Julia might have whipped up for husband Paul and any friends lucky enough to have been invited for tea  by the “Queen of the ladle”.

Banana and Salted Caramel Crepes with Toasted Pecans

Serves 4

Ingredients for the Crepes

125gms  butter- melted

1  1/4 cups  organic flour

3 Tablespoons of caster sugar

Pinch of salt

4 large free range eggs

2 large free range egg yolks

1  1/2 cups of milk – warm

1/2  cup of cream -warm

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

Ingredients for the crepe filling

4 Lady finger banana’s

1/4 cup brown sugar

25 gms butter

1/4 cup of cream

sea salt flakes

toasted pecans

Don’t be put off with the long list of ingredients. To make the crepe mixture is as easy as banging all the ingredients into a blender and whizzing for 1 minute on high. Done.

Now rest the batter in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour before using. This allows the gluten in the flour time to relax and  will help to keep the crepes soft and light rather than gluey.

To cook the crepes

Heat a crepe pan or small fry pan on a medium heat with a good spray of nonstick cooking oil. Using a small 120mls/ 4oz ladle, place the mixture into the pan and swirl to distribute.

Once the edge of the crepe begins to brown-approximately 40 seconds- carefully slide a thin spatula underneath the crepe and gently flip the crepe over to cook on its reverse side for a further 30 seconds.

Shake the crepe from the pan onto a large plate and repeat the crepe making process until all the mixture is used up.  You should end up with a stack of 9-10 crepes. Your own mille crepe.

Cover your stack with foil to help keep them warm while you prepare the ingredients for the filling- but not to worry, this will only take a second.

To prepare the filling

Make the caramel sauce by melting the brown sugar in a small pan on medium heat, stirring continuously. This will only take a minute so best not to walk away or answer the phone as the sugar can burn very easily.

Once the sugar has liquefied, remove from the heat and drop in the butter, mixing until well incorporated.

Place back onto a low heat and pour in the cream. It will spit at you a bit, but don’t be afraid, it wont overflow. Beat the heck out of it until its glossy and smooth and set aside off the heat.

To assemble the crepes

Place a few slices of banana and a sprinkling of pecan nuts on to the crepe and then fold into a triangle.

Use 2 to 3 crepes per person and drizzle well with the caramel sauce.

Finish your crepe plate with a light sprinkling of sea salt flakes over the caramel sauce and serve.

Bon appétit!

Once upon a time… I began compiling recipe links that would flitter seductively past me in my twitter stream as I sat doodling and discussing the day’s happenings with friends and fellow foodies.

After much clicking and opening, I would downsize  my favourite  selection  to a manageable and rather appropriate

15 Top Recipe Posts.

Well I’m pleased to announce that keeping my selection contained to within 15 recipe posts is no longer achievable.

This post has seen my 15 Top Recipe Posts increase to 25 glorious offerings in order to share  as many of the high calibre resources  that I have been fortunate enough to click through to.

Listed below are my Top 25, but if you think I’ve missed something out, please feel free to let me know via twitter or direct email.

bridget(at)theinternetchef(dot)biz.

Happy dining!

Banana Pineapple Cake- Belachan2

Braised Char Siew-- House of Annie

Lime Square Bars- Evil Shenanigans

Kahlua Fudge Brownies- The Recipe Girl

Billionaires Bacon- Sauver

Vanilla and Rhubarb Jam- Food in Jars

Whiskey Ginger Ribs- Gastronomic Blog

Banana bread Ice cream- The Kitchen Illiterate

Spicy cilantro Peanut Slaw-Kalyn'sKitchen

Perfect MacnCheese- My Cooking Quest

Radicchio Salad- Fare To Remember

Tequila Marinade- The Parsley Thief

Very Good Chocolate Cake- A Yankee in...

Toasted Cheese Sandwich- Taste and Tell

Black Sesame Ice Cream- My Buttery Fingers

Lychee Granita- Seasaltwithfood

Juicy Lucy Burgers- Food Mayhem

Milliondollar Cake- A Yankee in Southern Kitch

Root Beer Cookies- Makes and Takes

Pear Butter-- Bittersweet Blog

Drunken spaghetti--The Cooking Photographer

Peanut chocolate caramel bars-- 17 and Baking

Dulce de leche- the easy way-- Pigpig's Corner

Cheesecake Brownies--Rosa's Yummy Yums

Millionaire's Shortbread-- Baking For The Cure

photo by farm4

“To follow, without halt, one aim: There’s the secret of success.” Anna Pavlova (1881-1931)

It seems that  Australians and New Zealanders have taken this famous quote by Anna Pavlova the Russian ballerina to heart when placing claim on some popular Southern Hemisphere icons.  Debate has been raging over the national identity of horses, entertainers, actors and sporting identities for years, with one hot topic that has been top of the debating list-  the famous Pavlova dessert named in honor of the “petite le sauvage” dancer.

Even the New Zealand prime minister John Key has got in on the act, asking Australian’s to keep there hands off our Pavlova!

So what is a Pavlova, and what about it gets so many “Aussies and kiwi’s”  hot under the collar?

A Pavlova is a meringue like dessert consisting of egg whites and loads of sugar, whisked up until  very stiff and then baked in the oven on  a low heat to result in cake that has a crunchy shell with a moist interior.  Sounds simple and delicious? Well trust Trans Tasman rivalry to complicate the issue with ownership and bragging rights.

Anna Pavlova was a popular ballerina who toured the world extensively with the Russian ballet. At a time when touring dance companies were rare, the Russian ballet and more importantly Anna Pavlovas portrayal of “the Dying Swan” in Swan lake captured the hearts and minds of people the world over.

None more so than the reported account of one hotel Chef in 1929  in  Wellington, New Zealand  who was so inspired by the touring ballerina that he invented a dish with pillowy clouds of meringue to mimic her tutu and kiwifruit slices to copy the green roses that were interwoven into her costume. The pavlova is born…or is it?

Some six years later in 1935, a hotel chef in Perth Australia has staked claim to the famous sweet treat, hence creating the contrevorsy that lingers on to this day.

After some exhaustive research- (and this is before I have stepped into the kitchen to research the taste!) I have uncovered a few home truths that should set the record straight once and for all.

Pavlova, as well as Phar Lap ,  Crowded House and Russel Crowe all  have there roots firmly planted in New Zealand soil despite Australians ferocious claims that they are “true blue” waltzing Matilda’s.

Pavlovas recipes have been found in New Zealand cookbooks as early as 1929 with the most convincing being a recipe found published in 1933 in the “Rangiora Mothers cookery book” some 3 years prior to the Australian claim to fame.

So it seems the New Zealand prime minister John Keys was on to something when he so politely told the Aussies to “bugger off”  and the humble Pavlova, all chewy and white can rest assured in the arms of the loving kiwis. My being a New Zealander now living in Australia would have absolutely nothing to do with my approval of these facts… of course.

Now for the recipe, adapted from the most famous of New Zealand Cookbooks- the icon that is The Edmonds Cookbook. Out of respect for dear Edmonds, I have adapted it only because my copy of the Edmonds cookbook belonged to Grandmother Lynn which dates back to the 1950′s, and recipe innovation has moved on some since those glorious days.

This one’s for you Nana!

Pavlova- Kiwi Style.

Firstly you need to preheat your oven 120C. The oven needs to be low as the secret to making a damn good Pavlova lies in the fact that the egg whites in the pavlova dry out and set rather than bake.

Your best to use a kitchen mixer for preparing this dessert as there is a lot of whisking involved! So into the bowl of your kitchen mixer drop 6 egg whites and a pinch of salt and whisk until soft peaks form.

Continue with the whisking and gradually add in 270gms of caster sugar a tablespoon at a time which will allow enough energy for the sugar to dissolve.  The whisking will be complete when the mixture is glossy and shiny and no evidence of sugar is visible.

Remove the bowl from the mixing unit and carefully fold in 1 teaspoon of white vinegar, 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract or paste and 2 teaspoons of cornflour.

On to a baking paper lined oven tray, pile the luscious pavlova cloud in the shape of a cake,  either whipping up the peaks to create a dramatic effect or flattening into a round for a more traditonal pavlova look.

Bake in that nice slow oven for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. You will know when it’s done by  lightly tapping the top of the pavlova which should be hard. Turn the oven off and leaving the door slightly ajar leave the pavlova to cool completely.

Dress the pavlova with lashings of freshly whipped sweetened cream and slices of kiwifruit for the traditional fare or use any combination of fresh fruit such as strawberries, passion fruit, raspberries or banana.

An undressed pavlova will keep demurely in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Photo by ricoeurian

Easter may be a distant recollection, but the glut of hot cross buns may be making you a little hot, cross and bothered. But before you propel the stale baseballs in the rubbish or feed them to the birds, take a gander yonder and try one of these tempting things to do with leftover hot cross buns.

The birds will understand.

Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding

Layer buttered slices of HCB with home made custard and a sprinkling of raisins into a baking dish and bake in a moderately hot oven for 20-30 until golden brown and luscious.

Nutella Stuffed Hot Cross Bun  French Toast

Thickly slice HCB and layer two slices with a thick coating of nutella. Sandwich the HCB and dip into an egg mix made with 2 eggs, 50mls of cream and tsp of icing sugar. Fry in a pan on both sides until golden brown.

Ricotta and Homemade Preserved Fruit Hot Cross Bun French Toast

As for the above recipe, sandwich the HCB with fresh ricotta cheese, homemade or good quality poached fruit like plums or peaches and dip and fry as per the previous recipe.

Crispy Hot Cross Bun Pieces with Chocolate Fondue
Why not cover two of your Easter bases in one go by slices the left over HCB into small-ish chunks and frying them until crisp in a pan with butter and a dash of oil. Think of it like making hot cross bun croutons. Now fork them and dip into your favourite chocolate fondue alongside fresh fruit.

Hot Cross Bun Stuffing for a Roast Dinner

Think of this recipe idea as a sweet savoury balance for stuffing into the cavity of a chicken, duck or turkey. Shred 2 stale HCB and mix with 1/2 a grated carrot, a knob of melted butter and a grinding of black pepper and sprinkling of sea salt flakes. Stuff and roast as normal.

And if after attempting some of these giddy recipes you find yourself still inundated with hot cross buns, wrap them up and pop them into the freezer as they will keep for up to a month.

Any other ways of using up hot cross buns? Drop me a line. Would love to hear them!!