Hot Cross Buns

It's nearly Easter and what is more Easter-esque than Hot Cross Buns! Toast 'em and get the kettle on....

Ingredients 450g (1lb) flour (I used white bread flour but feel free to use whatever flour you like, even gluten and/or wheat free) 1tsp salt 7g of yeast 50g (2oz) caster sugar 1 1/2tsp mixed spice 150g (5oz) dried mixed fruit 325ml (11fl oz) lukewarm milk 1tsp white wine vinegar 2 medium eggs, lightly beaten 90ml (3 1/2fl oz) sunflower oil Decoration 3 tbsp flour 3 tbsp milk Glaze 4 tbsp milk 3 tbsp caster sugar

Method

1. Mix the flour, salt, yest, sugar, mixed spice and fruit in a bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the milk, eggs and vinegar. Mix with a wooden spoon until almost combined then work in the oil to make a soft, sticky mixture. Spoon into a bun tray and gently mould each bun with the back of a spoon.
2. Cover the tray and leave in a warm place for about an hour for the buns to rise slightly. Make sure the cover doesn't touch the mixture. Towards the end of the rising time preheat the oven to 220oC/Gas 7.
3. Make the decoration by combining the flour and milk in a bowl and put into a a piping bag. Pipe a cross loosely over each bun. Cook for 20 minutes until golden, well risen and firm.
4. Make the glaze by heating the milk and the sugar. Brush the buns when they come out of the oven and leave to cool.
5. Serve, toasted with butter.. yum yum!
   
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Fondant Filled Chocolates

Hey!! Wonder where I had got to? Well, I am back and I have a great and SO easy recipe for you to try!

Ingredients 3oz cream cheese 2 1/2 cups (10 oz) icing sugar 4-6 drops of food colouring 4-6 drops of flavouring

Method

1. Mix the cream cheese and the icing sugar together.
2. Start with four drops of food flavouring and then carefully add flavouring and colour as desired.
3. Mix until the mixture is an even colour. You may wish to add more icing sugar if your mixture seems a bit thin.
4. Melt the milk chocolate and half fill your moulds. (depending on your moulds you may want to experiment with the following method but this worked perfectly for me.
5. Using a icing piping bag put a blob of the mixture into the centre of the chocolate (see picture below).
6. Spoon a small amount of chocolate onto the top to seal and then place in the fridge.
7. Turn out when set.
8. Keep in the fridge until needed.

I used low fat cream cheese, just to try and convince myself that these are healthier! Put full fat os fine also. I had to go to eBay for the flavouring, I was struggling to find sweet flavourings but found an American company LorAnn Oils which do a great range and are very reasonably priced.

Hey! I'd love to know if people are using my recipes!! If you are leave a wee comment on the recipes post! Also, why not head back and let me know how you got on!!?

Chocolate Moulds

Have you ever tried making your own chocolates? I tried a while ago with some moulds from my mums coffee shop gift shop. At the time they were top of the range, plastic affairs and to be honest they made a decent chocolate, if you could get the silly things out! Although, that did make for a lot of wastage and somebody has to eat it!!!

Well, one of the Christmas presents I bought for my self last year was one of the moulds pictured. In fact the one at the top, and I am definately going to be adding the others to my collection!

They are silicone moulds which means they are all bendy so each little 'insert' can be turned completely inside out! This means the chocolates can be popped out cleanly and easily and there is no broken chocolate.

I rustled out a batch last weekend as a present for my mum as we were visiting. (Well, I had made dog biscuits for the dog, it seemed only fair.) It is a great way to use up all that left over chocolate and nuts. I used both dark and white chocolate and layered it. White chocolate filled to half way, pop in a hazelnut, dark chocolate to finish, pop them in the fridge to set then he presto! they are ready.

I will be experimenting with different fillings and additions to the chocolate over the coming weeks so watch this space.

I do recommend these moulds but I would say, for the frugal kitchen equipment buyer destined to only buy one for emergencies, go for a generic shape, like the square, as this will cover a range of events. Hearts are nice but a bit limited to their usage.

Hey! I'd love to know if people are using my recipes!! If you are leave a wee comment on the recipes post! Also, why not head back and let me know how you got on!!?

Check Out My New Blog Site...

Want to read about my exploits into the country? Well check out my other blog site, its new so don't laugh at it :) www.realisingthedream.blogspot.com

It is to be my online diary as my husband and me set off to try and make a life in the country. We want to try an start a home business, as well as have all the peaceful surroundings of the countryside. I am also going to attempt a bit of self-sufficiency too, get a proper vegetable garden going, fruit bushes and definately some chickens. I will then be able to get some nice 'Farmhouse Kitchen' recipes going!!

There have been so many days since my last post, I apologise, regular service will be resumed shortly.

So please, check out the new blog, let me know what you think, what you think I can do to improve, what you'd like to see.

I Won A Competition!!!

For those of you that didn't know I am an avid enterer of competitions, my philosophy being 'You have to be in it to win it!' So with that in mind I entered the Sainsbury 'Delicious' Magazines competition to in a Gabbiano Hamper. And I recieved the email saying that I had one!! I was well chuffed and it beat the usual spam you get in your inbox!!! They are going to contact me for delivery but I will be getting the following:

Tuscan cookery pack, which includes: A case of Castello Di Gabbiano Chianti DOCG 2006 (6 x 75cl bottles), a case of Castello Di Gabbiano Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie 2007 (6 x 75cl bottles), a case of Castello Di Gabbiano Toscana Rosé (6 x 75cl bottles), a Return to Tuscany cookbook by Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi, a Gabbiano cook’s apron, a bottle of Castello di Gabbiano extra virgin olive oil (Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva) and a bottle of Delizia del Castello Balsamic Vinegar.

I am WELL chuffed and I am looking forward to all the the things I will be able to cook. Never tried Tuscan food before so I am looking forward to that!!!

Hey! I'd love to know if people are using my recipes!! If you are leave a wee comment on the recipes post! Also, why not head back and let me know how you got on!!?