Cinnamon rolls

250 ml milk,tepid

25 g fresh yeast,broken into pieces

75g sugar

pinch of salt

450 g flour

75 g butter at room temperature

Filling:

50 g butter butter, melted or softened

100 g sugar

2 tbsp ground cinnamon

raisins (optional)

Mix yeast,sugar,salt with the warm milk.Stir until combined.Add egg,flour,salt & butter.

Knead until smooth & elastic.Cover the bowl with cling film and put into warm place for 40 min,until doubled in size.

Roll out to a rectangle.

Soften the butter,brush over the dough. In a bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon,spread over the dough. scatter over couple of handfuls of raisins if you wish.

Roll up the dough from the long edge to form a sausage shape.Cut into 5cm slices & place on the baking tray.Cover & leave to rise for ca 30 min.

Brush with beaten egg.

Bake in a preheated oven,225C for 12-15 min.

Rice crispie treats with white chocolate

makes 25-30 treats

3 tbsp butter

300 g marshmallows

200 g rice crispies

100 g white chocolate,broken into pieces

handful or two caramelized almonds

Melt butter,add chocolate & marshmallows,stir until completely melted.Remove from the heat.

Add rice crispies.Finally almonds.

Press mixture into the 30-22cm pan coated with butter.Cool.

Cut into treat size squares.

Stores up to 5 days in airtight container.

Roasted banana icecream

3 medium ripe bananas

75 g brown sugar

375 ml milk

2 tbsp sugar

1,5 tsp lemon juice

0,5 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Oven 200 C

In a small baking dish,chop bananas,toss in sugar.Bake ca 40 min,until bananas are cooked through,caramelized & golden.turn once during cooking.

Blend hot bananas syrup from the dish,milk,lemon juice,sugar,vanilla & salt until smooth.Chill in the fridge until cold.

Place in a plastic container,pop in a freezer & whip every few hours.

Cheese croissants

4 dl flour

2 dl grated cheese

2 tsp baking powder

0,5 tsp salt

50 g butter

2 dl sour cream

Filling:

3 dl grated cheese

For brushing:

1 egg,beaten

Mix flour,cheese,baking powder & salt.

Brake in soft butter.Add sour cream.Mix together to form smooth dough.

On a lightly floured surface,roll out the dough to form ca 35cm round & cut into 12 wedges.

Place a little of the filling on to each of the dough wedges.Carefully roll up each wedge,starting from the wide end.

Place croissants on to the baking tray lined with baking paper.Brush with beaten egg.

Bake in a preheated oven 225C for 10-15 min.

Custard Pastries

Pastry:
5dl milk

50g fresh yeast or 2x7g dry yeast

1,5dl sugar
0,5tsp salt
1 egg
1kg flour
150g butter

Filling:
3,5dl milk
2tbsp flour+2tbsp semolina

3tbsp sugar
2 egg yolks
1tsp vanilla sugar
1 lemon
3o g butter

For making the pastry warm up the milk to the hand temperature.If using the fresh yeast rub it into the warm milk & add sugar & salt.Mix until the yeast is dissolved.Add egg,flour & soft butter.Knead until dough is smooth & elastic.

If using dry yeast then follow the instructions on the packet.

Cover the bowl with dough with clean towel or cling film & let it rise in warm place until doubled in size.

For making the cream whisk the milk, flour,semolina & sugar until smooth.Place it on to the low heat & stir until starts to thicken.Take the cream off the heat & beat in the egg yolks.Put it back on to the heat for little longer until looks nice & creamy,stir all the time.Take it off the heat again ,add vanilla sugar,grated lemon rind & juice.Add butter.Cool the cream completely before using.

Roll out the dough over the floured table.Cut out 8x12cm rectangles & place the teaspoonful of cream in the middle(you can also add a little jam on the top if you like).Place two corners over the pastry & press gently together.Place pastries on to the prepared baking trays & let them rise for ca 10min.Brush with beaten egg & bake in 200C oven 12min.

Sprinkle with icing sugar & serve warm.

From this amount you get 25 pastries.

Feta Cheese Pies

1 pack (500g) puff pastry sheets
150 g feta cheese
8 black olives,stoned
2 tomatoes
2 dl grated cheese
2 tsp oregano
egg for brushing

Place the pastry sheets on to the baking trays,covered with baking paper.
For filling crumble the feta cheese with fork.
Chops the olives & tomatoes into small cubes & mix with grated cheese & feta cheese.
Cut the pastry sheets into four pieces & then cut from two sides 0,5cm wide stripes so pastries will be square shaped.
Place in middle of the each square piles of filling,sprinkle over some oregano & cross over two pastry stripes,press down the ends gently.
Bake in the preheated oven at 200C for 20 min.
From given amount you get 8 pies.

Very Lemony Layered Cake with Mixed Berries

Base:

300 g cold butter,

500 g flour,

0,5 tbsp salt,

1 egg

1 dl cold water.
Cream:

5 eggs

4 egg yolks

3 dl sugar

2 dl lemon juice

grated rind of 1 lemon

200 g softened butter

Berry Filling:

300 g frozen mixed berries

100 g sugar

Base:

Crumble between fingers the flour with butter & salt,add egg & water.Chill.

Divide the dough just before baking into six pieces,roll out really fine plates & bake at 250 C for 5-7 min each or until they are crisp & golden brown.Cool.
Make a cream:

Whisk eggs ,sugar & lemon juice in a heat proof bowl,then whisk it in bain marie for another 10 min until the cream thickens.Pour the cream into the another bowl & add butter spoon by spoon.Cool.

Install the cake:

Base

Cream

Berries+sugar

Base

Cream

Base

Cream

Base

Cream

Base

Cream

1 base crumbled on top

Cover with cling film & chill overnight at least.

quick wok

1kg frozen stir fry

300g tomatoes

2 onions

butter

450g mince

1 chicken stock cube

salt,pepper

Fry the mince until browned,add onions,saute until soft.

Add 150 ml water and stock cube.Bring to boil & add vegetable mix & season.Cook until ready.Just before the end add chopped tomatoes.

Serve with baked potatoes,mash or rice.

Mince & Buckwheat

2 dl buckwheat

4 dl water
0,5 tsp salt

1 tbsp oil or butter
2 carrots
1 onion
300g mince
2 tomatoes

0,5 tsp salt
0,25 tsp pepper
handful of chopped parsley

Boil buckwheat in water until ready & season with salt.

Grate carrots with big grater,chop onions.

Brown the mince,add carrots & onions,saute for 4-5min,season with salt & pepper.

Add ready bucwheat,stir.

Add chopped tomatoes,heat for extra 3-4min.

Sprinkle parsley on top.

Serve with sour cream.

Little Mince Meat Buns

400 g flour
25 g fresh yeast or 7 g dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
35 g butter
250 g water
100 ml sour cream

Filling:

0,5 dl rice(not boiled)

200 g mince(pork)

0,5 egg
salt,pepper

For brushing:
0,5 egg

If using dry yeast then follow the instructions on the package.
If using fresh yeast:
Boil half of the water & pour it over the butter,mix until completely melted.
Add the rest of the cold water,you should get lukewarm mixture.
Add flour & salt,sour cream.
Melt the yeast with sugar & mix everything together.
Knead for 5 min or until dough starts to come off the hands & bowl. Sprinkle over little flour & leave to stand in warm place,covered with cling film or clean towel for 40 min or until its doubled in size.
For the filling:
Boil the rice until ready.Boil mince in the little water until pink colour is gone. Mix together rice ,mince,egg & season well.
Roll out the dough on floured surface & cut out the rounds (ca 7cm). Put ca 1 tsp of filling into each round,fold the rounds into half-moon shapes.Press the edges together. Place the pies on to the greased baking trays,cover with clean towel & leave for 30 min.
Brush pies with egg & bake in 220C oven for 12-15min or until golden brown.Cool on wire rack.

Cheesy chicken-potato soup

2 chicken fillets
5 medium potatoes
1 carrot
1 red pepper
1 chicken stock cube
3 dl water
0,5 tl salt
0,5 tl black pepper
2 tl flour
4 dl milk
200 g grated cheese

Cut chicken fillets into small pieces,brown & season.Place chopped potato with water & chicken stock cube into the saucer & heat until starts to boil. Chop carrot & pepper,add to the soup. Boil until potatoes are done. Season with salt & pepper.Mix milk & flour ,add gently to the soup. Stir until soup is thick.Finally add chicken pieces & cheese.

Lamingtons

175g flour
6 eggs, at room temperature
150g caster sugar
55g butter,melted

Chocolate icing
500g icing sugar
40g cocoa powder
75g butter,melted
85ml boiling water
splash of grand marnier

250g desiccated coconut

MethodPreheat oven to 180°C. Brush a 19 x 29cm cake tin with melted butter & line the base with baking paper.

Place eggs and sugar over gently simmering water & whisk until thick & pale.

Remove from the heat & sift in the flour.Fold in the melted butter.Pour into the prepared tin& bake for 35-40 min.,until golden.

Cool in the tin 2-3 min,turn out onto the wire rack to cool.Cut into ca 20 squares,trim the edges.

Sift together icing sugar & cocoa powder & stir in the water & butter,mix until smooth.Add splash of grand marnier or brandy for taste.

Use 2 forks to dip 1 cake square into the warm icing to evenly coat. Allow any excess icing to drip off. Use your fingers to roll the cake in the coconut to evenly coat, then place on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining cake squares.

Leave to set.