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Easter Recipes
Chocolate Hot Cross Buns
Chocolate Hot Cross Buns are great for the kids (and adults) that dont like the spice and mixed fruit in traditional Hot Cross Buns. These are great served warm by themselves, with butter or a chocolate hazelnut spread.
Leftover Chocolate Hot Cross Buns can be heated up the next day in the microwave (about 20 seconds should be enough - be careful not to overheat ) or for a crispier result in an oven. They can also be cut up and made into a delicious "Chocolate Hot Cross Bun and butter " Pudding - just substitute Hot Cross buns instead of bread with your favorite bread and butter pudding recipe. (Spread hazelnut spread instead of butter on the buns for a really yummy pudding.)
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1 1/2 cups warm milk
2 x 7g sachets dried yeast
Pinch of salt
4 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
60g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup water
60g cooking chocolate
(for cross on top of buns)
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1) Combine milk, yeast, salt and a pinch of sugar in a bowl. Whisk together until combined. Cover with plastic. Place in a warm place for 5 to 10 minutes or until the top becomes frothy.
2) Sift flour, cocoa and cinnamon together into a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar (the remainder of the sugar will be used in the glaze), yeast mixture, butter and egg. Stir with a wooden spoon until dough almost comes together. Mix to a soft dough with your hands. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until dough is smooth. Place into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place for up to 1 1/2 hours or until the dough doubles in size.
3) Punch dough down to its original size with your fist. Add chocolate chips and knead until well combined. Divide dough into 12 even portions and shape into balls. Place into a lamington pan lined with baking paper about 1cm apart. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes or until buns double in size.
4) Preheat oven to 200°C. Bake buns for approx. 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of one of the buns comes out clean.
5) To make the glaze heat water and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and then boil for 5 minutes. Brush warm glaze over warm buns.
6) Chocolate cross - Melt the cooking chocolate in the microwave in a small bowl on low heat and then spoon into a snap-lock bag. Snip a corner off bag (not too big) and pipe chocolate crosses over buns. For something different use a chocolate hazelnut spread for the crosses on the buns.
7) Serve Chocolate Hot Cross Buns warm or at room temperature.
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Place into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place for up to 1 1/2 hours or until the dough doubles in size. |
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Divide dough into 12 even portions and shape into balls. Place into a lamington pan lined with baking paper about 1cm apart. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes or until buns double in size. |
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Melt the cooking chocolate in the microwave in a small bowl on low heat and then spoon into a snap-lock bag. Snip a corner off bag (not too big) and pipe chocolate crosses over buns. (For something different use a chocolate hazelnut spread for the crosses on the buns. ) |
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Serve Chocolate Hot Cross Buns warm or at room temperature.
These are great served warm by themselves, with butter or a chocolate hazelnut spread. |
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Golden Nests with Chocolate Easter Eggs
These nests are quick and easy to make for a last minute treat for the kids. You can find a great variety of eggs to put in the nests - chocolate speckled eggs, filled chocolate eggs or we have used some brightly colored foil wrapped chocolate eggs. |
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1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 cups corn flakes
Easter Eggs
1) Place 12 muffin size paper cases in a muffin tray
2) Melt butter, sugar and honey together in a saucepan. Remove from heat when it gets frothy.
3) Pour mix into a bowl with the corn flakes and stir until combined.
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4) Place large spoonfuls into paper cases pushing the mixture with the back of the spoon to the edges to form a hollow. You may need to slightly crush the cornflakes with your fingers by lightly pressing in the middle to make enough room to place the easter eggs.
5) Bake in a slow oven for 10-15 minutes.
6) Cool
7) Arrange a few eggs in each nest.
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Make a hollow by pushing the corn flake mixture in the middle towards the edges. |
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When the nests are cooked and cooled you can arrange the chocolate eggs in the hollow.
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Chocolate Nests with Chocolate Easter Eggs
These chocolate nests are quick and easy to make for the kids. The nests can be made with dark, milk or white chocolate. Fill the nests with chocolate speckled eggs, filled chocolate eggs or we have used some brightly colored foil wrapped chocolate eggs. |
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1 packet fried noodles
200g melted dark or milk chocolate
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
Easter Eggs
1) Lightly grease a 12 muffin tray
2) Melt chocolate on a low heat in the microwave and stir in peanut butter.
3) Pour chocolate mix into a bowl with the fried noodles and stir until combined.
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4) Place a spoonful on one side of the muffin tray and then another on the other side making a hollow in it as you go. You may need to get your fingers into it to get the nest shape.
5) Place in the fridge until set.
6) Using a teaspoon pry them out of the muffin tray
7) Arrange a few eggs in each nest.
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Make a nest shape by placing a spoonful on either side of the muffin hole - and then manipulatie with your fingers if necessary. |
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Arrange the chocolate eggs in the chocolate nests.
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Hot Cross Buns
A hot cross bun is a small, sweet bun with a cross. The ingredients you will need to make this are: |
Hot Cross Buns
30 grams compressed yeast
1 1/2 cups milk
60 grams butter
1 egg, beaten
4 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
60 grams sultanas
30 grams currants
1) Cream yeast in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon each of the sugar and flour, add warm milk, mix well. Cover, stand in a warm place for about 15 minutes or until frothy.
2) Sift flour, salt, sugar and spices into a large bowl. Rub in butter, add egg, sultanas and yeast mixture, beat well with a wooden spoon. Cover bowl with a tea towel and stand in a warm place for about 40 minutes or until dough is doubled in size. Punch dough down, turn onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth.
3) Cut into 16 pieces kneading each into a round shape. Place onto a greased square pan and stand in a warm place for about 15 minutes or until buns reach the top edge of the pan.
4) Bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes.
5) To make the glaze - heat 1/3 cup water and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and then boil for 5 minutes. Brush warm glaze over warm buns.
6) Crosses - Mix a little milk with 1/2 cup icing sugar, then brush on buns to make crosses. |
Chocolate Easter Cake
This is a delicious and very rich chocolate cake that is perfect for family gatherings at Easter time. You can use either milk or dark chocolate depending on what you prefer. Decorate with some small colorful easter eggs. |
Chocolate Easter Cake
200g Milk or Dark Chocolate
90ml milk
185g butter
185g sugar
150g ground hazelnuts
60g plain flour
5 eggs separated
Chocolate Topping
100g chocolate for topping
15g butter
1 tablespoon chopped hazelnuts
small chocolate easter eggs
1) Place broken pieces of chocolate and milk in a saucepan and gently heat, stirring occasionally until smooth.
2) Add butter, sugar, hazelnuts, flour and egg yolks.
3) Beat on low speed until smooth.
4) In another bowl beat egg whites to soft peaks
5) Fold 1/4 of egg whites into the chocolate mixture and blend well. Fold in remaining egg whites.
6) Spread mixture evenly into a greased/lined cake tin.
7) Bake in a moderate oven for about 50 minutes or until the surface is firm to touch.
8) Melt chocolate and butter in a pan ( or microwave) on low heat and spread over the top of the cooled cake. Sprinkle with hazelnuts and decorate with small chocolate easter eggs.
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Chocolate Easter Cake
This is a delicious and very rich chocolate cake that is perfect for family gatherings at Easter time. You can use either milk or dark chocolate depending on what you prefer. Decorate with some small colorful easter eggs. |
Easter Song
Hot cross buns!
Hot cross buns!
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns!
If you have no daughters
Give them to your sons
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns. |
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| Too Many Easter Eggs?
Hard to believe but if you just have too many Easter eggs to get through then think about breaking them up and using the broken pieces in your next batch of Chocolate Chip (Easter Egg Chips) Cookies!!
Keep your leftover broken pieces of Easter Eggs in a container and use as a substitute in all your favorite chocolate chip recipes.
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Donna Hay Cook Books |
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Off the Shelf:
Cooking from the Pantry
Donna Hay
This book aims to give the reader the know-how and the confidence to create a great meal at short notice. It shows that with a well-stocked pantry, in combination with a handful of fresh ingredients, mealtime solutions are always at hand. Each chapter provides a comprehensive look at a pantry 'basic' - origins, varieties, usage and storage, plus a range of simple ideas for its use. |
Modern Classics Box Set
Donna Hay
The Modern classics boxed sets packages two bestsellers in a stylish embossed slipcase. The books include Donna Hay Modern Classics Book One and Donna Hay Modern Classics Book two.
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Modern Classics Book 2: Cookies, Biscuits & Slices, Small Cakes, Cakes, Desserts, Hot Puddings, Pies & Tarts
Donna Hay
In "Modern Classics Book 2," Donna brings back trifle, lamingtons and vanilla slice, but gives them a great modern twist. Then she introduces biscotti, muffins and sugar grilled fruit, the new breed of sweet treat.
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The Instant Cook
Donna Hay
Donna Hay is swiftly becoming the source American cooks go to when they ask themselves, "What should we have for dinner tonight?" She has garnered a passionate global following for her fresh and modern approach to food -- bringing out clean, sparkling flavors with simple techniques and streamlined instructions. In The Instant Cook, she offers more than a compendium of flexible recipes; it is an elegantly simple philosophy of cooking, and of eating. |
New Food Fast
Donna Hay
Whether you've got 10, 20 or 30 minutes to make a meal, Donna Hay gives you the ideas, recipes and inspiration to create great dishes using fresh and interesting ingredients in next to no time. With busy people like herself in mind, Donna has solved the daily what's-for-dinner dilemma with a book full of fast, simple, tempting and satisfying answers. Keep this copy of "New Food Fast" on the kitchen bench and, even in your busiest moments, you'll never be left wondering what's for dinner.
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Entertaining
Donna Hay
Donna Hay's entertaining provides the menu, the mood, the drinks and the food. This refreshingly original, practical and inspirational approach will fill your table and picnic basket, breakfasts, lunches and dinners with endless irresistible but easily made dishes and simple but great ideas. |
Simple Essentials Chicken
Donna Hay
Hay's fresh, modern philosophy of special made simple can be found in each of these beautifully designed cookbooks. The ingredients featured in the recipes are readily available, the techniques accessible, and the results are guaranteed to please. |
Simple Essentials Chocolate
Donna Hay
The Simple Essentials series of cookbooks is the latest must-have offering from Australia's favourite cook and bestselling author. Focuses on a much loved ingredient or cooking style and offers a full, inventive range of photographed recipes with that ingredient at their centre. |
Simple Essentials Salads and Vegetables
Donna Hay
Beautifully presented in Donna's award-winning style, Simple Essentials: Fruit and Simple Essentials: Salads and Vegetables give great summer recipe ideas with these two core ingredients. All recipes are tested in the Donna Hay test kitchen so cooks of every ability know that they can use them with confidence. |
Easter Party Supplies
A delightful range of Easter promotional products and lovely accessories to decorate your home or kids rooms.
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Cookbooks to Inspire you
in the Kitchen:
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Fun and Original Character Cakes
This is a quirky collection of celebration cakes boasting the unique but easily achievable modelling skills of internationally renowned cake designer and sugercrafter Maisie Parrish.
Each design has true character and unique charm and is ideal for a celebration with a difference, from a pampered hippo for Mother's Day to cute carol-singing penguins.
Each project is accompanied by quick-to-make cupcakes and minicakes to complement the main cake or to make when time is short. With simple sugarcrafting techniques and clear step-by-step photography, designs are ideal for both beginner and intermediate sugarcrafters.
Whether you're creating a single animal topper or a whole singing and dancing theme, this is the book to show you how to do it the fun and easy way. |
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500 Chocolate Delights
Chocolate is universally loved and forms the basis of some of the world's favourite desserts. Whether you need a tray bake for a family party, a light cake to serve with coffee, a beautiful tart to take to a barbecue or a stylish chocolate wedding cake to form a striking centrepiece, there's something for everyone in this compendium, no matter what the occasion. |
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Crave:
A Passion for Chocolate
A celebration of chocolate, "Crave" presents 148 recipes for luscious desserts, cakes, biscuits, confectionery and puddings, for all occasions and all levels of cook. Included are simple family favourites as well as elaborate recipes for special celebrations such as weddings, holidays and birthdays. Also featured is a techniques section, which explains the various types of chocolate and gives hints on using and baking with chocolate. |
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Simple Essentials Chocolate
Donna Hay
This book focuses on a much loved ingredient and offers a full, inventive range of photographed recipes Simple Essentials Chocolate contains delicious and decadent chocolate recipes. |
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