CINNAMON BUNS
These buns are so good hot from the oven when they’re gooey and warm.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup milK
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups cake flour

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions

In a small bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup butter and salt; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.

In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture, milk mixture, eggs and 1½ cup flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

While dough is rising, melt ¾ cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in ¾ cup brown sugar, whisking until smooth. Pour into greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle bottom of pan with ½ cup pecans; set aside. Melt remaining butter; set aside. Combine remaining ¾ cup brown sugar, ½ cup pecans, and cinnamon; set aside.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, roll into an 18×14 inch rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter, leaving ½ inch border uncovered; sprinkle with brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Starting at long side, tightly roll up, pinching seam to seal. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. With serrated knife, cut into 15 pieces; place cut side down, in prepared pan. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in volume. Meanwhile, preheat oven to190 degrees C.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool in pan for 3 minutes, then invert onto serving platter. Scrape remaining filling from the pan onto the rolls.

MINI SAUSAGE ROLLS

Makes 16

Ingredients:

500g ready-made puff pastry

Flour for dusting

1 egg, beaten

8 good quality sausages cut into two

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Small handful fresh thyme leaves

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C

Roll the pastry out on a floured surface to a rectangle of about 48x32cm.

Cut the large rectangle in half lengthways, then cut both smaller rectangles into eight equal sections. You now have 16 rectangles in total. Brush one end of each rectangle with a little of the beaten egg, lay a piece of sausage at the other end, then season the sausage with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Roll the sausage up in the pastry to enclose and repeat with all the sausages. Put the sausage rolls in the fridge for 20 minutes for the pastry to harden.

Once the pastry is hard, remove the sausage rolls from the fridge and score the tops with a sharp knife for decoration, or prick with a fork. Brush well all over with the rest of the beaten egg and bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry has turned golden-brown and looks crisp. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before serving.

Savoury cups (savouries)

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked chicken pieces

1 cup cubed onions

1 cup cubed tomatoes

1 cup cubed red and green peppers

2 eggs

2 1/2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups grated cheese

salt

pepper

Method:

Mix all the above ingredients

Drop mixture in greased muffin pans and bake at 160C for about 10 minutes.

SAVOURY PARMESAN TARTLETS

Makes 28

Freeze baked cases only

Ingredients:

For the parmesan pastry shells

375g ready made shortcrust pastry

Flour, for dusting

1 egg, beaten with a good pinch of salt

3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan

Hummus & roasted tomato

7 cherry tomatoes, halved

200g ready made hummus

Few chives

Smoked salmon & dill

250g soft cheese

85g smoked salmon

Dill sprigs

Method:

Heat the oven to 200C. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to a large oblong measuring 30x40cm. Stamp out 24 rounds with a 6.5cm round cutter, then carefully place them in hertzoggie or muffin tins to form tiny tarts. Prick the bases with a fork.

Brush the pastry with the beaten egg, scatter with the parmesan and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Scrunch the pastry trimmings together, then re-roll and stamp out 4 more rounds. Glaze and bake as before. When all the pastry cases come out of the oven, roast the cherry tomato halves on a baking tray for 8 minutes. The cases will keep in a tin for up to 3 days or freeze for 3 months.

To serve, fill some cases with a teaspoon of hummus, a cherry tomato and a few snipped chives. Fill others with soft cheese, a twirl of salmon, dill and black pepper.

VARIATIONS:

You can also fill these tartlets with prawn cocktail, pate and chutney….whatever takes your fancy.

Spinach, Mushroom and Feta Quiche

Ingredients

100g butter

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

275g frozen spinach, thawed and well drained

100g mushrooms, chopped

200g feta, crumbled

200g mild Cheddar cheese, grated

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Short crust pastry for a 23cm (9in) dish

4 eggs, beaten

250ml milk

salt and freshly ground black pepper to tast

Preparation method

1.Preheat oven to 190 C. Line a pie dish with short crust pastry, cutting off any excess and pinching the edges.

 2.In a medium frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté garlic and onion in butter until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in spinach and mushrooms, and saute until most of the water from the vegetables has evaporated. Add feta and 1/2 of the Cheddar. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into prepared pastry-lined dish.

  3.In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into the pastry base, allowing egg mixture to thoroughly combine with spinach mixture.

  4.Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining Cheddar, and bake an additional 35 to 40 minutes, until set in centre. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

Short crust Pastry for Quiche 

Ingredients

175g plain flour

75g butter or margarine (cut into cubes)

2tbsp cold water

pinch of salt

To make a pastry sift all the flour and salt into a bowl and add butter (or margarine) and rub until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add water and mix together making firm dough. Wrap in a cling film and fill in a fridge for 30mins.

Spinach muffins (savouries)

Ingredients:

1 cup chana/pea flour

1/2 cup plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1ml cayenne pepper

1 cup cooked chopped spinach

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

100ml milk

100ml oil

1 egg

Method:

Sift dry ingredients together

Add spinach and grated cheese and mix slightly

Beat milk, oil and egg together and stir into dry ingredients

Mix until flour is moistened – batter should not be lumpy

Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling each two thirds full

Bake in a pre heated oven at 190C for 15 – 20 minutes

Makes 12

VOL-AU-VENTS FILLINGS

If you want to serve the vol-au-vents hot, omit the garnish until serving. Heat through in a hot oven 200C for 5 minutes or until hot.

Mushroom ingredients:

Fills about 12

100g mushrooms, finely chopped

30g butter

50g cheese spread

30ml (2 tbsp) natural yoghurt

Method:

Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the chopped mushrooms, fry for 3 minutes until soft. Leave to cool. In a small bowl, combine together the cheese spread, yoghurt and fried mushrooms, and spoon into 12 cases.

Prawn ingredients:

Fills about 12

100g small prawns, reserve 12 for garnish

50g cheese spread with shrimp

30ml (2 tbsp) natural yoghurt

10ml (2 tsp) tomato puree

10ml (2 tsp) lemon juice

Method:

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients together and spoon into 12 cases. Garnish with a prawn.

Chicken ingredients:

Makes 12

100g roasted chicken breast or leftover chicken

50g cheese spread with chives

30ml (2 tbsp) natural yoghurt

Method:

Cut the chicken into small pieces. In a small bowl, combine together the cheese spread, yoghurt and chicken, spoon into 12 cases.

Quick pizza (savouries)

Ingredients:

1 cup cheese, grated

1 cup polony, cubed

1 cup tomatoes, cubed

1/2 cup green peppers, cubed

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons plain flour

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Combine all the ingredients and place into paper cases. 

Bake at at 160C for about 10-15 minutes until done