HCB STYLE STICKY SCROLLS

Easter is rapidly approaching...I know that because I am seeing lots of food bloggers and food related Facebook groups posting an endless parade of Hot Cross Bun (HCB) recipes.  I must say that I am a huge fan of the HCB and I am not one of those who whinge about their appearance in supermarkets before the Christmas tree has even come down.  I know that it is wonderful to bake things at home but I am of the firm belief that just as there are many things that are better home made, there are also some things that are better bought from the shops. I think that HCBs are one such thing.  Often our reasoning for making things at home is to avoid the "nasties" in commercially produced food. Well a lot of producers these days don't put additives in their buns - Baker's Delight is one such place.  So, I am going to leave HCBs to the experts but I decided to create this little number that pays homage to these tasty treats.  I am really pleased with how this recipe has turned out.  I was particularly pleased that even when cool, the scrolls are still soft - something that I have had issues with with other scroll recipes.  Also, there are many ways that you can change things up in this recipe to suit your personal taste - I will give you options in the notes at the end of the recipe.

HCB STYLE STICKY SCROLLS

Scrolls

1 cup full cream milk

60g butter diced

4 cups bread flour

21g instant yeast

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarb soda

1 lemon, rind finely grated (optional - if you don't like lemon use orange or omit)
2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract (do NOT use essence - it is yucky)

1. Place the milk and butter in the bowl with the kneading blade.
2. Select Speed 3, Time 3.30 Temp 80 degrees
3. Add remaining ingredients in the order listed.
4. Select Pastry P1. Stop the machine after 30 seconds and scrape down the sides and scrape the dough away from the spindle.  (Note - this is a very sticky dough). Restart program.
5. Scrape dough out onto a floured surface. Sprinkle lightly with flour and knead gently into a ball.
6. Rinse out bowl or use your second bowl - remove the spindle, line with cling wrap and spray the cling wrap with cooking spray.

7. Place the dough in the bowl and select Temp 30 degrees for 1 hour, stopper in.  This dough rises really well so don't be surprised if it starts pushing the stopper out!
8. Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out on to a floured surface and knead lightly until the dough halves in size.  Roll out dough into a rectangle approximately 25cm x 40cm.

Filling 

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
2 Tbsp candied citrus peel (optional)
1 cup sultanas
40g softened butter

1. Mix all ingredients together well, except butter.
2. Spread butter over the dough rectangle.
3. Sprinkle the sugar and spice mix over the dough, right to the edges.
4. From the long side of the dough, roll up into a sausage, finishing with the seam side down.
5. Using a sharp knife and a gentle but firm pressure, slice the dough into 12 slices.

Topping

120g butter diced
3/4 cup of dark brown sugar
3/4 cup of thickened cream

1 Tbsp liquid glucose (optional but it stops the topping crystalising)
1/4 cup golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla

1. Prepare a 23cm x 32cm baking dish or high sided tray by spraying with cooking spray.

2.  Place the butter in the bowl with the whisk. Select Speed 3, Temp 80, Tim 3.30.
3. Add the remaining ingredients.
4. Select Slow Cook P1 Temp 130 degrees Time 5 minutes.
5. Place 3/4 of the mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan and swirl around to coat the base and a little way up the sides.
6. Place scrolls in the prepared tray.  Leave room for expansion during the rising.  If you have too many scrolls to fit with space, then use another smaller container like a cake tin and put some topping in the bottom and the rest of the scrolls.
7. Cover the scrolls with cling wrap or a tea towel and put in a warm place to rise for approximately 1 hour.
8. When the scrolls have risen, place in a 160 degree oven to bake for 30 minutes.  After 15 minutes, check and if the scrolls are getting dark, cover loosely with a sheet of foil.
8. Remove from the oven and using a brush, baste with the remaining topping until well coated.

Sour Cream Drizzle
2 tbsp icing sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup sour cream

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. When the scrolls are cool, use a spoon to drizzle the drizzle mix over the scrolls.

NOTES:

1. You can put a cup of whatever filling you like in the scrolls - it doesn't have to be sultanas.  You could use 1/2 cup of sultanas and 1/2 cup of pecans.  Or all pecans. Or you could use chocolate chips.
2. As with many baked things, these taste best when still warm from the oven. You can always rehead them in the microwave the next day to enjoy that just baked taste.

JAMMY SLICE

I love a good slice and this is one of my favourites.  Check out any CWA cookbook or fundraising cookbook for a school, Guides, Scouts or any other organisation and you will find a version of this slice.  I call it Jammy Slice because well, it is jammy.  Thumbing through some of my cookbooks today I discovered that another name for this slice is English Matrimonial Slice - what a mouthful!  Apparently it was so named because of the pressed based and the crumble top....which supposedly represent the fact that you are supposed to take the smooth with the rough in marriage.  Ok......  Anyway, whatever its name is it is delicious.  It is wonderful warm from the oven (wait 10 - 15 minutes or you will burn your mouth with lava like jam!) and it is nice at room temperature.  So easy to make and so tasty.

JAMMY SLICE 

1 1/2 cups of self raising flour (1 1/2 cups plain flour and 3 tsps of baking powder)
180g chilled diced butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup of rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut

3/4 cup jam of your choice (I use raspberry)

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Line a 18cm x 28cm slice tin with baking paper.
2. Place flour and butter in the bowl with the kneading blade. Pulse for 10 -20 seconds until the mixture resemble bread crumbs or sand.

3. Add brown sugar, oats and coconut.
4. Select Pastry P1 for 30 seconds.
5. When the program is complete, place half the mixture into the prepared tin and push down very firmly. Spread the jam over the base and sprinkle the other half of the mixture over the top and press down very lightly.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
7. When baked removed from the oven, allow to cook and then slice into squares.

AUTHENTIC AMERICAN BROWNIE

Well our American friends across the ocean have given us many wonderful baked treats and brownies would have to be close to the top of the list for me.  There are so many recipes out there for brownies - some are cake like, some are fudgy and some are fluffy.  This recipe is one that I have tweaked and converted and that is apparently pretty much what most Americans regard as a traditional brownie.  It is very rich and it is very moist and dense. Be warned - you only need small slices...eat too much and you may find yourself falling into a chocolate coma!

AUTHENTIC AMERICAN BROWNIE 

200g dark chocolate broken into squares

175g unsalted butter diced

325g casster sugar

130g plain flour

3 eggs

icing sugar to dust (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Line a 20 or 22cm square baking tin with baking paper.
2. Place chocolate and butter in the bowl with the kneading blade. Set Speed 2 Temp 85 Time 4m 30sec.
3. Stop program after 1min and scrape down sides and blade.  Recommence program.
4. Once chocolate is melted, add ingredients (other than icing sugar) in the order specified.
5. Select Pastry P1 for 1min. Stop after 30 seconds and scrape down sides. Recommence program.
6. Place batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Do not over bake.
7. Remove from the oven.  If serving as a dessert, serve warm or allow the brownie to cool completely before dusting with icing sugar.

Note - if you like nuts in your brownie, add half a cup of the nuts of your choice.  Brownies and walnuts are both traditional and tasty.

BLISSFUL BANANA MUFFINS

I have never really been a fan of muffins.  I have always found them a bit blah.  A few weeks ago though I decided to have a fiddle around with a few different recipes and I created my Blueberry Streusel Muffins.  Those muffins completely changed my attitude towards muffins.  They are so good that when I make them I have to get them straight out of the house before I devour them all.  So today I started thinking about banana muffins.  Out of all the muffins I have ever had, banana muffins are the muffins I like the least.  I have always hated their damp and heavy texture - bleugh!  So, I decided to have a play around with my Blueberry Muffin recipe and see if I could elevate the blah banana muffin to something enjoyable.  Well, I am happy to report that it worked!  These little devils are lovely.  Light and fluffy. Not too sweet but they have a gorgeous banana flavour. So if you have made other banana muffin recipes and found them to be dense little rocks, give these a try.  I hope you enjoy them.

BLISSFUL BANANA MUFFINS

Muffins

1 egg

1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups of plain flour
2 bananas (between 450g - 550g unpeeled weight)

1. Grease a 12 hole muffin tray. Preheat your oven to 170 degrees.
2. Place the bananas in the bowl with the kneading blade. Pulse for 5 seconds.

3. Place the remain ingredients in the bowl. Select Speed 6 Time 40 seconds.
4. Pause the program after 15 sec and scrape down the bowl and blade. Resume program.
5. Place the batter in the muffin tray filling each cup nearly to the top. A standard icecream scoop is exactly the right size.

6. Place in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean or until the top of the muffin is firm to the touch.

NOTE - for a touch of spice you can add a 1/2 tsp of either ground cinnamon or ground nutmeg

FROWNIES

Don't you just love a good hybrid?  You take a Labrador and a Poodle and you get a gorgeous Labradoodle.  You take a plum and an apricot and you get a plucot.  You take Brad and Angelina and you get Branglelina...oh wait...that's probably not a good example!  What is a good example is these Frownies.  It is a fudge and brownie hybrid.  Frownies are delicious, fast to make and best of all need only three ingredients!  If you are craving a chocolate hit you can have these made and baked in less than 25 minutes. Enjoy!

FROWNIES

200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa is best)
3/4 cup of condensed milk
1 cup of chopped pecans (you could use any nut you like but pecans are my favourite)

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Line a 20cm square baking tin with baking paper with the paper overhanging the sides.

2. Place the chocolate (broken into squares) into the bowl with the kneading blade. Select Speed 3 Temp 85 Time 4 in 30 sec. Start program. After 2 min pause the program and scrape down the bowl and blade. Resume program.

3. Add the condensed milk to the chocolate.  Select Speed 5 Time 30 sec.  After 15 sec pause the program and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the blade. Resume program.

4. Remove the kneading blade from the bowl and scrape batter off.  Add nuts to the chocolate and fold in quickly. Pour mixture into the prepared tin and spread out evenly.

6. Place Frownie in the oven and bake for 18 minutes.

7. Remove Frownie from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 15 min before lifting out using the overhanging baking paper and allowing to cool on a wire rack.  Cut into matchbox size slices to serve.

GLUTEN & BUTTER FREE CHOC CHIP BISCUITS

So many people these days are cutting gluten out of their diet. Some people do it for medical reasons and some do it by choice.  Whatever the reason, being gluten free can make it hard to find gluten free foods that taste good. I'm not gluten free myself and nor is anybody in my family but I feel the need to starting creating some gluten free recipes to help out those living a gluten free life. I have only ever tried a couple of gluten free baked goods and I must say that I was less than impressed with the taste and texture.  These biscuits however are fantastic. I think that using coconut oil imparts a lovely texture and taste. If you aren't a fan of chocolate chip, these can also be made using sultanas.

GLUTEN & BUTTER FREE CHOC CHIP BISCUITS

1 1/2 cups gluten free plain flour (I used the "free from" brand from Woolworths)
1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarb soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup of liquid/room temperature coconut oil
1/2 cup brown sugar (for a more intense flavour use dark brown sugar)
1/4 caster sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup of dark choc chips

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place all ingredients in the bowl with the kneading blade.
3. Select Pastry P1 for 1 min 30 sec.
4. Stop the program after 30 seconds and scrape down the blade and sides of the bowl. Restart program.
5. When program is complete add choc chips. Select Speed 6 Time 20 seconds. Dough will appear crumbly and will not have formed a ball.
6. Use a 1/4 cup (or a cookie scoop) to take out portions of the dough. Squeeze the dough tightly in your hand to bring it together and roll into a ball.
7. Place balls of dough on the prepared baking tray, spacing them out to allow for spreading.
8. Gently flatten the balls. The edges will crack - just gently squeeze the cracks together. (You don't have to do that - it is purely for appearance.)
9. Bake in the prepared oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Allow to cool on the tray for 10 minutes and then move to a cooling rack.

BLUEBERRY STREUSEL MUFFINS

Lets be honest here....muffins aren't the prettiest things around.  These muffins are downright unattractive. However, we don't eat muffins because of their looks....we eat them because they are delicious.  These blueberry muffins are particularly delicious.  They are light and fluffy (thanks to a combination of sour cream and buttermilk)  and the streusel topping is just delightful.  They smell wonderful whilst they are baking.  So with all that, I think we can forgive them for being a bit homely looking!

BLUEBERRY STREUSEL MUFFINS 

Muffins

1 egg

1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups of plain flour
1 1/2 cups of frozen blueberries (do not defrost before using)

1. Grease a 12 hole muffin tray. Preheat your oven to 160 degrees.
2. Place all ingredients except the blueberries, in the bowl with the kneading blade, in the order specified.

3.Select Pastry P1 Time 1 min.
4. Pause the program after 30 sec and scrape down the bowl and blade. Resume program.
5. When the program is complete, add the frozen blueberries to the bowl.
6. Select Speed 4 Time 15 sec and start. Repeat in 5 second increments if the blueberries aren't fully incorporated - but don't do it for too long or your blueberries will become mushy and stain the batter. (You can choose to remove the kneading blade and use a spoon or spatula to fold the blueberries in if you wish)

7. Place the batter in the muffin tray filling each cup nearly to the top. A standard icecream scoop is exactly the right size.
8. Top each muffin with the streusel topping (recipe below) and then place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean or with crumbs clinging to it.

Streusel Topping
60g of diced, fridge cold butter
1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1. Place all ingredients in the bowl with the kneading blade.
2. Pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, about 30 seconds.