Happy Easter

Easter weekend is here and what better way to spend a quiet and relaxing time with family.
A time to eat chocolate, hot cross buns, sleep-ins and have four glorious days off.

Here is my recipe for Hot cross buns if you feel like doing some baking.
I am baking a batch now and will be delicious to eat for afternoon tea with a cuppa. The smell coming from the oven is so good.
They tasted great if I may say so - better than the bought ones.

via

Happy Easter to all my dear friends and a big bunny hug from me to you.
Carolyn

Happy Easter

Home baked hot cross buns are the best, the smell of cinnamon and mixed spices wafting out from the oven is wonderful.
I had to bake another batch the next day because the first lot were all gone lickety split. If anyone would like the recipe please email me and I will send it - have had trouble inserting the link here. I did share the recipe in my Easter post a few years back.

We picked green olives from this tree
...and the black olives from this tree.
In total we have about 12 trees around our property.
Because the weather was dry and hot back in November when the olives were forming, have given us a bumper crop. This is what we spent a lot of time doing, over the weekend. The birds have been feasting on them ( you would not think they would like them as they are very bitter) and the Tui's got quite stroppy when we started picking. We did leave a lot up at the top of the trees though, for them.
I will take them to be pressed at one of the big Olive oil companies, so we can have some bottles of olive oil to put in the pantry.
Image ~ Victoria magazine

Twas Easter Sunday Full blossomed trees filled all the air with fragrance and joy.
~ Henry W Longfellow

I hope that you are having a beautiful Easter weekend
Hugs
Carolyn

Easter Greetings!

Traditions are important and every holiday, carries with it a tradition.
I like to continue a tradition that I grew up with and I hope that I can pass some of them on to my family.
On Good Friday, I bake a batch of hot cross buns, which get eaten up very quickly I might add.
My Son said, I wished we could have these more often,... than once a year.
The smell of the cinnamon and spice wafting about the kitchen is wonderful.
If you want to make some, the recipe is under my other Easter post, (links you might like)

Daylight saving time ended for us here in New Zealand, on Sunday the clocks went back one hour. It always takes a while to adjust and get used to the change.

We have had another fine weekend in Paradise here, done a lot of walking, picked some of the olives on the trees and we went to the Farmers market. It has been a relaxing and lovely break.

I hope that your Easter break, is filled with much love and happy times.
Hugs
Carolyn

Hot Cross Buns.

Here is my recipe for Hot Cross Buns, if you would like to bake some.
They were so very yummy that the batch I made yesterday have all gone, so I am just going to make some more.

Hot Cross Buns

2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon dried yeast
3 1/2 to 4 cups of flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1.4 teaspoon ascorbic acid
powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 teaspoons mixed spice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons oil
1 cup warm milk
1 cup of sultanas

Cross mixture
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon oil
3 to 4 tablespoons water

Glaze
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar.


Dissolve the sugar in warm water. Sprinkle over yeast and stand in a warm place until frothy. Sift in the flour, salt, ascorbic acid, cinnamon and mixed spice into a large bowl. Mix in the brown sugar.Lightly beat the egg and oil. Add yeast mixture, egg mixture and warm milk to the flour. Mix well to form a soft, sticky dough.
Turn the dough on to a lightly floured board. Knead for 10 - 15 minutes or until the dough springs back when lightly touched.Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn over so the top of the dough is greased. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch the dough down with a clenced fist. Lightly knead for a further 5 mins. incorporating the fruit.
Divide the dough into 16 equal portions. Roll each portion into buns. Place the buns
on a lightly greased baking tray 1 cm apart. Cover with a clean cloth and leave in a warm place for the buns to double in size. Pipe the cross mixture on to the buns.
Bake at 200 c for 10 - 15 mins or until lightly browned. Brush buns with g;aze while still hot Cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy.

Makes 16

Cross mixture
Combine the flour and oil. Mix in sufficient water to form a soft piping consistency.

Glaze
Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil stirring all the time. Boil 1 - 2 minutes.

Note Ascorbic acid powder is Vitamin C and is available from chemist and supermarkets.
It helps speed up the rising process.
I did not have any ascorbic acid, but I did put in a squirt of lemon juice which was fine.

Happy Easter

Hugs Carolyn