BAKING FIESTA

A little baking therapy will keep the family entertained all holiday

EASTER MACARONS

MAKES 24-36 TAKES SOME SKILL 90 MINS

The French delicacy is fairly easy to master following the recipe to the letter

200g egg whites (about 61/2 extra large egg whites) 200g caster sugar 250g icing sugar, sieved 250g ground almonds Gold or brown gel colouring Mixed spice Preheat the oven to 120°C. Make a French meringue by placing the egg whites into the mixing bowl of an electric mixer and whisking on medium speed. Once the egg whites are frothy, add the caster sugar a teaspoonful at a time then whip on high till the mixture has formed stiff peaks. In a food processor combine the icing sugar and ground almonds. Process until combined then sieve again into a large mixing bowl. Add 1/3 of the meringue to the ground-almond mixture and mix well until combined then fold in the remaining 2/3 of the meringue and DON’T overmix. Take out 1/4 cup of mixture and set aside. Add a few drops of gold or brown colouring to remaining mixture and fold in gently without overmixing. Place the coloured mixture into a piping bag with a round nozzle and pipe circles about the size of a R5 coin onto silicone baking mats or nonstick baking paper on baking trays — you will need a couple. Place the reserved white mixture in a piping bag with a small nozzle and pipe a cross over each circle. Bang the trays a few times to remove any air bubbles then allow the macarons to form a skin by standing on the counter until dry to the touch — it will take about 15 minutes. Bake in the centre of the oven for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and without touching allow to cool completely.

Sprinkle each macaron lightly with mixed spice. If desired paint the white crosses with melted dark chocolate using a fine pastry brush and allow to set.

ON OUR COVER HOT CROSS MUFFINS

MAKES 12 EASY 45 MINS INCLUDING BAKING

For those who love the idea of hot cross buns but can’t bear the idea of working with yeast, this is a good alternative and very quick to put together. Hot cross muffins can be enjoyed at any time — but especially over the Easter weekend

150g cranberries (or replace with extra dried fruitcake mixture) 150g dried fruitcake mixture 380g (3 cups) flour 10ml (2 tsp) baking powder 5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda 10ml (2 tsp) ground cinnamon 5ml (1 tsp) mixed spice 2.5ml (½ tsp) ground nutmeg 180ml (2/3 cup) oil 250ml (1 cup) buttermilk 2 eggs 200g (1 cup) brown sugar

Cross:

60g (½ cup) flour 60ml-75ml (4-5 tbsp) water

Glaze:

60ml (¼ cup) runny honey 30ml (2 tbsp) water

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 12hole muffin tin with paper cases. Soak the dried fruit for 10 minutes in just enough boiling water to cover completely. Drain well and dry. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spices into a bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs and sugar until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined — about 5 stirs and don’t overmix — then fold in the dried fruit with 2 stirs. Divide the mixture between the 12 muffin cases.

To make the crosses, combine cake flour with 4 to 5 tablespoons of water to make a thick paste. Using a piping bag or a Ziplock bag with the corner cut off, pipe the cross mixture over the top of the muffins. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until they are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Heat honey and water together in a small pan until boiling then brush over the muffins as they come out of the oven. Serve warm with butter.

WHITE CHOCOLATE FUDGE

MAKES 24 SQUARES EASY 80 MINS

570g caster sugar 200g liquid glucose (buy at a chemist) 500ml (2 cups) cream 15ml (1 tbsp) vanilla extract 80g white or milk chocolate, chopped plus 3 x 80g slabs extra, optional 80g icing sugar, sieved 1 small packet of speckled chocolate eggs, optional

Spray a medium-sized glass dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Place sugar, glucose, cream and vanilla in a large heavy-based pot. Bring mixture to the boil whisking constantly. The mixture must reach 116°C if using a candy thermometer OR light brown in colour if you don’t have a thermometer. In a separate bowl combine the 85g chopped white chocolate and sieved icing sugar. Add to the fudge mixture and stir through, working quickly. Pour into the dish and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Allow to cool and harden completely. If using the remaining chocolate, break into pieces and melt in the microwave on medium for 3 minutes stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Spread over the surface of the cooled fudge and scatter with speckled eggs, pressing them into the chocolate. Once set, cut into squares.