Butter Chicken

• 1 tbs grapeseed oil
• 1 large brown onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, grated
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 400g butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into 2cm pieces
• 500ml (2 cups) salt-reduced chicken stock
• 70g (1/4 cup) tomato paste
• 800g chicken breast fillets, cut into 4cm pieces
• 125ml (1/2 cup) low-fat Greek yoghurt
• 1 1/2 tsp cornflour
• Steamed basmati rice, to serve

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic and ginger for 4 minutes or until soft. Stir in cinnamon, garam masala, coriander, paprika, cumin, turmeric and chilli for 1 minute or until aromatic. Stir in pumpkin, stock and tomato paste. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until pumpkin is just tender. Stir in chicken for 7 minutes or until almost cooked through. Remove from heat.
2. Spoon 2 tbs of the sauce into a heatproof bowl. Whisk in yoghurt and cornflour until smooth and combined. Slowly stir into the chicken mixture. Stir over low heat for 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Serve with rice.

Lemon Teacakes

• 65g butter, softened
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup self-raising flour, sifted

• 1/3 cup milk
• 4 1/2 tablespoons lemon butter

Topping

• 10g butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons caster sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced oven. Line 10 holes of a 12-hole, 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pan with paper cases.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla together for 2 minutes or until combined. Stir in half the flour, then half the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk, adding 2 tablespoons lemon butter. Spoon mixture into prepared cases. Top each with 1 teaspoon remaining lemon butter.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden and firm to touch.
4. Brush hot cakes with butter. Sprinkle with caster sugar. Cool. Serve.

Chicken Curry

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 750g chicken thigh fillets, trimmed, cut into thirds
• 1 brown onion, cut into thin wedges
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 lemongrass stem, trimmed, bruised, thinly sliced
• 1 small red chilli, deseeded, thinly sliced
• 400ml can coconut milk
• 15 fresh curry leaves
• 1 cup coriander leaves
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• steamed jasmine rice, coriander sprigs and lime wedges, to serve

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add half the chicken. Cook, turning occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.
2. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add remaining oil to wok. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add turmeric, curry paste, lemongrass and chilli. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic.
3. Stir in coconut milk and curry leaves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Return chicken to wok. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is tender. Stir in coriander and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Spoon over rice and top with coriander sprigs. Serve with lime wedges.

Date And Banana Loaf

• Vegetable oil, to grease
• 300g fresh dates, pitted, coarsely chopped
• 185ml (3/4 cup) water
• 150g butter, chopped
• 450g (3 cups) self-raising flour

• 155g (3/4 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
• 3 medium (about 300g) overripe bananas, mashed
• 3 eggs, lightly whisked
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Icing sugar, to dust

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush twelve 160ml (2/3-cup) capacity non-stick mini loaf pans with oil to lightly grease. Place the date, water and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir until butter melts. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
2. Combine the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Gradually stir in the date mixture, banana, egg and vanilla until just combined.
3. Spoon batter among prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside in the pans for 2-3 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.
4. Arrange banana & date loaves on a serving platter. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.

Angel Food Cake With Poached Strawberries

Ingredients

• 6 egg whites
• 3/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp vanilla essence
• 220g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 100g (2/3 cup) plain flour, sifted
• Icing sugar (optional), to serve

For the poached Strawberries

• 110g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
• 125mls (1/2 cup) water
• 2 x 250g punnets strawberries, hulled, washed (halved if large)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Rinse a round 20cm cake pan with water and tap out any excess. Line the base with non-stick baking paper.
   
2. Place egg whites, cream of tartar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Use electric beaters to whisk until soft peaks form. Whisk in the vanilla essence. Gradually add the sugar, 2 tbs at a time, whisking well after each addition, until the mixture is thick and glossy. Use a large metal spoon to fold in the flour until just combined.
   
3. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and use the metal spoon to gently smooth the surface.
   
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and firm to touch. Place a piece of non- stick baking paper on a wire rack. Turn the cake pan upside down on the lined rack and allow the cake to cool completely. Remove the cake pan and invert the cake.
   
5. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Stir over a medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the strawberries and stir to coat well with the syrup. Cook for 30 seconds and remove from the heat.
   
6. Sprinkle  cake with the icing sugar (if using). Cut into slices and serve with the poached strawberries.
   

White Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

200g butter, chopped
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs, beaten with a few drops of water
½ cup (75g) plain flour
½ cup (75g) self-raising flour
300g white eating chocolate, chopped
150g frozen raspberries (Optional)


Method

Preheat oven to moderate (180°C/160°C fan-forced).


Grease a deep 19cm square cake pan, line base and two opposite sides with baking paper.


Melt butter and white chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water

Stir in the sugar and vanilla, then the eggs, sifted flours, and raspberries.

Spread the mixture into prepared pan; bake in a moderate oven for about 35 minutes or until just firm. Cool in pan.

Turn out; cut into squares

Hot Cross Buns

750 gm (5 cups)	plain flour, sifted
55 gm (¼ cup)	caster sugar
2 tsp (14 gm)	dried yeast
1 tsp	allspice
½ tsp	cinnamon
250 gm (1½ cups)	sultanas
100 gm	candied orange peel, coarsely chopped
1	orange, finely grated rind only
300 ml	milk
100 gm	unsalted butter, coarsely chopped
1	egg
Glaze
55 gm (¼ cup)	caster sugar
¼ tsp	mixed spice

1	Combine 700 gm flour, sugar, yeast, spices, sultanas, orange peel and rind and 1 tsp sea salt in a bowl. Gently warm milk and butter over a low heat until butter melts and mixture is tepid. Add egg to milk mixture and whisk. Make a well in the centre of flour mixture, add milk mixture and stir. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled in size. Knock back dough and cut into 16 equal pieces. Knead each piece into a ball, place in a lightly greased 22cm-square cake pan, cover with a damp tea towel and stand in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
2	Preheat oven to 220C. Combine remaining flour and ¼ cup water and stir to a smooth paste. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a fine nozzle. Pipe lines down each row to form crosses. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 200C and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden. (They’re ready when they sound hollow when tapped).
3	For glaze, combine ingredients with ¼ cup water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Brush glaze over hot buns, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.