Prep 30min (+1hr cooling and 30min standing time) Bake 40minMakes 10 serves

This dairy-free, flourless number is the Jewish Passover dessert of choice.

Ingredients

75g (⅔ cup) cocoa powder, sifted
165ml (⅔ cup) boiling water
200g pecans, toasted
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
4 eggs, at room temperature
220g (1 cup) raw caster sugar
200ml light olive oil, plus extra to grease
1½ teaspoons natural vanilla essence or extract

Dairy-free ganache
185g dairy-free dark chocolate, chopped
60g dairy-free spread

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Grease a 22cm springform tin with extra oil and line the base with non-stick baking paper.
2. Place the cocoa in a medium bowl and gradually stir in the boiling water until smooth. Set aside to cool.
3. Process the pecans in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir through the baking powder until evenly combined.
4. Use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment to whisk the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla on high speed for about 5 minutes or until thick and pale. Add the cocoa mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the pecan mixture and stir until just combined.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until wet crumbs cling to a skewer inserted into the centre. Cool the cake in the tin sitting on a wire rack.
6. To make the dairy-free ganache, combine the chocolate and dairy-free spread in a medium heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barley simmering water (make sure the waster doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl). Stir occasionally until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl form the saucepan and set aside for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ganache thickens to a thick spreadable consistency.
7. Remove the cake from the tin and place on serving plate. Spoon the ganache over the cake and use the back of a spoon to spread. Set the cake aside for 30 minutes or until the ganache sets. Serve in wedges.

This recipe is part of Anneka's SBS Food Bakeproof: Jewish Baking online column. For more Bakeproof columns and recipes, click here.

Photography by Alan Benson.

Prep 15min (+ cooling time)Bake 45-55minMakes about 24

Knowing what is going into your muesli bars is the key to good ones – it makes them so much healthier and tastier.

Ingredients

260g (180ml / ¾ cup) good-quality honey
125ml (½ cup) sunflower oil or light olive oil
250g (2½ cups) rolled oats
30g (1½ cups) puffed millet
45g (½ cup) desiccated coconut
1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
55g (⅓ cup) sweetened dried cranberries
75g (½ cup) currants
80g (½ cup) raw almonds, coarsely chopped (see Baker’s Tips)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140ºC (120°C fan-forced). Lightly grease a shallow 20 x 30cm (base measurement) slice tin and line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper.
2. Put the honey and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until well combined and heated through. Set aside.
3. Put the rolled oats, millet, coconut, cinnamon, cranberries, currants and almonds in a large bowl and mix to combine evenly. Add the honey mixture and stir to combine well. Using damp hands, press the mixture firmly into the lined tin. Press the mixture with the back of a spoon to make the surface smooth and even.
4. Bake for 45–55 minutes or until the surface is dark golden brown all over. Cool completely in the tin before cutting into 24 bars with a sharp knife.

Prep 25min (+overnight standing time)Bake 55minMakes 6-8 serves

Quinoa porridge is currently the darling of the café menu. This one is a no-fuss baked version teamed with tangy rhubarb and a vanilla and honey-spiked labna, so you can enjoy this beauty without even leaving home.

Ingredients

300g (1½ cups) white quinoa
500ml (2 cups) boiling water
55g (¼ cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
375ml (1½ cups) milk
Toasted pistachio kernels, chopped, to serve

Vanilla-honey labna
1½ vanilla beans, split and seeds scraped
390g (1½ cup) greek-style natural yoghurt
¼ cup honey

Roasted rhubarb
550g trimmed rhubarb (about 2 bunches), cut into 6cm lengths
110g (½ cup) raw sugar

Method

1. To make the Vanilla labna, place the vanilla seeds (reserve the bean for the rhubarb), yoghurt and honey in a bowl and stir to combine evenly. Line a sieve with two layers of muslin cloth or a linen tea towel and place over a bowl. Spoon the yoghurt into the sieve, fold any overhanging cloth over to enclose the yoghurt. Refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours) to drain.
2. Preheat oven to 200ºC (180ºC fan-forced). To make the Oven-baked quinoa, combine the quinoa, boiling water, brown sugar and cinnamon in a 1.5 litre capacity (6 cup) ovenproof dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, to make the Roasted rhubarb, rinse the rhubarb and shake off any excess water. Place in a bowl with the sugar and reserved vanilla bean and toss to combine. Transfer to an ovenproof dish just large enough to hold the rhubarb in a single layer and cover with foil.
4. After the quinoa has been baking for 30 minutes, stir in the milk, cover and return to the oven with the rhubarb. Bake for another 20 minutes, stirring the quinoa 2-3 more times during baking.
5. Remove the foil from the rhubarb and bake both for a further 5 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and porridge-like and the rhubarb is still holding its shape but tender when tested with a skewer.
6. Immediately spoon the quinoa porridge into bowls, top with the rhubarb and pan juices, and a spoonful of labna. Sprinkle with pistachios and serve immediately.

This recipe is from Anneka's SBS Food online column, Bakeproof: Autumn Brunch

CLICK HERE for more Bakeproof recipes.

Photography by Alan Benson.

Prep 20min (+1day macerating, 30min cooling and 1-2hr chilling time)Bake 40-50minMakes 10-12 serves

The secret to a silky smooth baked custard is the balance of eggs to milk and cream and gentle baking. This velvety one is teamed with macerated prunes for a memorable dessert.

Prep 15minBake 1hr 40minMakes 6-8 serves

Rice pudding is the ultimate in comfort food. Coconut milk gives this version a contemporary twist and when topped with vanilla-baked rhubarb, it is a winter pudding you will want to make time and time again.

Ingredients

melted butter, to grease
110g (½ cup) Arborio rice
375ml (1½ cup) milk
270ml can coconut milk
2 tablespoons caster sugar
10g (2 teaspoons) butter
toasted flaked coconut or roasted coconut chips (see Baker’s Tips), to serve (optional)

Baked rhubarb

1 vanilla bean, split lengthways
75g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
1 bunch rhubarb, trimmed, washed and cut into 7cm lengths (you will have about 550g trimmed weight)

Method

1. To make the Baked rhubarb, preheat oven to 200°C. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean, place into a medium bowl with the sugar, and toss to evenly combine. Add the rhubarb and toss to coat in the vanilla sugar. Transfer the rhubarb and vanilla bean to an ovenproof dish just large enough to arrange the rhubarb in a single layer. Sprinkle with any remaining vanilla sugar left in the bowl. Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, give the dish a shake and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until the rhubarb is tender when tested with a skewer. Remove from the oven and set aside while baking the rice pudding.
2. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C. Combine the rice, milk, coconut milk and caster sugar in a bowl. Stir with a fork until well combined. Transfer to a 1-litre (4-cup) ovenproof dish and dot with the butter. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 1 hour–1 hour 10 minutes, whisking occasionally with a fork so the rice cooks evenly, or until the rice is just tender and the pudding is the consistency of a wet risotto.
3. Serve the warm rice pudding immediately, topped with the rhubarb. Drizzle with rhubarb syrup and sprinkle with the coconut, if desired.

Prep 30minBake 25-30minMakes 10

There’s something deeply comforting about a classic Anzac biscuit – but this version takes it somewhere truly special. By browning the butter first, you unlock a rich, nutty depth that weaves through every bite, enhancing the caramel notes of the sugars and golden syrup. The result is a beautifully balanced biscuit: generously sized, with crisp golden edges, and a slightly soft, chewy centre. It’s a simple twist, but one that transforms a familiar favourite into something a little more indulgent and irresistible.

Ingredients

150g (1 cup/5¼oz) plain flour
120g (1¼ cups/4¼oz) rolled oats (see Baker's Tips)
65g (¾ cup/2¼oz) desiccated coconut
110g (½ cup, firmly packed/4oz) brown sugar
75g (⅓ cup/2¾oz) caster sugar
160g (5¾oz) salted butter, diced
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 tablespoons (40ml/1⅓fl oz) water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence or extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C/315°F (140°C/285°F fan-forced). Line 2 large oven trays with baking paper.
2. Put the flour, rolled oats, coconut, brown sugar and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
3. To make the brown butter,  place the butter in a small saucepan or frying pan. Heat over medium-low heat until the butter melts and starts to bubble and sizzle. Continue to cook gently over medium-low heat until the butter goes quiet and starts to foam, and the milk solids start to turn a golden brown. During cooking it’s important to stir frequently (a wooden spoon, spatula or whisk will all work well) at the start and then constantly towards the end so that the butter browns evenly and the milk solids don’t get caught on the base of the saucepan and burn. Once the milk solids have turned a deep golden brown and you notice a nutty aroma, remove immediately from the stove and pour the butter into a heatproof bowl – this will stop the butter from browning further and prevent it from becoming bitter.
4. Add the golden syrup and water to the hot browned butter and stir to combine. Add the bicarbonate of soda and stir to combine – this mixture will foam. Add to the dry ingredients and stir with the wooden spoon until well combined.
5. Roll large spoonfuls of the mixture (75g/2¾oz each) into balls and place 5 on each of the lined trays, allowing plenty of room between them for spreading. Use your fingers to flatten the balls until about 1cm/½in thick and about 8cm/3¼in diameter. 
6. Place the trays of biscuits in the preheated oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove the biscuits from the oven and use a 10cm/4in round cutter to draw the edges of a biscuit towards the centre so that the cutter can fit around the biscuit. Then use a gentle rotating motion to shape the biscuit into a uniformed round. Repeat with the remaining biscuits while they are still hot. (See Baker's Tips.)
7. Return the biscuits to the oven, swapping the trays, and bake for a further 13-18 minutes or until deep golden and cooked through (the longer they are baked the more crisp they will be once cooled). Remove the biscuits from the oven and allow to cool on the trays.

Prep 10min (+soaking and cooling time)Bake 1hrMakes 8 serves

I found this in my late grandmother Helen’s recipe box, written out in her beautiful cursive. And with that heading, of course I had to try it. She was right. It is easy – almost entirely made in one saucepan, with just one wooden spoon. But it’s also wonderfully delicious, lasts for ages and, thanks to the soaked fruit and spices, could also pass as a Christmas cake.

I’ve made a few adjustments over the years, adding the nuts and soaking the fruit in brandy, which makes it feel a bit more special, but you could leave both those steps out, and it will still be great. 

Ingredients

½ cup (125ml) brandy
2 cups (370g) mixed dried fruit (see Baker's Tip) 
½ cup (125g) butter, cubed
¾ cup (165g) brown sugar
2 tablespoons treacle, or honey 
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup (70g) walnuts (ideally dry-toasted in the oven and roughly chopped)
1 cup (150g) plain flour
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

Method

1. Heat the brandy in a saucepan until just simmering. Remove from the heat and add the dried fruit. Leave to plump up for at least 30 minutes.
2. To your soaked dried fruit, add the butter, sugar, treacle, spices, bicarbonate of soda and 1/2 cup (125 ml) water. Place over medium–high heat and bring to the boil, stirring as you go. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
3. Grease and line a 22–24 cm cake tin with paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
4. Add the eggs and mix to combine. Fold in the flours and a pinch of salt. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
5. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before gently removing from the tin.

This recipe is from What Can I Bring by Sophie Hansen (Murdoch Books, RRP $49.99). 

You can read more about what Sophie is baking this winter here.

Takes 2hr (+30min for the fruit)Makes a cake for 6–8 and approximately 800g (1lb 12oz) fruit and syrup

Coconut Sugar Pavlova Roll

Reasons why my meringue preference is for a roll over a classic dome: 1. The crust quotient (CQ) is higher. More crunch balances the soft inside and creamy parts. 2. No shaping surprises with a flat pavlova. The proud dome you shape with meringue can sometimes end up baking into an askew beret! 3. Faster! No slooowww cool down keeping you from putting a slice of pavlova on your plate a minute longer than necessary.

Ingredients

Cooking oil spray
300g (10½oz) caster (superfine) sugar
70g (2½oz) coconut sugar
5g (⅛oz/½ teaspoon) vanilla paste
5g (⅛oz) cornflour (cornstarch)
5g/ml (⅛oz) white or apple-cider vinegar
2g (¹⁄₁₆oz/¼ teaspoon) fine sea salt
225g (8oz) egg white (from approx. 12 eggs)
2g (¹⁄₁₆oz/¼ teaspoon) cream of tartar 
600g/ml (1lb 5oz) cream (45% milkfat) 
1 × batch Spiced Grilled Blood Plums (below), chilled

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C (285°F). Lightly spray a flat and heavy 30cm × 40cm (12in × 15¾in) shallow baking tray with cooking oil, then lay a piece of baking paper on the tray, to cover the entire surface. Don’t spray again.
2. Weigh the caster sugar into a small bowl with a small scoop. Weigh the coconut sugar separately. Next, weigh the vanilla, cornflour vinegar and salt together and stir together, then set aside. Coconut sugar impedes getting a stiff meringue structure, so we will add it at the end – when the meringue is strong.
3. Put the egg white and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip on speed 8 (under high) for 3–5 minutes. Once the whites have changed from foamy to stiff and white, start adding the caster sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, over 3 minutes to make a very shiny and rigid meringue.
4. Turn the mixer off and add the coconut sugar. Slowly turn the mixer on, increasing up to speed 8 (under high) for 5 seconds. Stop the mixer and add the cornflour/vinegar mixture. Re-whip for 5 seconds. Take the bowl off the mixer and use your fingers to push the meringue off the whisk back into the bowl. Give it a final and thorough mix with a plastic spatula so the colour is a uniform pale malt brown. Don’t worry that the meringue has sugary speckles.
5. Scrape the mix out onto the prepared baking tray. Using an offset spatula, smooth it evenly over the tray, leaving a 1.5cm (½ in) border around the edges to allow for some expansion during baking. Bake for 1 hour until the top feels like a crunchy pillow that cracks when gently pressed. Remove and allow to cool at room temperature on the tray, until ready to roll (see Baker's Tips). Moving it off the tray while it’s hot makes the sheet prone to breaking.
   
6. While the meringue cools, whip the cream to billowy soft and cut most of the grilled plum pieces into smaller pieces (four pieces per plum half). Reserve a few slices or whole pieces for the top.
7. To roll, lay two overlapping pieces of plastic wrap on the work surface to make a sheet slightly larger than the meringue sheet. Carefully flip the meringue sheet off the tray, with the shortest side closest to you, and peel off the baking paper. The meringue should now be crunchy top side down and the underside, now exposed, should feel soft and a little sticky.
8. Keeping the short side closest to you, evenly spread 400g (14 oz) of the cream over the meringue, but only smooth a light smear over the 2cm (¾ in) strip at the top of the sheet. This will become the seal, so it’s best not to overload it with cream that will ooze out upon rolling. Scatter the grilled plums evenly over the cream (except for the strip along the top). Tear the pieces up a little if they are too big, as big pieces make a lumpy roll.
9. Take a firm hold of the plastic wrap closest to you and use a repetitive ‘lift and roll’ motion to gradually roll the meringue, until you do a final full roll to reach the end, with the seam underneath. Form a spine of reserved cream then plum pieces. Drizzle the reserved syrup on top.

Spiced Grilled Blood Plums

These plums are another example of Christine Manfield’s (tysm) dessert genius! The grill char imparts a seductive smokiness. The syrup floods them while warm and they absorb all the honey sweetness and glorious spices and fresh citrus zing. These plums love to be served with chocolate mousse, panna cottas or store-bought gelato. I can’t help falling in love with this recipe every time the syrup sizzles on the fruit.

Ingredients

750g (1lb 11oz) blood plums, still firm, not yieldingly ripe (around 8)
30g (1oz) demerara sugar

Spiced syrup
1 orange
1 lemon
100g (3½oz) caster (superfine) sugar
40g (1½oz) honey
40g/ml (1½oz) cold water
4 star anise
2 whole allspice berries few grinds black pepper
1–2 fresh bay leaves (optional)

Method

1. To start the spiced syrup, peel four wide strips each from the orange and the lemon and place into a small, non-reactive saucepan. Set the fruit aside (you’ll add their juice to the syrup later).
2. Add the remaining syrup ingredients to the saucepan. Bring to the boil over a medium–high heat, stirring at first to loosen the sugar. When it boils, turn it down to a simmer and cook for 3–4 minutes until syrupy like maple syrup. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
3. While the syrup cools, heat your grill (broiler) to High (100%). Cut the plums in half, following their natural seam. Twist and pull apart and remove the stone (if it doesn’t prise out easily, cut around it with a small, pointy knife). Place the plums, cut-side up, on a non-reactive, ovenproof, shallow-lipped tray (or line a tray with foil). Sprinkle the demerara sugar evenly over the plums, then grill for 10–12 minutes, until the cut side has blistered and some have a collar of blackened flesh (see Baker's Tips).
   
4. Remove the plums from the grill. Squeeze the juice from the orange and lemon into the syrup and pour over the plums. Adding the juice when the syrup has cooled will retain the fresh acidity. Overheated juice loses vibrancy.
5. Allow to stand for 30 minutes, turning once in the syrup. Cool to room temperature before using.

This is an edited extract from Beatrix Bakes: Another Slice by Natalie Paull (Hardie Grant Books, RRP $50. 

Photographer: © Rochelle Eagle 2024

You can read more about what Natalie is baking this winter here.

Makes 8 serves

The recipe for this lovely, tangy cake was given to me by the wonderful food writer and cooking teacher Elise Pascoe, and I have made it time and again since she passed it on to me. The original version was made with lemons; however, as our lime trees are such bountiful providers for so much of the year, I tend to make it with limes instead. It’s a gorgeous, simple cake: light, tangy and so eye-catching with its mantel of pistachios and pale-green hue. In season, translucent beads of pomegranate look extraordinarily beautiful scattered over the cake, giving it a mysterious, exotic quality.

Just a note about the pistachios for this cake – to grind them, I pulse them in the food processor with a tablespoon of flour from the recipe, as the flour helps prevent them becoming oily and forming a paste. Nonetheless, you do have to be watchful as they can go from being perfectly chopped to pasty in the blink of an eye. 

Ingredients

60g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder 
100g pistachios, finely ground
finely grated zest of 3 large limes
120g almond meal 
250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200g caster sugar
4 (60g) eggs, at room temperature
⅓ cup (80g) pomegranate seeds, to decorate, optional
softly whipped cream or thick Greek-style yoghurt, to serve
 
Pistachio and lime syrup topping
90g caster sugar
½ cup (125ml) fresh lime juice (from approximately 3 large limes), strained
90g pistachios, roughly chopped

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C. Butter a 22–24cm round cake tin, line the base with buttered baking paper then dust the tin with flour. (I use a torte tin that I’ve had for years to make this – it has slightly sloping sides and measures 24cm across the top and 22cm across the base.)
2. Tip the flour, baking powder, ground pistachios, lime zest and almond meal into a medium-sized bowl. Whisk them together with a balloon whisk for a minute or so, then set the bowl aside.
3. Put the butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer (or use a hand-held electric beater) and beat them on medium speed for about 4 minutes, stopping and scraping down the sides occasionally, until the mixture looks creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, allowing each egg to be absorbed before adding the next. (Don’t worry if the mixture looks a little curdled after adding the last egg – it will come together again when you add the dry ingredients.) Tip in the flour mixture and mix everything together on low speed just until it is combined – be careful not to over-mix it, or the cake may be a bit tough. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
4. Bake the cake for 45–50 minutes, or until it springs back when lightly pressed in the centre and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer it to a wire rack and leave it to cool a little in the tin.
5. When the cake is lukewarm, make the syrup. To do this, put the sugar and lime juice into a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the chopped pistachios, increase the heat and bring the mixture to the boil.
6. Turn the cake out onto a serving plate and peel away the paper. Slowly spoon the hot pistachio and lime syrup evenly over the top, then leave the cake to cool completely. Just before serving, scatter it with pomegranate seeds, if using. Serve with softly whipped cream or yoghurt. 

This recipe is from Belinda Jeffery's In Belinda's Kitchen.

You can read more about what Belinda is baking this winter here.

Makes one 22cm cake

I don’t know about you, but lately I have taken great comfort in the known; in tried and tested cakes, and all things familiar. This cake is a real favourite of mine – simple, delicious and easily adaptable (surely good qualities for navigating life in general, really). I make it often with strawberries as pictured, or plums, but raspberries or ripe apricots would be equally lovely. It’s inspired by the streusel cakes I ate in Germany when I was an exchange student, and in the absence of seeing old friends there, I’ll eat this cake.

Ingredients

Streusel topping

60g butter, cubed
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
55g caster sugar
75g plain flour
Pinch of salt

Cake

125g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
100g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
150g almond meal
185g caster sugar
375g strawberries, hulled and quartered

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C (fan-forced) and grease a 22cm round springform tin well with butter and line the base with baking paper.
2. Place streusel ingredients into a small mixing bowl and use your fingertips to work butter and vanilla through the sugar, flour and salt until mixture resembles large breadcrumbs. Set aside.
3. Place melted butter, eggs and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. In a separate large bowl, sift together flour and baking powder, before stirring in salt, almond meal, and caster sugar. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the melted butter and egg mixture, stirring gently to combine.
4. Spoon batter into lined baking tin and smooth the top with a spatula before scattering with strawberry quarters. Sprinkle with streusel topping and bake for 55-60 minutes or until cake is cooked through and streusel is starting to colour.
5. Allow cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes or so before carefully releasing from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool further.
6. Slice into large wedges and serve cake warm with ice-cream or cream. Whilst best eaten the day it is made, any leftover cake will keep happily in an air-tight container in the fridge for a day or two, just warm slightly before serving.

This recipe is from Tilly Pamment's The Plain Cake Appreciation Society (Murdoch Books, RRP $39.99).

You can read more about what Tilly is baking this winter here.

Prep 30min (+10min chilling time)
Bake 12min (per batch)Makes about 36

Prep 10minBake 15-18minMakes about 9

Scones are what I whip up if time is short – they are simple, fast and everyone loves them. The secret to the lightness of these scones is the surprising combination of lemonade and cream (instead of milk) – it may seem a little odd but, believe me, it works!

Ingredients

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a baking tray with butter and then lightly dust with flour, shaking off any excess.
2. Put the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Use your fingertips to rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs and the butter is evenly incorporated. Make a well in the centre.
3. Combine the cream and lemonade, add to the flour mixture and use a flat-bladed knife to mix with a cutting action until the dough comes together in clumps.
4. Use lightly floured hands to bring the dough together – it will be soft, but not sticky. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead lightly and briefly (only about 6 times) to bring it together in a smooth ball.
5. Use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough out to about 2cm thick. Using a floured 6 cm round cutter, cut the dough into 9 rounds. Gathering the offcuts and, without over handling, pressing out as before, when necessary. Place on the prepared tray, 1-2cm apart. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the top of each scone with a little extra cream, then dust with a little extra flour.
6. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, until the scones are lightly golden and cooked through; they are ready if they sound hollow when you tap them on the base. Serve warm or at room temperature, split and topped with jam and cream.

Prep 25min (+1hr 30min proving time)Bake 25minMakes 12

An updated version of the traditional favourite, these hot cross buns are studded with chunks of dark chocolate and tart, dried cherries. They're simply too hard to resist – especially when served warm with lashings of butter!

Ingredients

750g (5 cups/1lb 10½oz) strong bread or pizza (high protein) flour (see Baker's Tips)
55g (¼ cup/2oz) caster sugar
2 x 7g sachets (4 teaspoons) instant dried yeast
1½ teaspoons mixed spice
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
150g (1 cup/5¼oz) dried cherries (see Baker's Tips)
75g (½ cup/2¾oz) currants
435ml (1¾ cups/14¾fl oz) milk
60g (2fl oz) salted butter, cubed, plus extra, to grease and serve
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence or extract
100g (3½oz) good-quality dark chocolate, chopped

Flour paste
75g (½ cup/2¾oz) plain flour
75ml (2½fl oz) water

Glaze
55g (¼ cup/ 2oz) caster sugar
2 tablespoons water

Method

1. Put the bread flour, sugar, yeast, mixed spice, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine. Stir through the dried cherries and currants.
2. Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter has just melted and the milk is lukewarm. Whisk one of the eggs with the vanilla and add to the milk mixture. Whisk to combine. Add to the dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon and then your hands to mix to a soft dough.
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured bench top. Knead for 8-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Lightly grease a clean large bowl with a little butter, add the dough and turn to coat the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour or until doubled in volumn.
4. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Punch the centre of the dough down with your fist. Turn onto a lightly floured bench top. Knead for 2-3 minutes or until smooth. Knead in the chocolate until evenly combined. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and place on the tray, allowing a little room for spreading. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 30 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
5. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C/315°F fan-forced). Meanwhile, make the Flour Paste. Combine the flour and water in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Spoon into a small, good-quality snap-lock bag and seal.
6. Whisk the remaining egg and brush the tops of the buns with it. Snip a small hole in the corner of the snap-lock bag containing the Flour Paste and pipe crosses on the buns.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the buns are cooked and sound hollow when tapped on the base.
8. Meanwhile, make the Glaze. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 1 minute. Transfer the hot cross buns to a wire rack and brush the tops with the glaze. Serve warm, spread with butter.

Prep 20min (+ 5min standing time)55-60minMakes 8 serves

Prep 25min (+1hr cooling time)Bake 40minMakes 16 serves

More a slice than a cake, I can’t believe I have only just discovered this gem from the land of the long white cloud. I can completely understand why it features fondly in the childhood memories for anyone who grew up in rural New Zealand!

Ingredients

Melted butter, to grease

Biscuit Base
100g (3½oz) salted butter, at room temperature
110g (½ cup/4oz) caster sugar
1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence or extract
3 egg yolks
225g (1½ cups/8oz) plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
320g (1 cup/11¼oz) good-quality raspberry jam

Coconut Meringue Topping
4 egg whites, at room temperature
220g (1 cup/7¾oz) caster sugar
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract or essence
135g (1½ cups/4¾oz) desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon good-quality raspberry jam (see Baker's Tips)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C/215°F fan-forced). Grease a 20cm x 30cm (8inx12in) slice tin with melted butter to grease and line the base and sides with one piece of non-stick baking paper, cutting into the corners to fit and allowing the paper to overhang the sides.
2. To make the Biscuit Base, use an electric mixer fitted with a paddle beater to beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks until well combined. Sift together the flour and baking powder, add to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.
3. Press the biscuit base mixture into the prepared tin to cover evenly. Bake for 10 minutes or until starting to colour (the base won’t be cooked through at this stage). Remove from the oven and spread evenly with the raspberry jam. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. Meanwhile, use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment to whisk the egg whites in a large clean, dry mixing bowl on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, a spoonful at a time, whisking well on medium-high speed after each addition. Continue to whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy, the sugar has dissolved and a trailing peak forms when the whisk is lifted. Whisk in the vanilla and then use a spatula or large metal spoon to fold in the coconut until evenly combined. Spread the meringue mixture over the raspberry jam to cover. Dot the 1 tablespoon of jam over the top of the meringue and then use a tooth pick or skewer to swirl it through the meringue mixture.
5. Return the slice to the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and crisp to touch on top. Place on a wire rack and allow the slice to cool in the tin (about 1 hour).
6. Use the paper to transfer the slice from the tin to a cutting board. Cut into portions to serve.

This recipe is from Anneka's SBS Food online column Bakeproof: Meringue. Click here for more Bakeproof columns and recipes.

Photography by Alan Benson.