Easter Hot Cross Buns - in a breadmaker.

I bought some hot cross buns from a specialty shop - they were terrible, what I discovered is if you have about 3-4 hours, you can make hot cross buns at home that are delicious.  This is an adaptation of a recipe I found on Panasonic.  (Panasonic make a great bread maker by the by).  You obviously cannot make buns from beginning to end in a breadmaker, but you can get it to do the kneading and 1st proove.  The result is a light fluffy, perfectly kneaded bun mix.

A light Christmas Cake

This recipie comes from Australian Good Taste Magazine, and I would describe it as a very fancy sultana cake.  It is a light cake, and perfect for those who don't really like the full on fruit cake at Christmas time.   The pistachios turn out quite soft and buttery.  I added in some dried cherries along with the cranberries, and just reduced the sultanas accordingly for a more Christmas touch.  

 

The original recipe comes with a lovely frosting,  Just beat together in a mixer 2 egg whites, 3 cups sifted icing sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste on the day you want to serve it.