HAZELNUT CREAM SQUARES .

Ingredients...4 eggs at room temperature, separated, 125 gm of castor sugar, 60 gm of self raising flour, 75 gm of almond meal, 150 gm of butter / marg, softened, 170 gm of hazelnut spread, 60 gm of icing sugar, cocoa powder to sprinkle over. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line a 20 cm square pan with baking paper. Beat the egg whites with your electric mixer in a non metallic bowl until soft peaks form. gradually add the castor sugar, beating until thick and glossy. Add the lightly beaten egg yolks a little at a time to the mixture. Sift the self raising flour over the mixture, add the almond meal and fold in with a wooden spoon. Melt 20 gm of the butter / marg with 2 tbs of boiling water in a small bowl, when melted fold into the sponge mixture. pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave stand in the pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut the sponge in half horizontally through the centre. beat the hazelnut spread and remaining butter / marg with electric beaters until very creamy. Beat in the icing sugar and gradually add 3 tsp of boiling water and beat until smooth. Fill the cake with the icing mixture and refrigerate until thew filling is firm. To finish, when the filling is firm dust with cocoa powder then cut into squares. Yes, it is so good.

CURRIED NUTS.

Ingredients... 500gm of mixed nuts, (almonds, pecans, macadamias, cashews and Brazil nuts). 1 egg white, 2 tbs of curry, ( I use bush curry, available from Source.), 1 tsp of ground cumin, 1 tsp of salt. Preheat your oven to 150 deg C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spread the nuts in a single layer on the prepared tray and roast for 10 minutes. Remove the nuts from the oven and let cool. Whisk the egg white until frothy, then add the nuts, curry powder, cumin and salt. Toss together, place on the tray and return to the heated oven and cook for for a further 15 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container.

PIZZA WHEELS / STROMBOLI.

Ingredients.....1/2 red capsicum, finely chopped, 15 gm of Italian herb mix, 2 tbs of dried oregano, 100gm of finely chopped salami / ham, 60 gm of grated cheese, 60 gm of tomato paste, 2 sheets of ready rolled puff pastry. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Combine the capsicum, herbs, ham / salami and cheese in a bowl. Spread the tomato paste onto each sheet of pastry, leaving a 2 cm border along one side. Sprinkle the capsicum mixture over the top. Roll up the pastry to enclose the filling, leaving the plain edge on top. brush theplain edge lightly with water and fold over to seal. Slice each roll into 1 cm rounds and place onto the prepared oven trays. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden.

NO KNEAD TWO SEED CRACKERS.

Ingredients....250 gm of plain flour, 1 tsp of baking powder, 2 tbs of poppy seeds, 2 tbs of sesame seeds,60 gm of butter / marg, chilled and chopped, 1/2 tsp of salt, cracked black pepper to taste, 125 ml of iced water. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large non metallic bowl. add the seeds and season with the pepper. Stir to combine. Rub the butter / marg in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Now, make a well in the centre and add most of the water. mix together with a flat bladed knife using a cutting action, add the remaining water if necessary until the mixture comes together in soft beads. Gather the dough gently into a rough ball, do not knead it. Divide the dough into two portions. place one portion betqween sheets of baking paper and roll to a thickness of 2 mm. Cover the other portion with cling wrap until needed. Use a 6 cm round cutter and cut rounds out of the dough, prick the ropunds all over with a fork and transfer to the prepared trays. Repeat with the remaining dough. You can use the leftover trimmings, but do not knead, and gently roll out and cut into rounds. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

SWEET POTATO / KUMARA WEDGES

Ingredients.......1.3 kg sweet potato / kumara, peeled and sliced into wedges, 2 tbs of canola / rice bran oil, 1 tbs of fennel seeds, 1 tbs of coriander sedds, 1/2 tsp of chilli powder, 1 tsp of sea salt. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Place the sweet potato wedges in a large bowl and toss with the oil. Mix together the chiili, fennel, coriander seeds and salt. Add to wedges and toss well. Place the oiled and coated wedges on the prepared ovenproof dish and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the wedges are browned and crisp. Serve warm.

CARAMELISED FIGS AND SPICED YOGHURT.

Ingredients......280 gm of natural, Greek style yoghurt, 35 gm of granulated nuts, 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg, 1 tbs of castor sugar, 6 large fresh figs, 2 tbs of honey. Combine the yoghurt, nutmeg and castor sugar in a small bowl. Halve the figs lengthways. brush the cut side of the figs with honey. Cook the figs, cut side down, uncovered, in a lightly oiled frypan over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn the figs over, cook uncovered for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve the figs with the spiced yoghurt.

THAI CHICKEN BALLS

This recipe can be used to make chicken burgers or as a filling for sausage rolls. Ingredients.....1 kg of chicken mince, 80 gm of breadcrumbs, 4 spring onions, chopped, 1 tbs of ground coriander, 50 gm of fresh coriander, chopped, 3 tbs of sweet chilli sauce, 2 tbs of lemon juice, canola / rice bran oil for frying. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Mix the mince and breadcrumbs together in a large bowl. Add the spring onions, ground and fresh coriander, chilli sauce and lemon juice. Mix well. Using damp hands, form the mixtuire into evenly shaped balls that are small enough to eat with your fingers or large enough to use as burgers. heat enough oil in the bottom of a large frying pan to shallow fry the chicken balls in batches over a medium / high heat until browned all over. Now place them on a baking paper lined baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until cooked through. If you do not like coriander, it can be replced with fresh and dried mint or fresh and dried basil, but then they are not really 'Thai' chicken balls. Whatever ingredient you use they will be aromatic and delicious.