Easter treats – Cupcakes and Couscous

Really delicious classic hot cross buns

Published on March 19, 2021 by Teresa Ulyate1 Comment

When I was growing up hot cross buns weren’t readily available all year round (as they are now!) and I remember my excitement at seeing them appear on bakery shelves and knowing that Easter holidays were approaching. They are another one of those treats that evoke childhood memories of family gatherings, Easter craft projects and feeling impatient during the Easter Sunday morning church service knowing that there would a chocolate egg hunt afterwards! And of course the memory of enjoying fresh hot cross buns over the Easter weekend.

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Lockdown recipe ideas and my top 8 stay at home tips

Published on April 1, 2020April 1, 2020 by Teresa Ulyate8 Comments

It’s week three of self isolation for my family not to mention one week into South Africa’s lockdown, and it felt wrong to just put out another recipe without acknowledging the strange and unsettling situation that we all find ourselves in right now. So for this post I’m doing something a little different and sharing not only some recipe inspiration but some thoughts on how we’re managing at home, and our new routine. Please feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments, I’d love to hear how you’re doing!

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Cheesecake swirl Easter brownies

Published on April 18, 2019 by Teresa Ulyate5 Comments

The Easter weekend is almost upon us and today’s recipe is packed with all the chocolate and all of the treats. I’ve included dark chocolate as well as Chuckles and speckled eggs (two of my weaknesses) for good measure in these rich and gooey Easter brownies. This is the type of recipe I reserve just for special occasions, and if you’re looking for a weekend splurge you have come to the right place!

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Hot cross bun bliss balls

Published on April 10, 2019April 12, 2019 by Teresa Ulyate1 Comment

If the walls of boxes filled with marshmallow eggs and armies of foil wrapped Easter bunnies piled high in the shops weren’t enough of a reminder, Easter is just around the corner! Autumn is probably my favourite season of the year, and Easter is definitely a highlight. I love the weather, the autumn colours of the trees, the cooler evenings, and of course – the food!

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Chocolate hot cross bun loaf

Published on March 21, 2018 by Teresa Ulyate16 Comments

School holidays are just a hop, skip and a jump away and many of you may be thinking about how to keep the kiddos busy over the Easter break. This time last year my kids, who LOVE their hot cross buns, and I decided to make our own buns from scratch using a recipe by Jamie Oliver, and we were all pleasantly surprised by the results. I’m not sure why we were so surprised but it was probably the combination of a potentially tricky yeast dough recipe and two small children that could have gone rather wrong, but didn’t! They were so delicious! It was also a fun baking project for the three of us…many hands make kneading a breeze after all.

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Ginger and orange biscuit truffles

Published on March 14, 2018March 14, 2018 by Teresa Ulyate2 Comments

I’ve got a real treat for you today, and this recipe for biscuit truffles actually makes me feel rather nostalgic for two reasons. Firstly, as promised, it is the first in a short series of Easter recipes that I have planned for the next few weeks. Easter always conjures up childhood memories of school holiday visits to family living further up the coast, torrential rain that lasted for days (how I miss that rain now!) and of course the much anticipated Easter morning egg hunt in our garden after church. Fast forward a decade or three and I am now the one searching around the garden for spots to hide the eggs, ha ha! I can’t decide which is more fun actually – searching for chocolate treats or watching the faces of my children as they spot bunny footprints on the pathway outside or discover their Easter treasures in their hiding spots!

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Chocolate Easter nest cupcakes (with video)

Published on March 30, 2015May 11, 2018 by Teresa Ulyate1 Comment

I suppose I should be used to it by now, but I could not believe my eyes when just one week after Christmas the supermarket shelves were already filling up with Easter eggs! Of course now that it is March you cannot maneuver your shopping trolley without bumping into a chocolate bunny but it is a bit more acceptable now that Easter is just a few days away, yay! A few weeks ago a friend sent me a photo of a beautiful Easter bird nest cake. It reminded me of some Easter cupcakes I made years ago, and I decided they would be perfect to make again and share with you this week. They will make a colourful and delicious addition to your Easter table!

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Mini Easter simnel cakes

Published on April 16, 2014January 21, 2020 by Teresa Ulyate4 Comments

So today we are talking fruit cake, spices and chocolate. Music to my ears… and my stomach. I am not sure how I got this far in my baking career without trying this recipe! I suppose that while traditional fruit cakes are found in abundance around Christmas time, the simnel cake is less common down here at the tip of Africa. This fruity cake adorned with marzipan is traditional around Mothering Sunday and/or Easter particularly in the U.K, and I thought I would channel my British ancestors and give it a bash this week.

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