Chocolate Hot Cross Bun and Butter Pudding with Apples and Spice topped with Vanilla Ice Cream

Easter celebration is over and now's the time to figure what to do with the leftover hot cross buns. 

As I was reading the newspaper, I came across this recipe by Chef Neil Perry. 

It sounded delicious judging from its ingredients but please note I 
omitted a few ingredients because they were not available in my pantry at that time. 

Still this recipe turned out absolutely wonderful! The flavours and textures are perfect. 

You can't go wrong with this Neil Perry recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup caster sugar
seeds from 4 cardamon pods
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
100g unsalted butter, softened
6 hot cross buns (I used chocolate flavoured ones) 
4 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
3 granny smith apples
2 tbsp demerara sugar or brown sugar

Method:
* In a saucepan, pour milk and cream with caster sugar and spices. Bring to boil and set aside for 1/2 hour to infuse the flavours. Pass through a sieve.
* Use a deep baking dish and lightly brush the sides and base with softened butter.
* Slice buns from top to bottom into five slices.
* Whisk eggs and egg yolks in a bowl together. Warm the milk again and slowly pour the mixture over the eggs. Whisk and mix well.
*Preheat the oven to 140C.
* Slice the apples, you can leave the skin on. Remove any seeds.
* Alternately arrange the bun and apple slices in the baking dish. Pour the infused milk slowly into the dish. Stand for 10 minutes to allow bread to soak up the liquid. Sprinkle with demerara sugar. 
* Place the baking dish in a roasting tin and pour hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes until pudding is set and top a bit browned. 
* Remove from oven and let it stand for few minutes before serving.
* Great served with vanilla ice cream or condensed milk. Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon powder.



Recipe adapted fom Chef Neil Perry (Original recipe click here.)

Great served with condensed milk and cinnamon powder...

... or simply with vanilla ice cream.

Eggs En Cocotte with Smoked Salmon & Sour Cream

Here's an all-in-one breakfast bake that is so simple and easy to make 

and really yummy.  It's rich in flavour, soft, creamy and fluffy on the inside. 

Absolutely lovely paired with toast.

Perfect for slow morning Sunday breakfast or brunch with the family.

Ingredients
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
100g smoked salmon, chopped
 2/3 cup sour cream
1 tbsp dill
pepper to taste4 eggs
toasted sourdough to serve 

Method
* Preheat oven to 200C. Grease ramekins place on baking trays.
* Divide and scatter onions, peas, salmon among ramekins. 
* Combine sour cream and dill in a bowl. Season with pepper.
* Divide half of the mixture among ramekins. 
* Crack an egg into each ramekins and top with remaining mixture.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until eggs are just set. Serve with toasted sourdough. 




Recipe from Coles magazine.

Apple, Maple and Almond Tart

I love baking with puff pastry.
This is another recipe that is such a delight to make 

and only takes a few minutes to assemble.

Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup caster sugar
6 Pink Lady apples, cored
1/4 cup maple syrup, plus extra, to serve
1 eggwhite, for brushing
1 tbsp white sugar
icing sugar, for dusting

Method:
* Preheat oven to 200C.
* Place puff pastry on baking tray lined with baking paper.
* Mix almond meal and sugar to combine. Sprinkle over the puff pastry, leaving a 4cm border.
* Slice the apples. Place maple syrup and apples in a bowl and toss to coat.
* Layer the apple over the almond mixture. Fold in the edges of the pastry and brush with eggwhite.
* Sprinkle the tart with white sugar and bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked and golden. 
* Dust with icing sugar and drizzle with extra maple syrup.


Recipe by Donna Hay (sundaylifestyle.com.au)

Sweet Potato Roast with Coconut Creme

I recently discovered that coconut cream is especially delicious with sweet potatoes.

It's truly a wonderful combination of flavours. 

 This dish is so easy to prepare and

I encourage you to try it for yourself.

Ingredients
1 kilo of sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced as thinly and evenly as possible.
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp unsalted butter
a few pinches of sea salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup of thickened cream
4 tsp sriracha
1 tbsp cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Method
* Preheat oven to 175C.
* In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat, then mix together with olive oil, add a pinch of sea salt and set aside.
* Brush a coating of the butter and oil mixture over the inside of a baking dish or skillet, and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Arrange potatoes in the dish and brush with the remaining butter and oil and sprinkle with brown sugar.
* Roast potatoes for around 30- minutes, or until the middle of the potatoes are tender and the tops begin to brown and crisp. (Roasting time would also depend on how thinly you’ve sliced them.) Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
* While the potatoes are resting, whisk together the coconut milk, thickened cream, and sriracha in a saucepan over medium heat, until just warmed.
* Pour half of the sauce over top of the potatoes and sprinkle with chopped coriander. 
* Serve with extra sauce on the side.



Recipe adapted from Reclaiming Provincial

 

Pumpkin-Head Pizzas

Quick and easy dinner for the little ghouls and monsters before they hit the streets 

for Trick or Treat.

Ingredients:
6 tortilla wraps
1 cup tomato passata
2 cups grated mozzarella
200g sliced salami or ham
extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

Method:
* Pre-heat oven to 200C. Using a knife, cut the tortillas into a pumpkin shape.
* Place 3 pumpkin-shaped tortillas on baking tray lined with baking paper. Spread base with tomato passata. Top with cheese and salami.
* With the remaining tortillas, cut out eyes, nose and mouth. Brush pumpkin-faced tortillas with olive oil. Lay on top of the pizzas.
* Bake for 10-12 minutes or until pizzas are crisp and golden.

Happy Halloween!

Recipe by Donna Hay (sundaylifestyle.com.au)
 

Spiced Red Wine Pears in Pastry

To all my readers who are enjoying Autumn this time of the year,
this is just the perfect dessert for the season.
These pears are absolutely delicious and so easy to prepare.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups red wine
1 1/4 cups caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cinnamon sticks
zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon, in strips
2 star anise
6 pears, stems intact, peeled and cored
1 sheet puff pastry
egg wash (1 egg beaten with 30ml milk)

Glaze:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine
handful sultanas or raisins
1/3 cup fresh cream, to serve

Method:
* In a saucepan with low heat, stir water, wine, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, orange and lemon zests and star anise until sugar has dissolved.
* Increase heat and add pears. Bring to simmer then reduce heat to low cover. Cook for 30 mins or until pears are tender. Remove pears, strain and reserve poaching liquid. Set aside to cool.
* Preheat oven to 220C. Cut pastry into 50cm strips.
* Place 1 pear on top of pastry strip, 4cm from end, then wrap whole pear by spiraling towards the top, overlapping pastry as you work your way up.
* Place pears on a lined baking tray and refrigerate at least 20 mins. When chilled, brush egg wash over pastry and bake until golden, about 25-30 mins.
* For the glaze, place sugar, wine and half of the poaching liquid over medium heat. Swirl pan until sauce is thick about 5-10 mins. Remove from heat, pour into a bowl and cool.
* Place raisins or sultanas in remaining poaching liquid for a few mins to soften then scatter around the pears.
* Drizzle with glaze and serve with cream.



Recipe adapted from Chef Simon Bryant.

Baked Risoni with Spinach, Mushroom and Parmigiano

 

I had a packet of risoni sitting in my cupboard for months.
I was not sure what to cook with it until I stumbled upon this recipe from Real Living magazine.
This rice-shaped pasta adds a wonderful texture to this dish that you just cannot get from rice.

The mushroom also goes really well with the dish.
I've made this twice now and my family loves it.

Ingredients

500g risoni pasta
25g butter
1 tbsp olive oil

300g Portobello mushrooms, sliced
5 garlic cloves, chopped finely
700g passata
1 tbsp sugar

200g baby spinach leaves

1/2 bunch basil leaves, torn

200g Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved
Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (to serve)
salt and pepper

Method
*Preheat oven at 200C. Cook risoni according to packet.
*Heat butter and olive oil in large pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Stir through garlic and cook for further 2 minutes.

*Add passata and sugar, mix well. Bring to simmer and set aside.
*Add risoni, spinach and basil. Season with salt and pepper.
*Transfer to a baking dish. Top with shaved cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
*Remove from oven and top with grated cheese. 

Recipe adapted from Real Living Magazine

Portuguese Egg Tart

 

My favourite childhood dessert would have to be these egg tarts.

Remembering how creamy and wonderful the taste was. So yum!

I recently thought about trying to make my own egg tarts.
I know my son will love my forever if I make them.

Getting excited... now I can make some of these myself! 

Ingredients:

3 sheets puff pastry
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup thickened cream
1/3 cup of milk
3 tbsp caster sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla essence

Method:
* In an electric mixer beat the eggs, sugar, cream, milk and vanilla for about 3 minutes. Strain through a strainer.
* Preheat oven to 180C.
* Cut pastry into circles, 8cm diameter. Fit them well into tart tins. Fill the shells with the custard, 3/4 full.
* Bake for 20-30 minutes of until custard turns brown.

So tell me reader, what's your favourite childhood dessert?

Banana Upside Down Cake

The flavour of this cake reminds me of Banana Q (a popular street food in the Philippines,
the bananas are deep fried and coated in caramelised brown sugar).
This cake is moist and delicious.
It's going to be my favourite banana cake to eat and make from now on.
It can be served plain, with cream, maple syrup or ice cream.

Ingredients:

50g unsalted butter and 150g extra, melted

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 bananas, peeled and sliced

4 eggs

1 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup almond meal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup plain flour

Method:

*Preheat oven to 160C.

*Over low heat, melt the butter and sugar in a saucepan, stirring until melted. Bring to boil for another minute.

*Pour mixture in a 22cm round cake tin, lightly greased.
*Arrange the banana slices over the caramel, overlapping them slightly. Set aside.
*Beat eggs, caster sugar and vanilla in electric mixer for about 8 minutes or until mixture has tripled in volume.
*In a large bowl, sift the almond meal, baking powder and flour then fold over the egg mixture. Fold through the extra butter.
*Pour over the baking tin, smooth the mixture over the top to flatten it. Bake for 1 hour or until cooked.
*Stand for 5 minutes before turning onto a platter.

Recipe by Donna Hay.

Oreo Cheesecake

  We all love birthdays, don't we?
Oreo, the most loved cookie in the world celebrated its 101th birthday last March.
 
In honour of the iconic cookie, I've made some Oreo Cheesecakes.
Oreo and cheesecake make a creamy and yummy combination.Now here's a piece  of heaven. Enjoy!

Ingredients
20 Oreo cookies, 12 left whole and 8 coursely chopped
250g cream cheese

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

1/2 cup thickened cream

pinch of salt

Method
*Preheat oven to 130C. Line muffin tins with paper liners. Place one Oreo cookie in the buttom of each lined cup.
*With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl if needed. Gradually add the sugar and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.
*Drizzle eggs, a bit at a time. Beat in cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies.
*Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating tins half way through, until filling is set about 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate in tins at least four hours or up to overnight. Remove from tins just before serving.

If you like Oreo, then you'll surely love this cheesecake.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

Mexican Beef Tortilla Stack

Hola, my readers! Today's dish is dedicated to the taste of Mexico. I just love the vibrant, delicious, fun and exciting flavours of Mexican food. Ooh la la!

  In a couple of days, fiesta lovers across the United States will gather to celebrate

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for 5th of May) to commemorate the victory of the Mexicans
over the French at the Battle of Puebla.

Today, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with beautiful and bright decorations,
colourful parades, dancing and  flavourful Mexican food.

Now who doesn't love a good fiesta?

Ingredients
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 red capsicum, diced
500g beef mince
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp red chilli, finely chopped
1 tbsp coriander, roughly chopped
1 400g can diced tomatoes
4 Mexican soft tortillas
120g baby spinach
150g feta cheese, crumbled
150g grated cheese
Serve with Tabasco

Method
* Preheat oven to 200C. Heat oil in a large pan and saute onions and capsicum until softened.
* Add beef mince and cook until it starts to brown.
* Add tomatoes, chilli, garlic and coriander and cook until sauce thickens.
* Line a round spring-form tin with baking paper and lay down the first tortilla, top with a third of the meat sauce, a third of the baby spinach and a third of the crumbled feta cheese. Repeat the same process.
* Bake for 20 minutes until the top is slightly golden. Allow to cool for few minutes before slicing. Drizzle with Tabasco to kick up the heat.





 
recipe from Gourmet Garden

Spicy Broccolini with Dried Herring Pizza

A sweet and tender vegetable that is often mistakenly identified as broccoli when in fact it's a hybrid between broccoli and Chinese kale or gai-lan.  Broccolini or baby broccoli tastes very delicious grilled with olive oil, in Asian stir fries or simply steamed on its own. 

Here's a delicious but simple and easy to make recipe that's bursting with wonderful flavours that will leave you wanting for more.

Ingredients:
1 bunch broccolini
1 Lebanese bread (may use pita bread or pizza base)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped 
1 cup mozzarella cheese 
4 radish, sliced
6 slices dried herring in oil (cut in half)
1 tsp sumac
1/4 tsp chilli powder


Method:
* Preheat oven to 200C.
* Slice broccolini diagonally and blanch in boiling water for about  two minutes until tender. Cool it immediately in ice cold water, drain and dry.
* Combine oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread mixture over the bread.
* Scatter the cheese on bread and top with radish, broccolini and dried herring. 
* Cook pizza in oven for 10 minutes or until golden and crisp.
* Sprinkle sumac and chilli and serve.

Lemon Cakes with Candied Lemon and Gin Syrup

 Finish your evening with style with a delicious lemon cake that's absolutely bursting with citrus flavours. Yum!

Ingredients:
275g caster sugar
165g softened butter
juice of 2 lemons and finely grated rind
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
120ml buttermilk
1/4 tsp baking powder
260g plain flour
thick cream to serve

Candied Lemon and Gin Syrup
250g caster sugar
thinly peeled rind and juice of 2 lemons
50ml gin

Method:
*Preheat oven to 180C. Beat sugar, butter and lemon rind in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy (5 mins), scrape down sides of bowl then beat in eggs and egg yolk one at a time, beating well after each addition.
*Combine buttermilk and baking powder in a jug. Fold flour, lemon juice and buttermilk mixture into butter mixture in batches until smooth and combined. Spoon into eight 220ml individual well-buttered ramekins (may use bundt tins or dariole moulds) filling 1cm below rims. Bake until light golden (25-30mins).
*For candied lemon and gin syrup, stir sugar and 165ml water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Add lemon rind, reduce heat to medium and simmer until rind is tender (5-6 mins), remove from heat and stir in juice and gin.
*Spoon warm syrup over warm cakes, scatter with candied lemon rind and serve with remaining syrup and thick cream.

Recipe from Gourmet Traveller Nov 2011

Brazilian-style Guava Cheesecake

Guava paste is a much-loved Brazilian sweet made from guava, sugar and water. It is widely used in baking and cooking adding a wonderful sweet floral flavour to desserts, cakes and cookies. Topping it over cheesecake makes a perfect combination and this recipe is unbelievably simple to make and tastes wonderful.

 

Ingredients

200g digestive biscuits

200g butter

300g ricotta

1 can condensed milk

3 eggs

1 cup milk

300g guava paste

1 cup water

Method

Lightly grease a round cake tray.

Preheat oven at 180C.

Place biscuit crumbs in a blender and grind it well. Mix biscuits and butter in a bowl. Press the mix in the cake tray to make the base and set aside.

Mix the condensed milk, ricotta, eggs and milk in  a blender and pour over the base.

Bake in the oven at 180C for 40 minutes.

Cut small cubes of guava and melt it in a pan or microwave stirring occasionally with some water, then pour over the cheesecake when it's baked. Allow it to cool, remove from the tin and place in the fridge.

You may purchase this Guava Paste at Brazilian Style Foods' online shop.

Definitely different from other cheesecakes I've tried. Absolutely delicious!

Recipe from Brazilian Style Foods

Brazilian Style Foods

admin@brazilianstyle.com.au
+612 4390 0909

Pomegranate Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Pomegranates are becoming increasingly popular as they are incredibly healthy and are loaded with all kinds of amazing vitamins and minerals. These beautiful and delicious "superfood" have been cultivated since ancient times with origins in Persia, present day Iran. When slit open, they're filled with seeds that look almost like rubies, which are called arils. 

One of my favourite ways to eat pomegranate is in cookies. Make sure you have a glass of cold milk next to you and enjoy!

Thank you so much Perfection Fresh for the tray of gorgeous looking Royal Poms! 

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

1 egg at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks

Method:
Preheat oven to 180C. Line cookie trays with baking paper.
In a medium sized bowl, combine salt, flour and baking powder.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and combine thoroughly.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter and mix until a thick dough forms.
Form cookies by rolling a teaspoon of dough into a ball and flatten slightly. Tuck arils and chocolate chunks in the dough (or fold in the mixture).
Bake for 12 minutes until light brown. Let cool on wire racks. Serve with cold milk.



recipe from Coconut & Lime

Spiced Lamb Meatballs Tagine in Tomato Sauce with Eggs and Coriander

A tagine is a dish from North Africa that is named after the special earthenware pot in which it is cooked. After reading numerous recipes of tagine, I was totally convinced that I needed one. This is an easy Moroccan Meatball Tagine recipe that is big on flavour and spice. I can't count the number of times I've cooked this dish with beef or lamb.  If you are a huge fan of coriander, you will love this dish.

Ingredients
1 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped

1/2 bunch coriander, finely chopped

2 tsp salt

1/2 onion, finely diced and cooked until soft

400g lamb or beef mince

1/2 cu fresh breadcrumbs

7 eggs
2 tbsp oil

1/2 bunch parsley. leaves picked

2 tbsp sumac

6-8 tbsp tomato passata

1 lemon, juiced

Method
-Preheat oven to 200C. Place spices, chopped parsley and coriander, salt, onion, lamb and breadcrumbs into a food processor with 1 egg and whiz together.
-Roll lamb mixture into round shapes, coat in parsley and coriander leaves and sprinkle with sumac.

-Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a shallow tagine or frying pan and brown the meatballs briefly on all sides. Remove and set aside.
-Spoon passata into the tagine, place meatballs on top and crack 6 eggs over the top and bake in theoven for 12 mins or until the eggs are cooked to your liking.

-Squeeze over lemon and serve.



Recipe adapted from Karen Martini.

Purple Carrot Muffin with Coconut and Raisins

Many of us are unfamiliar with the purple carrot but did you know that before the 17th century, almost all carrots cultivated were purple? It wasn't until the late 16th century that orange carrots were cultivated by the Dutch growers. They cross-bred the yellow and red carrots to produce the modern day orange carrot. It is thought that the orange carrots were sweeter tasting and more fleshy than the purple ones and these quickly became very popular.

According to some recent studies, purple carrots are actually more nutritious than orange carrots. Now, I've decided to make Purple Carrot Muffins. I can't wait to try them!

Ingredients:

1 cup plain flour, sifted

1/2 cup wholemeal flour
1/2 cup coconut, dessicated
2 tsp baking powder
pinch sea salt
1/3 cup raw sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup oil (non fragrant oil like canola, rice bran etc)
2 medium purple carrots, grated
1/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 180C.
In a medium bowl, add flours, coconut, baking powder, salt and sugar, stir to combine. In a separate bowl add in eggs, yoghurt, vanilla, oil and combine well. Add wet ingredients into dry and mix well but be careful not to overwork as it will toughen the texture of the muffins. Add in grated carrots and raisins.  Place into muffin pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Take out and let rest.

Recipe adapted from A Meandering Mango.

Looks, smells and tastes delicious! Hmmmm... love how all the ingredients complement each other so well.

Almond Ricotta Cheesecake with Fresh Mango

This dessert is so refreshing and cooling, perfect for a warm sunny afternoon! I love mangoes and J likes cheesecakes, so this dessert is just the perfect one for us!

Crust

150g plain flour

100g unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes

30g sliced almonds

65g icing sugar

1 free range egg yolk

Filling

450g cream cheese, at room temperature

300g ricotta, at room temperature

75g unsalted butter, softened

4 free range eggs

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

zest of 2 lemons

1 tbsp palin flour

Topping

2 mangoes, peeled and sliced into thin strips

1 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted

-For the crust, line a 23cm springform cake tin with baking paper on the bottom and sides. Mix flour, butter, almonds and icing sugar in a food processor until rough crumbs form. Add egg yolka nd 1 tbsp iced water and pulse until dough just comes together.

-Press dough into base of prepared tin. Allow dough to rest, covered, for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

-Preheat oven to 175C. Bake crust for 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool while making the filling.

-For the filling, whip cream cheese and ricotta with an electric mixer until creamy. Add remaining filling ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Pour into the cooled crust and place tin on a baking tray.

-Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the outside of the cake is just set. and the centre still wobbles slightly when shaken. Remove from oven and cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours.

-Arrange mango on top of cake and sprinkle almonds over before serving. (Can be made a day ahead and chilled, but allow 30 minutes at room temeprature before topping with mangoes and almonds.) Cut cake into slices and serve.

Nothing says summer like these sweet and luscious tropical mangoes!

Recipe by Curtis Stone (Coles Magazine)

Potato and Corn Parcels

The humble potato. Don't you get tired of the same old ways of preparing them? Here's an easy way to prepare potatoes beyond just baking or mashing.

Boil the potatoes (1.2 kg, peeled and chopped) until tender, then drain and mash with 30g butter until smooth.

Cook the corn (200g kernels, you may use frozen ones) in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, drain and set aside.

In a heavy-based pan, melt another 30g of butter, add the 2 thinly sliced leeks and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until soft and lightly golden.  Add the bacon (6 bacon rashers, rind removed, cut into thin strips) to the pan and increase the heat and stir for 5 minutes or until browned. Lower the heat and add the corn and stir for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Melt 150g butter and use to very lightly grease a 12-hole or medium-sized hole muffin tray. Remove two sheets of filo pastry and cover the rest with a damp tea towel to prevent them from drying out. Cut the two sheets in half, lightly brush each half with butter and carefully layer them on top of one another, making a pile of four half sheets for each parcel. Preheat the oven to 180C. 

Put about 1/3 cup of the filling into the centre of each pile of filo pastry and lift the corners to form a pouch. Tie a kitchen string or chive around each parcel and scrunch up the top gently. Bake in the muffin tin for 15-20 minutes or until golden.

All wrapped up. A definite must try!