What do Hot cross Buns, Pickled Fish, Guilt-free Sticky Chocolate Cake and Cute Cupcakes all have in common?

Firstly they are all traditional festive recipes we love to prepare and serve for our guests, secondly, they are part of our Easter Recipe collection - which we are sharing with you today-  and thirdly they are all pretty easy - meaning you can whip these up for your family over the Easter Weekend.

This Eastertime we will all be celebrating in a different way - but these recipes will remind us of all the good times past and those still to come. Stay at home. Cook. Bake. Enjoy.

Hot Cross Buns  & Pickled Fish from Morukuru Family De Hoop

Did you know that Hot Cross Buns originated in the 12th-century when according to legend, an Anglican monk baked the buns and marked them with a cross in honour of Good Friday? Over time they gained popularity, and eventually became a symbol of Easter weekend.

Our Chef Akhanya relies on this tried and tested recipe...which delivers the most delicious buns - especially when enjoyed with butter and local preserves.

 Ingredients:

450g Cake Flour

Pinch of Salt

50ml Butter

1 sachet Instant Dry Yeast ( 10g)

15ml Mixed Spice

125g Seedless Raisins

50g Chopped Orange Zest

150ml Water – tepid

1 Egg – lightly beaten

40g Castor Sugar

60ml Milk

Method:

• Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and make a well in the centre.
• Pour in the Milk and 75ml of the water and the egg.
• Knead the dough for 10 minutes.
• Separate and kneed the dough into smooth balls.
• Place on a baking sheet and cover with greased cling wrap.
• Leave to rise for 1-2 hours.
• Make the glaze by mixing 10ml castor sugar and 30ml Milk (boiled).
• Mix some flour and 30ml of water together for the crosses.
• Pipe the crosses onto the top of the buns
• Bake for 20 minutes.

South Africa has 11 official languages and a whole lot of local lingo too - creating a vibrant backdrop for everyday life.

This Easter, we are adhering to President Ramaphosa's directions that we stay at home and practice social distancing and self-isolation. Still, the South African spirit of resilience has once more come to the fore with locals coming up with the creative terms #COVIDInTheKasi and #KasiKwarantine          (Kasi means neighbourhood).

Another phrase which was initially considered slang is Ingelegde Vis which is Cape Town patois for Pickled Fish. Pickled Fish is a traditional South African recipe for a classic dish of Fish pickled in white wine vinegar flavoured with curry spices.

Slaves from Dutch territories in the East Indies brought this traditional method of pickling fish to South Africa. Pickled Fish remains very popular in South Africa, especially on Good Friday when Christians "fast" by abstaining from meat to commemorate Christ's sacrifice.

Here is our recipe for traditional Cape Picked Fish.

Make it on Good Friday or any day you fancy - it is particularly tasty when paired with our freshly baked Hot Cross Buns! 

 Ingredients:

4 Medium Sized Onions - sliced

10ml Pepper Corns

45ml Medium Curry Powder

175ml Smooth Apricot Jam

750ml Vinegar

125ml Water

15ml Turmeric

125ml White Sugar

1.75 kg White Fish (Cape salmon, Cob, Kingklip )

Method:

• Firstly fry off the Fish and then prepare the Pickling Sauce.
• Gently saute the onion slices in a little oil.
• Add the peppercorns, curry powder and jam.
• Stir in the vinegar, water, turmeric and sugar.
• Simmer until the liquid reduces significantly.
• Pour this pickling sauce over the cooked Fish.
• Allow to cook through.
• Serve hot or cold with hot cross buns.

Guilt-free Sticky Chocolate Cake from Morukuru Family Madikwe 

Easter is traditionally a very festive time for us here in the bush, but due to a planned renovation project our lodge is empty right now and with the world, in lockdown, things feel a bit bleak and definitely upside down. There is so much uncertainly at the moment, but one thing that is irrefutable is this cake is sure to add a delicious slice of positivity to your day - and not too many extra inches to your waistline - that’s why we call it guilt-free -  “Happiness is knowing there is cake in the oven".  Ingredients 135g Pure Honey 2 Eggs 60g Almond Flour 30g Cocoa Powder Pinch of Salt 115g Butter( melted ) 1 tablespoon Vanilla Essence 1 tablespoon Butter 1 tablespoon Cocoa Powder Crème Fraiche to serve Flaked almonds, toasted, to serve Method

• Preheat oven to 180°C /356°F
• Grease a 20cm pan with butter and sprinkle cocoa powder to coat
• In a bowl and with an electric beater, beat the honey and eggs until the mixture is pale yellow in colour.
• Add the Almond flour, sift in the cocoa powder and salt
• Fold in until incorporated
• Mix in the melted butter and vanilla essence
• Pour in the batter
• Bake for 20minutes or until the top has hardened. The centre muststill be soft
• Allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan and then remove
• Serve with crème Fraiche and toasted almonds should you prefer.

Easter Vanilla Cupcakes From AtholPlace Hotel & Villa 

Our Easter Cupcakes  are the perfect treat for dessert lovers of all ages. They’re just the right size for someone looking for a small taste of something sweet, and they’re big enough for little kids whose eyes are bigger than their stomachs. Plus, they’re cute and easy to make. Gather those who are sharing your space during self-isolation, get your ingredients together and whip up a batch!

Ingredients:

 1 1⁄2 cups cake flour

 1 1⁄2 cups castor sugar

•175ml sunflower oil

175ml water

1 tbsp baking powder

6 eggs, separated

1 tbsp vanilla essence

(makes 34)

Method:

• Sift flour and baking powder together.
• Add sugar and mix.
• In a smaller bowl mix oil, water, egg yolks and vanilla.
• Beat egg whites until stiff.
• Combine flour mix and oil mix.
• Fold in egg whites.
• Place your paper muffin cups in the muffin tin and fill 3⁄4 full.
• Bake @ 180°C for 20min.
• Cool down on baking rack.

To decorate:

• 500g stork bake margarine, soft
• 250g icing sugar
• 5ml vanilla essence
• Green Food Colouring
• Small Easter speckled eggs/ marshmallows
• Beat together the margarine and sugar until smooth.
• Add the vanilla and food colouring.
• Scoop into a piping bag and pipe grass/ nest on your cupcake.
• Add your half-cut marshmallows (bunny ears) and speckled eggs.

We wish you all a blessed and peaceful Easter Weekend 

#StayHomeStaySafe; #InThisTogether #WeHopeToSeeYouSoon