Your Easter recipes 

Toast Blintzes 
Blintzes are thin pancakes that typically lack a leavening agent similar to crepes, not to be confused with blinis that are typically thicker and container a leavening agent. 
16 slices good salted either white or brown bread. 
3 tablespoons milk
1 cup cottage cheese (drained)
3 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
2 cups sweetened sliced strawberries or use tinned if fresh is unavailable

Method:
1. Using a cookie cutter, cut 3-inch rounds from the bread and brush the top edge of the bread rounds with milk. 

2. Put 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese in the center of each 8 rounds and place plain round, milk-brushed side down, over the cheese and press the edges together. Brush the tops with butter.

3. Toast on a baking sheet in a hot oven (400 d FH) for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Makes 8 Blintzes or 4 servings. 

Hot Cross Buns
2 packages active dry yeast or 2 cakes compressed yeast
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup milk, scalded 
½ cup vegetable oil or melted shortening 
1/3 cup sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
3 ½ to 4 cups sifted wheat flour
½ to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 beaten eggs
2/3 cups currants
1 slightly beaten egg white
Sifted icing sugar  

Method
1.    Soften the active dry yeast in warm water or compressed yeast in lukewarm water. Combine milk, vegetable oil, sugar and salt and cool until lukewarm.

2.    Stir together, 1 cup of the flour and the cinnamon; stir into the milk mixture. Add the eggs and beat well.

3.    Stir in the softened yeast along with the currants before adding the remaining flour (or a little more or less to make soft dough.) Cover with a damp cloth and let rise let rise in a warm place till double. This could take an hour or less or eve more depending on the temperature. Punch down.
4.    Roll or pat dry out to ½ inch on a lightly floured surface and cut in rounds with a 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter. Shape in buns and place on a greased baking sheet about 1 ½ inches apart. 

5. Cover and let rise in a warm place till almost double. If you so desire, cut shallow cross in each bun with a sharp scissors or knife. 

6. Brush tops with egg white and bake at 375 d FH for about 12 minutes until done.

7. Add icing sugar about ¾ cups to the remaining egg white and use this as a frosting for piping crosses on warm buns. 

Eggs in Toast Cups
You will need some day old bread so be sure to plan ahead. Trim crusts from slices of day old bread and brush both sides with melted butter or margarine. Fit each into a custard cup or a large muffin pan will do. Toast in a slow oven (325 d FH) for 15 minutes and remove from oven.
Break an egg into each toast cup and season with salt and pepper and dot with butter. Cover with aluminum foil paper and return to oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until done. 
Get hold of a spatula, and loosen toast from sides of cups or muffin pans. Serve hot. 

NB. Or poach eggs and serve in toast cups. 

Cloverleaf Rolls 
1 package active dry yeast or 1 cake compressed yeast
¼ cup water
1 cup milk, scalded 
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening 
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt 
1 egg
3 ¼ to 3 ½ cups sifted wheat flour
Melted butter

Method:

1.Soften the active dry yeast in warm water (110d FH) while compressed yeast would be done in lukewarm water (85d FH)

2. Combine milk, shortening, sugar, salts, cool to lukewarm. Add 1 cup flour and beat well and add the softened yeast and egg. Beat well and gradually stir in the remaining flour to form a soft dough,

3. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in warm place till double. Punch down and turn out on a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for about 10 minutes. 

4. Form3 balls of dough to fill each greased muffin pan half full. Brush with melted butter and let rolls rise till almost double.
5.Bake in a hot oven (400 d FH) for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen rolls. 

Oven Bacon 
Separate the slices and place on a rack in a shallow baking pan and bake at 400 d FH for about 10 minutes. No need to turn or drain bacon that is cooked in the oven,
Avocado, Tomato & Mozzarella Pasta Salad with Pine Nuts
A salad made from the ingredients that represent the colors of the Italian flag. 

Serves 4
 Ingredients:
1 ½ cups pasta bows (farfalle) 
6 cups red tomatoes
¼ kg mozzarella cheese
1 large ripe avocado 
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted. If not available use cashew or almonds
1 sprig fresh basil, for garnish

Dressing:
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp wine vinegar 
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
A pinch of sugar (optional) 
Salt and pepper to taste 
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Method: 
1. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water according to the instructions on the package. When ready, about ten minutes’ drain well and cool.

2. Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella cheese into thin rounds.

3. Half the avocado, remove the pit, and peel the skin then slice the flesh lengthwise. 

4. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.

5. Arrange the tomato, mozzarella, and avocado in overlapping slices around the edge of a flat plate.

6. Toss the pasta with half the dressing and the chopped basil. Pile into the center of the plate. Pour over the remaining dressing, scatter over the pine nuts and garnish with a sprig of fresh basil and serve at once.