Berry Custard Swirls

Coconut Bread Dough

3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup (60 grams) butter
1 egg
1 sachet instant yeast
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon coconut essence
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour

This dough is the same as most bread dough, so first you want to combine the milk, water and butter in a large bowl and microwave until the butter is melted - then if the liquid is too hot let it cool.

Whisk in the egg, yeast and sugar and let it sit for a few minutes to make sure that the yeast granules dissolve

Add the coconut, coconut essence, salt and one cup of the flour. Stir well with a fork and then add the second cup of flour. Keep stirring until it is mostly combined and then just let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes (during which time you can prepare the filling).

Add the remaining flour to the dough and begin to mix with your hands. When it comes together into a cohesive ball, roll it out onto a clean, floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes, until it is soft, smooth and pliable.

Roll the dough out into a large rectangle and spread it with the filling, then roll it up as tight as you can.

Slice the long roll into 12 pieces and gently place them on an oven tray. Place somewhere warm until the have risen to twice their original size. While they rise, preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the buns are light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool before icing them (don't be impatient like me, if they are too warm the icing will just melt and slide right off)

Berry Custard Filling

1 cup mixed frozen berries
1/4 cup berry sauce/ice-cream topping (jam would do as well)
1/4 cup (60 grams) butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon custard powder

Place all of the ingredients except the custard powder in a small bowl or jug and microwave until the butter has melted.

Blend the ingredients together with a hand blender. Add the custard powder and blend the mixture some more.

Continue to microwave in short bursts (about a minute each time) until the mixture is thick (more solid than liquid but still spreadable)

Vanilla Custard Icing

50 grams butter
1 cups icing sugar
1 tablespoon custard powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Place the butter in a medium sized bowl and soften in the microwave.

Add the icing sugar, custard powder and vanilla essence and stir briskly (or use an egg beater) until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Spread the icing on the cooled buns and sprinkle with coconut if you want it.

Creamy Avocado Pasta

Creamy Avocado Pasta

2 ripe avocados
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 jar sundried tomatoes
2 chicken breasts, diced (optional)
Fettucine pasta (four servings)

First of all, get a pot of salted water boiling for the pasta and cook that according to the packet directions, until al dente.

While the pasta cooks, cook the chicken (if you are using it, it's just as good without) in a little olive oil until done.

Finally, for the best part, the sauce, scoop the flesh out of the avocados and place in a small bowl (or the bowl of your food processor if you have one). Add the garlic, salt, lemon juice, parmesan and olive oil. Use a hand blender (if you don't have a normal blender that is) and combine the ingredients until smooth.

To finish the dish, drain the cooked pasta and quickly add the avocado mixture to and toss it well, before the  pasta has a chance to stick together. Drain the sundried tomatoes and add them to the pasta along with the chicken. Combine well and serve with a bit more grated parmesan.