We’re the first to admit that we’re glued to the couch each evening – how can you turn off all those reality cooking shows?! Instead of just dreaming about your own drool worthy desserts, it’s time to get your bake on.
Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea is just around the corner and it’s the perfect opportunity to bring a few friends together for a good cause.
Cancer touches so many of our lives – 1 in 2 Australians will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85. That’s a scary number, but we can all make a difference. Just $25 can help out the Cancer Council, whose research and support programs are vital for diagnosis, prevention and treatment.
The official date of the Morning Tea is Thursday May 26th – grab your water cooler buddies and organise an office bake off for the day, or host a morning tea any day during May or June with your friends. All you need to do is register as a host and pick a date.
Justin North and Lyndey Milan host a morning tea at Hotel Centennial
Now don’t settle for being small fry fundraising – once you’ve set a date, build a fundraising page on the Biggest Morning Tea website and start spamming – hey, how many chocolates have you bought from the IT guy with the cute kids holding dance recitals every six months?
If your MasterChef skills aren’t exactly up to scratch, don’t worry, the Biggest Morning Tea ambassadors have put together a range of recipes for you. MasterChef judge Gary Mehigan’s filo pastry fruit and nut fingers are a drizzled honey dream. And then there’s chef and restaurateur Matt Moran’s scrumptious stewed rhubarb granola, no baking required!
Get your friends together, put the baking challenge on the table and get everyone to bring a small donation.
Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea
Thursday, 26th May
https://www.biggestmorningtea.com.au/
Here are a few recipes from our favourite chefs:
Gary Mehigan’s Fruit and Nut Fingers
Ingredients
- ½ cup puffed millet
- 1/3 cup sesame seeds
- 1/3 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup nuts, unsalted and chopped – almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias
- 1 cup dried fruit chopped – e.g. figs, apricots, apple, peaches, pear, barberries
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- ½ cup tahini
- ½ cup raw honey
- 185g filo pastry
- 2 tblsp olive oil
- extra sesame seeds & coconut for sprinkling
- ½ tsp all spice
Method
- Pre-heat the oven 200°C and line two or three baking sheets with baking paper and set aside.
- Place all the dry ingredients and vanilla paste in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the tahini and honey and blend to combine. Set mixture aside.
- Place a sheet of filo on the bench and brush lightly with a little olive oil, place another sheet of filo directly on top and repeat with another sheet of filo so it is three layers thick. Now cut the sheet of pastry into three equal strips.
- Place a spoonful of the nut and fruit mixture at the end of each strip, fold the edges in and roll up into a spring roll shape. Repeat with the remaining pastry and nut mixture. Brush each filo finger with a little olive oil and sprinkle with coconut & sesame seeds.
- Place onto baking trays and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
- Serve with natural yoghurt or drizzle with a little extra honey.
Matt Moran’s Granola with Stewed Rhubarb
Ingredients
- 440 g granola
- 280 ml almond milk
- 400 g rhubarb stalks
- 50g caster sugar
- ¼ pod of vanilla bean
- ½ lemon (juice)
Method
- Trim and peel the rhubarb stalks and roughly chop, place in a medium size saucepan and add the caster sugar, vanilla bean and lemon juice, simmer for 5 minutes stirring continuously.
- Leave aside until cool.
- To serve, place the granola into a cereal bowl, pour the almond milk over it and spoon the stewed rhubarb on top.
