Student's Banana Cake

‘Afternoon tea’ is something terribly British and I love to keep up this tradition on a daily basis. Unfortunately, with the busy and hectic lifestyles we now lead this is not always easy. This recipe will take 20 minutes out of our day and let you indulge in a little ‘you’ time for a slice of cake and a cuppa.

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas (over-ripe is best) Please make sure you crush these to mush before adding in!
170gr caster sugar
170gr self raising flour
170gr soft margarine
3 eggs
a few drops of vanilla essence
a table spoon of cinnamon (optional)

Preparation:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C .
2. Add all the ingredients to a bowl but sieve the flour and add in gently, folding in with a wooden spoon.
3. Pour the mixture into a well greased cake tin or lined loaf tin (depending on how you want your cake to look).
4. Bake for one hour, checking every 15-20 minutes to make sure you don’t over-cook it!
5. Pull out of the oven; put a knife through the cake and check the knife comes out clear, if it does, the middle is cooked, if it looks gooey, place back into the oven but perhaps lower the heat slightly.
6. Let the cake cool for 20 minutes, cut, serve and enjoy!

Tip: If you fancy a more nutty texture, add some crushed walnuts to the recipe before pouring into your chosen tin of choice…about 60gr should do the trick!

Egg in a hole with grilled tomatoes

This is a fun breakfast dish for adults and kids to make on the weekend when you have a little more time. It's filling and it's healthy. For an extra special touch use a heart-shaped cutout.

Ingredients:
4 medium tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
4 slices whole-grain bread
4 large eggs
butter
salt and pepper

Preparation:
Heat oven on grill cycle.
1.) Place the tomatoes cut-side up on a tray covered with baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to plate and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
2.) Brush 1 side of each slice of bread with butter. Using a round cookie cutter or drinking glass, cut a hole in the center of each slice, reserving the cutout pieces.
3.) Heat 2 tsp oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Place half the bread and cutouts, buttered side up, in the frying pan and cook until the undersides are crisp, 1 to 2 minutes; flip.
4.) Crack 1 egg into each hole. Dividing evenly, season with salt and pepper and cook, covered, to desired doneness, 2 to 3 minutes for runny yolks.
5.) Transfer to plates and cover with foil to keep warm.
6.) Repeat with the remaining 2 tsp oil, bread and eggs. Serve with the tomatoes and cutouts.

Ciabatta Stuffing

This is my favourite stuffing. I make it every year together with my Thanksgiving turkey but you can serve it perfectly well with a Sunday roast. The chestnuts give it a wintery touch and remind me of our time in Lugano.

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
8 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 (7.4-ounce) jars roasted peeled whole chestnuts, coarsely broken
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 pound day-old ciabatta bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, beaten to blend

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1.) Butter a 15 by 10 by 2-inch glass baking dish.
2.) Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a large bowl.
3.) Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, and garlic. Saute until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes.
4.) Gently stir in the chestnuts and parsley.
5.) Transfer the onion mixture to the large bowl with the pancetta.
6.) Add the bread and Parmesan and toss to coat.
7.) Add enough broth to the stuffing mixture to moisten.
8.) Season the stuffing, to taste, with salt and pepper.
9.) Mix in the eggs.
10.) Transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until the stuffing is heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.

Swiss Three Kings' Bread

In Switzerland, the Three Kings cake is made ​​from sweet yeast dough​, which is formed into balls, arranged in a flower-shape and sprinkled with almonds and coarse sugar.

There are various types of Three Kings' cakes found throughout Switzerland. All have a white plastic king figure “hidden” inside. The person who finds this piece is then “King or Queen for the Day” meaning he or she gets to choose what to do during that day and also what chores to avoid. No washing dishes, no cleaning up, no cooking?!

The Three Kings' cake is one of the most popular traditions in Switzerland. At the Iowa AG alone, which is Migros' bakery wholesale distributor produced over 500'000 pieces in 2000. His rival Coop managed to sell over 250,000. This is without counting the hundred of thousands cakes sold in bakeries throughout the country.  The total sales amount to approx 1.5 million cakes. Now beat that. No other celebration is so widely spread across this tiny, multi-cultured country.

Most Swiss buy their Epiphany cake at the local bakery or supermarket.
However, home-made always tastes best. Following is an easy and fast recipe to make with your kids. And who knows, if you're lucky, you might not even have to do the washing up!!!

Ingredients:
500gr flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
20gr (1/2 dice) fresh yeast, crumbled
60gr butter
1/2 lemon, grated rind
4 tablespoons raisins
3dl milk, warmed

Decoration:
1 egg, beaten
Sugar crysals, almond leaves

Preparation:
Mix flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Add the rest of the ingredients and knead for about 10 minutes unti a smooth dough has formed.

Cover dough and let rise for 2 hours until it has doubled in volume.

Form 8 servings, each weighing approximately 80gr.

Stick a king or a coin in one of the balls.

Form the remaining dough into a large ball and place on a baking sheet lined tray with the smaller balls distributed evenly around it.

Let stand for covered for another 30 minutes at room temperature to rise.

Brush with egg.

Bake for approx. 30 minutes in the bottom half of the pre-heated 180° C oven. Cool on a wire rack and then decorate!

The “Swiss Way” to eat the "Torta dei Re Magi" is with a good cheese selection, or butter, jam and hot chocolate at breakfast, lunch OR supper time!

You might also want to read about the Ticino tradition of the Befana on Epifany Day. Click here to discover more.