Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: The hottest recipes to make in red light

Which epic dish will you make first? Photos / Instagram

You swore after the extended 2021 lockdown that you wouldn't bake again. But here you are, staring longingly into the pantry at that half-used bag of flour wondering what masterpiece you could whip up with the time saved from your commute.

We hear you.

And with every "work from home where you can" order comes another viral cooking trend.

In 2020 we had the infamous banana bread and then beer bread, and in 2021 we had homemade Big Macs and moreish sweet chilli scrolls. If the Oscars were based around lockdown foods, they would have won best lead actors in a drama series.

So what will 2022 bring us? Well, hang on to your dishevelled bags of flour, because we have you covered. From Ferrero infusions to the world's easiest fruit cake. Here's where your food rations are going to be best used in the red light setting.

Ferrero and Snickers cookie slice

Got a box of Ferreros banging around in the back of the pantry from Xmas? You swore 2022 was going to be the year of fitspo, but those golden delights are calling your name. Say no more, fam. The legendary Kitty's Kitchen, which went viral in 2021 for its sweet chilli, ham and cream cheese scrolls has come to the rescue! This Ferrero and Snickers cookie slice will satisfy even the sweetest socially distanced tooth.

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World's easiest summer fruit cake

Try the world's easiest summer fruit cake. It's easy, it's beautiful and it's packed full of warming spices that will have you feeling nostalgic.

Check out the recipe HERE.

Poached eggs and salmon with pesto

While you may be lamenting that flat white you usually pick up on your way into the office, you can spend your commute time whipping up something a little more appealing than that piece of Marmite on toast that usually slides around the passenger seat on your drive to work. Take a steer from Hitch Cooks, with its poached eggs and salmon on pesto - stepped up with a drizzle of chilli oil and fried salmon skin cut and sprinkled on top.

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Annabel Langbein's three-ingredient chocolate mousse

Avoid the supermarket and reward yourself for getting through the day with Annabel Langbein's three-ingredient chocolate mousse. This delicious silken chocolate mousse is very rich, so Langbein says you'll need only a small glass or bowl each - which honestly sounds like a challenge and we accept.

Find the full recipe HERE.

Burnt butter protein pancakes

These may look like a devilish treat sent to derail your "remain-healthy-in-red-light" goals, but this stack of pancakes by Alex's Kitchen Story is actually pretty guilt-free. Alex, whose at-home Big Mac went viral last lockdown, uses oats, bananas, milk, eggs and a pinch of cinnamon for the pancakes. It's up to you from here as to whether you top them with fruit and a bit of nut butter or use them to sandwich-stack with that Ferrero and Snickers cookie slice from Kitty's Kitchen - not to put ideas in anyone's head or anything.

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Quick breakfast bread

Set yourself up for the day with Angela Casley's quick breakfast bread. Make this loaf the day before and luxe up your morning by toasting it in a frypan or under the grill. Who even is this fancy new 2022 version of you?! When it comes to creative toppings try savoury mince with a fried egg, or cream cheese, salmon and dill, or for a fitspo third option, try kale and lightly roasted tomatoes.

Get the full recipe HERE.