Easter Fruit Loaf
Preparation 30 Minutes
Cook 45 Minutes
Serves 8-10
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C
Dough:
- Sift self raising flour, bi-carb soda, mixed spice and castor sugar into a large bowl. Pour in buttermilk and mix with a butter knife to combine. Tip onto a floured surface and knead for 1 minute. Roll out to a 40cm x 30cm rectangle.
- Cream butter, sugar and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Thinly spread creamed butter mix over dough and sprinkle evenly with almond meal. Combine all the fruit in a small bowl and spread on top of the almond meal.
- Roll into a loaf, place on a greased paper lined oven tray and set aside for 15 minutes to allow dough to rise.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. When cool, ice and sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds.
Icing:
- Combine sifted icing sugar with boiling water.
Ingredients
Fruit and Nut Filling:
90g butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp vanilla essence
110g Sunbeam Ground Almonds
100g Sunbeam Sultanas
50g Sunbeam Currants
70g Sunbeam Glace Cherries, chopped
50g Sunbeam Apricots, diced
40g Angus Park Cranberries
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Buttermilk Dough:
2 ½ cups self raising flour
1 tsp bi-carb soda
1 tsp mixed spice
¼ cup castor sugar
350ml buttermilk
Topping
1 cup pure icing sugar
3 tbs boiling water
40g Sunbeam Flaked Almonds, toasted
Recipe Collection
Spiced Nuts & Seeds
- Pre-heat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Combine nuts and seeds in a large bowl with salt and spices.
- Combine oil and maple syrup and tip over nut mixture. Toss well.
- Spread onto a lined oven tray and bake for 12 minutes, tossing occasionally until toasted. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Sultana & Cornflake Cookies
Preheat oven to 180°C. Beat butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until smooth, add egg, beat until combined. Stir in sultanas and sifted flour. Fold flour, 1 cup cornflakes, sultanas through mixture. Roll rounded teaspoons of mixture in lightly crushed cornflakes, place about 3cm apart on greased oven trays; flatten slightly. Bake in oven about 20 minutes or until browned. Cool on trays.
Apricot Balls
- Place apricots, sultanas and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Place cooled fruit in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add oats and coconut. Remove to a bowl and roll teaspoonsful into balls and then roll in sesame seeds to coat. Refrigerate until required.
Notes:
Balls can also be rolled in coconut, chopped pepitas or chopped nuts.
Baked Brie with Fruit & Nuts
Soak dried fruit in maple syrup & hot water to coat for 15–20 mins until plump and sticky. The longer the soak the plumper the fruit gets.
Score the top of the brie (light cross-hatch), place on a baking dish or lined tray. Bake at 180°C for 10 mins, until soft and gooey.
Top with the soaked fruit mixture and a little extra maple syrup.
Serve warm with crusty bread & crackers
Macadamia Choc Chip Cookies
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line cookie trays with baking paper.
Beat butter, extract, sugars and egg in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in sifted flour and soda, in two batches. Stir in Sunbeam macadamias & chocolate chips.
Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls; place 5cm apart on trays.
Bake cookies 15 minutes or until golden; cool on trays.
Chocolate Easter Nests
Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C). Place almonds on a baking tray and cook for 8 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool.
Line a tray with baking paper which will fit into the refrigerator. Combine the almonds and sultanas in a bowl.
Place the different chocolates into 3 separate heat proof bowls. Place over a saucepan of gently simmering water and mix until melted. Add ⅓ of the almond mixture to each bowl of chocolate and mix well.
Place spoonfuls of mixture onto lined trays and shape into a nest, using the back of the spoon to make an indent in the centre. Refrigerate for approx. 1 hour until set. Decorate with small easter eggs.
