Aussie Ice-cream Pudding

Eggnog Bundt Cakes

1. For eggnog, combine milk, cream, spices and vanilla in a small saucepan. Heat gently. Meanwhile whisk together the yolk and sugar. Gradually add warmed milk mixture to egg until all combined. Return to saucepan and continue cooking over a low heat until hot and slightly thickened. Remove, stir in rum and set aside to cool. Reserve 1 tablespoon for icing.
2. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Lightly grease 6 x 1 cup capacity bundt tins and place onto a flat baking tray.
3. Combine currants and rum. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until creamy and pale. Add eggs one at a time until well combined. Add dry ingredients and eggnog alternately until well combined and mixture is smooth. Spoon between prepared pans and bake for 25 minutes until golden and cooked through. Turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
4. Mix together the icing sugar, reserved eggnog, water and some additional nutmeg if you prefer. Drizzle over cooled bundt cakes and finish with fresh cherries.

Lamb Rogan Josh

1. Heat half of the oil in a large frying pan, add onion, garlic and ginger, cook for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add rogan josh paste and cook a further minute until fragrant. Add to the pot of a slow cooker.
2. Using the remaining oil, sear lamb in batches until well browned. Add to the slow cooker with the tomatoes and water. Cook on low heat for 8 hours. Stir in garam masala and season well.
3. Serve lamb with almonds, coriander and papadums.*For a faster cooking time, cook on High heat for 4 hours.

Sunbeam Christmas Pudding

In a large saucepan combine all dried fruits with 300ml water, butter and caster sugar.  Stir well to combine, then bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and stir over a simmer for 8 mins.  Turn off the heat and stir in bicarbonate of soda.  Cover and allow mixture to cool completely overnight.

Soak breadcrumbs in milk until just absorbed.  Add to the mixture with lemon zest, almonds, carrot, flour and spices.  Mix well then stir in eggs, brandy and orange juice. 

Grease the base and sides of a 2L lidded pudding basin.  Spoon the mixture into the basin then smooth the surface and cover with a round of baking paper before closing the lid.

Place a trivet into the bottom of a large saucepan and rest the pudding basin on top.  Fill the saucepan with enough boiling water to come half way up the basin.  Cover the saucepan with lid, bring the water to a boil then reduce to very low simmer and leave the pudding to steam for 6 hours. 

Check that the pudding is done by gently pressing gently the centre.  If it springs back it’s ready (f not, re-cover and steam for a further 30 mins, repeating if necessary).

Allow pudding to cool in the tin for an hour then invert onto a baking rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin Feta Scones

Mini Fruit Mince Tarts

To make the fruit mince filling, add all ingredients to a large bowl, mix well, cover and allow to soak for at least 1 hour.  

To make the pastry, add the flour, ginger, cinnamon, butter and sugar into a food processor and blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Whisk the egg and chilled water together in a small bowl, then slowly add to the food processor while it’s running until the mixture comes together into a dough. Remove from the food processor and shape into a disc. Wrap in cling wrap and place into the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.  

Preheat oven to 160℃. 

Remove from the pastry from the fridge and roll out to a thin 0.3mm dough. Cut into 7cm circles using a cookie cutter or other round object, then place into lightly greased mini muffin tins (30ml capacity). Scoop the fruit mince between the pastry cases. Cut stars from the remaining pastry and place on top of each fruit pie. Brush with milk. 

Place into the oven and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove and place onto wire racks to cool.  

Festive Fruit Cake

Preheat the oven to 150°C. Line the base and sides of a 20cm springform cake pan.

Mix nuts, dried fruits, glace cherries, peel in a bowl. Sift in flour, baking powder then stir in sugar. Lightly whisk eggs with vanilla, then stir into the cake mixture until well combined. Pour into pan. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Cool cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack over a plate and remove baking paper. Pierce all over with a skewer. Drizzle with brandy, then wrap tightly in foil and leave in a cool, dry place for 2-3 days to mature.

For the topping: Soak fruit in Maple syrup, add boiling water to cover and let soften. Closer to serving, warm jam in a pan over low heat or in the microwave until runny. Arrange the maple-soaked fruits over the top of the cake in a decorative pattern, then brush with warm jam to set in place.