Choc Sultana Hot Cross Bun
Preparation 105 Minutes
Cook 30 Minutes
Serves 12
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C
- Sieve plain flour and mixed spice. Rub butter into the flour until well incorporated and add dry yeast, castor sugar, sultanas, currants and chocolate dots. Add the milk and eggs and mix well. Place on a floured surface and gently knead dough for ten minutes until smooth and velvety. Cover and leave to rise for one hour or until mixture has doubled in size.
- Gently knead for 2 minutes then divide into 12. Gently knead into balls and shape into buns. Arrange in a greased baking tin and leave to rise again for 15 minutes.
- Combine ingredients for flour paste crosses and place in a piping bag. Pipe crosses onto buns.
- Bake for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 170°C and bake for a further 20 minutes.
- Turn onto a wire rack, serve hot with butter, if desired
Ingredients
4 cups plain flour
2 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp cinnamon
125g butter, softened
2 x 7g sachets dry yeast
½ cup castor sugar
250g Sunbeam Sultanas
80g Sunbeam Currants
250g milk chocolate dots, chopped
250ml warm milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Flour paste for crosses:
1/3 cup water
½ cup plain flour
1 tbs castor sugar
Recipe Collection
Easter Fruit Loaf
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.
Caramel Walnut Brioche Pudding
Butter both sides of sliced Brioche and layer in greased pan (mine is 8” x 11”).
2. Sprinkle dried Mixed fruit and Walnuts evenly over bread.
3. Mix eggs, sugar and vanilla paste until sugar is dissolved,then mix together with Cream and Milk.
4. Pour egg mix over Brioche and let soak whilst you make your caramel.
5. In heavy based pan add butter, golden syrup and condensed milk, stir until all melted on low heat. This can then be spooned over Brioche into all gaps, finish by sprinkling more Walnuts and Cinnamon.
6. Place in oven 165’c fan forced for 35-45 minutes, or until centre is set.
7. Enjoy
# You may like to soak Mixed Fruit in a little Brandy!
Christmas Chocolate Fruit Truffles
-
Heat cream in small saucepan until just below boiling. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Set aside for 1 minute, then stir until melted.
-
Combine 1/2 cup of the currants and half of the hazelnuts in a bowl and set aside for decorating. Place remaining currants and salt in a bowl, pour over the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm enough to roll.
-
Scoop tablespoons of the chocolate mixture and use clean hands to roll into balls. To decorate, roll balls in the reserved currant and hazelnut mixture, remaining hazelnuts or coconut. Store in the refrigerator and allow to soften slightly before serving.
Burnt Honey and Macadamia Semifreddo
- Line a 2L freezer-safe container with baking paper.
- In a small saucepan melt butter. Add honey and cook for a further 2 mins until foamy and golden. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Combine all eggs, vanilla, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan of water to a simmer, place bowl over the top and constantly beat for 6-8 mins (using an electric beater) or until the mixture is thick and pale. Remove from heat, beat in the burnt honey mixture then allow to cool for 5 mins.
- Beat thickened cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the burnt honey custard, fruit and macadamias through the whipped cream, then spoon into the prepared container and freezer overnight.
- Serve generous scoops in waffle cones.
Rocky Road
Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm square baking tin.
Mix together raisins, cherries, marshmallows and pistachios. Pour 1 cup of the mixture into the base of the prepared tin.
Combine chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, microwave for 30 seconds, stir then microwave in 10 second bursts until melted. Allow to cool for about 5 mins before adding the remaining fruit and nut mixture. Toss to coat then pour into the prepared tin, gently flattening the surface. Refrigerate until firm (about 2 hours).
Remove from tin and slice into 4 long rows. Wrap in cellophane for Christmas gifting.
Fruit Nut Fudge Brownie
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line base and sides of a 27cm x17cm slice pan with baking paper, extending paper over sides.
- Combine fruit and rum or juice in saucepan and bring just to the boil. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally. Set aside 1/4 cup of the fruit mixture for decorating the top.
- Heat butter and chocolate in saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and combined. Set aside to cool 10 minutes.
- Whisk sugar and eggs together in large bowl, then whisk in cooled chocolate mixture and remaining soaked fruit. Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder into the bowl and add half of the hazelnuts (saving some for the top). Stir until combined. Pour into prepared pan and scatter with reserved fruit and nuts.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until tested with a skewer. Some crumbs will cling to the skewer. Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing. Cut into 18 pieces and serve warm and gooey or cool and fudgy.