Christmas Cupcakes

Preparation 30 Minutes

Cook 30 Minutes

Serves 12

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).

Line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper patty cases. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter, mixed spice and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Fold in flour alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in Sunbeam sultanas.

Spoon mixture into paper cases until two-thirds full.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes, before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing: beat cream cheese with icing mixture. Slowly fold melted and cooled chocolate.

Ice the cupcakes and decorate with mini gingerbread houses.

Ingredients

Cupcakes

160g Caster Sugar

125 grams butter softened

3 Eggs

1 teaspoons Mixed spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

100g Sunbeam Sultanas

200g Self Raising flour

65g Milk

Icing

250 gram cream cheese

1/2 cup icing mixture

100 gram white chocolate

Recipe Collection

Easy Florentines

Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan).Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

In a large bowl, combine Corn Flakes, almonds, sultanas and cherries, mix well.Pour over the sweetened condensed milk and stir to coat. 

Place an egg ring onto prepared pan.Spoon the mixture into the egg ring, filling to the top and gently pressing down to compact.Remove egg ring and repeat, with remaining mixture, 6 biscuits on each tray.

Bake biscuits for 15 mins, swapping the trays around half way.Remove from oven and allow biscuits to cool completely on trays.

Melt the chocolate and brush onto the bases of each biscuit.Rest cookies on a baking rack, chocolate side up, to allow chocolate to set.

You will need a 7.5cm egg ring for this recipe

Chocolate Raisin Pudding

Pre-heat oven to 190°C (170°C fan-forced).

  1. Roughly chop raisins and place in a small saucepan with port. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  2. Place chocolate and butter in a bowl over simmering water, stirring often until melted and smooth. Cool slightly.
  3. Beat together the eggs, yolks and sugar until pale and increased in volume. Add chocolate mixture, mixing until well combined. Fold in flour with the raisins and mix well.
  4. Spoon mixture between 6 x 250 ml capacity oven proof serving dishes. Place onto an oven tray and bake for 10-12 minutes until just cooked. Allow to sit for 3-4 minutes before serving with cream or ice-cream.

Macadamia and Cacao Balls

  1. Blend or process dates until smooth
  2. Combine macadamia meal, cacao and dates in a bowl.
  3. Use wet hands to roll tablespoons of mixture in balls. Roll in coconut.

Fruit & Nut Hot Cross Truffles

  1. Combine mixed fruit, dates, seed mix,  hazelnuts, coconut, coconut oil and vanilla essence in a food processor and blend until a smooth, thick paste is formed.
  2. Divide into 25 equal portions and roll each  into a ball before flattening slightly.
  3. Pipe melted white chocolate crosses onto  truffles and refrigerate for at least 2 hours  before serving cold.

Traditional Christmas Puddings

  1. Combine mixed fruit, raisins, brandy and cranberry sauce in a large bowl. Cover and set aside overnight or for at least 2 hours.
  2. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, beat in maple syrup. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.  Stir butter mixture, sifted self-raising flour and spices, fresh breadcrumbs and almonds into soaked fruit, mixing well.
  3. Grease a 2 litre and 1 litre capacity pudding basin and a line both the bases with a double layer of baking paper.  Fill mixture into the large basin to approximately 3cm from top of basin. Spoon remainder into small basin and smooth tops. Double line each of the tops of the puddings with baking paper rounds.
  4. Take a 60cm long piece of baking paper and 60cm piece of foil, layer and fold in half, make a 3cm pleat in the middle (this allows for any expansion of the pudding). Place sheets over large pudding and secure tightly with string. Repeat process for small pudding.
  5. Place wire racks onto the base of a large and a medium saucepan and fill both one third with water and bring to the boil. Carefully place puddings onto wire rack in each saucepan making sure the water level comes about halfway up each pudding basin. Cover and simmer  the large pudding 6 hours and the small pudding for 4 hours. Replenish with boiling water when needed.
  6. Serve with custard or cream with a dash of brandy added.

Nutty Barramundi with Coconut Greens

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
  2. Place macadamia nuts, almonds, ginger and rind in a food processor; pulse until mixture forms a chunky paste.
  3. Place fillets on an oven tray; season with salt and pepper.
  4. Press nut mixture evenly on each fillet.
  5. Bake fish for 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
  6. Meanwhile, place sugar snap peas and beans in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain well; refresh under cold running water.
  7. Combine all coconut ingredients in a small jar. Shake.
  8. Serve fillets topped with micro herbs and dressing, sugar snap peas and beans.

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