Custard-stuffed Hot Cross Doughnuts

Preparation 1HR 55M

Cook 45

Serves 16

Method

Place the water, sultanas, currants, cinnamon, vanilla bean and honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer to cook for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Liqueur 43 (if using). Set aside for 30 minutes to steep and cool. Discard the vanilla bean and cinnamon quill. Drain through a sieve set over a jug, reserving the steeping liquid. Set aside.
To make the custard, place custard powder in a saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk and mix until smooth and well combined. Stir in the remaining milk, then add the cream. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens. Add the chopped chocolate and mix until smooth. Set aside to cool. Spoon into a piping bag and place in the fridge until required.
Place the warmed milk in a jug. Add the yeast and 3 tablespoons of reserved steeping liquid to the warm milk. Set aside in a warm spot for 5-10 minutes until foaming. Place flour, mixed spice and butter into the bowl of a large food processor (your processor needs to be at least 12 cups). Process until butter is incorporated. With the motor running, pour the milk mixture and egg. Process for 1-2 minutes or until dough has formed a ball and is smooth and elastic. If the dough is a bit to sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it is the right consistency. Add drained sultanas and pulse to combine. Turn onto a floured surface and bring the dough together. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl. cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour or until mixture has doubled in size.
Line two trays with baking paper. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes, knocking the air out. Cut the dough into 16 even portions. Roll each portion into a ball and place on the lined tray and flatten slightly, allowing a little room between each to expand. Cover with a tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes to prove.
Place 4 doughnuts in the wire basket of an air fryer and brush with melted butter. Air fry at 180°C for 8 minutes or until crisp and golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts. (Alternatively, heat a saucepan of vegetable oil to 160°C and deep-fry doughnuts, turning halfway through, for 2-3 minutes or until golden and cooked through).
Cut a small slit into the base of each doughnut. Pipe custard into the slit on the base of each doughnut. Return to the rack, cut side down.Step 7
Brush the doughnuts with the remaining reserved steeping liquid and set aside for 5 minutes to set.
Place the melted white chocolate melts into a piping bag. Snip the corner and pipe a cross over each doughnut. Set aside for 5 minutes to set.

Ingredients

80ml (1/3 cup) water

90g (1 cup) Sunbeam Sultanas

45g (1/4 cup) Sunbeam Currants

1 cinnamon stick

1 vanilla bean, split lengthways

125ml (1/2 cup) honey

1 tbsp Liqueur 43 or your favourite liquor (optional)

7g sachet dried yeast

300ml milk, warmed

600g (4 cups) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

1/2 tsp mixed spice

100g unsalted butter, at room temperature, chopped

1 egg

Melted butter, to brush

White chocolate melts, melted, cooled

Custard

2 tbsp custard powder

200ml milk

125ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream

80g white chocolate coarsely chopped

Recipe Collection

Rum & Raisin Profiterole Wreath

To make the custard, combine raisins and rum in a small bowl and allow to soak for 10 mins.  Drain and roughly chop the raisins.

Combine milk, cream and vanilla in a medium sized, heavy based saucepan over medium heat.  Not letting the milk come to a boil, stir until warmed. 

In a separate bowl combine egg yolks and sugar, whisk until mixed then add flour and whisk to incorporate. 

Gradually add the egg mixture to the milk, whisking over a medium heat, until it is all added and incorporated.  The custard will thicken, continue to whisk until smooth.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before stirring through the soaked raisins.

To make the choux pastry, preheat oven to 190ºC (170ºC fan).  Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. 

In a medium saucepan, combine butter and sugar with 250ml water.  Stir over a medium-high heat until the water begins to boil and the butter has melted.  Remove pan from the heat, add the flour and use a wooden spoon to vigorously mix to combine.  The mixture will begin to resemble a dough – return pan to medium heat and cook for a further 1-3 mins, stirring, until you notice the dough pulling away from the sides of the pan.  Spoon the dough into a bowl of a stand mixer and allow to cool slightly (10 mins).

Fit the stand mixer with a whisk attachment.  Add vanilla bean paste and 1 egg and whisk until just combined.  Repeat with remaining eggs until your dough is glossy.

Transfer the mixture to a large piping bag fitted with large, round, open tip.  Spray the surface of the baking paper with a fine mist of water.

Pipe 12 rounds, evenly spaced, onto each prepared tray.  Bake for 30-40 mins, ensuring the oven door stays closed for the first 25 mins, until the pastries are puffed and golden.  In the final 5 mins, prick the base of the pastries with a toothpick and return to the oven to dry out.

Turn off the oven and open the door, allow pastries to cool completely in the oven.

Once the pastries are cool dip in melted chocolate (white and dark) and rest on a baking rack until chocolate sets.

Pipe each profiterole with the rum and raisin custard.  Arrange in a wreath shape on a large, round serving platter.  Decorate with cherries, raspberries and mint leaves.  Generously drizzle with chocolate sauce to serve.

Christmas Cake

I. Start by preheating your oven to 16O°C on the fan-bake setting

2. Then in a large saucepan, add 500g Sunbeam Mixed Fruit, 1 teaspoon of mixed spice, 100g of Sunbeam walnuts, 150g of sugar, 150mL of brandy, 150mL of orange juice and 125g of unsalted butter (note: you can sub the brandy for more orange juice if you like!)

3. Next bring the saucepan to a simmer over a low heat for approx. 20 minutes, then pop the fruit mixture into the fridge to cool down.

4. Now in a large mixing bowl, add 2 eggs, 2 cups/270g of flour, 1 teaspoon of bicarb and 1 teaspoon of baking powder

5. Next pour the chilled fruit mixture into the bowl and give it a good mix using a wooden spoon.

6. Now line a 19cm x 6.5cm round baking tin with baking paper as demonstrated in the IGTV, then pour the mixture into the tin (be careful not to collapse the sides of the baking paper.

7. Give the tin a few taps and a good shake around to ensure the mixture is nice and even, before popping it into the oven at l60C (be sure to keep an eye on the top of the cake to ensure it doesn’t burn!)

8. After approx. l hour 10 minutes insert a skewer into the cake: if it comes out clean, the cake is done and you can remove it from the oven.

9. Set the cake aside to cool for a few hours, then remove it from the tin. Peel off the baking paper and serve!

Recipe Credit: @recipearce

Almond Joy 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 Flaked Almonds, coconut & chocolate.

Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls; place 5cm apart on trays.

Bake cookies 15 minutes or until golden; cool on trays.

Feel the joy!

Classic Christmas Pudding

  1. Combine fruit, brandy, rinds and apple. Cover and set aside overnight or for at least 2 hours.
  2. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, beat in golden syrup. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
  3. Combine breadcrumbs, flour, spices and almonds. Add creamed butter mixture and soaked fruit, mixing well to combine.
  4. Grease a 2 litre capacity pudding basin, line the base with a double layer of baking paper.
  5. Spoon mixture into the basin and smooth top. Double line the top with baking paper rounds.
  6. 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 expansionof the pudding). Place sheets over pudding and secure tightly with string. Place a wire rack onto the base of a large saucepan, fill one third with water and bring to boil. Carefully place pudding onto wire rack making sure the water level comes about halfway up pudding basin. Cover and simmer for 6 hours, replenish water when needed.
  7. Remove from water, stand for 10 minutes before turning out. Serve cut into slices with cream and maple syrup.

Gluten Free Cake

Preheat oven to 160°C

  1. Grease and line a deep 23cm round cake tin with two layers of greased baking paper extending paper 5cm above rim
  2. Place the mixed fruit, butter, whisky and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool until lukewarm. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Sift flour with the baking powder, spice and soda and stir into mixture with Sunbeam Almond Meal and stir until thoroughly combined.
  3. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake at 160°C for 1 ½ – 2 hours or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake in tin for 30 minutes before transferring to a wire rack and cool before removing paper.

IceCream Torte & Caramel Fig Sauce

Line a 12cm x 26cm x 8cm terrine tin with plastic wrap, leaving enough to be able to cover the top completely.

Pulse dried fruit in a food processor to roughly chop. Combine in a bowl with the port. Set aside for 2 hours.

In a food processor blitz cookies to fine crumbs. Add melted butter and pulse to combine.

Whisk 2 cups (500ml) cream to soft peaks. In a separate bowl, lightly beat condensed milk and lemon juice together. Fold whipped cream into condensed milk mixture, then fold in drained fruit mixture and nuts. Spread a third of the cream mixture over the base of the lined terrine, then top with half the biscuit mixture, then repeat again with cream mixture & biscuits. Enclose with plastic wrap, then freeze overnight.

Place figs in a bowl, cover with boiling water, then set aside for 30 minutes.

Combine sugar and remaining 200ml cream in a pan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Drain figs (discard liquid), add to cream mixture and simmer for 1 minute. Cool.

To serve, invert terrine onto a serving plate and spoon over caramel figs with their syrup.

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