Decadent Christmas Cake

Reindeer Raisin Bites

1. Add dark and milk chocolate, raisins, and almonds (excluding reserved almonds) to a food processor and blitz until very finely chopped.
2. Transfer chocolate to a bowl, pour over the hot thickened cream, add butter and salt and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours until firm but still able to be scooped with a spoon.
3. To make truffles, scoop 2 heaped tbsp of the mixture and use clean hands to roll into a ball.  Repeat with the remaining mixture.
4. Roll balls in the chocolate sprinkles to coat.
5. Cut pretzels in half and insert 2 into each ball for antlers.
6. Just below the antlers, insert slivered almond to form reindeer’s ears.
7. Use white icing to stick an Ovalteenie to each ball to form a snout.
8. Use white icing to create two eyeballs just above the mouth. And a dot to each eye with the black gel.
9. Use the white icing to attach a red mini M&M to the top of each Ovalteenie to give your reindeers noses.
10. Refrigerate for a further hour to set the icing. Serve cold.

Carrot, Walnut & Raisin Cake

Preheat oven to 180℃.

Grate young fresh carrots to give one full cup & strain the juice from 440g can of crushed pineapple.

In a bowl mix 1 cup of plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp bicarb soda, 1/2 tsp each of salt & cinnamon & 3/4 cup caster sugar. Add 2 eggs and 5 Tbsp oil (just under 1/3 cup).

Sir in the grated carrot, crushed pineapple & 1/4 cup Sunbeam walnuts, chopped. Bake in a moderate oven 175 oC for 40 – 45 minutes and cool before covering with topping. (Note: We slightly froze the cake to make firm to slice into layers to add frosting in between)

To make cream cheese topping, place in a bowl butter, cream cheese, vanilla, icing sugar and beat very well. If too thick add a small amount of milk to give a smooth consistency.

Pine nut, Sultana & Maple Tart

Place the maple syrup, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and stir to combine them. Add the butter, place the saucepan over med-high heat, and bring mixture to a boil, stirring often. Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl; add the sultanas & allow it to cool for 20 minutes. Whisk in heavy cream, followed by the egg and egg yolk. 

Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees. 

Place the tart shell on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Distribute the pine nuts evenly over the bottom of the tart shell and pour the custard into the shell until it reaches the top of the crust. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until both the crust and the filling have turned light golden brown and the custard is set but still jiggly.  

Serve the tart while still slightly warm, or cool it and serve at room temperature. Leftovers will keep, wrapped in plastic, for a few days in the refrigerator.

Frozen Cheescake Pudding

Place Mixed Fruits & dried cranberries and brandy in a bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes to soak.

Line an 8-cup-capacity metal pudding basin with plastic wrap.

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add ice-cream. Beat until well combined. Fold in fruit mince, pistachios and cranberry sultana mixture. Pour mixture into prepared basin. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Place biscuits & Sunbeam almonds in a food processor. Process until fine crumbs form. Add butter. Process until combined. Spoon over top of ice-cream, pressing with the back of a spoon to level and compact (see notes). Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight.

Turn pudding onto a serving plate. Carefully remove plastic wrap. Drizzle with chocolate topping.

Decorate with Raspberries, Strawberries and Mint. Serve immediately.

Christmas Cookies

Preheat oven to 170°C

Beat butter, essence and sugars in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy, beat in egg. Stir in flours, chocolate bits, nuts, dried fruits & milk.

Drop heaped tablespoons of mixture onto lightly greased oven trays, about 3cm apart.

Bake in moderate oven about 12 minutes or until firm and lightly browned. Stand on trays 5 minutes before lifting onto wire racks to cool.

Jewelled Rice