Golden Fruit Cake

Preparation 30MINS + 5-7 DAYS SOAKING TIME

Cook 3 – 3 1/2 HRS

Serves 20

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Method

Combine fruit and 1/2 cup of brandy in a large bowl. Cover and store in a cool, dark place for 5-7 days, stirring each day.

Preheat oven to 150Β°C and grease a 22cm round deep cake tin. Line with three layers of brown paper, extending papers 5cm above rim

  1. Stir slivered almonds, pineapple and grated apple into fruit mixture. Set aside
  2. Beat butter, caster sugar and brown sugar together until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Add to fruit mixture and mix well.
  3. Stir sifted dry ingredients through the wet mix. Spread evenly into pan. Tap pan several times on bench to settle the mixture.
  4. Decorate with blanched almonds. Bake for 3-3 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  5. Leave hot cake in the tin and wrap in foil, then a thick tea towel to cool overnight.

HINT: FOR AN EXTRA MOIST CAKE, PIERCE THE TOP OF THE CAKE ALL OVER WITH A FINE SKEWER AND SPOON A LITTLE EXTRA BRANDY OVER, BEFORE COOLING.

Ingredients

1kg Sunbeam Mixed Fruit

125g Sunbeam Raisins

125g Sunbeam Currants

1 cup Sunbeam Slivered Almonds

1 cup brandy

1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained

1 small Granny Smith Apple, grated

250g butter, softened

1/2 cup caster sugar

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

4 eggs

2 cups plain flour

1/2 cup self raising flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp mixed spice

120g Sunbeam Blanched Almonds (to decorate)

Recipe Collection

Bunny Garden Platter

Start by placing french dip and small bowl and both cheese on the platter in a zig zag.

Pull apart cos heats into individual leaves and cut carrots into halves.

Arrange the ingredients on the platter around the cheeses.

Garnich brie with fresh honeycomb onto it when serving.

Lemon Friands

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180Β°C (160Β°C fan-forced). Grease with some butter and dust with additional almond meal 12 x β…“ cup capacity friand moulds.
  2. Combine icing sugar, almond meal and flour in a large mixing bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Stir in the butter and juice. Add to the icing sugar mixture and mix until well combined.
  4. Pour between prepared moulds and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan and cool completely on a cooling rack. Serve dusted with additional icing sugar.

Orange & Olive Oil Almond Cakes (Gluten Free)

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180Β°C (160Β°C fan-forced). Line 12 x β…“ cup capacity muffin moulds with paper cases.
  2. Combine flour, almond meal, sugar and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, milk, eggs and orange rind until well combined. Add to flour mixture and mix until smooth. Pour between paper cases and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake for 20 minutes.Tip:
    For those avoiding dairy, simply substitute the cows milk with your milk of choice.

Rum & Raisin Profiterole Wreath

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

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

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

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

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

In a medium saucepan, combine butter and sugar with 250ml water.Β Β Stir over a medium-high heat until the water begins to boil and the butter has melted.Β Β Remove pan from the heat, add the flour and use a wooden spoon to vigorously mix to combine.Β Β 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.Β Β 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.Β Β Add vanilla bean paste and 1 egg and whisk until just combined.Β Β Repeat with remaining eggs until your dough is glossy.

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

Pipe 12 rounds, evenly spaced, onto each prepared tray.Β Β Bake for 30-40 mins, ensuring the oven door stays closed for the first 25 mins, until the pastries are puffed and golden.Β Β 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.Β Β Arrange in a wreath shape on a large, round serving platter.Β Β Decorate with cherries, raspberries and mint leaves.Β Β Generously drizzle with chocolate sauce to serve.

Walnut & Sultana Monkey Bread

Prepare the dough: The dough comes together with a mixer. You can also make the dough by hand, but it requires a bit of arm muscle. After the dough comes together in the mixing bowl, it’s time to knead. You can simply continue beating the dough with the mixer for this step or you can knead the dough by hand.

Let the dough rise: The dough rises in about 1-2 hours in a relatively warm environment.

Punch down the dough: Punch down the dough to release the air.

Shape & coat dough balls: Pull off little pieces of dough and roll into balls. Dunk the balls into melted butter, then coat with cinnamon sugar. Little bakers love to help out with this step! Good thing to note: the heavier the cinnamon-sugar coating, the more these little monkey bread bites will taste like gooey cinnamon rolls.

Let the shaped monkey bread rest for 20 minutes: Arrange the coated balls in a flat oven proof pan or a cast iron pan, cover lightly, then set aside to rest as you preheat the oven. The balls will slightly rise during this time.

Top with buttery brown sugar sauce: Before baking the monkey bread, mix melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract together. Stir in the nuts. Pour any remaining sauce sauce all over the dough balls.

Bake:

Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 40 minutes.

Invert onto serving plate: Allow the monkey bread to cool for 5-10 minutes, then invert it onto a serving plate.

Drizzle with vanilla icing: Whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Drizzle all over the warm monkey bread. Top with extra nuts

Butter Biscuit Wreaths

  1. Preheat oven to 160Β°C and line with baking trays. Set aside 1/4 cup raisins for decorating. Roughly chop remaining raisins.

  2. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and creamy. Sift in flour and mixed spice and add chopped raisins. Mix until combined. Divide dough in half and form into two disks. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm.

  3. Roll dough between sheets of baking paper to 0.5cm thick. Cut 8cm rounds with cookie cutter. Transfer to lined baking trays and cut 3cm circles from middle of rounds to form rings. Reroll dough as necessary and refrigerate if too soft. Bake 15-20 minutes until lightly coloured. Cool on trays.

  4. To decorate, working with one biscuit at a time, drizzle white chocolate over the top and decorate with raisins, almonds and other decorations.
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