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Golden Fruit Cake

Preparation 30MINS + 5-7 DAYS SOAKING TIME

Cook 3 – 3 1/2 HRS

Serves 20

Method
Ingredients

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

Stir slivered almonds, pineapple and grated apple into fruit mixture. Set aside
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.
Stir sifted dry ingredients through the wet mix. Spread evenly into pan. Tap pan several times on bench to settle the mixture.
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.
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

Chocolate & Prune Pudding

Grease the base and sides of a 1.5L pudding basin. Combine prunes, raisins, sultanas and brandy in a microwave proof bowl and cook for 2 minutes. Stir well and set aside.
Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until smooth and pale. Add eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Fold in the flour, breadcrumbs, cocoa, chocolate and mixed spice, followed by the fruit mixture. Mix until well combined.
Pour batter into prepared pudding basin and cover (if no lid, use a couple of layers of baking paper and secure with string or a large elastic band. Then cover with a layer of foil, securing with a large elastic band. Place into a large pot with a small saucepan in the base. Pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the basin. Cover with a lid and simmer for 3 hours. Top up water as required.
Remove from pot and either serve immediately, or leave in the basin and refrigerate until required.
For butterscotch sauce, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, and gently bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
For mascarpone cream, fold mixed spice into mascarpone and set aside until required.
For serving, place upturned pudding onto a serving plate and dollop with mascarpone and drizzle with butterscotch sauce. Decorate with seasonal fruits and toasted nuts.

Sticky Currant, Walnut & Ginger Puddings

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease 6 x 1 cup ramekins.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, ginger, salt, and brown sugar. Add currants, walnuts and ginger and toss to coat in the flour mixture. Add the milk and butter, and stir until just combined.

Divide mixture into prepared ramekins and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

To make the caramel sauce, combine brown sugar and milk in a saucepan and stir well.

Place over medium heat. When bubbles form around the edge of the pan, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 2 – 3 mins, gently swirling the pan but not stirring, until caramel is thickened and is just starting to smell toasty. Remove from heat, and immediately stir in butter and vanilla.

Serve puddings in ramekins, or turn out onto plates. Spoon over the caramel sauce and serve warm – with cream or ice cream if desired.

Tips

Divide batter into 12-hole muffin tin, greased or lined with cupcake papers. Check for doneness from 20 min.

If caramel is made in advance, re-warm over low heat or in the microwave, until smooth and pourable.

Macadamia Choc Chip 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 macadamias & chocolate chips.

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

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

Decadent Christmas Cake

Pre-heat oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Lightly grease and line a deep 20cm cake pan with three layers of baking paper. Combine mixed fruit, raisins, and sultanas in a large saucepan. Add water and port, mix through. Place over a low heat for 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed and fruit softened. Set aside to cool.
Using electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs one at a time until all incorporated. Fold in flours and spices.
Remove from mixing stand and fold in the fruit mixture with a large spoon. Mixing until well combined. Spoon batter into prepared cake tin and smooth the top. Decorate with almonds bake for 2 hours 30 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely. Brush the top with jam whilst the cake is still warm.

Couscous Dried Fruit Salad

Rinse the couscous under cold, running water. Add to a saucepan with 750ml water, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 mins or until soft. Drain and rinse under running water and set aside to cool completely.

Whisk together olive oil and lemon juice, season and pour over the cooled couscous. Toss to coat.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Spoon into a presentation bowl to serve.

This salad can be served cold or at room temperature.

Moghrabieh can be substituted for Israeli (pearl) couscous. Simply follow the cooking instructions on the packet as they can vary.

Spiced Lemon Cake

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

Place butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer, beat until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until well incorporated.
Fold in the sifted flour, almond meal, baking powder and spice alternately with the sour cream, mixing until well combined. Add lemon juice and rind, mixing well.
Spoon batter into a greased and lined 20cm square cake pan. Sprinkle the pine nuts and currants over the top and bake for 40- 45 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
For the syrup: Place sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until reduced, thick and syrupy. Remove cinnamon stick.
Drizzle the syrup evenly over the cake, allowing it to be absorbed. Allow to cool in the pan for 1 hour. Serve cake pieces with a dollop of thick cream or yoghurt.

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