Lunchbox Muffins
Preparation 15 Minutes
Cook 30 Minutes
Serves 12-18
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C and line cupcake or muffin tray with paper cases.
- Combine the fruits, butter, sugar, spices, bicarbonate of soda and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring, then remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Add the eggs and beat well. Add flours to the mixture and beat well.
- Pour into paper cases and bake for 30 minutes, or until skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Allow to cool on rack.
Ingredients
300g Sunbeam Sultanas
200g Sunbeam Currants
100g cranberries
150g butter
180g brown sugar
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
250ml water
2 eggs, well beaten
150g self-raising flour, sifted
150g plain flour, sifted
Recipe Collection
Handmade Chocolate Bars
- Line the base and sides of 2, 10 x 20cm loaf pans, or 4, 6 x 12cm mini loaf pans.
- For topping choice Rum ‘n Raisin, combine raisins, rum and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside until required.
- Place chocolate in a glass bowl and heat in the microwave in 30 second increments until half chocolate is melted. Stir chocolate constantly until all the chocolate is melted.
- Pour chocolate evenly between pans and whilst still in melted form, working quickly, decorate with preferred toppings. Allow to set at room temperature and store in an airtight container when set. Wrap and give away as gifts.
Christmas Cake Gift Jar
As a gift idea
- Place flour in bottom of jar and add spices and bicarbonate of soda
- Pour in fruit and push down lightly
- Next place brown sugar and finish with slivered almonds.
- Attach a gift card with the following instructions:
YOU WILL NEED
250g butter, melted
3 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup brandy
METHOD
- Preheat oven 150°C. Double line a 20cm round tin with baking paper
- Combine gift jar contents, butter, eggs and brandy and stir until combined
- Spoon into prepared tin and bake for 1 hour or until skewer inserted comes out clean.
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.
Cauliflower & Currants Salad
1. Preheat oven to 220ºC (200ºC fan forced). Line a baking tray with non stick baking paper.
2. Place cauliflower onto prepared tray; drizzle over olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until just tender and golden.
3. Spread hummus onto a serving plate; top with cauliflower; drizzle with glaze. To finish, sprinkle with currants and parsley. Serve.
Pavlova Trifle with soaked Natural Sultanas
- To make the Rum Custard: Soak Sunbeam Sultanas in the rum for 1-2 hours. Place milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger into a saucepan over low-medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer but below boiling for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, removing the cinnamon and ginger pieces.
- In a large bowl whisk together egg yolks and corn starch. Then, while whisking slowly mix in a ladle of the warm milk to temper the eggs. Continue doing this until you have mixed all the warm milk in. Clean out the saucepan and add the custard mixture back in. Heat over low heat for 20 minutes, whisking constantly, until the custard coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and stir through the rum-soaked Sultanas.
- Pour into a heat safe bowl and let cool on the counter. Then, refrigerate until cold.
- To make the Candied Pistachios: Add the sugar and honey to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Add pistachios, salt and lemon zest. Stir to combine. Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook for 2 minutes, or until the syrup coats the pistachios and is very thick. Place pistachios onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and allow to cool and set. Let cool completely before chopping and using.
- Pour into a clean bowl the thickened cream. Add in the vanilla essence and whisk until soft peaks forms.
- To assemble Trifle: in a large glass serving dish, layer custard, chunks of pavlova, spiced rum custard, whipped cream, honey candied chopped pistachios, strawberries and raspberries. Repeat this until your trifle bowl is full.
- Garnish with fresh raspberries, strawberries, cream and honey candied chopped pistachios.
Serve and enjoy.
Roasted Cauliflower Steak with Cashew Cream
Preheat oven to 425°F. Set aside a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Prepare cauliflower by trimming away any green leaves. With the cauliflower sitting on it’s stem, use a knife to slice it in half. Cut one thick slice from either side – so that you have two “steaks”, each about 1 ½” (4 cm) thick. Set cauliflower steaks aside.
Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil, and once hot, add cauliflower steaks. Let them sear, undisturbed, for 3-3 ½ minutes on each side (cooking for approximately 6-7 minutes total). Remove once they’ve developed a golden crust on either side. While the cauliflower cooking you can assemble the harissa glaze. In a small bowl combine 2 teaspoons water, maple syrup, paprika, cumin, coriander and smoked paprika. Mix well. Once the cauliflower is seared, transfer steaks to lined baking sheet. Brush harissa glaze on both sides, coating all the nooks and crannies. Transfer to oven for 5-7 minutes or until tender.
While the cauliflower steaks are in the oven, prepare the warm chickpea salad. Add the spinach and chickpeas to a large bowl.
Squeeze lemon and drizzle avocado oil over the greens and beans. Add Himalayan sea salt and black pepper. Toss well to combine.
Assemble your dish with chickpea salad, seared cauliflower steak and drizzle with cashew cream.