Almond & Cranberry Bark

Boiled Fruit Cake

1. Soak fruit overnight in sherry or brandy
2. Place soaked fruit, water, butter, golden syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil then remove from heat and add bicarbonate of soda mixed with one tablespoon boiling water. Cool for 15 minutes.
3. Add lightly beaten eggs mixing thoroughly. Fold in sifted flours, spices and vanilla essence.
4. Place in a 20cm round or square cake tin. Decorate with almonds. Bake at 160°C for 75 to 90 minutes. Cool in tin.

Thermo cooker method:

1. Soak fruit overnight in sherry or brandy.
2. Place soaked fruit, water, butter, golden syrup and sugar into TM bowl and heat 7 min/100°C/Reverse/speed 1.
3. Add bicarb soda mixed with one tablespoon boiling water and gently stir through with the spatula – the mix will froth up but should not spill over.
4. Cool for 15 minutes in TM bowl.
5. Carefully add all remaining ingredients apart from the blanched almonds in the order listed and mix 10 sec/Reverse/speed 4.
6. Scrape down sides of the bowl and mix 5 sec/Reverse/speed 4.
7. Place in a lined 20cm round or square cake tin. Decorate with almonds. Bake at 160ºC for 1¼ to 1½ hours. Cool in tin.

Roast Pork with Pistachio Stuffing

Pat the pork belly dry with a paper towel, then score the rind at 1cm intervals.  

To make the Pistachio Stuffing, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the shallot, lemongrass, garlic, ginger and chilli flakes. Cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes until softened. Then add the remaining ingredients. And cook, stirring, until pistachios are lightly golden. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Then stir in the lemon zest and parsley leaves.  

Butterfly the pork belly, leaving one edge intact. Spoon the Pistachio Cranberry Stuffing inside the pork and then roll up. Secure the pork with kitchen twine. Place pork into the fridge overnight (or for 12 hours) to allow the skin to dry up and the pork meat to take on the stuffing flavour.   

Preheat the oven to 180℃ fan force.  

Place pork onto a wire rack and into a roasting tin. Rub the oil over the pork belly skin and sprinkle over salt. Place into the middle of the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Turn heat down to 160℃ and continue to cook for 2 hours to slowly cook the pork meat. Then, to finish, turn the oven up to the highest grill setting and continue cooking for 2-4 minutes until skin has turned to crackling – you may need to use tongs to rotate the pork a few times to brown all sides evenly. 

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes, before carving.  

Sunbeam Spiced Christmas Cake

In a large bowl, combine mixed fruit, cherries, nuts, apple, golden syrup and liquor.  Mix well, cover and allow to stand overnight (or up to 24 hours for amazing flavour).

Preheat oven to 150ºC (130ºC fan forced).  Very generously grease the bundt tin, ensuring butter is in all creases. 

Add sugar and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a beater attachment.  Beat until fluffy and pale.  With the motor running, add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated before adding the next. 

Add flour and spices, beat on low until just combined.  Add orange zest and soaked fruit mixture and beat until just combined. 

In a small bowl mix together orange juice and bicarbonate of soda, add to the cake batter and beat until just incorporated.

Spoon batter into the prepared bundt tin, using a spatula to press mixture into any crevices and flatten the surface.

Bake for 2 ¼ to 2 ½ hours or until the cake springs back when gently pressed in the centre.  Allow cake to cool in the tin for an hour then invert onto a baking rack to remove and allow to cool completely.

Crunchy Apple Slaw

1. Place pinenuts and sesame seeds in a small frying pan and cook for 5 minutes until golden and toasted. Set aside.
2. Combine the cabbage, apples, spring onions, raisins and mint in a large mixing bowl and toss well.
3. Whisk together the oil and vinegar. Season to taste. Pour over apple mixture and toss well. Spoon onto serving platter and sprinkle with toasted seeds and nuts and some additional mint leaves.

30 Minute Christmas Pudding

Fruit Cake Trifle

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin. Place mixed fruit and juice in a saucepan and gently heat through. Set aside to cool.
2. Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until creamy and pale. Add eggs one at a time until well combined. Add flour, almond meal, cinnamon and baking powder. Continue mixing until batter is smooth. Stir in fruit mixture until well combined. Pour into prepared tin and smooth the surface. Sprinkle with slivered almonds and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
3. For assembly, whip the cream and sugar to firm peaks. Set aside ¼ of the cream for decoration. Stir the custard into remaining cream until well combined. Slice cake horizontally into 3 even discs. You may need to trim the edges slightly to fit your serving bowl.
4. Press one round of cake into the base of a 20cm serving bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the brandy. Press half of the strawberries around the edge of the bowl and cover with half of the custard mixture. Place a second round of cake on top of custard and sprinkle with another tablespoon of brandy. Repeat process with strawberries and remaining custard. Finish with final round of cake and remaining brandy. Cover and allow to sit for at least 4 hours or overnight. For serving, top with the cream that was set aside and decorate with additional strawberries and cherries.