Boiled Fruit Cake

Preparation 30 Minutes

Cook 90 Minutes

Serves APPROX. 10

Method

  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.

Ingredients

500g Sunbeam Mixed Fruit

½ cup sherry or brandy

1 cup water

125g butter

2 tablespoons golden syrup

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 tablespoon boiling water

2 x eggs

1 cup self raising flour

1 cup plain flour

½ teaspoon mixed spice

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

blanched almonds for decoration

Recipe Collection

Carrot & Sultana Tray Bake

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line an 17 x 26cm baking tray.

2. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and oil. Add to the dry ingredients with the carrot and sultanas. Mix well. Pour into prepared pan and cook for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

4. For the icing, whisk together the cream cheese and honey. Spread over cooled cake and sprinkle with walnuts.

Festive Rumballs

  1. Place biscuits, walnuts and sultanas in a food processor, pulsing until fine crumbs have formed. Add coconut, condensed milk and cinnamon. Continue pulsing until mixture has come together. Remove to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
  2. Roll teaspoons of chilled mixture into balls whilst enclosing half a cherry or walnut inside. Toss in extra coconut or finely chopped walnuts. Refrigerate until required.

Easter Carrot & Sultana Cake

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line two 20cm cake tins.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb, spices and salt. Stir to combine.

In a stand mixer, beat the eggs, sugars, oil and vanilla until smooth. Add half of the flour mix and mix on low speed until combined. Add remaining flour mix and mix on low speed again until all of the flour is incorporated. Add the pineapple and sultanas. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

Divide evenly between the prepared tins and bake for 40 mins or until cooked. Rotate the cakes after 20 mins. (You can test with a skewer, and the cake is ready when the skewer comes out clean.)

Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 mins, then transfer to cooling racks and leave until cooled.

Meanwhile, prepare the icing.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until very pale and creamy, about 4 mins. Add half of the sifted icing sugar and beat on low speed for about 1 min. Increase speed to medium to combine. Add remaining icing sugar and reduce speed to low for a further minute, then increase to medium speed for another few minutes until all of the icing sugar is combined. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Beat for 1 minute or until combined. Add extra tablespoon of milk of you would like a thinner frosting.

Divide the frosting between the centre of the cakes, reserving the remainder for the top and the sides.

Decorate with topping of choice.

Spiced Oat Slice

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line an 18 x 28cm slice tray. Place honey and butter in a small saucepan and heat gently until butter is melted.
  2. Place oats, dates, sultanas, apricots, seeds and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Pour in the melted honey mixture and mix well. Press into prepared tray and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool. Cut into bars.

Notes:
Lightly wipe your knife blade with a little oil when cutting dates. It will ensure the dates don’t stick to the knife and making cutting easier.

Handmade Chocolate Bars

  1. Line the base and sides of 2, 10 x 20cm loaf pans, or 4, 6 x 12cm mini loaf pans.
  2. For topping choice Rum ‘n Raisin, combine raisins, rum and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside until required.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

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.

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