Chocolate Puddings with Sherry Raisins

Chocolate Bark Variations

Place the chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water. Cook until the chocolate is almost entirely melted, stirring frequently.

Cover a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a silicone or rubber spatula to spread chocolate evenly over the centre area of the baking sheet—aim for about ¼″ thickness

Sprinkle the nuts, seeds & fruit evenly over the chocolate. Lightly use your palms to press the toppings into the chocolate.

Place the pan on a flat surface in the refrigerator to set.

Once the chocolate is completely hardened, use your hands to break it into about 25 pieces. Serve immediately, or cover and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Easter Fruit Loaf

Preheat oven to 180°C

Dough:

1. Sift self raising flour, bi-carb soda, mixed spice and castor sugar into a large bowl. Pour in buttermilk and mix with a butter knife to combine. Tip onto a floured surface and knead for 1 minute. Roll out to a 40cm x 30cm rectangle.
2. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Thinly spread creamed butter mix over dough and sprinkle evenly with almond meal. Combine all the fruit in a small bowl and spread on top of the almond meal.
3. Roll into a loaf, place on a greased paper lined oven tray and set aside for 15 minutes to allow dough to rise.
4. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. When cool, ice and sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds.

Icing:

1. Combine sifted icing sugar with boiling water.

Carrot & Walnut Cake Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius 

Whisk together your plain flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon 

In a separate bowl, mix your wet ingredients, milk, white vinegar, vegetable oil, eggs and brown sugar 

Once your wet ingredients are well combined, stir in your carrots, shredded coconut, pineapple, walnuts and raisins. 

Pour your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. 

Fill your muffin tins with your patty pans and then with a spoon or a lever ice cream scoop, fill them to the top. 

Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.  

Let cool completely before decorating with meringue. 

Once your muffins are cool you can start on your meringue. Mix your egg whites and caster sugar together in a bowl over a pot of water on the stove. Once the heat from the pot has dissolved the sugar in your egg whites, put your bowl on your electric mixer and whisk until stiff peaks. 

Using a piping bag or a large ziplock bag with the corner cut off, pipe the top of your muffins in any shape you like. If you have a blow torch, give them some colour, or leave them natural and decorate with your favourite easter eggs.  

Walnut Sultana Zucchini Carrot Cake

Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan).  Grease and line base and sides of two x 22.5cm (9”) round baking tins. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with beater attachment, combine zucchini, carrot, flour, sugar, 50g of walnuts, sultanas and spices.  Mix on low until just combined.

Whisk together oil and eggs then add to the zucchini mixture and beat on low until just combined.  Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tins, smoothing the surfaces.  Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean.  Allow the cakes to cool in tins for an hour, then invert onto a baking rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, combine butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment.  Whisk until smooth.  Add sifted icing sugar and whisk until smooth and fluffy.

To decorate, spread half the icing on top of one cake.  Arrange the second cake on top and spread with remaining icing.  Sprinkle with chopped walnuts to decorate.

Sticky Date Christmas Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce

TO MAKE THE PUDDING

1. Combine dates, mixed fruit, 280ml water, sugars, salt and butter in large saucepan. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 8 mins.

2. Add bicarbonate of soda, stir well and allow to cool completely (preferably overnight).

3. Once completely cool, add eggs, flours, spices and rum. Mix well.

4. Generously grease inside the pudding bowl. Pour the mixture into tin then cover with a layer of baking paper and a layer of foil and secure tightly with kitchen string.

5. Place a small cooling rack or an upturned oven-safe dish into the base of a large saucepan. Place pudding bowl on top so that it is not directly touching the bottom of the pan. Fill saucepan with boiling water to come half way up the sides of the pudding bowl. Bring water to the boil then reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for 3 hours.  Remove pudding from water, allow to cool completely before removing pudding from tin.

TO MAKE SAUCE

1. Combine cream, butter and sugar in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat until all ingredients combined.
2. Stir in salt.

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.