Easter Fruit Loaf
Preparation 30 Minutes
Cook 45 Minutes
Serves 8-10
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C
Dough:
- 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.
- 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.
- Roll into a loaf, place on a greased paper lined oven tray and set aside for 15 minutes to allow dough to rise.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. When cool, ice and sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds.
Icing:
- Combine sifted icing sugar with boiling water.
Ingredients
Fruit and Nut Filling:
90g butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp vanilla essence
110g Sunbeam Ground Almonds
100g Sunbeam Sultanas
50g Sunbeam Currants
70g Sunbeam Glace Cherries, chopped
50g Sunbeam Apricots, diced
40g Angus Park Cranberries
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Buttermilk Dough:
2 ½ cups self raising flour
1 tsp bi-carb soda
1 tsp mixed spice
¼ cup castor sugar
350ml buttermilk
Topping
1 cup pure icing sugar
3 tbs boiling water
40g Sunbeam Flaked Almonds, toasted
Recipe Collection
Muesli Bar Slice
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 28cm x 18cm x 3cm tin
- In a large bowl mix together the oats, oat bran, bran, sunflower kernels, flour, apricots and sultanas.
- Melt the butter, honey and brown sugar in the microwave for 1 minute and add to the dry ingredients. Stir in the egg and milk until well combined.
- Press into greased and lined tin and bake for 15 minutes. Cut into slices when cooled.
Choc Sultana Hot Cross Bun
Preheat oven to 200°C
- Sieve plain flour and mixed spice. Rub butter into the flour until well incorporated and add dry yeast, castor sugar, sultanas, currants and chocolate dots. Add the milk and eggs and mix well. Place on a floured surface and gently knead dough for ten minutes until smooth and velvety. Cover and leave to rise for one hour or until mixture has doubled in size.
- Gently knead for 2 minutes then divide into 12. Gently knead into balls and shape into buns. Arrange in a greased baking tin and leave to rise again for 15 minutes.
- Combine ingredients for flour paste crosses and place in a piping bag. Pipe crosses onto buns.
- Bake for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 170°C and bake for a further 20 minutes.
- Turn onto a wire rack, serve hot with butter, if desired
Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Lightly grease a 4 cup capacity baking dish.
- Combine flour, almond meal, sugar and cocoa in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs and milk. Add to the dry ingredients with the raisins and mix well. Spoon into baking dish.
- For the sauce, combine the water, sugar and cocoa. Pour over the batter in the baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes until cake is cooked. Serve warm with ice-cream, cream or custard.
Christmas Cake Friands (GF)
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Lightly grease 12 x ⅓ cup capacity muffin pans.
- Place fruit and brandy in a microwave proof dish and cook on medium heat for 30 seconds. Set aside to cool.
- Sift icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir in the almond meal and flour.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Mix in the butter and add to the icing sugar mixture. Stirring until well combined.
- Pour mixture between prepared moulds and bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans and cool completely on a cooling rack.
- For icing, combine icing sugar and water mixing until smooth. Allow to sit until desired consistency is achieved. Spoon over each cake and finish with lemon rind and raspberries.
Hot Cross Bun Choc Truffles
Combine hot cross buns, sultanas, mixed peel and mixed spice in a food processor and blend until a fine crumb.
Combine dark and milk chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about 2 mins (stopping every 30 seconds and stirring) until the chocolate is completely melted.
Add melted chocolate mixture to the food processor and blend until combined. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours until firm enough to spoon.
Spoon mixture into 2 tablespoon sized portions then roll into balls. Roll in cocoa powder, dusting off excess powder. Line a baking tray with baking paper, place balls onto the tray and refrigerate for 30 mins to harden.
Place white chocolate into a small, microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 min, stopping every 20 seconds to stir, or until completely melted. Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a piping bag fitted with a small, round nozzle.
Pipe a cross (to resemble a hot cross bun) onto the tops of each ball then return to fridge for a further 30 mins to set.
Christmas Nougat
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Lightly brush a 15cm square cake pan with oil. Line the base with 1 sheet of rice paper.2Spread pistachios over baking tray. Bake for 4-5 minutes, until toasted.
Set aside to cool.3In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, honey, glucose and water, and stir over low heat for 5-7 minutes, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil, without stirring, for 20 minutes, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water.
Remove from heat.4Meanwhile, in a clean bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg-white and rosewater together until stiff peaks form. With the motor running, pour hot sugar syrup into the egg-white mixture in a thin, steady stream.
Using a metal spoon, stir in pistachios and cranberries. Pour into prepared pan. Press firmly into the base.
Top with the remaining rice paper sheet. Set aside in a cool, dry place for 4 hours to set.
Turn nougat onto a chopping board and cut into 3cm squares to serve.
