Fruit & Nut Clusters

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.

Cherry Dark Choc Biscotti

Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan).  Line a large oven tray with baking paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine sugar and eggs.  Whisk until pale and fluffy.  Add both flours, nuts, sultanas and cherries and stir to combine. 

Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour.  Turn the dough out onto the surface, divide into two even portions then roll each into a 30cm long log.  Transfer to prepared tray, flatten the tops slightly then bake for 30 mins.  Remove tray from oven and allow logs to cool for 20 mins.  Reduce oven temperature to 140ºC.

Use a serrated knife to diagonally cut slices, about 5mm thick.  Arrange slices back onto the lined oven tray and bake for a further 15 mins, turning the biscuits half way, until they are crisp and dry.  Transfer biscuits to a wire baking rack to cool completely.

Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and melt according to packet instructions.  Pour melted chocolate into a small cup and dip the ends of the biscotti into the melted chocolate, tapping off any excess.  Sprinkle extra almonds over the chocolate to decorate.

Place dipped biscotti onto baking paper and stand at room temperature until the chocolate sets.

Turmeric Chicken Curry

Quick and Easy Christmas Pudding

1. Place fruit and brandy in microwaveable bowl and heat for 1 minute or until warmed through. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.

2. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift flour and mixed spice over butter mixture, then stir in breadcrumbs and fruit mixture. Mix well.

3. Grease and flour a 1.5L microwaveable bowl. Spoon mixture into bowl and smooth top. Cover with a pleated, double-layer of baking paper secured with kitchen string.

4. Cook in microwave on defrost setting (300W) for 30 minutes, rotating the bowl after 20 minutes. Test with a skewer inserted into pudding. If it doesn’t come out clean, microwave at 5 minute intervals until done. Leave pudding to stand for 10 minutes before turning onto a plate. Serve with custard.

Cinnamon Scrolls

Transfer warm milk to the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Add in sugar, egg, egg yolk and melted butter. Mix until well combined.  

Stir in flour, salt, currants and sultanas until a dough begins to form. 

Place dough hook on stand mixer and knead dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. Dough should form into a nice ball. 

Transfer dough ball into an oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Allow dough to rise for approximately an hour, or until doubled in size.  

After dough has doubled in size, transfer dough to a well-floured surface and roll out into a 35x22cm rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough. 

In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Use your hands to sprinkle mixture over the buttered dough followed by the currants, then press into the butter. 

Tightly roll dough up, starting from the shorter side and place seam-side down making sure to seal the edges of the dough as best you can.  

Cut into 1 inch sections with a serrated knife. You should get 9 large pieces. 

Place cinnamon scrolls in a greased 23x23cm baking pan or round 23cm cake pan. Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel and let rise again for 30-45 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Remove clingwrap and bake for 20-25 minutes or until just slightly golden brown on the edges. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before frosting.

Makes 9 cinnamon scrolls. 

To make the frosting:  

In the bowl using electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth, light and fluffy.  

Aussie Ice-cream Pudding

Preheat oven to 180ºC.

1. Brush a 2 litre pudding basin with vegetable oil, then line with plastic wrap, trying to keep wrap smooth without wrinkles. Place in the freezer to chill.
2. In a bowl combine sultanas, raisins, cranberries, apricots, macadamias and orange liqueur. Leave to soak for 30 minutes.
3. Place softened ice cream in a large bowl stir in soaked fruit. Fold in whipped cream and pour mixture into prepared pudding basin. Place in the freezer and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
4. To prepare orange cake, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in almond meal, orange juice and rind. Pour into a greased and paper lined 20cm cake tin and bake for 1 hour. Allow too cool in the tin, before turning out onto a board.
5. To finish pudding, ease ice-cream pudding from basin and place on top of cake. Trim the cake edges if required and serve cut into thick slices.