Hot Cross Bun Waffles

Sunbeam Christmas Pudding

In a large saucepan combine all dried fruits with 300ml water, butter and caster sugar.  Stir well to combine, then bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and stir over a simmer for 8 mins.  Turn off the heat and stir in bicarbonate of soda.  Cover and allow mixture to cool completely overnight.

Soak breadcrumbs in milk until just absorbed.  Add to the mixture with lemon zest, almonds, carrot, flour and spices.  Mix well then stir in eggs, brandy and orange juice. 

Grease the base and sides of a 2L lidded pudding basin.  Spoon the mixture into the basin then smooth the surface and cover with a round of baking paper before closing the lid.

Place a trivet into the bottom of a large saucepan and rest the pudding basin on top.  Fill the saucepan with enough boiling water to come half way up the basin.  Cover the saucepan with lid, bring the water to a boil then reduce to very low simmer and leave the pudding to steam for 6 hours. 

Check that the pudding is done by gently pressing gently the centre.  If it springs back it’s ready (f not, re-cover and steam for a further 30 mins, repeating if necessary).

Allow pudding to cool in the tin for an hour then invert onto a baking rack to cool completely.

Golden Fruit Cake

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. In a large bowl add Sunbeam Almond Meal, sugar the butter and egg and combine until a breadcrumb texture. Spoon into a greased 23cm (base measurement) fluted loose base tart tin. Press mixture to line the base and sides of the tin. Making sure you have made even base and sides, the palm of your hand for the base. Freeze for 15 minutes. Place the tart shell on a baking tray and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool.

Rum & Raisin Trifle

Place the raisins, sultanas, currants, mixed peel, almonds and dates in a bowl and pour over 3/4 cup rum.  Cover and allow to macerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Keep additional raisins seperate and add 1/4 cup rum these will be used for garnishing the trifle.

Pre heat the oven to 140 degrees C.  

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy.  Gradually add the eggs and beat well.  

Place the butter mixture, soaked fruit mixture, flour bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and allspice in a large bowl and stir to combine.  

Line a 20cm square cake tin with two layers of non-stick baking paper.

Spoon in the mixture and bake for 2 hours or until cooked when tested with a skewer.  

Cool in the tin.  Once the cake has cooled remove from tin and freeze to semi-firm

Cut the fruit cake into 3cm pieces and decoratively line the base of trifle bowl & pour over the extra rum

Layer custard over fruit cake and repeat cake & custard layers if desired.

Whip caster sugar & thickened cream until stiff and add to trifle

Garnish with rum soaked raisins, and crushed ginger snaps

To make spun sugar, combine sugar with the water in small heavy-based saucepan. Stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves; bring to the boil.

Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, without stirring, until mixture is golden brown. Remove from heat; stand until bubbles subside. To make spun sugar, drizzle toffee between 2 wooden spoons over baking paper-lined oven tray.

Shape & stand at room temperature until set.

Currant & Apple Crumble

Preheat oven to 180°C.

For crumble topping, place flour, cinnamon and butter in a food processor and whiz for 1 minute or until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add brown sugar and pulse to combine.

Place the mixture into a large bowl. Add the whole almonds and macadamias to the food processor, pulse until coarsely chopped, add nuts to the flour mixture to combine ingredients then set aside.

In a separate bowl place apples, currants, caster sugar and stir well to coat.

Tip into a 1.5L baking dish, then scatter over the crumble topping.

Sprinkle the crumble with flaked almonds.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until the crumble is golden and bubbling. Dust with icing sugar, serve with ice cream and enjoy

Easter Chickens

1. Combine mixed fruit, dates, seeds mix, hazelnuts, coconut, coconut oil and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor. Blend well until a thick paste is formed. Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls and refrigerate.
2. Place chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Mix until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Combine coconut and food colouring, tossing until well distributed.
4. Using a fork, pierce balls and dip into melted chocolate. Sprinkle with coloured coconut and set aside on a tray. Decorate with almonds, eyes and beaks. Refrigerate until required.

Chocolate & Prune Pudding