Home / Recipes / Ricotta & Apricot Loaf with Thyme

Ricotta & Apricot Loaf with Thyme

Preparation 15 Minutes

Cook 50 Minutes

Serves 8-10

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Method
Ingredients

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line the base and sides of a 10 x 20cm loaf pan.
Combine butter, eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk well. Add flour and mix until just combined.
Fold in the ricotta, apricots and thyme. Spoon into prepared pan and sprinkle the top with almonds and thyme. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan.

Ingredients

125g butter, melted

2 extra large eggs

¾ cup raw sugar

1½ cups self-raising flour

250g fresh ricotta, roughly crumbled

½ cup ANGUS PARK Dried Apricot Halves, finely chopped

2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed

1 tbsp SUNBEAM Slivered Almonds

Extra thyme leaves, for sprinkling

Recipe Collection

Almond Lemon Broccoli

Trim broccoli and cut into florets; steam or boil until tender. Drain and place in a serving bowl. Cover to keep warm.
Melt butter in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper and swirl saucepan to combine. Drizzle butter mixture over broccoli, then scatter with almonds.

Jewelled Rice

To prep: place the Sunmuscat sultanas and cranberries into a bowl and cover with water. Let sit and rehydrate for 10-15 minutes. Then drain.

Place the saffron threads into a bowl with 2 tablespoons of hot water and allow to sit and steep.

Melt 1 ½ tablespoons of the ghee into a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook, stirring for 10 minutes, until the onion is well caramelised. Remove half of the onion and set aside – this will be used for garnishing. Add half of the soaked sunmuscats and cranberries, the rice, cinnamon, cardamom and cumin. Continue cooking and stirring, until the rice is well coated in the oil and spices, about 1 minute. Add in 3 cups of boiling water and the salt. Stir everything together, then bring to the boil. Cover and turn heat down to low and cook, without disturbing for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow it to sit, untouched, for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat another medium frying pan over medium heat. Add in the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of ghee, the almonds and cashews. Cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes until the nuts are golden brown. Be careful not to burn! Set aside for serving.

Uncover the rice, drizzle over the saffron water and toss the rice just a little so half of the rice turns golden. Transfer to a large serving plate, then garnish with the ghee-toasted nuts, the remaining sunmuscats and currants and caramelised onion. Sprinkle over the coriander and dill, to finish.

Choc Date Balls

Place the dates, sultanas and oats in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until pureed.
Gently warm the coconut oil and honey in the microwave until oil is liquid. Add to the date mixture with the cacao, water and orange rind. Mix well.
Roll teaspoonsful into balls and roll in pepitas. Refrigerate until required.

Sunbeam Fathers Day Nut Mix

Preheat oven to 160°C

Line a large rimmed tray with baking paper so the maple syrup doesn’t get stuck to the pan.

Pour the Sunbeam natural almonds, raw cashews and pepitas onto the tray and set it aside.

In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, melted butter, salt, rosemary, and cayenne. Stir till blended.

Pour the mixture over the nuts on the prepared baking sheet. Stir well, until all of the nuts are lightly coated. Then spread the mixture in a single layer across the tray.

Bake in oven, stirring after the first 10 minutes and then every 5 minutes thereafter, until almost no maple syrup remains on the parchment paper and the nuts are golden, approx 20 minutes.

Remove tray from the oven and stir the nuts one more time, spreading them into an even layer & let them cool. Once cool store in a airtight jar and gift to dad on Fathers Day!

Sunshine Pudding

Prepare a 2 litre pudding basin – grease well and double line base with baking paper circles.

Combine raisins, sultanas, cherries and Cointreau in a bowl and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
Place apricots, apricot nectar, orange juice and rind in a small saucepan and simmer covered for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool and puree.
Cream butter and brown sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
Sift flours into a large bowl, add butter cake crumbs, macadamias, soaked fruit, pureed apricots and butter mixture and mix well to combine. Spoon mixture into the basin and smooth the top. Top with baking paper round.
Take a 60cm long piece of baking paper and foil, layer and make a 3cm pleat in the middle of the sheets. Place onto pudding basin and secure with kitchen string.
Place a wire rack onto the base of a large saucepan, a third filled with water and bring to the boil. Carefully place pudding onto rack, making sure the water comes about halfway up basin. Cover and simmer for 6 hours, topping up water when needed. Remove from saucepan and stand for 10 minutes before turning out.
Serve with cream, custard or ice-cream if desired.

Candied nuts decoration:

Place sugar and water in a medium, heavy-based saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar has completely dissolved. Stop stirring, increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce to medium heat and gently boil until the toffee begins to change colour. Do not stir toffee once it has boiled.
Working quickly, drop macadamias one at a time into the toffee and toss with a fork to coat, remove and place on a tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with remaining macadamias.
Decorate the top of the pudding and serve.