Sunbeam Christmas Cake

Preparation 30 MINS + Soak Time

Cook 90

Serves 12

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Method

Soak fruit overnight in brandy, if you warm the brandy it infuses faster and you can soak for a few hours instead of overnight.

Place soaked fruit, water, butter, maple syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil then remove from heat and add bicarbonate of soda mixed with one tablespoon boiling water. Cool for 15 minutes.

Add lightly beaten eggs, mixing thoroughly. Fold in sifted flours, spices and vanilla essence.

We used a 21cm bundt tin. Bake at 160°C for 75 to 90 minutes. Cool in tin.

Decorate with Caramel glaze and Sunbeam flake almonds.

Ingredients

375g Sunbeam Mixed Fruit

125g Angas Park Diced Dates

1 cup brandy

1 cup water

125g butter

2 tablespoons S&W Maple syrup

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 tablespoon boiling water

2 x eggs

1 cup self raising flour

1 cup plain flour

½ teaspoon mixed spice

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Recipe Collection

Pavlova Trifle with soaked Natural Sultanas

  1. To make the Rum Custard: Soak Sunbeam Sultanas in the rum for 1-2 hours. Place milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger into a saucepan over low-medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer but below boiling for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, removing the cinnamon and ginger pieces.
  2. In a large bowl whisk together egg yolks and corn starch. Then, while whisking slowly mix in a ladle of the warm milk to temper the eggs. Continue doing this until you have mixed all the warm milk in. Clean out the saucepan and add the custard mixture back in. Heat over low heat for 20 minutes, whisking constantly, until the custard coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and stir through the rum-soaked Sultanas.
  3. Pour into a heat safe bowl and let cool on the counter. Then, refrigerate until cold.
  4. To make the Candied Pistachios: Add the sugar and honey to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Add pistachios, salt and lemon zest. Stir to combine. Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook for 2 minutes, or until the syrup coats the pistachios and is very thick. Place pistachios onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and allow to cool and set. Let cool completely before chopping and using.
  5. Pour into a clean bowl the thickened cream. Add in the vanilla essence and whisk until soft peaks forms.
  6. To assemble Trifle: in a large glass serving dish, layer custard, chunks of pavlova, spiced rum custard, whipped cream, honey candied chopped pistachios, strawberries and raspberries. Repeat this until your trifle bowl is full.
  7. Garnish with fresh raspberries, strawberries, cream and honey candied chopped pistachios.

Serve and enjoy.

Turmeric Chicken Curry

  1. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add onion, ginger and garlic, cooking over low heat for 4-5 minutes until tender. Stir in spices and cook a further minute.

  2. Add coconut milk, chicken and almond meal to pan. Simmer over a low heat partially covered until chicken is cooked through.

  3. Serve curry sprinkled with flaked almonds, tomatoes and coriander. Accompany with rice and cucumber.

Christmas Fruit Cake

Pre-heat oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Use an oil spray to grease a deep bunting cake tin. 

Combine mixed fruit, raisins, dates and currants in a large saucepan. Add water and port, mix through.

Place over a low heat for 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed and fruit softened.

Set aside to cool.

Using electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs one at a time until all incorporated. 

Fold in flours and spices. Remove from mixing stand and fold in the fruit mixture with a large spoon.

Mixing until well combined. Spoon batter into prepared bunting cake tin and tap on counter to remove air bubbles and ensure bater has filled the tin evenly. 

Bake for 2 hours or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. 

Allow to cool in the cake tin placed on wet tea towel before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

**To serve drizzle with your favourite glaze by mixing 1 cup of icing sugar & 2 tbsp lemon juice

Lamb Mince, Sultana & Pistachio Sweet Potato Boats

Preheat oven to 200°C. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork, arrange on a rimmed oven tray, and cover pan tightly with foil. Bake 1 hour. Remove foil, brush potatoes with 2 tsp oil, and bake a further 15 – 20 minutes – or until potatoes are very soft when pierced with a sharp knife.

While the sweet potatoes roast, place a heavy-based skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp oil, diced onion, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook 5 – 7 minutes, until onions have started to soften.

Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and harissa or tomato paste, to the onion. Stir for 1 minute, then add lamb mince and break up with a spatula.

Cook a further 3 – 5 minutes, until lamb mince is golden and cooked through. Remove from heat and stir through sultanas.

Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and cool slightly. Slice in half lengthwise, and scoop out flesh, leaving a 1 cm border of potato in the skins. Return potato halves to the tray, and add sweet potato flesh to the lamb mince. Roughly mash larger pieces of potato and stir to combine with mince. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer lamb mixture to the hollowed sweet potato halves, and bake a further 10 – 15 mins, until crisp on top and warmed through.

Top stuffed sweet potatoes with a dollop of yoghurt, toasted pistachios and fresh herbs. Serve with a simple rocket salad or steamed green veg.

Tips

• Sweet potatoes can be microwaved until tender, then brushed with oil, transferred to a baking tray and roasted in a 200°C oven for a further 5 – 7 minutes to crisp skin. Continue from Step 5 above.

Decadent Christmas Cake

  1. Pre-heat oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Lightly grease and line a deep 20cm cake pan with three layers of baking paper. Combine mixed fruit, raisins, and sultanas in a large saucepan. Add water and port, mix through. Place over a low heat for 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed and fruit softened. Set aside to cool.

  2. Using electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs one at a time until all incorporated. Fold in flours and spices.

  3. Remove from mixing stand and fold in the fruit mixture with a large spoon. Mixing until well combined. Spoon batter into prepared cake tin and smooth the top. Decorate with almonds bake for 2 hours 30 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely. Brush the top with jam whilst the cake is still warm.

Granola Bar

Preheat oven to 160°C.

  1. Grease and line an 18cm x 28cm slice pan with baking paper.
  2. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.
  3. Mix melted butter and honey together and stir into dry ingredients
  4. Press mixture firmly into tin using the back of a spoon. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool in the tin before slicing into bars.
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