Sunbeam Christmas Cake
Preparation 30 MINS + Soak Time
Cook 90
Serves 12
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
Hot Cross Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line cookie trays with baking paper.
- Beat butter, vanilla, sugars and egg in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in sifted flour and bicarb soda, in two batches. Stir in fruit, nuts & chocolate.
- Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls; place 5cm apart on trays.
- Bake cookies 15 minutes or until golden; cool on trays.
- Once cookies are cooled, pipe cross with melted white chocolate.
Notes: Each cookie weighed 50g before cooking to make 24. Keep a few extra currants and choc chips to add to cookies when removed from oven to decorate top.
Easter Chickens
- 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.
- Place chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Mix until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
- Combine coconut and food colouring, tossing until well distributed.
- 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.
Christmas Fruit Pudding
- Combine fruit, brandy, rinds and apple. Cover and set aside overnight or for at least 2 hours.
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Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, beat in golden syrup. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition
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Combine breadcrumbs, flour, spices and almonds. Add creamed butter mixture and soaked fruit, mixing well to combine.
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Grease a 2 litre capacity pudding basin, line the base with a double layer of baking paper.
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Spoon mixture into the basin and smooth top. Double line the top with baking paper rounds.
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Take a 60cm long piece of baking paper and 60cm piece of foil, layer and fold in half, make a 3cm pleat in the middle (this allows for any expansion of the pudding). Place sheets over pudding and secure tightly with string. Place a wire rack onto the base of a large saucepan, fill one third with water and bring to boil. Carefully place pudding onto wire rack making sure the water level comes about halfway up pudding basin. Cover and simmer for 6 hours, replenish water when needed.
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Remove from water, stand for 10 minutes before turning out. Serve cut into slices with cream and maple syrup.
Frozen Cheescake Pudding
Place Mixed Fruits & dried cranberries and brandy in a bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes to soak.
Line an 8-cup-capacity metal pudding basin with plastic wrap.
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add ice-cream. Beat until well combined. Fold in fruit mince, pistachios and cranberry sultana mixture. Pour mixture into prepared basin. Freeze for 30 minutes.
Place biscuits & Sunbeam almonds in a food processor. Process until fine crumbs form. Add butter. Process until combined. Spoon over top of ice-cream, pressing with the back of a spoon to level and compact (see notes). Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight.
Turn pudding onto a serving plate. Carefully remove plastic wrap. Drizzle with chocolate topping.
Decorate with Raspberries, Strawberries and Mint. Serve immediately.
Carrot & Sultana Cake
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line two 20cm cake tins.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb, spices and salt. Stir to combine.
In a stand mixer, beat the eggs, sugars, oil and vanilla until smooth. Add half of the flour mix and mix on low speed until combined. Add remaining flour mix and mix on low speed again until all of the flour is incorporated. Add the pineapple and sultanas. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
Divide evenly between the prepared tins and bake for 40 mins or until cooked. Rotate the cakes after 20 mins. (You can test with a skewer, and the cake is ready when the skewer comes out clean.)
Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 mins, then transfer to cooling racks and leave until cooled.
Meanwhile, prepare the icing.
In a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until very pale and creamy, about 4 mins. Add half of the sifted icing sugar and beat on low speed for about 1 min. Increase speed to medium to combine. Add remaining icing sugar and reduce speed to low for a further minute, then increase to medium speed for another few minutes until all of the icing sugar is combined. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Beat for 1 minute or until combined. Add extra tablespoon of milk of you would like a thinner frosting.
Divide the frosting between the centre of the cakes, reserving the remainder for the top and the sides.
Decorate with topping of choice.
Spiced Nuts & Seeds
- Pre-heat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Combine nuts and seeds in a large bowl with salt and spices.
- Combine oil and maple syrup and tip over nut mixture. Toss well.
- Spread onto a lined oven tray and bake for 12 minutes, tossing occasionally until toasted. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
