Sunbeam Christmas Pudding
Preparation 15 MINS + overnight cooling
Cook 6 hours
Serves 12
Method
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.
Ingredients
250g Sunbeam Raisins
250g Sunbeam Sultanas
165g Sunbeam Currants
125g Angas Park Prunes, roughly chopped
125g Angas Park Mixed Peel
165g butter
165g caster sugar
1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
165g fresh, white breadcrumbs
125ml milk
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
60g blanched almonds
1 medium carrot, grated
85g plain flour
¼ tsp sea salt
2 tsp mixed spice
2 eggs, lightly whisked
60ml brandy
165ml orange juice
Recipe Collection
Carrot, Walnut & Raisin Cake
Preheat oven to 180℃.
Grate young fresh carrots to give one full cup & strain the juice from 440g can of crushed pineapple.
In a bowl mix 1 cup of plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp bicarb soda, 1/2 tsp each of salt & cinnamon & 3/4 cup caster sugar. Add 2 eggs and 5 Tbsp oil (just under 1/3 cup).
Sir in the grated carrot, crushed pineapple & 1/4 cup Sunbeam walnuts, chopped. Bake in a moderate oven 175 oC for 40 – 45 minutes and cool before covering with topping. (Note: We slightly froze the cake to make firm to slice into layers to add frosting in between)
To make cream cheese topping, place in a bowl butter, cream cheese, vanilla, icing sugar and beat very well. If too thick add a small amount of milk to give a smooth consistency.
Pistachio & Fruit Cheesecake
- Cover Angas Park Apricots in 100ml maple syrup & 50ml water in bowl. Cover Angas Park Fruit Medley in 150ml of maple syrup and 50ml water in another bowl. Set both aside to soak.
- In a food processor blend almonds and almond meal until fine crumb. Mix almond crumb with melted butter, press into bottom of cake tin. Preheat oven to 180ºC & bake 15 min.
- Mix room temperature cream cheese until fluffy. Dissolve gelatine powder in boiling water. Add gelatine, condensed milk, melted white chocolate to cream cheese & combine until smooth.
- Fold well-drained fruit medley into cake mix then pour over cooled almond base in springform cake tin. Refrigerate until set (Approx. 6 hours).
- Remove cheesecake from tin and serve with drained apricots and chopped pistachios for garnish.
Sultana & White Chocolate Shortbread
Beat the butter and sugar until creamy, approximately 2-3 minutes, add the sifted flour, when almost combined add the sultanas, choc chips & continue to beat with the flat beaters until a firm dough is obtained, be aware that it does take time to bring it together. If you knead by hand it will take approximately 4 minutes of kneading.
Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes or even overnight.
Remove the dough from the fridge, and if very firm, gently knead, place the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll to ¼ inch thickness, cut out with your feastive cookie cutters, place on the prepared cookie sheets. Refrigerate the cookies while the oven is pre-heating, for about 15 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 160C. Line 1 or 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let sit 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
Christmas Cake Gift Jar
As a gift idea
- Place flour in bottom of jar and add spices and bicarbonate of soda
- Pour in fruit and push down lightly
- Next place brown sugar and finish with slivered almonds.
- Attach a gift card with the following instructions:
YOU WILL NEED
250g butter, melted
3 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup brandy
METHOD
- Preheat oven 150°C. Double line a 20cm round tin with baking paper
- Combine gift jar contents, butter, eggs and brandy and stir until combined
- Spoon into prepared tin and bake for 1 hour or until skewer inserted comes out clean.
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.
Christmas, Dinner, Entertaining, Lunch, Recipes, Savoury, Special Occasions
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the pumpkin halves, cut-side up, on a baking tray. Brush the cut side with 1 tbs oil. Roast for 1 1/4 hours or until just tender. Set aside to cool.
Use a spoon to remove pumpkin seeds and membrane and discard. Meanwhile, arrange the walnuts & hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast for 3-5 mins or until toasted. Set aside to cool. Coarsely chop
Heat the remaining 1 tbs oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 4 mins or until softened. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 secs or until aromatic. Stir in the mushrooms & lemon thyme.
Place the onion mixture, breadcrumbs, egg, fetta, baby spinach, currants and nuts in a large bowl and stir to combine. Season.
Divide mixture among pumpkin shells and press down firmly. Carefully place the pumpkin shells together and tie with kitchen string to secure. Place on a baking tray and roast for 45 mins or until heated through. Transfer to a serving platter.
