Walnut & Sultana Monkey Bread

Preparation 20 mins + 1 hr rising time

Cook 20

Serves 6

Method

Prepare the dough: The dough comes together with a mixer. You can also make the dough by hand, but it requires a bit of arm muscle. After the dough comes together in the mixing bowl, it’s time to knead. You can simply continue beating the dough with the mixer for this step or you can knead the dough by hand.

Let the dough rise: The dough rises in about 1-2 hours in a relatively warm environment.

Punch down the dough: Punch down the dough to release the air.

Shape & coat dough balls: Pull off little pieces of dough and roll into balls. Dunk the balls into melted butter, then coat with cinnamon sugar. Little bakers love to help out with this step! Good thing to note: the heavier the cinnamon-sugar coating, the more these little monkey bread bites will taste like gooey cinnamon rolls.

Let the shaped monkey bread rest for 20 minutes: Arrange the coated balls in a flat oven proof pan or a cast iron pan, cover lightly, then set aside to rest as you preheat the oven. The balls will slightly rise during this time.

Top with buttery brown sugar sauce: Before baking the monkey bread, mix melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract together. Stir in the nuts. Pour any remaining sauce sauce all over the dough balls.

Bake:

Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 40 minutes.

Invert onto serving plate: Allow the monkey bread to cool for 5-10 minutes, then invert it onto a serving plate.

Drizzle with vanilla icing: Whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Drizzle all over the warm monkey bread. Top with extra nuts

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)

2.5 tsp instant yeast

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/3 cup (5 Tbsp; 70g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 teaspoon salt

5 cups (625g) all-purpose flour

Coating

3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, divided

1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

2/3 cup (130g) packed light or dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup Sunbeam walnuts chopped

½ cup Sunbeam sultanas

Icing

1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar

3 Tablespoons (45ml) whole milk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup Sunbeam walnuts chopped and toasted

Recipe Collection

Beef Crostini Sunmuscat Relish

This appetiser is nice way to begin a Christmas meal.

For the relish. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add shallots, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add Sunmuscats, port, vinegar, chilly, and thyme sprig. Raise heat to medium-high, and simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly. stir in chopped thyme, celery, salt, and pepper.

To serve, combine mayonnaise and mustard, and spread about 2 teaspoons on each slice of baguette. Top with a slice of beef, season with salt, and top with 1 teaspoon sunmuscat-port relish. Garnish with micro herbs.

Christmas Slice

Preheat oven 150°C (fan-forced).

  1. Line a loaf tin (20cm x 10cm) with baking paper.
  2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined.
  3. Spoon mixture into prepared tin and bake for 40mins. Allow to cool. Dust with icing sugar and slice thinly.

Spiced Lemon Cake

Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).

  1.  Place butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer, beat until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until well incorporated.

  2. Fold in the sifted flour, almond meal, baking powder and spice alternately with the sour cream, mixing until well combined. Add lemon juice and rind, mixing well.

  3. Spoon batter into a greased and lined 20cm square cake pan. Sprinkle the pine nuts and currants over the top and bake for 40- 45 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

  4. For the syrup: Place sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until reduced, thick and syrupy. Remove cinnamon stick.

  5. Drizzle the syrup evenly over the cake, allowing it to be absorbed. Allow to cool in the pan for 1 hour. Serve cake pieces with a dollop of thick cream or yoghurt.

Traditional Hot Cross Buns

Place your flour, yeast, sugar, allspice, cinnamon and salt in your mixing bowl and briefly mix until combined. 

Add in your melted butter, warm milk, eggs and raisins. 

Mix with your dough hook on medium speed for 5-7 minutes until a dough ball is formed and is coming away from the sides of the bowl. 

Leave the dough covered with clingfilm in a warm place for approximately 1 hour or until doubles in size. 

Knock the air out of the dough and roll it into a log before cutting it into 12 even pieces. 

Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place into a grease proof paper linen baking tray (approx. 30cm x 20cm) in a 3 bun by 4 bun pattern.  

Cover balls of dough with cling film again and let rise for approximately 40 minutes or until it has risen to about 70% of its original size. 

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees after leaving it to rest. 

Right before placing it into the oven make your cross mixture by mixing your flour and water until a thickish paste forms. Using a ziplock bag with the corner cut off or a piping bag, pipe your crosses down the center of each bun horizontally and then vertically. 

Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until nice and golden brown. 

Meanwhile, place jam and water in a bowl and microwave for approx. 30 seconds until melted and combines. 

Once buns are fresh out the over, brush your glaze over each one to give them a beautiful glossy finish. 

Macadamia Choc Chip Cookies

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line cookie trays with baking paper.

Beat butter, extract, 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 soda, in two batches. Stir in Sunbeam macadamias & chocolate chips.

Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls; place 5cm apart on trays.

Bake cookies 15 minutes or until golden; cool on trays.

Christmas Cake Gift Jar

As a gift idea

  1. Place flour in bottom of jar and add spices and bicarbonate of soda
  2. Pour in fruit and push down lightly
  3. Next place brown sugar and finish with slivered almonds.
  4. Attach a gift card with the following instructions:

YOU WILL NEED
250g butter, melted
3 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup brandy

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven 150°C. Double line a 20cm round tin with baking paper
  2. Combine gift jar contents, butter, eggs and brandy and stir until combined
  3. Spoon into prepared tin and bake for 1 hour or until skewer inserted comes out clean.

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