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

Golden Fruit Cake

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. In a large bowl add Sunbeam Almond Meal, sugar the butter and egg and combine until a breadcrumb texture. Spoon into a greased 23cm (base measurement) fluted loose base tart tin. Press mixture to line the base and sides of the tin. Making sure you have made even base and sides, the palm of your hand for the base. Freeze for 15 minutes. Place the tart shell on a baking tray and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool.

Sunbeam Fruit Loaf

This recipe is super easy & uses a bread maker! Just add all of the ingredients in and the bread maker does the rest!

White Christmas Tree Bites

  1. Line the inside of 12 ice-cream cones with baking paper, using a stapler or sticky tape to secure paper.
  2. Place white chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (ensuring bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water) and stir until the chocolate has melted and is smooth. Remove from heat.
  3. Allow to cool then add all the other ingredients and stir to coat. Spoon into the prepared lined cones Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set before serving.

Gingerbread Decorations

  1. Place butter, sugar and golden syrup in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until creamy. Add egg and mix until well combined.

  2. Gently fold in the flour, almond meal and spices until a dough has formed. Shape into a flattened ball and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

  3. Pre-heat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced). Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to 5mm thickness. Using star and round shaped cutters, cut shapes and transfer to lined oven trays. Using a small piping nozzle, cut a hole in the top of each shape prior to baking. Re-roll the dough offcuts until all has been used.

  4. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool on trays for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

  5. Once cool, decorate the biscuits with icing and currants. Thread lengths of ribbon through the holes and tie. Decorate your Christmas tree or give as gifts.

Alternative option: Prior to baking, press flaked almonds or slivered almonds into the dough and bake. Once cooked and cool, dust with icing sugar.

Quick and Easy Christmas Pudding

  1. Place fruit and brandy in microwaveable bowl and heat for 1 minute or until warmed through. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.

  2. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift flour and mixed spice over butter mixture, then stir in breadcrumbs and fruit mixture. Mix well.

  3. Grease and flour a 1.5L microwaveable bowl. Spoon mixture into bowl and smooth top. Cover with a pleated, double-layer of baking paper secured with kitchen string.

  4. Cook in microwave on defrost setting (300W) for 30 minutes, rotating the bowl after 20 minutes. Test with a skewer inserted into pudding. If it doesn’t come out clean, microwave at 5 minute intervals until done. Leave pudding to stand for 10 minutes before turning onto a plate. Serve with custard.

Sticky Currant, Walnut & Ginger Puddings

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease 6 x 1 cup ramekins.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, ginger, salt, and brown sugar. Add currants, walnuts and ginger and toss to coat in the flour mixture. Add the milk and butter, and stir until just combined.

Divide mixture into prepared ramekins and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

To make the caramel sauce, combine brown sugar and milk in a saucepan and stir well.

Place over medium heat. When bubbles form around the edge of the pan, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 2 – 3 mins, gently swirling the pan but not stirring, until caramel is thickened and is just starting to smell toasty. Remove from heat, and immediately stir in butter and vanilla.

Serve puddings in ramekins, or turn out onto plates. Spoon over the caramel sauce and serve warm – with cream or ice cream if desired.

Tips

Divide batter into 12-hole muffin tin, greased or lined with cupcake papers. Check for doneness from 20 min.

If caramel is made in advance, re-warm over low heat or in the microwave, until smooth and pourable.

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