Spiced Currant Biscuits
Preparation 10 Minutes
Cook 20 Minutes
Serves 15
Method
- Sift the flour and spices into a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric beaters until thick and pale, then add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold ii the flour mixture slowly, then stir in currants and lemon zest. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out dough 4-5mm thick then cut with a round biscuit cutter and place on the trays. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling the trimmings.
- Sprinkle biscuits with extra sugar. Bake for 10 minutes until firm to touch but still pale. Cool on trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Ingredients
3 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
225g salted butter, at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp extra to sprinkle
2 eggs
3/4 cup Sunbeam currants
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Recipe Collection
Christmas Cheesecake
Preheat oven to 180oC (160oC fan). Generously grease a 20cm round, loose-bottom (or springform) tin. Line the base with baking paper.
In the bowl of a food processor, add biscuits. Blitz to a fine crumb. Add 250g of the melted butter and blitz until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and use a spatula to gentle push half of the mixture up the sides of the tin. Spread remaining mixture evenly over the base (using a drinking glass can help to compact the mixture around the sides and base). Refrigerate.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine remaining butter with sugar and whisk until combined. With the motor running, add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add cream cheese, quark, sour cream and vanilla, whisk until smooth. Add cornflour and mix until incorporated.
Add peel and sultanas and gently fold through the cream mixture, then spoon into the prepared base and smooth the surface.
Bake cheesecake for 10mins then reduce oven temperature to 170°C (150°C fan) and bake for a further 50 mins. Turn off the oven, leaving the door slightly open, allow cheesecake to sit in the oven for a further hour until the edges of the cheesecake feel firm when gently pressed.
Allow the cheesecake to cool completely at room temperature then remove sides of tin and transfer cheesecake to refrigerator to cool overnight.
To make the meringue decoration, place the egg whites and caster sugar in a large bowl and whip into soft peaks. Spoon the meringue on top of the cheese cake and shape with a spatula. Use kitchen blow torch to lightly crisp the outside of the meringue. Serve and enjoy!
Macadamia Biscuits
Preheat oven to 170⁰C. Line baking tray with grease proof paper.
- Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla essence and egg, beating until well combined.
- Stir in flour, macadamia nuts and choc chips.
- Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls and place on tray 5cm apart. Bake for 12mins or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.
Banana Coconut Bread
Preheat oven to 150°C and line a loaf pan with baking paper.
- Combine bananas, sultanas, vanilla, eggs, oil, cinnamon and baking powder in a food processer and process until combined.
- Add coconut meal and chia seeds, and stir with a wooden spoon.
- Pour into pan and sprinkle with flaked coconut. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Festive Rumballs
- Place biscuits, walnuts and sultanas in a food processor, pulsing until fine crumbs have formed. Add coconut, condensed milk and cinnamon. Continue pulsing until mixture has come together. Remove to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Roll teaspoons of chilled mixture into balls whilst enclosing half a cherry or walnut inside. Toss in extra coconut or finely chopped walnuts. Refrigerate until required.
Spiced Meatloaf
Combine all ingredients except capsicum throughly. Place half of the sliced capsicum decoratively over the base of a loaf pan approximately 23cm x 9cm.
Gently spoon half the meat mixture on the capsicum.
Place remaining capsicum slices on top then spoon on remaining meat mixture, pressing meatloaf down firmly.
Bake in a moderate oven for 40 minutes or until cooked when tested.
Delicious served with a brown onion gravy.
Easter Chocolate Bark
Grease and line a standard baking tray. Set aside.
Place each chocolate flavour in separate bowls. Microwave each bowl in 20 second bursts, stirring in between, until melted.
Divide the white chocolate into 3 separate bowls. Add a few drops of pink colouring to one and stir.
Add a few drops of purple colouring to the second bowl and stir.
Pour the milk chocolate into prepared tray, tilting the tray until the whole base is covered.
Spoon each of the coloured and plain white chocolate onto different spots on the chocolate. Sprinkle with Sunbeam mixed fruit.
Using a skewer, make swirls in the chocolate to create a marble effect. Decorate with chosen sprinkles and cool to set.
Cut or break up chocolate to serve. Great as a gift too!
