White Chocolate & Almond Tarte with Sherry Soaked Currants
Preparation 30 Minutes
Cook 18-20 MINS Minutes
Serves 12
Method
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Pre-heat oven to 180ºC (160°C fan-forced). Lightly grease a 34 x 12cm rectangular flan tin and place onto a flat baking tray.
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Combine currants, sherry and orange rind. Set aside.
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For the crust, combine almond meal, sugar and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Add melted butter and mix until well combined. Press firmly into prepared tin and bake for 18-20 minutes until just golden. Set aside to cool.
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For the white chocolate cream, combine chocolate and ¼ cup of the cream in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Mixing until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Beat cream cheese, remaining cream and sugar until smooth. Add the cooled chocolate mixture, mixing until smooth.
- Remove crust from tin and place onto a serving platter. Sprinkle currants over the almond crust and spread with the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with almonds, pomegranate and mint. Serve immediately or chill for later use.
Ingredients
Currants
¼ cup SUNBEAM Currants
1 tbsp sweet sherry
½ tsp finely grated orange rind
Almond Crust:
2 cups SUNBEAM Almond Meal
2 tbsp caster sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
100g butter, melted
White Chocolate Cream:
100g white chocolate buttons
½ cup thickened cream
250g cream cheese, diced and softened
¼ cup caster sugar
Toasted almonds, pomegranate seeds and mint leaves, for decoration
Recipe Collection
Macadamia Nut Cookies
Preheat oven to 180℃ and line a few large baking trays with baking paper
Add the butter and sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix for 3-4 minutes until well combined and whipped. Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract together, then slowly add to the butter mixture until combined.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix on low until you form a dough. Stir in the white chocolate and macadamias. Then gently fold in the raspberries, careful not to overmix so the raspberries melt and mix through the whole dough.
Scoop out the dough into balls and place onto the prepared baking sheets, keeping cookies 5cm apart to allow for spreading. Place into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are browned.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool and set slightly before transferring to a wire rack.
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.
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.
Jewelled Rice
To prep: place the Sunmuscat sultanas and cranberries into a bowl and cover with water. Let sit and rehydrate for 10-15 minutes. Then drain.
Place the saffron threads into a bowl with 2 tablespoons of hot water and allow to sit and steep.
Melt 1 ½ tablespoons of the ghee into a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook, stirring for 10 minutes, until the onion is well caramelised. Remove half of the onion and set aside – this will be used for garnishing. Add half of the soaked sunmuscats and cranberries, the rice, cinnamon, cardamom and cumin. Continue cooking and stirring, until the rice is well coated in the oil and spices, about 1 minute. Add in 3 cups of boiling water and the salt. Stir everything together, then bring to the boil. Cover and turn heat down to low and cook, without disturbing for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow it to sit, untouched, for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat another medium frying pan over medium heat. Add in the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of ghee, the almonds and cashews. Cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes until the nuts are golden brown. Be careful not to burn! Set aside for serving.
Uncover the rice, drizzle over the saffron water and toss the rice just a little so half of the rice turns golden. Transfer to a large serving plate, then garnish with the ghee-toasted nuts, the remaining sunmuscats and currants and caramelised onion. Sprinkle over the coriander and dill, to finish.
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.
Reindeer Raisin Bites
- Add dark and milk chocolate, raisins, and almonds (excluding reserved almonds) to a food processor and blitz until very finely chopped.
- Transfer chocolate to a bowl, pour over the hot thickened cream, add butter and salt and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours until firm but still able to be scooped with a spoon.
- To make truffles, scoop 2 heaped tbsp of the mixture and use clean hands to roll into a ball. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Roll balls in the chocolate sprinkles to coat.
- Cut pretzels in half and insert 2 into each ball for antlers.
- Just below the antlers, insert slivered almond to form reindeer’s ears.
- Use white icing to stick an Ovalteenie to each ball to form a snout.
- Use white icing to create two eyeballs just above the mouth. And a dot to each eye with the black gel.
- Use the white icing to attach a red mini M&M to the top of each Ovalteenie to give your reindeers noses.
- Refrigerate for a further hour to set the icing. Serve cold.
