Choc Sultana Hot Cross Bun

Preparation 105 Minutes

Cook 30 Minutes

Serves 12

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Method

Preheat oven to 200°C

  1. Sieve plain flour and mixed spice. Rub butter into the flour until well incorporated and add dry yeast, castor sugar, sultanas, currants and chocolate dots. Add the milk and eggs and mix well. Place on a floured surface and gently knead dough for ten minutes until smooth and velvety. Cover and leave to rise for one hour or until mixture has doubled in size.
  2. Gently knead for 2 minutes then divide into 12. Gently knead into balls and shape into buns. Arrange in a greased baking tin and leave to rise again for 15 minutes.
  3. Combine ingredients for flour paste crosses and place in a piping bag. Pipe crosses onto buns.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 170°C and bake for a further 20 minutes.
  5. Turn onto a wire rack, serve hot with butter, if desired

Ingredients

4 cups plain flour

2 tsp mixed spice

2 tsp cinnamon

125g butter, softened

2 x 7g sachets dry yeast

½ cup castor sugar

250g Sunbeam Sultanas

80g Sunbeam Currants

250g milk chocolate dots, chopped

250ml warm milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Flour paste for crosses:

1/3 cup water

½ cup plain flour

1 tbs castor sugar

Recipe Collection

Christmas Mud Cakes with Chocolate Ganache

  1. Preheat oven to 150ºC (130ºC fan-forced). Line 12 x ⅓ cup capacity muffin pans with paper cases.
  2. Place mixed fruit into a food processor with boiling water and blend to a fine paste. Transfer to a large saucepan with butter, chocolate, milk and brown sugar. Place over a medium heat and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until the butter and chocolate has melted.
  3. Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer (or you can transfer to a clean bowl and use a hand mixer) and whisk in the eggs. Add flour mixture, cocoa, mixed spice and a generous pinch of salt. Mix until the batter is thick and smooth.
  4. Pour batter into the prepared cases and smooth the surface. Bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool.
  5. Heat cream until hot and pour over chocolate. Mix until smooth and desired consistency achieved. Spread over mud cakes.

White Chocolate & Almond Tarte with Sherry Soaked Currants

  1. 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.

  2. Combine currants, sherry and orange rind. Set aside.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. Beat cream cheese, remaining cream and sugar until smooth. Add the cooled chocolate mixture, mixing until smooth.
  6. 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.

Beef & Apricot Tagine

1. Heat half of the oil in a large frying pan, add onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add spices and cook a further minute until fragrant. Add to the pot of a slow cooker.

2. Using the remaining oil, sear beef in batches until well browned. Add to the slow cooker with the stock, tomatoes, cinnamon and orange peel. Cook on low heat for 8 hours.

3. Add the apricots and chickpeas in the last 30 minutes of cooking time. Season well. Serve beef with almonds and coriander and accompany with rice and yoghurt.

*For a faster cooking time, cook on High heat for 4 hours.

Mini Choc Raisin & Hazelnut Puddings

  1. Preheat oven to 170ºC. Place raisins, sultanas and rum in a bowl and set to one side.
  2. Cream butter and brown sugar, until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
  4. Sift flours, mixed spice and cinnamon.
  5. Add breadcrumbs, finely chopped hazelnuts, chocolate, buttermilk, rum soaked fruit and butter mixture and mix well to combine.
  6. Prepare 8 pudding basins (200ml capacity): spray pudding basins with oil and line the bottom with baking paper.
  7. Divide evenly between prepared pudding basins.

Steaming Instructions
Place basins into a baking dish, and pour in enough boiling water to ½ fill the baking dish, cover with foil. Steam bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for a further 20 minutes.

Microwave Instructions
Cook in microwave on defrost setting (300W) for 15 minutes, check if a skewer inserted into pudding comes out clean. If not cooked, microwave at 5 minute intervals, until skewer comes out clean. Stand for 10 minutes before turning out. Repeat with remaining mixture. (Note: Do not use foil in microwave).

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.

Twisted Christmas Bread Wreath

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