Christmas Pudding

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

1. Line the base and sides of 2, 10 x 20cm loaf pans, or 4, 6 x 12cm mini loaf pans.
2. For topping choice Rum ‘n Raisin, combine raisins, rum and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside until required.
3. Place chocolate in a glass bowl and heat in the microwave in 30 second increments until half chocolate is melted. Stir chocolate constantly until all the chocolate is melted.
4. Pour chocolate evenly between pans and whilst still in melted form, working quickly, decorate with preferred toppings. Allow to set at room temperature and store in an airtight container when set. Wrap and give away as gifts.

1. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add onion, ginger and garlic, cooking over low heat for 4-5 minutes until tender. Stir in spices and cook a further minute.

2. Add coconut milk, chicken and almond meal to pan. Simmer over a low heat partially covered until chicken is cooked through.

3. Serve curry sprinkled with flaked almonds, tomatoes and coriander. Accompany with rice and cucumber.