Christmas Pudding
Preparation 30 Minutes
Cook 6 hours Minutes
Serves 1
Method
Greese 2 small or 1 large basin.
Mix all the dry ingredients together. Fill the mixture into the basins, or if preferred a well seasoned pudding cloth. Place 2 thicknesses of foil over the basins and tie securly.
Boil steadily for 6 hours for the lrge pudding and 4 hours for the small. On the day pudding is to be served, boil for 1 hour.
Ingredients
375g SUNBEAM Raisins
375g SUNBEAM Sultanas
250g SUNBEAM Currants
185g Angas Park Prunes chopped
185g chopped mix peel
Grated rind of 1 lemon
90g blanched almonds
1 large carrot grated
250g soft white breadcrumbs
250g butter
250g white sugar
125g Plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup stout or
1 cup orange juice
Recipe Collection
Last Minute Christmas Cake
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir over the heat for 3-4 mins until combined.
Add dried fruit, bicarbonate of soda, rum, cognac and 125ml water and stir well to combine. Increase heat to high and continue to stir until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium then cook for a further 4 mins without stirring. Remove from heat, cover and allow mixture to cool overnight.
Preheat oven to 150ºC (130ºC fan). Grease and line a 23cm square baking tin.
Add eggs to the cooled mixture and stir. Add flour and spices and stir well to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 mins before spooning into the prepared tin and smoothing the surface.
Decorate the top of the cake with blanched almonds then bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Check your cake every hour to ensure it is not browning too quickly on top. If it is, cover with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before inverting to remove. To serve, brush with a little apricot jam that has been warmed in the microwave.
This cake can be stored for up to 3 months in the fridge – cover the cooled cake in 2 layers of plastic wrap and foil.
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!
Spiced Chicken Pilaf
- Toss chicken with spices and a small drizzle of the oil. Heat half the remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes each side until golden and just cooked through. Allow to cool slightly, then break into pieces. Set aside.
- Add remaining oil to pan and cook onion and garlic for several minutes until tender. Stir in rice with stock and bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes, partially covered.
- Add chicken pieces, zucchini and currants to pan, cooking a further 3-4 minutes. Serve sprinkled with almonds and coriander. Accompany with yoghurt and lemon wedges.
Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding
- Place raisins, sultanas and rum in a bowl and set to one side.
- Cream butter and brown sugar, until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
- Sift flour, mixed spice and cinnamon. Add breadcrumbs, hazelnuts, chocolate, buttermilk, rum soaked fruit and butter mixture and mix well to combine.
- Spray 1.7L pudding bowl with oil and line base with baking paper. Spoon mixture into bowl and top with baking paper round and lid. Place a wire rack onto the base of a large saucepan, fill with water and bring to the boil. Carefully place pudding onto rack making sure the water comes about halfway up the basin. Cover and simmer for 3 hours, topping up water when needed.
- Remove from saucepan; stand for 10 minutes, before turning out.
Tip: This pudding can also be cooked in the microwave. Ensure your pudding bowl is microwave safe, cook in microwave on defrost setting for 30 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.
Peanut Butter Bites
- Combine currants, sultanas, oats, peanut butter and vanilla essence in a food processor. Blend until a smooth, thick paste is formed.
- Divide and roll into 25 balls and place on top of skewer.
- Dip balls in melted chocolate. Before chocolate is set place two half marshmallows for ears, one pink candy for a nose and Sunbeam currants for eyes.
Fruit & Nut Hot Cross Truffles
- Combine mixed fruit, dates, seed mix, hazelnuts, coconut, coconut oil and vanilla essence in a food processor and blend until a smooth, thick paste is formed.
- Divide into 25 equal portions and roll each into a ball before flattening slightly.
- Pipe melted white chocolate crosses onto truffles and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving cold.
