Easter Chocolate Nests
Preparation 10 Minutes
Cook 10 Minutes
Serves 10
Method
Preheat oven to 180Β°C.
Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread out almonds on top of it. Bake for 8 minutes or until light golden in colour. Remove from tray and cool.
Lightly grease a patty pan tray.
Combine ingredients together in a bowl. Place spoonfuls into tray and shape into a nest using the back of a spoon. Refrigerate until set. Decorate with Easter eggs.
Ingredients
165g Sunbeam Slivered Almonds
170g Sunbeam Sultanas, coarsely chopped
220g Milk Chocolate, melted
Easter eggs for decorating
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 170Β°C (150Β°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!
Layered Caramel Cake with Christmas Fruit Cream
Step 1:Β In a medium bowl soak Sunbeam fruit with orange rind, maple syrup & boiling water for 2 hours.
Step 2:Β Caramel Ganache.Β In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt the caramilk chocolate and 400ml of cream to form a ganache. Once melted and well combined, stir and set aside to cool. Once the caramilk ganache has cooled, whip with a hand blender till firm.
Step 3:Β Fruit Cream. Remove orange rind and drain fruit of any excess liquid. Set liquid aside as you will use this later. In a large bowl whip 400ml cream, corn flour and All Spice until firm. Add fruit mix to cream and stir through.
Step 4:Β Assemble. Cut your sponge cake into halves so you have 4 pieces to form 4 layers. On each layer of the cake spread 2-3 tablespoons of the caramilk ganache followed by 2-3 tablespoons of the fruit cream mix β spread evenly and layer your cake.
Garnish with any leftover ganache and cream and top with seasonal fresh fruits.
Sultana & Orange Friands
In a small saucepan heat the sultanas in orange juice, when the juice starts to bubble turn heat off and set aside to infuse.
Preheat oven to 180Β°C & Lightly grease a friand tin
Place egg whites in a medium bowl; whisk lightly with fork until combined. Add butter, milk, extract, ground almonds, orange rind, sifted icing sugar and flour; stir until combined.
Drain any excess liquid from sultanas and add to the mix & combine.
Pour mixture into pan; Bake friands 20 minutes; or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Stand friands 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.
For the icingΒ | In a bowl using an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth, light and fluffy. Use a piping bag to swirl icing across cooled friands, sprinkle with diced pistachios.
Dust the friands with sifted extra icing sugar & optional rose petals before serving.
Caramel Walnut Brioche Pudding
Butter both sides of sliced Brioche and layer in greased pan (mine is 8β x 11β).
2.Β Β Β Β Β Sprinkle dried Mixed fruit and Walnuts evenly over bread.
3.Β Β Β Β Β Mix eggs, sugar and vanilla paste until sugar is dissolved,then mix together with Cream and Milk.
4.Β Β Β Β Β Pour egg mix over Brioche and let soak whilst you make your caramel.
5.Β Β Β Β Β In heavy based pan add butter, golden syrup and condensed milk, stir until all melted on low heat. This can then be spooned over Brioche into all gaps, finish by sprinkling more Walnuts and Cinnamon.
6.Β Β Β Β Β Place in oven 165βc fan forced for 35-45 minutes, or until centre is set.
7.Β Β Β Β Β Enjoy
# You may like to soak Mixed Fruit in a little Brandy!
Last Minute Christmas Cake
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.Β Β 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.Β Β Increase heat to high and continue to stir until the sugar dissolves.Β Β Reduce heat to medium then cook for a further 4 mins without stirring.Β Β Remove from heat, cover and allow mixture to cool overnight.
Preheat oven to 150ΒΊC (130ΒΊC fan).Β Β Grease and line a 23cm square baking tin.Β
Add eggs to the cooled mixture and stir.Β Β Add flour and spices and stir well to combine.Β Β 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 Β½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.Β Β Check your cake every hour to ensure it is not browning too quickly on top.Β Β 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.Β Β 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 β cover the cooled cake in 2 layers of plastic wrap and foil.
Fruit Nut Fudge Brownie
- Preheat oven to 180Β°C. Grease and line base and sides of a 27cm x17cm slice pan with baking paper, extending paper over sides.
- Combine fruit and rum or juice in saucepan and bring just to the boil. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally. Set aside 1/4 cup of the fruit mixture for decorating the top.
- Heat butter and chocolate in saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and combined. Set aside to cool 10 minutes.
- Whisk sugar and eggs together in large bowl, then whisk in cooled chocolate mixture and remaining soaked fruit. Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder into the bowl and add half of the hazelnuts (saving some for the top). Stir until combined. Pour into prepared pan and scatter with reserved fruit and nuts.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until tested with a skewer. Some crumbs will cling to the skewer. Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing. Cut into 18 pieces and serve warm and gooey or cool and fudgy.
