Fruit & Nut Chocolate Nests
Preparation 20 mins + refrigeration
Cook
Serves 12
Method
Aiden and Bailey definitely approve!!Ingredients
250 grams melted chocolate
1/2 cup Sunbeam slivered almonds
1/2 cup Sunbeam mixed fruit
2 cups rice puffs
Recipe Collection
Walnut & Sultana Monkey Bread
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
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.
Salted Caramel Easter Scrolls
- Whisk together milk, 1 tsp caster sugar and 2 tsp yeast and set aside for 10 mins until frothy. Whisk in 2 of the eggs.
- Combine remaining sugar and flour in a large bowl, using a whisk to beat. Add yeast/eggs mixture and use a wooden spoon to stir until the mixture just comes together, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and slowly incorporate the butter while kneading the dough. Once all the butter has been incorporated, add the sultanas and currants and continue to knead for a further 3-4 mins or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Grease a large bowl with extra butter, then place dough inside, brush with a little extra melted butter then cover with a clean tea towel and place somewhere warm to prove for 1 hour (or until doubled in size).
- Meanwhile, to make salted caramel, add sugar to a medium, heavy-based saucepan. Stir constantly until sugar has completely dissolved then remove from heat, whisk in butter (be careful as it will spit) then pour in thickened cream in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Whisk in salt then set aside and allow to cool.
- Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan).
- Once dough has risen, lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll dough out to a 30x40cm rectangle shape with the long side facing you. Spread half the salted caramel over the top (leave a 2cm border around each edge), then roll the long side up into a tight scroll.
- Cut the scroll into 12 even, smaller rolls then arrange closely in a greased 18x22cm rectangular tin. Whisk remaining egg with a splash of water and brush over the rolls, then bake for 20-25 mins (you may need to cover with foil after 10 mins if your rolls are browning too quickly) until golden and the rolls sound hollow when tapped. Serve warm from the oven with extra salted caramel.
Christmas Fruit Cake
Pre-heat oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Use an oil spray to grease a deep bunting cake tin.
Combine mixed fruit, raisins, dates and currants in a large saucepan. Add water and port, mix through.
Place over a low heat for 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed and fruit softened.
Set aside to cool.
Using electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs one at a time until all incorporated.
Fold in flours and spices. Remove from mixing stand and fold in the fruit mixture with a large spoon.
Mixing until well combined. Spoon batter into prepared bunting cake tin and tap on counter to remove air bubbles and ensure bater has filled the tin evenly.
Bake for 2 hours or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the cake tin placed on wet tea towel before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
**To serve drizzle with your favourite glaze by mixing 1 cup of icing sugar & 2 tbsp lemon juice
Traditional Christmas Puddings
- Combine fruit, cranberry sauce, brandy and spices in a large bowl, cover and leave to stand overnight.
- Brush 10 x 1 cup pudding basins (ramekins) or one 10 cup basin, with melted butter and line the base with baking paper.
- Mix eggs, butter, brown sugar and flour until well combined, then stir through fruit mixture. Spoon mixture into prepared basins
- Cut a large circle of foil and baking paper, and place over each pudding, foil side up. Secure tightly with kitchen string.
- Place puddings in a large saucepan and add enough boiling water to fill halfway up the sides. Cover and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook for 1 ¼ hours for the small puddings or 5 hours for the large pudding, replenishing water when needed.
- Remove from water and store well wrapped until Christmas.
Chocolate, Christmas, Gifting, Recipes, Sweet Treats
In slow 160 degree oven roast almonds on small tray for approx 10 min. Leave to cool then dice.
Roughly chop dates & apricots fairly fine. Place in small saucepan add water and heat on a low temperature till starting to soften.
Take off heat and stir in bi-carb till it starts to foam. Then set aside to cool.
Place biscuits in food processor and blitz to form fine bread crumbs. Add all the ingredients (except chocolate) and mix together, saving 10g of diced almonds to garnish.
Place in refrigerator for 1/2hr to cool and firm.
Melt Chocolate in a narrow deep jug for 1 minute in microwave, then 10-20sec intervals until fully melted.
Roll small balls of mixture and dip into melted chocolate. Use a fork to remove out of chocolate and tap excess off.
Place on tray covered in baking paper, garnish with almonds and refrigerate until set.
