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
Easy Florentines
Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan).Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
In a large bowl, combine Corn Flakes, almonds, sultanas and cherries, mix well.Pour over the sweetened condensed milk and stir to coat.
Place an egg ring onto prepared pan.Spoon the mixture into the egg ring, filling to the top and gently pressing down to compact.Remove egg ring and repeat, with remaining mixture, 6 biscuits on each tray.
Bake biscuits for 15 mins, swapping the trays around half way.Remove from oven and allow biscuits to cool completely on trays.
Melt the chocolate and brush onto the bases of each biscuit.Rest cookies on a baking rack, chocolate side up, to allow chocolate to set.
You will need a 7.5cm egg ring for this recipe
Christmas Bark
Line a 25cm x 35cm with baking paper. Place chocolate into a medium heat proof bowl; stir over a medium saucepan of simmering water until smooth (don’t let water touch base of bowl). Stir in puffed rice and coconut.
Working quickly, spread chocolate mixture onto tray as thinly as possible; sprinkle with dried fruits, biscuit and nuts.
Refrigerate until set. Break bark into pieces to serve.
Pavlova Trifle with soaked Natural Sultanas
- To make the Rum Custard: Soak Sunbeam Sultanas in the rum for 1-2 hours. Place milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger into a saucepan over low-medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer but below boiling for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, removing the cinnamon and ginger pieces.
- In a large bowl whisk together egg yolks and corn starch. Then, while whisking slowly mix in a ladle of the warm milk to temper the eggs. Continue doing this until you have mixed all the warm milk in. Clean out the saucepan and add the custard mixture back in. Heat over low heat for 20 minutes, whisking constantly, until the custard coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and stir through the rum-soaked Sultanas.
- Pour into a heat safe bowl and let cool on the counter. Then, refrigerate until cold.
- To make the Candied Pistachios: Add the sugar and honey to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Add pistachios, salt and lemon zest. Stir to combine. Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook for 2 minutes, or until the syrup coats the pistachios and is very thick. Place pistachios onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and allow to cool and set. Let cool completely before chopping and using.
- Pour into a clean bowl the thickened cream. Add in the vanilla essence and whisk until soft peaks forms.
- To assemble Trifle: in a large glass serving dish, layer custard, chunks of pavlova, spiced rum custard, whipped cream, honey candied chopped pistachios, strawberries and raspberries. Repeat this until your trifle bowl is full.
- Garnish with fresh raspberries, strawberries, cream and honey candied chopped pistachios.
Serve and enjoy.
Apricot & Sunmuscat Sultana Bread & Butter Pudding
Cut bread into 3 cm cubes. Layer bread and sultanas over base of a 2 litre baking dish, drizzle with 2 Tbsp of the melted butter, and toss gently.
In a bowl or large jug, whisk eggs until smooth. Add jam, milk, 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla to the jug. Whisk again until all ingredients are well incorporated.
Pour egg mixture over bread cubes. Gently press with a spoon to submerge the bread in the liquid. Set aside for 15 mins while oven preheats.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Drizzle pudding with remaining 1 Tbsp butter and extra 1 Tbsp sugar.
Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until top is golden and puffed, but still just-wobbly in the centre. Cover loosely with foil in the last 15 minutes, if browning too quickly.
Cool 10 mins before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature, with custard and fresh berries.
Tips
Milk and butter can be substituted with diary free versions if preferred.
Apricot jam can be substituted with orange marmalade.
If bread is fresh, leave on bench for an hour or two once diced, to dry out slightly.
Chocolate Fudge Cookies
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Place chocolate in a microwave proof container and cook in 30 second increments until melted and smooth, whilst stirring regularly. Allow to cool.
- Place butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, until well incorporated. Fold in melted chocolate.
- Fold in flour and almond meal. Refrigerate cookie dough, covered for at least 1 hour.
- Roll chilled dough into 48 small balls and press down lightly onto lined oven trays. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool on tray before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- For ganache, place chocolate and cream in a microwave proof bowl and cook in 15 second increments until melted and smooth, whilst stirring regularly. Allow to cool slightly before using ganache to join cookies together, to make 24.
Hot Cross Muffins
- Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease and line a 12 hole muffin pan. Sift flour, mixed spice and cinnamon into a large Combine the egg, milk and butter in a jug. Pour into a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Stir until just combined.
- Divide the mixture among the prepared pans and smooth the surfaces. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
- Place the icing sugar in a small bowl. Gradually stir in water to make a thick icing. Pipe a cross onto each muffin and set aside until the icing is set.
