Quick and Easy Christmas Pudding

Almond & Sultana Snowballs

Almond Sultana Florentines

Preheat oven to 160°C.

1. Combine butter and condensed milk in a small bowl.
2. Mix together almonds, coconut, cherries and sultanas until evenly distributed and pour over butter mixture and quickly mix with a wooden spoon until mixture comes together.
3. Place tablespoons of the mixture onto baking paper lined oven trays, flattening and shaping into 3cm rounds, allow at least 3cm between biscuits for spreading. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool on trays and transfer to wire racks. (If baking in a slice pan, press mixture to approximately 1cm thick and bake for 15 minutes and allow to cool. Top with melted chocolate and leave to set. Slice to serve.)
4. When cool spread the base of each biscuit with a teaspoon of chocolate and leave to set. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

Tip: Use damp fingers to shape and flatten biscuits.

Reindeer Raisin Bites

1. Add dark and milk chocolate, raisins, and almonds (excluding reserved almonds) to a food processor and blitz until very finely chopped.
2. Transfer chocolate to a bowl, pour over the hot thickened cream, add butter and salt and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours until firm but still able to be scooped with a spoon.
3. To make truffles, scoop 2 heaped tbsp of the mixture and use clean hands to roll into a ball.  Repeat with the remaining mixture.
4. Roll balls in the chocolate sprinkles to coat.
5. Cut pretzels in half and insert 2 into each ball for antlers.
6. Just below the antlers, insert slivered almond to form reindeer’s ears.
7. Use white icing to stick an Ovalteenie to each ball to form a snout.
8. Use white icing to create two eyeballs just above the mouth. And a dot to each eye with the black gel.
9. Use the white icing to attach a red mini M&M to the top of each Ovalteenie to give your reindeers noses.
10. Refrigerate for a further hour to set the icing. Serve cold.

Chocolate Ripple Christmas Wreath

You will need to begin this recipe the night before

Whip the cream to soft peaks. 

Spread a few tablespoons of whipped cream onto the base of a 26-28cm round serving plate.  This will stop your wreath from sliding around.

Dollop 1 flat tbsp of whipped cream onto a biscuit and top with another biscuit.  Repeat until you have a stack of 5 biscuits, the top biscuit should not have any cream on top.

Repeat to make 8 stacks of biscuits.

On the prepared serving plate, arrange the biscuit stacks into a wreath shape.  Spread the entire biscuit wreath with just enough whipped cream to ensure the biscuits are covered on top and around the sides.  Refrigerate overnight, reserving remaining whipped cream.

When ready to serve, spread remaining whipped cream around the wreath.  Decorate with dried fruit and nuts.

Spiced Nuts & Seeds

1. Pre-heat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Combine nuts and seeds in a large bowl with salt and spices.
2. Combine oil and maple syrup and tip over nut mixture. Toss well.
3. Spread onto a lined oven tray and bake for 12 minutes, tossing occasionally until toasted. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Sunbeam Banana Bread with Sultanas