Sultana & White Chocolate Shortbread
Preparation 20 mins + refrigeration
Cook 15
Serves 12
Method
Beat the butter and sugar until creamy, approximately 2-3 minutes, add the sifted flour, when almost combined add the sultanas, choc chips & continue to beat with the flat beaters until a firm dough is obtained, be aware that it does take time to bring it together. If you knead by hand it will take approximately 4 minutes of kneading.
Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes or even overnight.
Remove the dough from the fridge, and if very firm, gently knead, place the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll to ¼ inch thickness, cut out with your feastive cookie cutters, place on the prepared cookie sheets. Refrigerate the cookies while the oven is pre-heating, for about 15 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 160C. Line 1 or 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let sit 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
220g Plain flour, sifted
165 g salted butter (softened)
85 g caster sugar
80g Sunbeam Sultanas
200g white choc chips
Recipe Collection
Christmas Lava Puddings
Preheat oven to 150ºC (140ºC fan). Lightly grease 8 holes of two Texas (jumbo) muffin tins.
- Combine all ingredients (except white chocolate) in a bowl. Mix well.
- Spoon half the mixture into the tins. Push two pieces of white chocolate into the centre of the mixture then divide the remaining mixture between each tin.
- Bake for 20-22 mins until cooked on the outside but soft and gooey on the inside.
- Serve immediately with vanilla ice cream and fresh raspberries, if using.If not serving immediately, refrigerate and microwave for 60 seconds immediately before serving.
Mini Fruit Tarts
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Add fruit mince in an even layer into tart case.
Cut out star shapes from shortcrust sheet.
Brush each pastry shape with beaten egg and place pastry egg-side down on fruit mince.
Bake tart about 20 minutes or until browned lightly. Dust with a little sifted icing sugar before serving.
Sunbeam Traditional Fruit Cake
You will need a 21cm round tin for this recipe (base measurement)
- Soak fruit overnight in brandy, if you warm the brandy it infuses faster and you can soak for a few hours instead of overnight.
- Place soaked fruit, water, butter, maple syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil then remove from heat and add bicarbonate of soda mixed with one tablespoon boiling water. Cool for 15 minutes. Add lightly beaten eggs, mixing thoroughly. Fold in sifted flours, spices and vanilla essence.
- Preheat oven to 160ºC. We used a 21cm bundt tin. Spoon batter into the prepared tin, using a spatula to smooth the surface. Bake for up to 75 to 90 minutes or until the cake springs back when gently pressed in the centre. Allow cake to cool in the tin for an hour then invert onto a cooling rake to remove. Allow to cool completely.
TIP: Liquor can be substituted with flavoured syrup or orange juice.
Optional cinnamon burnt buttercream: Heat 500g butter in a large frypan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until a deep golden colour. Pour the butter and milk solids into a heatproof bowl and refrigerate until hard. Remove burnt butter from fridge for 1 hour to soften then add 250g of the butter to a stand mixer and beat for 4-5 mins until creamy. Add 320g sifted icing sugar mixture, ½ tsp ground cinnamon and 2 tbsp milk and beat for a further 6 mins or until light and fluffy.
Fruit Cake Trifle
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin. Place mixed fruit and juice in a saucepan and gently heat through. Set aside to cool.
- Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until creamy and pale. Add eggs one at a time until well combined. Add flour, almond meal, cinnamon and baking powder. Continue mixing until batter is smooth. Stir in fruit mixture until well combined. Pour into prepared tin and smooth the surface. Sprinkle with slivered almonds and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
- For assembly, whip the cream and sugar to firm peaks. Set aside ¼ of the cream for decoration. Stir the custard into remaining cream until well combined. Slice cake horizontally into 3 even discs. You may need to trim the edges slightly to fit your serving bowl.
- Press one round of cake into the base of a 20cm serving bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the brandy. Press half of the strawberries around the edge of the bowl and cover with half of the custard mixture. Place a second round of cake on top of custard and sprinkle with another tablespoon of brandy. Repeat process with strawberries and remaining custard. Finish with final round of cake and remaining brandy. Cover and allow to sit for at least 4 hours or overnight. For serving, top with the cream that was set aside and decorate with additional strawberries and cherries.
Hot Cross Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line cookie trays with baking paper.
- Beat butter, vanilla, sugars and egg in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in sifted flour and bicarb soda, in two batches. Stir in fruit, nuts & chocolate.
- Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls; place 5cm apart on trays.
- Bake cookies 15 minutes or until golden; cool on trays.
- Once cookies are cooled, pipe cross with melted white chocolate.
Notes: Each cookie weighed 50g before cooking to make 24. Keep a few extra currants and choc chips to add to cookies when removed from oven to decorate top.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 170°C.
- Line 24 cupcake pans with paper cases.
- Sift flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Stir through the sugar and currants.
- Whisk the buttermilk, butter, eggs, vinegar and vanilla in a large jug until combined.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Add the buttermilk mixture. Stir until just combined. Stir in the food colouring.
- Spoon the mixture into the paper cases. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
