Reindeer Raisin Bites
Preparation 30 MINS (Plus refrigeration)
Cook
Serves 24
Method
- Add dark and milk chocolate, raisins, and almonds (excluding reserved almonds) to a food processor and blitz until very finely chopped.
- 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.
- To make truffles, scoop 2 heaped tbsp of the mixture and use clean hands to roll into a ball. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Roll balls in the chocolate sprinkles to coat.
- Cut pretzels in half and insert 2 into each ball for antlers.
- Just below the antlers, insert slivered almond to form reindeer’s ears.
- Use white icing to stick an Ovalteenie to each ball to form a snout.
- Use white icing to create two eyeballs just above the mouth. And a dot to each eye with the black gel.
- Use the white icing to attach a red mini M&M to the top of each Ovalteenie to give your reindeers noses.
- Refrigerate for a further hour to set the icing. Serve cold.
Ingredients
200g dark chocolate
200g milk chocolate
120ml thickened cream, heated
70g butter – softened
200g SUNBEAM Australian Raisins
100g SUNBEAM Slivered Almonds, 48 pieces reserved to decorate
24 mini pretzels, to decorate
Chocolate sprinkles, to decorate
24 Ovalteenies, to decorate
24 red colour mini M&M’s
Designer Icing White 140g
Food Colour Gel Black 15g
Recipe Collection
Crispy Chocolate Slice
- Combine rice puffs, coconut, cacao, raisins and seeds in a large mixing bowl.
- Place coconut oil, honey and vanilla in a small saucepan and gently heat until melted. Pour onto the dry ingredients and mix well. Press into a 20 x 20cm slice pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting into pieces.
Notes:
If you’d like crispier rice puffs, place them in a slow oven for 10 minutes to crisp up slightly. If you don’t have rice puffs, replace with rice bubbles.
Mini Choc Raisin & Hazelnut Puddings
- Preheat oven to 170ºC. Place raisins, sultanas and rum in a bowl and set to one side.
- Cream butter and brown sugar, until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
- Sift flours, mixed spice and cinnamon.
- Add breadcrumbs, finely chopped hazelnuts, chocolate, buttermilk, rum soaked fruit and butter mixture and mix well to combine.
- Prepare 8 pudding basins (200ml capacity): spray pudding basins with oil and line the bottom with baking paper.
- Divide evenly between prepared pudding basins.
Steaming Instructions
Place basins into a baking dish, and pour in enough boiling water to ½ fill the baking dish, cover with foil. Steam bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for a further 20 minutes.
Microwave Instructions
Cook in microwave on defrost setting (300W) for 15 minutes, check if a skewer inserted into pudding comes out clean. If not cooked, microwave at 5 minute intervals, until skewer comes out clean. Stand for 10 minutes before turning out. Repeat with remaining mixture. (Note: Do not use foil in microwave).
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.
Butter Biscuit Wreaths
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Preheat oven to 160°C and line with baking trays. Set aside 1/4 cup raisins for decorating. Roughly chop remaining raisins.
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Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and creamy. Sift in flour and mixed spice and add chopped raisins. Mix until combined. Divide dough in half and form into two disks. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm.
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Roll dough between sheets of baking paper to 0.5cm thick. Cut 8cm rounds with cookie cutter. Transfer to lined baking trays and cut 3cm circles from middle of rounds to form rings. Reroll dough as necessary and refrigerate if too soft. Bake 15-20 minutes until lightly coloured. Cool on trays.
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To decorate, working with one biscuit at a time, drizzle white chocolate over the top and decorate with raisins, almonds and other decorations.
Fruit Mince Brownies
In a small saucepan heat mixed fruit and maple syrup until bubbling then remove from heat and set aside to infuse.
Approx 2 hrs
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 22cm square cake or brownie pan and line the base with baking paper.
Place chocolate, sugar and butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until melted and well combined. Remove from heat, cool slightly, then stir in eggs until well combined. Add flour, baking powder, cocoa, fruit mince, vanilla paste and nuts, stirring to combine. Spread into the pan and bake for 25 minutes or until just set.
Cool in pan, then dust with cocoa. Cut into 12 squares and serve. Brownies will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
White Christmas
Melt chopped white vegetable shortening.
Combine rice bubbles, coconut, sifted icing sugar, powdered milk and chopped fruit, mix well.
Add melted shortening and mix thoroughly.
Press mixture into lightly greased and paper lined 28cm x 18cm x 7cm lamington tin.
Refrigerate until firm, cut into bars for serving.
