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
Traditional Hot Cross Buns
Place your flour, yeast, sugar, allspice, cinnamon and salt in your mixing bowl and briefly mix until combined.
Add in your melted butter, warm milk, eggs and raisins.
Mix with your dough hook on medium speed for 5-7 minutes until a dough ball is formed and is coming away from the sides of the bowl.
Leave the dough covered with clingfilm in a warm place for approximately 1 hour or until doubles in size.
Knock the air out of the dough and roll it into a log before cutting it into 12 even pieces.
Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place into a grease proof paper linen baking tray (approx. 30cm x 20cm) in a 3 bun by 4 bun pattern.
Cover balls of dough with cling film again and let rise for approximately 40 minutes or until it has risen to about 70% of its original size.
Pre heat oven to 180 degrees after leaving it to rest.
Right before placing it into the oven make your cross mixture by mixing your flour and water until a thickish paste forms. Using a ziplock bag with the corner cut off or a piping bag, pipe your crosses down the center of each bun horizontally and then vertically.
Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until nice and golden brown.
Meanwhile, place jam and water in a bowl and microwave for approx. 30 seconds until melted and combines.
Once buns are fresh out the over, brush your glaze over each one to give them a beautiful glossy finish.
Mini White Choc Puddings
- Sift flours, mix in breadcrumbs, cranberries, currants, pistachios, chocolate and rind.
- Cream butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy, pour in condensed milk and vanilla beating continuously. Beat in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
- Make a well in the centre of the breadcrumb mixture and pour in butter mixture, mixing well to combine.
- Prepare 8 mini pudding basins (200ml capacity): Cut 8 baking paper circles fitting the top, 8 circles fitting the bottom of the pudding basins and 8 circles 6cm larger than the basins. Grease well and insert a paper circle into the bottom of each basin.
- Spoon mixture into prepared ¾ cup basins, smooth and top with a paper round. Take the 6cm round and fold a 1cm pleat in the centre. Tightly secure with kitchen string approximately 1 – 2cm below the pudding top.
- Place a wire rack onto the base of a large saucepan and arrange puddings on top. Add enough boiling water to fill halfway up pudding basins. Cover and steam for 1 hour, replenish water when needed. Remove from water, stand for 10 minutes before carefully turning out. Serve with caramel brandy sauce.
Caramel brandy sauce
- Place sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, golden syrup and butter in a medium saucepan, cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until mixture begins to change to a caramelise. Remove from heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Pour in brandy and cream, mix well.
Tip: These puddings can also be steamed in the microwave. Ensure your moulds are microwave safe, cook in microwave on defrost setting for 20 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.
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.
Dark Chocolate Rocky Road
- Grease and line base and sides of a 27cm x17cm slice pan with baking paper, extending the paper over sides.
- Place chocolate and coconut oil in a large heatproof bowl over saucepan one-third filled with simmering water. Stir until melted and remove from heat.
- Add raisins, marshmallows, macadamias, coconut and three-quarters of the seed mix (saving some for the top). Stir to combine and spread into prepared pan. Scatter with reserved seed mix.
- Set aside to cool for 1 hour or until set. Refrigerate if weather is hot. Cut into 24 pieces to serve.
Hummingbird Christmas Cake
Preheat 170ºC (150ºC fan). Grease and line 2 x 17cm round cake tins.
Combine flour, sugar, coconut, bicarbonate of soda and spices in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, add fruit and vegetables, lime zest, nuts, Angas Park Fruit Medley, oil, eggs and salt, stirring until combined. Divide evenly among the two pans then bake for 35 mins. Allow to cool completely in tins before turning out.
To make icing, in a stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer) beat together the cream cheese, butter, coconut essence and lime juice, then, with motor running, gradually add icing sugar 1 tbsp at a time until fully incorporated.
To assemble, spread icing onto the top of one cake, top with the second cake and spread icing on top. Arrange flowers, Angas Park Fruit Salad and extra cashews on top, to decorate.
Roasted Cauliflower Steak with Cashew Cream
Preheat oven to 425°F. Set aside a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Prepare cauliflower by trimming away any green leaves. With the cauliflower sitting on it’s stem, use a knife to slice it in half. Cut one thick slice from either side – so that you have two “steaks”, each about 1 ½” (4 cm) thick. Set cauliflower steaks aside.
Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil, and once hot, add cauliflower steaks. Let them sear, undisturbed, for 3-3 ½ minutes on each side (cooking for approximately 6-7 minutes total). Remove once they’ve developed a golden crust on either side. While the cauliflower cooking you can assemble the harissa glaze. In a small bowl combine 2 teaspoons water, maple syrup, paprika, cumin, coriander and smoked paprika. Mix well. Once the cauliflower is seared, transfer steaks to lined baking sheet. Brush harissa glaze on both sides, coating all the nooks and crannies. Transfer to oven for 5-7 minutes or until tender.
While the cauliflower steaks are in the oven, prepare the warm chickpea salad. Add the spinach and chickpeas to a large bowl.
Squeeze lemon and drizzle avocado oil over the greens and beans. Add Himalayan sea salt and black pepper. Toss well to combine.
Assemble your dish with chickpea salad, seared cauliflower steak and drizzle with cashew cream.
