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Last Minute Christmas Cake

Preparation 40 MINS + overnight cooling

Cook SET TIME:2 1/2 HOURS

Serves 16

Method
Ingredients

Method

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir over the heat for 3-4 mins until combined.

Add dried fruit, bicarbonate of soda, rum, cognac and 125ml water and stir well to combine. Increase heat to high and continue to stir until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium then cook for a further 4 mins without stirring. Remove from heat, cover and allow mixture to cool overnight.

Preheat oven to 150ºC (130ºC fan). Grease and line a 23cm square baking tin.

Add eggs to the cooled mixture and stir. Add flour and spices and stir well to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 mins before spooning into the prepared tin and smoothing the surface.

Decorate the top of the cake with blanched almonds then bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Check your cake every hour to ensure it is not browning too quickly on top. If it is, cover with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.

Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before inverting to remove. To serve, brush with a little apricot jam that has been warmed in the microwave.

This cake can be stored for up to 3 months in the fridge – cover the cooled cake in 2 layers of plastic wrap and foil.

Ingredients

300g unsalted butter

420g dark brown sugar

3 x 375g Sunbeam Mixed Fruit

2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

250ml dark rum

125ml cognac

4 eggs, lightly whisked

400g wholemeal plain flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

200g Sunbeam Blanched Almonds

Apricot jam, to serve

Recipe Collection

Custard-stuffed Hot Cross Doughnuts

Place the water, sultanas, currants, cinnamon, vanilla bean and honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer to cook for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Liqueur 43 (if using). Set aside for 30 minutes to steep and cool. Discard the vanilla bean and cinnamon quill. Drain through a sieve set over a jug, reserving the steeping liquid. Set aside.

To make the custard, place custard powder in a saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk and mix until smooth and well combined. Stir in the remaining milk, then add the cream. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens. Add the chopped chocolate and mix until smooth. Set aside to cool. Spoon into a piping bag and place in the fridge until required.

Place the warmed milk in a jug. Add the yeast and 3 tablespoons of reserved steeping liquid to the warm milk. Set aside in a warm spot for 5-10 minutes until foaming. Place flour, mixed spice and butter into the bowl of a large food processor (your processor needs to be at least 12 cups). Process until butter is incorporated. With the motor running, pour the milk mixture and egg. Process for 1-2 minutes or until dough has formed a ball and is smooth and elastic. If the dough is a bit to sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it is the right consistency. Add drained sultanas and pulse to combine. Turn onto a floured surface and bring the dough together. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl. cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour or until mixture has doubled in size.

Line two trays with baking paper. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes, knocking the air out. Cut the dough into 16 even portions. Roll each portion into a ball and place on the lined tray and flatten slightly, allowing a little room between each to expand. Cover with a tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes to prove.

Place 4 doughnuts in the wire basket of an air fryer and brush with melted butter. Air fry at 180°C for 8 minutes or until crisp and golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts. (Alternatively, heat a saucepan of vegetable oil to 160°C and deep-fry doughnuts, turning halfway through, for 2-3 minutes or until golden and cooked through).

Cut a small slit into the base of each doughnut. Pipe custard into the slit on the base of each doughnut. Return to the rack, cut side down.Step 7

Brush the doughnuts with the remaining reserved steeping liquid and set aside for 5 minutes to set.

Place the melted white chocolate melts into a piping bag. Snip the corner and pipe a cross over each doughnut. Set aside for 5 minutes to set.

Cinnamon Scrolls

Transfer warm milk to the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Add in sugar, egg, egg yolk and melted butter. Mix until well combined.

Stir in flour, salt, currants and sultanas until a dough begins to form.

Place dough hook on stand mixer and knead dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. Dough should form into a nice ball.

Transfer dough ball into an oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Allow dough to rise for approximately an hour, or until doubled in size.

After dough has doubled in size, transfer dough to a well-floured surface and roll out into a 35x22cm rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough.

In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Use your hands to sprinkle mixture over the buttered dough followed by the currants, then press into the butter.

Tightly roll dough up, starting from the shorter side and place seam-side down making sure to seal the edges of the dough as best you can.

Cut into 1 inch sections with a serrated knife. You should get 9 large pieces.

Place cinnamon scrolls in a greased 23x23cm baking pan or round 23cm cake pan. Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel and let rise again for 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Remove clingwrap and bake for 20-25 minutes or until just slightly golden brown on the edges. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before frosting.

Makes 9 cinnamon scrolls.

To make the frosting: 

In the bowl using electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth, light and fluffy.

Date Cookies

Pre-heat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Line oven trays with baking paper. Place oats, flour, dates and pepitas in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Remove to a mixing bowl.
Place butter and honey in a small saucepan and heat until melted. Add to oat mixture with the banana and mix well. Spoon tablespoons of mixture onto prepared trays. Bake for 20 minutes or until just golden. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Hot Cross Bun Loaf

Place flour, yeast, sugar, allspice, cinnamon and salt in mixing bowl and briefly mix until combined.

Add in melted butter, warm milk, egg, sultanas and currants.

Mix with 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 then shape it into a loaf.

Place dough into a greased dough tin approximately 24cm x 13cm x 6.5 cm in size.

Cover 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.

Cross Method

Mix flour and water together until a thickish paste forms. Using a ziplock bag with the corner cut off or a piping bag, pipe crosses down the center of the loaf, and then across the other way three or four times.

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when you tap it.

Let cool on a baking rack for 15-20 minutes.

Drizzle Method

Mix icing sugar and lemon juice together and drizzle over loaf whilst still slightly warm.

Banana Date Pancakes

Combine flour, baking powder and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and mashed banana. Add to flour mixture with dates and mix until smooth.
Pre-heat a frying pan over medium heat, lightly spray with olive oil or brush with butter. Spoon ¼ cup measures of batter into pan and cook for several minutes until bubbles appear and base is golden. Turn over a cook a further 1-2 minutes.
Serve pancakes with sliced bananas, blueberries and a drizzle of honey.

Cherry Dark Choc Biscotti

Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan). Line a large oven tray with baking paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine sugar and eggs. Whisk until pale and fluffy. Add both flours, nuts, sultanas and cherries and stir to combine.

Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Turn the dough out onto the surface, divide into two even portions then roll each into a 30cm long log. Transfer to prepared tray, flatten the tops slightly then bake for 30 mins. Remove tray from oven and allow logs to cool for 20 mins. Reduce oven temperature to 140ºC.

Use a serrated knife to diagonally cut slices, about 5mm thick. Arrange slices back onto the lined oven tray and bake for a further 15 mins, turning the biscuits half way, until they are crisp and dry. Transfer biscuits to a wire baking rack to cool completely.

Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and melt according to packet instructions. Pour melted chocolate into a small cup and dip the ends of the biscotti into the melted chocolate, tapping off any excess. Sprinkle extra almonds over the chocolate to decorate.

Place dipped biscotti onto baking paper and stand at room temperature until the chocolate sets.

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