Banana Coconut Bread

Last Minute Christmas Cake

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.

Mini Fruit Pies

Preheat oven to 180oC

1. Place all filling ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool.
2. Place almond meal, flour, sugar into a food processor and process until combined. Add butter and egg mixture and process until a ball forms. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Roll out pastry between two sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Use a round 6cm-diameter pastry cutter to cut 24 circles from the pastry. Line the base of 24-hole non-stick mini muffin pan (or use two 12-hole pans). Fill cases with fruit mince.
4. Re-roll pastry and use a 4cm-diameter fluted pastry cutter to cut 24 circles for the lids. Brush the underside of lid lightly with water before gently pressing onto pie. Cut a small cross in the middle of each lid.
5. Bake at 180oC for 15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool and dust with icing sugar before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Chocolate & Hazelnut Meringue

1. Preheat oven to 140°C (120°C fan-forced). Trace 3 x 15cm diameter circles on baking paper and place onto oven trays.
2. Set aside half of the hazelnuts and finely chop remaining half.
3. Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until firm peaks have formed. Gradually add sugar a little at a time until all has been incorporated and mixture is thick and glossy. Remove bowl from machine and gently fold in the chopped hazelnuts and cocoa with a large metal spoon, until just combined.
4. Divide mixture between prepared oven trays, spreading it within each of the circles. Bake for 1 hour, then turn the oven off and allow meringues to cool in the oven.
5. For the cream, whip the cream and sugar together until firm peaks form. Roughly squash half of the raspberries with a fork and fold into the cream.
6. For assembly, place one meringue disc onto a serving plate, top with ⅓ of the cream. Repeat process using all meringues and finishing with cream on top. Decorate with remaining raspberries and reserved hazelnuts. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes prior to serving.

Currant & Apple Crumble

Preheat oven to 180°C.

For crumble topping, place flour, cinnamon and butter in a food processor and whiz for 1 minute or until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add brown sugar and pulse to combine.

Place the mixture into a large bowl. Add the whole almonds and macadamias to the food processor, pulse until coarsely chopped, add nuts to the flour mixture to combine ingredients then set aside.

In a separate bowl place apples, currants, caster sugar and stir well to coat.

Tip into a 1.5L baking dish, then scatter over the crumble topping.

Sprinkle the crumble with flaked almonds.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until the crumble is golden and bubbling. Dust with icing sugar, serve with ice cream and enjoy

Chocolate Bark

Line a 25cm x 35cm with baking paper. Place chocolate into a medium heat proof bowl; stir over a medium saucepan of simmering water until smooth (don’t let water touch base of bowl). Stir in puffed rice and coconut.

Working quickly, spread chocolate mixture onto tray as thinly as possible; sprinkle with dried fruits, nuts, remaining coconut & rice puffs.

Refrigerate until set. Break bark into pieces to serve.

Christmas Fruit Pudding

1. Combine fruit, brandy, rinds and apple. Cover and set aside overnight or for at least 2 hours.

2. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, beat in golden syrup. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition

3. Combine breadcrumbs, flour, spices and almonds. Add creamed butter mixture and soaked fruit, mixing well to combine.

4. Grease a 2 litre capacity pudding basin, line the base with a double layer of baking paper.

5. Spoon mixture into the basin and smooth top. Double line the top with baking paper rounds.

6. Take a 60cm long piece of baking paper and 60cm piece of foil, layer and fold in half, make a 3cm pleat in the middle (this allows for any expansion of the pudding). Place sheets over pudding and secure tightly with string. Place a wire rack onto the base of a large saucepan, fill one third with water and bring to boil. Carefully place pudding onto wire rack making sure the water level comes about halfway up pudding basin. Cover and simmer for 6 hours, replenish water when needed.

7. Remove from water, stand for 10 minutes before turning out. Serve cut into slices with cream and maple syrup.