Banana Date Loaf

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

1. Cut cauliflower roughly into pieces, toss with half the oil and cumin. Season well. Spread onto a lined oven tray and roast at 180°C for 25 minutes or until tender.
2. Heat remaining oil in a large pot. Add onion and garlic, cooking until onion is tender. Add roasted cauliflower pieces, potatoes and the stock. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. When potatoes are tender, puree soup with a food processor or handheld blender, until smooth and creamy. Return to heat until required.
4. For walnut crumb, heat oil in a frying pan and toast breadcrumbs and walnuts until golden and crisp. Allow to cool slightly, then stir in parsley and currants. Season well. Serve hot soup with a scattering of crumbs.

Peanut Butter Bites

1. Combine currants, sultanas, oats, peanut butter and vanilla essence in a food processor.  Blend until a smooth, thick paste is formed.
2. Divide and roll into 25 balls and place on top of skewer.
3. Dip balls in melted chocolate. Before chocolate is set place two half marshmallows for ears, one pink candy for a nose and Sunbeam currants for eyes.

Frozen Christmas Pudding

You will need a 1.75L pudding basin and muslin for this recipe

You will need to begin this recipe the night before

Quick and Easy Christmas Pudding

1. Place fruit and brandy in microwaveable bowl and heat for 1 minute or until warmed through. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.

2. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift flour and mixed spice over butter mixture, then stir in breadcrumbs and fruit mixture. Mix well.

3. Grease and flour a 1.5L microwaveable bowl. Spoon mixture into bowl and smooth top. Cover with a pleated, double-layer of baking paper secured with kitchen string.

4. Cook in microwave on defrost setting (300W) for 30 minutes, rotating the bowl after 20 minutes. Test with a skewer inserted into pudding. If it doesn’t come out clean, microwave at 5 minute intervals until done. Leave pudding to stand for 10 minutes before turning onto a plate. Serve with custard.

Walnut Sultana Zucchini Carrot Cake

Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan).  Grease and line base and sides of two x 22.5cm (9”) round baking tins. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with beater attachment, combine zucchini, carrot, flour, sugar, 50g of walnuts, sultanas and spices.  Mix on low until just combined.

Whisk together oil and eggs then add to the zucchini mixture and beat on low until just combined.  Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tins, smoothing the surfaces.  Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean.  Allow the cakes to cool in tins for an hour, then invert onto a baking rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, combine butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment.  Whisk until smooth.  Add sifted icing sugar and whisk until smooth and fluffy.

To decorate, spread half the icing on top of one cake.  Arrange the second cake on top and spread with remaining icing.  Sprinkle with chopped walnuts to decorate.

Asparagus Pastries

Preheat oven to 180°C.

1. Cut each pastry sheets into 4 squares. Mark 1cm in from the edge of pastry to resemble a photo frame. Place on paper lined baking trays.
2. Panfry onions in oil for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Pour in wine and brown sugar and cook for a further 5 minutes stirring continuously. Stir in pine nuts and cool.
3. Place heaped spoonfuls of onion mixture into the centre of each pastry square. Arrange mushrooms and asparagus on top. Sprinkle with feta and brush edges with egg. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes. Serve.