Chocolate Caramel Tart

Sunbeam Raisin Toast

Gather the ingredients.

Yeast needs warm water to activate, not hot. Just warm. Sprinkle your packet of yeast over the top of the warm water. You don’t even need to stir it in.

Once you get the yeast on the water, add about a teaspoon of granulated sugar.

After a couple of minutes it will start to look cloudy and have a little bit of foam on top.

Once you see the foam, & bubbling you’re ready to use your yeast in this recipe.

In a large bowl, combine the Sunbeam raisins, warm milk, butter, sugar, and salt; stir to dissolve the sugar. Let the mixture cool to lukewarm.

Stir 1 1/2 cups of the flour into the milk mixture and beat until smooth.

Add the yeast mixture and the beaten eggs to the milk mixture and mix to blend well.

Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft but stiff dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Butter or oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the greased bowl. Turn it over to grease the entire surface of the dough.

Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it stand in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Punch the dough down and divide it into two equal portions. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Shape the dough into two loaves and place them in two greased 8-by-4-inch loaf pans.

Cover the pans with a kitchen towel and let the loaves rise for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until the dough has almost doubled in bulk. Then preheat oven to 180c.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Place foil over the loaves for the last 10 minutes if they look overly brown.

Remove the loaves from the pans and let them cool on racks.

Toast & enjoy!

Spiced Chicken Pilaf

1. Toss chicken with spices and a small drizzle of the oil. Heat half the remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes each side until golden and just cooked through. Allow to cool slightly, then break into pieces. Set aside.
2. Add remaining oil to pan and cook onion and garlic for several minutes until tender. Stir in rice with stock and bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes, partially covered.
3.  Add chicken pieces, zucchini and currants to pan, cooking a further 3-4 minutes. Serve sprinkled with almonds and coriander. Accompany with yoghurt and lemon wedges.

Christmas Slice

Preheat oven 150°C (fan-forced).

1. Line a loaf tin (20cm x 10cm) with baking paper.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined.
3. Spoon mixture into prepared tin and bake for 40mins. Allow to cool. Dust with icing sugar and slice thinly.

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.

Family Fruit Mince Tart

1. Blend or process butter, and sifted flour and icing sugar until crumbly. Add egg yolk, extract and the water; process until ingredients come together.

   Enclose in plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.

   Roll pastry between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line 18cm x 30cm rectangular loose-based flan tin.

   Lift pastry into tin, press into sides, trim excess; prick base all over with a fork. Cover; refrigerate 20 minutes.

   Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200°C.

   Place tin on oven tray; line pastry with baking paper then fill with bakers weights. Bake 15 minutes. Cool.

   Add fruit mince in an even layer over tart base.

   Roll pastry scraps on floured surface, cut out desired shapes. Brush each pastry shape with beaten egg and place pastry egg-side down on fruit mince.

   Bake tart about 20 minutes or until browned lightly. Dust with a little sifted icing sugar before serving.

    

Fruit Cake Scrolls

Add the butter and coconut sugar to a mixing bowl and whip together with a fork until combined. Add in the Sunbeam Mixed Fruit, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix again to combine well.  

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.  

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 the butter fruit mixture across the dough in a thin layer.  Tightly roll dough up, starting from the shorter side.  Cut into 2.5cm sections. 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. 

Place into the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool before drizzling over melted chocolate, to serve.