Couscous Dried Fruit Salad

Beef Crostini Sunmuscat Relish

This appetiser is nice way to begin a Christmas meal.

For the relish. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add shallots, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add Sunmuscats, port, vinegar, chilly, and thyme sprig. Raise heat to medium-high, and simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly. stir in chopped thyme, celery, salt, and pepper.

To serve, combine mayonnaise and mustard, and spread about 2 teaspoons on each slice of baguette. Top with a slice of beef, season with salt, and top with 1 teaspoon sunmuscat-port relish. Garnish with micro herbs.

Zucchini Salad

Cut the zucchini into long, thin ribbons using a mandolin or vegetable peeler.

Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil, season.  Pour over the zucchini, gently toss to combine then allow to sit for 10 mins to marinate.

Drain zucchini and arrange on a serving platter.  Sprinkle over pine nuts, sultanas, raisins and feta.  Scatter over mint leaves just before serving.

Sultana & Cornflake Cookies

Preheat oven to 180°C ? Beat butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until smooth, add egg, beat until combined. Stir in sultanas and sifted flour. ? Fold flour, 1 cup cornflakes, sultanas through mixture. ? Roll rounded teaspoons of mixture in lightly crushed cornflakes, place about 3cm apart on greased oven trays; flatten slightly. ? Bake in oven about 20 minutes or until browned. Cool on trays.

Christmas 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, biscuit and nuts.

Refrigerate until set. Break bark into pieces to serve.

Sweet Treats

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

1. Combine oats, sugar, coconut, cinnamon, almonds, walnuts, oil and honey in a bowl. Mix with hands compacting together. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes and then stir and return for another 5 minutes.
2. Stir in currants and sultanas and bake for a further 5-8 minutes to ensure the granola is evenly golden brown.
3. Allow to cool completely before serving with milk or a good dollop of yoghurt.

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.