Easter Chickens

Fruit Mince Brownies

In a small saucepan heat mixed fruit and maple syrup until bubbling then remove from heat and set aside to infuse.

Approx 2 hrs

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 22cm square cake or brownie pan and line the base with baking paper.

Place chocolate, sugar and butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until melted and well combined. Remove from heat, cool slightly, then stir in eggs until well combined. Add flour, baking powder, cocoa, fruit mince, vanilla paste and nuts, stirring to combine. Spread into the pan and bake for 25 minutes or until just set.

Cool in pan, then dust with cocoa. Cut into 12 squares and serve. Brownies will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

Fruit & Nut Log Salami

In a dry pan on medium heat gently toast the slithered almonds till slightly brown, then set aside to cool.

Place the finely chopped dates and apricots pistachios, ginger & biscuits in a bowl.

Add the almonds, currants, cranberries Blend until well mixed, add melted chocolate & condensed milk and stir till combined.

Turn out onto cling film. Roll and shape into a log. Chill for at least 4 hours.

To decorate tie with bakers string roll in powdered sugar and wrap in baking paper.

Christmas Cookies

Preheat oven to 170°C

Beat butter, essence and sugars in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy, beat in egg. Stir in flours, chocolate bits, nuts, dried fruits & milk.

Drop heaped tablespoons of mixture onto lightly greased oven trays, about 3cm apart.

Bake in moderate oven about 12 minutes or until firm and lightly browned. Stand on trays 5 minutes before lifting onto wire racks to cool.

Chocolate Caramel Tart

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. In a large bowl add Sunbeam Almond Meal, sugar the butter and egg and combine until a breadcrumb texture. Spoon into a greased 23cm (base measurement) fluted loose base tart tin. Press mixture to line the base and sides of the tin. Making sure you have made even base and sides, the palm of your hand for the base. Freeze for 15 minutes. Place the tart shell on a baking tray and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool. 

Combine the Nestle Sweetened Condensed Milk, golden syrup and half the extra butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 5-7 minutes or until golden in colour and caramel thickens. Remove from heat and immediately pour into the pastry case. Use a small palette knife to smooth the surface. 

Place the chocolate, cream and remaining extra butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water and stir with a metal spoon for 5 minutes or until chocolate melts and mixture is glossy. Pour over the caramel and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Set aside for 30 minutes to set.  

Toast almond in moderate oven for 10mins then roughly blitz to make nut sprinkles to decorate, add gold leaf & fresh berries. Cut into wedges to serve. 

Note: Packets of edible gold leaf are available from the baking aisle. Use tweezers to arrange pieces of 

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.

Reindeer Raisin Bites

1. Add dark and milk chocolate, raisins, and almonds (excluding reserved almonds) to a food processor and blitz until very finely chopped.
2. Transfer chocolate to a bowl, pour over the hot thickened cream, add butter and salt and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours until firm but still able to be scooped with a spoon.
3. To make truffles, scoop 2 heaped tbsp of the mixture and use clean hands to roll into a ball.  Repeat with the remaining mixture.
4. Roll balls in the chocolate sprinkles to coat.
5. Cut pretzels in half and insert 2 into each ball for antlers.
6. Just below the antlers, insert slivered almond to form reindeer’s ears.
7. Use white icing to stick an Ovalteenie to each ball to form a snout.
8. Use white icing to create two eyeballs just above the mouth. And a dot to each eye with the black gel.
9. Use the white icing to attach a red mini M&M to the top of each Ovalteenie to give your reindeers noses.
10. Refrigerate for a further hour to set the icing. Serve cold.