Festive Fruit Cake
Preparation 35 Minutes
Cook 120 Minutes
Serves 12
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C. Line the base and sides of a 20cm springform cake pan.
Mix nuts, dried fruits, glace cherries, peel in a bowl. Sift in flour, baking powder then stir in sugar. Lightly whisk eggs with vanilla, then stir into the cake mixture until well combined. Pour into pan. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack over a plate and remove baking paper. Pierce all over with a skewer. Drizzle with brandy, then wrap tightly in foil and leave in a cool, dry place for 2-3 days to mature.
For the topping: Soak fruit in Maple syrup, add boiling water to cover and let soften. Closer to serving, warm jam in a pan over low heat or in the microwave until runny. Arrange the maple-soaked fruits over the top of the cake in a decorative pattern, then brush with warm jam to set in place.
Ingredients
1 ½ CUPS (160g) Sunbeam Australian Walnuts, roughly chopped
1 CUP (110g) Sunbeam Australian Macadamias, roughly chopped
1 CUP (150g) Angas Park Pitted Dates, chopped
375g Sunbeam Mixed Fruit
100g Sunbeam Glace Cherries
½ CUP (55g) Angas Park Mixed Peel
⅔ CUP (100g) Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
150g Caster Sugar
3 Eggs, whisked
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tbsp Brandy
Toppings
⅓ Cup Apricot jam
½ Cup Pure Maple Syrup
200g Angas Park Fruit Salad
Recipe Collection
Hot Cross Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line cookie trays with baking paper.
- Beat butter, vanilla, sugars and egg in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in sifted flour and bicarb soda, in two batches. Stir in fruit, nuts & chocolate.
- Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls; place 5cm apart on trays.
- Bake cookies 15 minutes or until golden; cool on trays.
- Once cookies are cooled, pipe cross with melted white chocolate.
Notes: Each cookie weighed 50g before cooking to make 24. Keep a few extra currants and choc chips to add to cookies when removed from oven to decorate top.
Christmas Cheesecake
Preheat oven to 180oC (160oC fan). Generously grease a 20cm round, loose-bottom (or springform) tin. Line the base with baking paper.
In the bowl of a food processor, add biscuits. Blitz to a fine crumb. Add 250g of the melted butter and blitz until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and use a spatula to gentle push half of the mixture up the sides of the tin. Spread remaining mixture evenly over the base (using a drinking glass can help to compact the mixture around the sides and base). Refrigerate.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine remaining butter with sugar and whisk until combined. With the motor running, add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add cream cheese, quark, sour cream and vanilla, whisk until smooth. Add cornflour and mix until incorporated.
Add peel and sultanas and gently fold through the cream mixture, then spoon into the prepared base and smooth the surface.
Bake cheesecake for 10mins then reduce oven temperature to 170°C (150°C fan) and bake for a further 50 mins. Turn off the oven, leaving the door slightly open, allow cheesecake to sit in the oven for a further hour until the edges of the cheesecake feel firm when gently pressed.
Allow the cheesecake to cool completely at room temperature then remove sides of tin and transfer cheesecake to refrigerator to cool overnight.
To make the meringue decoration, place the egg whites and caster sugar in a large bowl and whip into soft peaks. Spoon the meringue on top of the cheese cake and shape with a spatula. Use kitchen blow torch to lightly crisp the outside of the meringue. Serve and enjoy!
Lunchbox Muffins
Preheat oven to 180°C and line cupcake or muffin tray with paper cases.
- Combine the fruits, butter, sugar, spices, bicarbonate of soda and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring, then remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Add the eggs and beat well. Add flours to the mixture and beat well.
- Pour into paper cases and bake for 30 minutes, or until skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Allow to cool on rack.
Chocolate Bark Variations
Place the chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water. Cook until the chocolate is almost entirely melted, stirring frequently.
Cover a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a silicone or rubber spatula to spread chocolate evenly over the centre area of the baking sheet—aim for about ¼″ thickness
Sprinkle the nuts, seeds & fruit evenly over the chocolate. Lightly use your palms to press the toppings into the chocolate.
Place the pan on a flat surface in the refrigerator to set.
Once the chocolate is completely hardened, use your hands to break it into about 25 pieces. Serve immediately, or cover and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Dark Chocolate Rocky Road
- Grease and line base and sides of a 27cm x17cm slice pan with baking paper, extending the paper over sides.
- Place chocolate and coconut oil in a large heatproof bowl over saucepan one-third filled with simmering water. Stir until melted and remove from heat.
- Add raisins, marshmallows, macadamias, coconut and three-quarters of the seed mix (saving some for the top). Stir to combine and spread into prepared pan. Scatter with reserved seed mix.
- Set aside to cool for 1 hour or until set. Refrigerate if weather is hot. Cut into 24 pieces to serve.
Peanut Butter Bites
- Combine currants, sultanas, oats, peanut butter and vanilla essence in a food processor. Blend until a smooth, thick paste is formed.
- Divide and roll into 25 balls and place on top of skewer.
- 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.
