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
Almond Lemon Broccoli
- Trim broccoli and cut into florets; steam or boil until tender. Drain and place in a serving bowl. Cover to keep warm.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper and swirl saucepan to combine. Drizzle butter mixture over broccoli, then scatter with almonds.
Mini Choc Raisin & Hazelnut Puddings
- Preheat oven to 170ºC. Place raisins, sultanas and rum in a bowl and set to one side.
- Cream butter and brown sugar, until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
- Sift flours, mixed spice and cinnamon.
- Add breadcrumbs, finely chopped hazelnuts, chocolate, buttermilk, rum soaked fruit and butter mixture and mix well to combine.
- Prepare 8 pudding basins (200ml capacity): spray pudding basins with oil and line the bottom with baking paper.
- Divide evenly between prepared pudding basins.
Steaming Instructions
Place basins into a baking dish, and pour in enough boiling water to ½ fill the baking dish, cover with foil. Steam bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for a further 20 minutes.
Microwave Instructions
Cook in microwave on defrost setting (300W) for 15 minutes, check if a skewer inserted into pudding comes out clean. If not cooked, microwave at 5 minute intervals, until skewer comes out clean. Stand for 10 minutes before turning out. Repeat with remaining mixture. (Note: Do not use foil in microwave).
Pumpkin Macadamia Salad
Preheat oven to 180ºC.
- Place pumpkin and onion in large baking dish, add 2 tablespoons of oil and mix to coat. Roast or grill until tender (approx 30 minutes), turning once. Cool, and then gently mix with rocket, macadamias and raisins.
- Combine lemon juice, honey, ginger and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in screw top jar. Shake and pour over salad. Gently toss to combine.
Fruit Nut Fudge Brownie
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line base and sides of a 27cm x17cm slice pan with baking paper, extending paper over sides.
- Combine fruit and rum or juice in saucepan and bring just to the boil. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally. Set aside 1/4 cup of the fruit mixture for decorating the top.
- Heat butter and chocolate in saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and combined. Set aside to cool 10 minutes.
- Whisk sugar and eggs together in large bowl, then whisk in cooled chocolate mixture and remaining soaked fruit. Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder into the bowl and add half of the hazelnuts (saving some for the top). Stir until combined. Pour into prepared pan and scatter with reserved fruit and nuts.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until tested with a skewer. Some crumbs will cling to the skewer. Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing. Cut into 18 pieces and serve warm and gooey or cool and fudgy.
Spiced Currant Biscuits
- Sift the flour and spices into a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric beaters until thick and pale, then add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold ii the flour mixture slowly, then stir in currants and lemon zest. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out dough 4-5mm thick then cut with a round biscuit cutter and place on the trays. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling the trimmings.
- Sprinkle biscuits with extra sugar. Bake for 10 minutes until firm to touch but still pale. Cool on trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Lamb Mince, Sultana & Pistachio Sweet Potato Boats
Preheat oven to 200°C. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork, arrange on a rimmed oven tray, and cover pan tightly with foil. Bake 1 hour. Remove foil, brush potatoes with 2 tsp oil, and bake a further 15 – 20 minutes – or until potatoes are very soft when pierced with a sharp knife.
While the sweet potatoes roast, place a heavy-based skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp oil, diced onion, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook 5 – 7 minutes, until onions have started to soften.
Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and harissa or tomato paste, to the onion. Stir for 1 minute, then add lamb mince and break up with a spatula.
Cook a further 3 – 5 minutes, until lamb mince is golden and cooked through. Remove from heat and stir through sultanas.
Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and cool slightly. Slice in half lengthwise, and scoop out flesh, leaving a 1 cm border of potato in the skins. Return potato halves to the tray, and add sweet potato flesh to the lamb mince. Roughly mash larger pieces of potato and stir to combine with mince. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer lamb mixture to the hollowed sweet potato halves, and bake a further 10 – 15 mins, until crisp on top and warmed through.
Top stuffed sweet potatoes with a dollop of yoghurt, toasted pistachios and fresh herbs. Serve with a simple rocket salad or steamed green veg.
Tips
• Sweet potatoes can be microwaved until tender, then brushed with oil, transferred to a baking tray and roasted in a 200°C oven for a further 5 – 7 minutes to crisp skin. Continue from Step 5 above.
