Fruit & Nut Chocolate Nests
Preparation 20 mins + refrigeration
Cook
Serves 12
Method
Aiden and Bailey definitely approve!!Ingredients
250 grams melted chocolate
1/2 cup Sunbeam slivered almonds
1/2 cup Sunbeam mixed fruit
2 cups rice puffs
Recipe Collection
Mini Indulgent Puddings
Preheat oven to 150°C
- Combine fruit, jellied cranberry sauce, brandy and spices in a large bowl, cover and leave to stand overnight.
- Brush ten 1-cup pudding basins (ramekins) with melted butter and line base with baking paper.
- Mix eggs, butter, brown sugar and flours until well combined, then stir through fruit mixture. Spoon mixture into prepared basins.
- Cut a large circle of foil and baking paper and place over each pudding, foil side up. Secure tightly with kitchen string.
- Place pudding in a large saucepan and add enough boiling water to fill halfway up the sides. Cover and bring to the boil, reduce heat and cook for 11⁄4 hours, replenishing water when needed.
- Remove from water and store well wrapped until Christmas.
Roasted Cauliflower Steak with Cashew Cream
Preheat oven to 425°F. Set aside a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Prepare cauliflower by trimming away any green leaves. With the cauliflower sitting on it’s stem, use a knife to slice it in half. Cut one thick slice from either side – so that you have two “steaks”, each about 1 ½” (4 cm) thick. Set cauliflower steaks aside.
Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil, and once hot, add cauliflower steaks. Let them sear, undisturbed, for 3-3 ½ minutes on each side (cooking for approximately 6-7 minutes total). Remove once they’ve developed a golden crust on either side. While the cauliflower cooking you can assemble the harissa glaze. In a small bowl combine 2 teaspoons water, maple syrup, paprika, cumin, coriander and smoked paprika. Mix well. Once the cauliflower is seared, transfer steaks to lined baking sheet. Brush harissa glaze on both sides, coating all the nooks and crannies. Transfer to oven for 5-7 minutes or until tender.
While the cauliflower steaks are in the oven, prepare the warm chickpea salad. Add the spinach and chickpeas to a large bowl.
Squeeze lemon and drizzle avocado oil over the greens and beans. Add Himalayan sea salt and black pepper. Toss well to combine.
Assemble your dish with chickpea salad, seared cauliflower steak and drizzle with cashew cream.
Spiced Nuts & Seeds
- Pre-heat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Combine nuts and seeds in a large bowl with salt and spices.
- Combine oil and maple syrup and tip over nut mixture. Toss well.
- Spread onto a lined oven tray and bake for 12 minutes, tossing occasionally until toasted. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Festive Rumballs
- Place biscuits, walnuts and sultanas in a food processor, pulsing until fine crumbs have formed. Add coconut, condensed milk and cinnamon. Continue pulsing until mixture has come together. Remove to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Roll teaspoons of chilled mixture into balls whilst enclosing half a cherry or walnut inside. Toss in extra coconut or finely chopped walnuts. Refrigerate until required.
Sticky Currant, Walnut & Ginger Puddings
Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease 6 x 1 cup ramekins.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, ginger, salt, and brown sugar. Add currants, walnuts and ginger and toss to coat in the flour mixture. Add the milk and butter, and stir until just combined.
Divide mixture into prepared ramekins and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
To make the caramel sauce, combine brown sugar and milk in a saucepan and stir well.
Place over medium heat. When bubbles form around the edge of the pan, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 2 – 3 mins, gently swirling the pan but not stirring, until caramel is thickened and is just starting to smell toasty. Remove from heat, and immediately stir in butter and vanilla.
Serve puddings in ramekins, or turn out onto plates. Spoon over the caramel sauce and serve warm – with cream or ice cream if desired.
Tips
Divide batter into 12-hole muffin tin, greased or lined with cupcake papers. Check for doneness from 20 min.
If caramel is made in advance, re-warm over low heat or in the microwave, until smooth and pourable.
Classic Christmas Pudding
- Combine fruit, brandy, rinds and apple. Cover and set aside overnight or for at least 2 hours.
- Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, beat in golden syrup. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
- Combine breadcrumbs, flour, spices and almonds. Add creamed butter mixture and soaked fruit, mixing well to combine.
- Grease a 2 litre capacity pudding basin, line the base with a double layer of baking paper.
- Spoon mixture into the basin and smooth top. Double line the top with baking paper rounds.
- Take a 60cm long piece of baking paper and 60cm piece of foil, layer and fold in half, make a 3cm pleat in the middle (this allows for any expansionof the pudding). Place sheets over pudding and secure tightly with string. Place a wire rack onto the base of a large saucepan, fill one third with water and bring to boil. Carefully place pudding onto wire rack making sure the water level comes about halfway up pudding basin. Cover and simmer for 6 hours, replenish water when needed.
- Remove from water, stand for 10 minutes before turning out. Serve cut into slices with cream and maple syrup.
