Fruit & Nut Hot Cross Truffles

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Toasted Hazelnuts

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line an oven tray with baking paper.
2. Rub sweet potatoes in half the olive oil and place onto baking tray. Roast for approx. 45 minutes or until just cooked all the way through.
3. Heat remaining oil in a small fryingpan. Add hazelnuts and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden. Add sesame seeds, cumin and thyme. Cook a further 1-2 minutes, remove from heat and stir in the lemon rind, season well.
4. For serving, cut down the centre of each sweet potato and push out to make a small cavity. Top each with the hazelnut mixture, crumble over the feta and drizzle with lemon juice, additional oil and the harissa.

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.

Banana Date Pancakes

1. Combine flour, baking powder and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and mashed banana. Add to flour mixture with dates and mix until smooth.
3. Pre-heat a frying pan over medium heat, lightly spray with olive oil or brush with butter. Spoon ¼ cup measures of batter into pan and cook for several minutes until bubbles appear and base is golden. Turn over a cook a further 1-2 minutes.
4. Serve pancakes with sliced bananas, blueberries and a drizzle of honey.

Mini Fruit Mince Tarts

To make the fruit mince filling, add all ingredients to a large bowl, mix well, cover and allow to soak for at least 1 hour.  

To make the pastry, add the flour, ginger, cinnamon, butter and sugar into a food processor and blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Whisk the egg and chilled water together in a small bowl, then slowly add to the food processor while it’s running until the mixture comes together into a dough. Remove from the food processor and shape into a disc. Wrap in cling wrap and place into the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.  

Preheat oven to 160℃. 

Remove from the pastry from the fridge and roll out to a thin 0.3mm dough. Cut into 7cm circles using a cookie cutter or other round object, then place into lightly greased mini muffin tins (30ml capacity). Scoop the fruit mince between the pastry cases. Cut stars from the remaining pastry and place on top of each fruit pie. Brush with milk. 

Place into the oven and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove and place onto wire racks to cool.  

Chocolate 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, nuts, remaining coconut & rice puffs.

Refrigerate until set. Break bark into pieces to serve.

Mini Indulgent Puddings

Preheat oven to 150°C

2. Combine fruit, jellied cranberry sauce, brandy and spices in a large bowl, cover and leave to stand overnight.
3. Brush ten 1-cup pudding basins (ramekins) with melted butter and line base with baking paper.
4. Mix eggs, butter, brown sugar and flours until well combined, then stir through fruit mixture. Spoon mixture into prepared basins.
5. Cut a large circle of foil and baking paper and place over each pudding, foil side up. Secure tightly with kitchen string.
6. 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.
7. Remove from water and store well wrapped until Christmas.