Gingerbread Almond Wreath
Preparation 25 Minutes
Cook 40 Minutes
Serves 12
Method
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Pre-heat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Lightly grease and line a 22cm ring tin.
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Beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
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Stir in the almond meal, coconut, bi-carb and spices. Mix well, then stir in the currants and sultanas. Pour into prepared pan and scatter the top with flaked almonds. Bake for 55-60 minutes until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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Serve on a platter surrounded by fresh rosemary sprigs and fill the cavity with raspberries.
Ingredients
250g butter, diced and softened
1¼ cups brown sugar
4 extra large eggs
2 cups SUNBEAM Almond Meal
1 cup desiccated coconut
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp mixed spice
1 cup SUNBEAM Currants
½ cup SUNBEAM Sultanas
¼ cup SUNBEAM Flaked Almonds
Rosemary sprigs and raspberries, for serving
Recipe Collection
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 170°C.
- Line 24 cupcake pans with paper cases.
- Sift flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Stir through the sugar and currants.
- Whisk the buttermilk, butter, eggs, vinegar and vanilla in a large jug until combined.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Add the buttermilk mixture. Stir until just combined. Stir in the food colouring.
- Spoon the mixture into the paper cases. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Christmas Mud Cakes with Chocolate Ganache
- Preheat oven to 150ºC (130ºC fan-forced). Line 12 x ⅓ cup capacity muffin pans with paper cases.
- Place mixed fruit into a food processor with boiling water and blend to a fine paste. Transfer to a large saucepan with butter, chocolate, milk and brown sugar. Place over a medium heat and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until the butter and chocolate has melted.
- Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer (or you can transfer to a clean bowl and use a hand mixer) and whisk in the eggs. Add flour mixture, cocoa, mixed spice and a generous pinch of salt. Mix until the batter is thick and smooth.
- Pour batter into the prepared cases and smooth the surface. Bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool.
- Heat cream until hot and pour over chocolate. Mix until smooth and desired consistency achieved. Spread over mud cakes.
Fruit & Nut Hot Cross Truffles
- Combine mixed fruit, dates, seed mix, hazelnuts, coconut, coconut oil and vanilla essence in a food processor and blend until a smooth, thick paste is formed.
- Divide into 25 equal portions and roll each into a ball before flattening slightly.
- Pipe melted white chocolate crosses onto truffles and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving cold.
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.

Fancy Fruit and Nut Cake
Preheat oven to 150°C
- Grease a standard loaf tin (21 x 13cm or larger). Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 6cm above rim to form a collar.
- Coarsely chop half the nuts, glacé fruit and cherries and place in a large bowl (reserve the remainder of each for topping). Add raisins and dates and stir to combine.
- Sift flours and cinnamon, then stir 1⁄4 cup into the fruit mixture.
- Beat eggs, sugar, 2 tablespoons of brandy and rind together until light. Add remaining flour and stir to combine, then fold through fruit mixture. Spoon into prepared tin/s and press down with back of a spoon.
- Cut remaining glacé fruits into quarters. Press gently on top of cake along with whole nuts and whole cherries.
- Cover top of cake with paper bag or baking paper, resting on the collar. Bake large cake for 11⁄2-13⁄4 hours or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool in tin.
- Place apricot conserve and remaining brandy in a small saucepan. Simmer, stirring for 3 minutes. Strain, then brush over cake. To serve, cut into thick slices.
Sultana & Orange Friands
In a small saucepan heat the sultanas in orange juice, when the juice starts to bubble turn heat off and set aside to infuse.
Preheat oven to 180°C & Lightly grease a friand tin
Place egg whites in a medium bowl; whisk lightly with fork until combined. Add butter, milk, extract, ground almonds, orange rind, sifted icing sugar and flour; stir until combined.
Drain any excess liquid from sultanas and add to the mix & combine.
Pour mixture into pan; Bake friands 20 minutes; or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Stand friands 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.
For the icing | In a bowl using an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth, light and fluffy. Use a piping bag to swirl icing across cooled friands, sprinkle with diced pistachios.
Dust the friands with sifted extra icing sugar & optional rose petals before serving.