Almond Star Bread
Preparation 15 Minutes
Cook 25 Minutes
Serves 6
Method
Preheat the oven to 180℃.
To make the Spiced Almond Cream: place butter and sugar into a stand mixer bowl. Mix for 2 minutes, until smooth. Slowly add the whisked eggs, salt and vanilla and mix again to incorporate. Fold in the almond meal and cinnamon and fold through with a wooden spoon to incorporate.
Slice each piece of puff pastry into 4 x 25cm circles.
Place one dough circle onto a piece of baking paper and spread 1 tablespoon of the Spiced Almond Cream evenly over the top. Stack the next dough circle on top and repeat with more Spiced Almond Cream. Repeat again with the final two dough circles.
Place a round object, about 7-8cm wide into the centre of the circle and make an indent, which becomes the centre of the star.
Cut the dough into 16 evenly spaced strips, starting from the indent to the edge of the dough. Take two strips next to each other and roll them away from each other. Press the two ends together to join. Repeat with the remaining 14 strips until each are twisted and paired up.
Transfer the star on the baking paper to a large baking tray. Brush with egg water wash and sprinkle over the flaked almonds. Place into the oven and bake for 25 minutes until puffed up and golden brown.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool and then dust with icing sugar, to serve.
Ingredients
4 sheets butter puff pastry
1 large egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water
½ cup Sunbeam Flaked Almonds
¼ cup icing sugar, to serve
Spiced Almond Cream
100g unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
100g caster sugar
2 medium eggs, at room temperature, whisked
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Sunbeam Australian Almond Meal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Recipe Collection
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.
Almond & Sultana Snowballs
Blitz ingredients in a small blender or kitchen wiz until sticky and evenly combined.
Roll into small balls (about 1 tablespoon (30g) each).
Coat in extra almonds & desiccated coconut.
Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.
Keeps for up to 1 week refrigerated.
Gifting tip:
Pack them into a kraft paper box or clear cellophane bag tied with twine and a “Handmade with Love” tag for the perfect holiday treat
Last Minute Christmas Cake
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir over the heat for 3-4 mins until combined.
Add dried fruit, bicarbonate of soda, rum, cognac and 125ml water and stir well to combine. Increase heat to high and continue to stir until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium then cook for a further 4 mins without stirring. Remove from heat, cover and allow mixture to cool overnight.
Preheat oven to 150ºC (130ºC fan). Grease and line a 23cm square baking tin.
Add eggs to the cooled mixture and stir. Add flour and spices and stir well to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 mins before spooning into the prepared tin and smoothing the surface.
Decorate the top of the cake with blanched almonds then bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Check your cake every hour to ensure it is not browning too quickly on top. If it is, cover with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before inverting to remove. To serve, brush with a little apricot jam that has been warmed in the microwave.
This cake can be stored for up to 3 months in the fridge – cover the cooled cake in 2 layers of plastic wrap and foil.
Candied Walnut & Beetroot Salad
- In a pan on medium heat combine Sunbeam walnuts, butter and honey until candied, set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 220c and cut the beetroot into quarters. Cover beetroot in olive oil, season with salt and bake for 30 mins.
- Remove skin of orange and slice into segments, crumble goats cheese.
- Once beetroot is cool combine salad ingredients with candied walnuts, dress with olive oil.
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.
Baby Spring Vegetables
Preheat oven to 180ºC.
- Place the carrots and corn in a large pot of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes or until almost tender. Add asparagus and zucchini and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well and place in serving dish.
- Combine butter, apricots, Brazil nuts and chives in a saucepan and cook until nuts have begun to brown. Pour over cooked baby vegetables and toss to coat. Serve.
