Butter Biscuit Wreaths

Preparation 20 Minutes

Cook 20 Minutes

Serves 30

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 160°C and line with baking trays. Set aside 1/4 cup raisins for decorating. Roughly chop remaining raisins.

  2. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and creamy. Sift in flour and mixed spice and add chopped raisins. Mix until combined. Divide dough in half and form into two disks. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm.

  3. Roll dough between sheets of baking paper to 0.5cm thick. Cut 8cm rounds with cookie cutter. Transfer to lined baking trays and cut 3cm circles from middle of rounds to form rings. Reroll dough as necessary and refrigerate if too soft. Bake 15-20 minutes until lightly coloured. Cool on trays.

  4. To decorate, working with one biscuit at a time, drizzle white chocolate over the top and decorate with raisins, almonds and other decorations.

Ingredients

375g SUNBEAM Australian Raisins

430g butter, softened

3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar

3 2/3 cups (550g) plain flour

1 tablespoon mixed spice

250g white chocolate melts, melted

SUNBEAM Slivered Almonds and Pistachios edible decorations*

*(we used silver cachous and crushed candy canes)

Recipe Collection

Rum and Raisin Fudge

Lightly grease and line base and sides of a 20cm square baking tin.

Combine raisins and rum in a small bowl and allow to soak for 10 mins.

In a medium saucepan combine sweetened condensed milk, butter, sugar and golden syrup and constantly stir over a low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, stir constantly for about 8-10 mins until the temperature reaches between 113-115ºC.*

Remove pan from heat, add chocolate melts and soaked raisins and stir to combine.  Transfer to prepared tin using a spatula to smooth the surface then allow to cool at room temperature for 5-6 hours until firm.

Cut into 5cm long slices then cut each slice into 8 rectangles.

If you don’t own a candy thermometer, you can also check if the fudge is ready by taking a small amount and dropping it into a glass of cold water.  When the mixture sets into a soft ball that doesn’t stick to your fingers when gently pinched, the fudge is ready.  This is referred to as “soft ball” stage.

Mini Fruit Pies

Preheat oven to 180oC

  1. Place all filling ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool.
  2. Place almond meal, flour, sugar into a food processor and process until combined. Add butter and egg mixture and process until a ball forms. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  3. Roll out pastry between two sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Use a round 6cm-diameter pastry cutter to cut 24 circles from the pastry. Line the base of 24-hole non-stick mini muffin pan (or use two 12-hole pans). Fill cases with fruit mince.
  4. Re-roll pastry and use a 4cm-diameter fluted pastry cutter to cut 24 circles for the lids. Brush the underside of lid lightly with water before gently pressing onto pie. Cut a small cross in the middle of each lid.
  5. Bake at 180oC for 15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool and dust with icing sugar before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

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.

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.

Almond Lemon Broccoli

  1. Trim broccoli and cut into florets; steam or boil until tender. Drain and place in a serving bowl. Cover to keep warm.
  2. 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.

Chocolate Raisin Brownies

Preheat oven to 180°C.

  1. Line a 20 x 30cm baking tray tin with baking paper. Place the chocolate, butter and sugar in a pan and gently melt over low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat.Step 1
  2. Stir the eggs, one by one, into the melted chocolate mixture. Add flour and cocoa, and stir through. Stir raisins through mixture. Spread out evenly in baking tray and bake for 30 mins. Allow to cool before slicing into squares.

HINT: FOR AN INDULGENT ADULT TREAT, SOAK RAISINS IN 1/2 CUP DARK RUM BEFORE ADDING.

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