Chocolate Easter Nests

Preparation 15 Minutes

Cook 1 hour Minutes

Serves 12

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C). Place almonds on a baking tray and cook for 8 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool.

Line a tray with baking paper which will fit into the refrigerator. Combine the almonds and sultanas in a bowl.

Place the different chocolates into 3 separate heat proof bowls. Place over a saucepan of gently simmering water and mix until melted. Add ⅓ of the almond mixture to each bowl of chocolate and mix well.

Place spoonfuls of mixture onto lined trays and shape into a nest, using the back of the spoon to make an indent in the centre. Refrigerate for approx. 1 hour until set. Decorate with small easter eggs.

Ingredients

200g SUNBEAM Slivered Almonds

200g SUNBEAM Sultanas, roughly chopped

100g of each milk, dark and white chocolate buttons

Easter eggs, for decoration

Recipe Collection

Easter Chocolate Nests

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread out almonds on top of it. Bake for 8 minutes or until light golden in colour. Remove from tray and cool.

Lightly grease a patty pan tray.

Combine ingredients together in a bowl. Place spoonfuls into tray and shape into a nest using the back of a spoon. Refrigerate until set. Decorate with Easter eggs.

Chocolate & Prune Pudding

  1. Grease the base and sides of a 1.5L pudding basin. Combine prunes, raisins, sultanas and brandy in a microwave proof bowl and cook for 2 minutes. Stir well and set aside.
  2. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until smooth and pale. Add eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Fold in the flour, breadcrumbs, cocoa, chocolate and mixed spice, followed by the fruit mixture. Mix until well combined.
  3. Pour batter into prepared pudding basin and cover (if no lid, use a couple of layers of baking paper and secure with string or a large elastic band. Then cover with a layer of foil, securing with a large elastic band. Place into a large pot with a small saucepan in the base. Pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the basin. Cover with a lid and simmer for 3 hours. Top up water as required.
  4. Remove from pot and either serve immediately, or leave in the basin and refrigerate until required.
  5. For butterscotch sauce, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, and gently bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
  6. For mascarpone cream, fold mixed spice into mascarpone and set aside until required.
  7. For serving, place upturned pudding onto a serving plate and dollop with mascarpone and drizzle with butterscotch sauce. Decorate with seasonal fruits and toasted nuts.

Lemon Date Slice with Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. Line a 20 x 20cm slice tray. Place dates and 100g of the cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until a paste has formed. Add oats, coconut and lemon rind. Pulse until smooth. Remove to a bowl and fold in blueberries. Press into prepared tray and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm.
  2. For frosting, whisk together the remaining cream cheese, icing sugar, juice and lemon rind. Spread over slice and sprinkle with pepitas, refrigerate until required and cut into squares.

Frozen Cheescake Pudding

Place Mixed Fruits & dried cranberries and brandy in a bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes to soak.

Line an 8-cup-capacity metal pudding basin with plastic wrap.

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add ice-cream. Beat until well combined. Fold in fruit mince, pistachios and cranberry sultana mixture. Pour mixture into prepared basin. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Place biscuits & Sunbeam almonds in a food processor. Process until fine crumbs form. Add butter. Process until combined. Spoon over top of ice-cream, pressing with the back of a spoon to level and compact (see notes). Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight.

Turn pudding onto a serving plate. Carefully remove plastic wrap. Drizzle with chocolate topping.

Decorate with Raspberries, Strawberries and Mint. Serve immediately.

Sunshine Pudding

Prepare a 2 litre pudding basin – grease well and double line base with baking paper circles.

  1. Combine raisins, sultanas, cherries and Cointreau in a bowl and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
  2. Place apricots, apricot nectar, orange juice and rind in a small saucepan and simmer covered for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool and puree.
  3. Cream butter and brown sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
  4. Sift flours into a large bowl, add butter cake crumbs, macadamias, soaked fruit, pureed apricots and butter mixture and mix well to combine. Spoon mixture into the basin and smooth the top. Top with baking paper round.
  5. Take a 60cm long piece of baking paper and foil, layer and make a 3cm pleat in the middle of the sheets. Place onto pudding basin and secure with kitchen string.
  6. Place a wire rack onto the base of a large saucepan, a third filled with water and bring to the boil. Carefully place pudding onto rack, making sure the water comes about halfway up basin. Cover and simmer for 6 hours, topping up water when needed. Remove from saucepan and stand for 10 minutes before turning out.
  7. Serve with cream, custard or ice-cream if desired.

Candied nuts decoration:

  1. Place sugar and water in a medium, heavy-based saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar has completely dissolved. Stop stirring, increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce to medium heat and gently boil until the toffee begins to change colour. Do not stir toffee once it has boiled.
  2. Working quickly, drop macadamias one at a time into the toffee and toss with a fork to coat, remove and place on a tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with remaining macadamias.
  3. Decorate the top of the pudding and serve.

Banana Date Loaf

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line a 10 x 20cm loaf pan with baking paper. Place bananas and dates in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add eggs and oil. Pulse until well combined.
  2. Transfer banana mixture to a mixing bowl and fold in flour, coconut, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and cranberries. Pour into prepared loaf pan and sprinkle top with the seeds. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing.

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