Chocolate Raisin Pudding

Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Currants

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Roughly chop one half of the onion and add to the bowl of a food processor. Add the lamb, torn apart bread, spices and coriander. Pulse until well combined. Remove to a mixing bowl and add pinenuts and seasonings. Mix well and form into large balls using approx. 1½ tablespoons mixture for each.
2. Heat half of the oil in a large pan and sear the meatballs until well browned, set aside to drain on paper towel.
3. Finely dice the remaining onion half and add to the pan with the remaining oil and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes over a low heat until tender. Add the passata, stock and currants, mixing well. Return meatballs to pot and cover with a lid. Place into oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove lid and cook a further 5 minutes.Alternatively this can be cooked on the stove top, partially covered until meatballs are cooked through. Remove lid to reduce liquid if desired.

Currant & Apple Crumble

Preheat oven to 180°C.

For crumble topping, place flour, cinnamon and butter in a food processor and whiz for 1 minute or until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add brown sugar and pulse to combine.

Place the mixture into a large bowl. Add the whole almonds and macadamias to the food processor, pulse until coarsely chopped, add nuts to the flour mixture to combine ingredients then set aside.

In a separate bowl place apples, currants, caster sugar and stir well to coat.

Tip into a 1.5L baking dish, then scatter over the crumble topping.

Sprinkle the crumble with flaked almonds.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until the crumble is golden and bubbling. Dust with icing sugar, serve with ice cream and enjoy

Christmas Slice

Preheat oven 150°C (fan-forced).

1. Line a loaf tin (20cm x 10cm) with baking paper.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined.
3. Spoon mixture into prepared tin and bake for 40mins. Allow to cool. Dust with icing sugar and slice thinly.

Pine nut, Sultana & Maple Tart

Place the maple syrup, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and stir to combine them. Add the butter, place the saucepan over med-high heat, and bring mixture to a boil, stirring often. Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl; add the sultanas & allow it to cool for 20 minutes. Whisk in heavy cream, followed by the egg and egg yolk. 

Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees. 

Place the tart shell on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Distribute the pine nuts evenly over the bottom of the tart shell and pour the custard into the shell until it reaches the top of the crust. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until both the crust and the filling have turned light golden brown and the custard is set but still jiggly.  

Serve the tart while still slightly warm, or cool it and serve at room temperature. Leftovers will keep, wrapped in plastic, for a few days in the refrigerator.

Carrot & Sultana Cake

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line two 20cm cake tins.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb, spices and salt. Stir to combine.

In a stand mixer, beat the eggs, sugars, oil and vanilla until smooth. Add half of the flour mix and mix on low speed until combined. Add remaining flour mix and mix on low speed again until all of the flour is incorporated. Add the pineapple and sultanas. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

Divide evenly between the prepared tins and bake for 40 mins or until cooked. Rotate the cakes after 20 mins. (You can test with a skewer, and the cake is ready when the skewer comes out clean.)

Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 mins, then transfer to cooling racks and leave until cooled.

Meanwhile, prepare the icing.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until very pale and creamy, about 4 mins. Add half of the sifted icing sugar and beat on low speed for about 1 min. Increase speed to medium to combine. Add remaining icing sugar and reduce speed to low for a further minute, then increase to medium speed for another few minutes until all of the icing sugar is combined. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Beat for 1 minute or until combined. Add extra tablespoon of milk of you would like a thinner frosting.

Divide the frosting between the centre of the cakes, reserving the remainder for the top and the sides.

Decorate with topping of choice.

Baby Spring Vegetables

Preheat oven to 180ºC.

1. 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.
2. 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.