Christmas Chocolate Fruit Truffles

Preparation 25 Minutes

Cook 2 hours Minutes

Serves 28

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Method

  1. Heat cream in small saucepan until just below boiling. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Set aside for 1 minute, then stir until melted.

  2. Combine 1/2 cup of the currants and half of the hazelnuts in a bowl and set aside for decorating. Place remaining currants and salt in a bowl, pour over the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm enough to roll.

  3. Scoop tablespoons of the chocolate mixture and use clean hands to roll into balls. To decorate, roll balls in the reserved currant and hazelnut mixture, remaining hazelnuts or coconut. Store in the refrigerator and allow to soften slightly before serving.

Ingredients

3/4 cup pure cream

400g dark chocolate, chopped

300g SUNBEAM Australian Currants

120g SUNBEAM Skinless Hazelnuts, chopped

Pinch sea salt

Toasted shredded coconut, to decorate

Recipe Collection

Panforte

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake pan.
  2. Place sugar, honey and chocolate in a large saucepan and gently heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in the raisins, figs, cherries, cranberries and nuts. Mix well.
  3. Add flour, cocoa and spices to mixture and working quickly mix it together until all combined. You may need to wear a thick rubber glove. Press mixture into prepared pan and bake for 13-15 minutes. Set aside to cool before removing from pan to cool completely.

Christmas Mud Cakes with Chocolate Ganache

  1. Preheat oven to 150ºC (130ºC fan-forced). Line 12 x ⅓ cup capacity muffin pans with paper cases.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Heat cream until hot and pour over chocolate. Mix until smooth and desired consistency achieved. Spread over mud cakes.

Roasted Beetroot Salad

  1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Wrap each beetroot in foil, place on a tray and bake for approx. 45min-1hour until tender. When cool enough to handle, remove skin from each. Slice into ½ cm thick rounds.
  2. Meanwhile, place hazelnuts onto an oven tray and bake for 4 minutes, add pepitas and thyme and cook a further 4-5 minutes until golden and toasted. Allow to cool.
  3. Whisk together the oil, vinegar and sugar, season well.
  4. Arrange salad greens, sliced beetroot and cheese onto serving platter. Sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts and pepita mixture and drizzle with dressing. Season well.

Walnut Cheese Log

Cheese to room temp.

In a bowl, mix cheese & alcohol in a processor with salt and pepper until smooth.

Mix chilli with herbs and nuts, then sprinkle on a 30cm piece of plastic wrap, leaving a 2cm border.

Spoon cheese along one end of herbs. Lift wrap and roll cheese away from you into a log, pressing gently to coat well in herbs, shape the mixture into a log, then wrap and refrigerate for about an hour, until the mixture is firm.

Serve with crackers

Eggnog Bundt Cakes

  1. For eggnog, combine milk, cream, spices and vanilla in a small saucepan. Heat gently. Meanwhile whisk together the yolk and sugar. Gradually add warmed milk mixture to egg until all combined. Return to saucepan and continue cooking over a low heat until hot and slightly thickened. Remove, stir in rum and set aside to cool. Reserve 1 tablespoon for icing.
  2. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Lightly grease 6 x 1 cup capacity bundt tins and place onto a flat baking tray.
  3. Combine currants and rum. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until creamy and pale. Add eggs one at a time until well combined. Add dry ingredients and eggnog alternately until well combined and mixture is smooth. Spoon between prepared pans and bake for 25 minutes until golden and cooked through. Turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
  4. Mix together the icing sugar, reserved eggnog, water and some additional nutmeg if you prefer. Drizzle over cooled bundt cakes and finish with fresh cherries.

Traditional Christmas Puddings

  1. Combine fruit, cranberry sauce, brandy and spices in a large bowl, cover and leave to stand overnight.
  2. Brush 10 x 1 cup pudding basins (ramekins) or one 10 cup basin, with melted butter and line the base with baking paper.
  3. Mix eggs, butter, brown sugar and flour until well combined, then stir through fruit mixture.  Spoon mixture into prepared basins
  4. Cut a large circle of foil and baking paper, and place over each pudding, foil side up. Secure tightly with kitchen string.
  5. Place puddings in a large saucepan and add enough boiling water to fill halfway up the sides.  Cover and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook for  1 ¼ hours for the small puddings or 5 hours for the large pudding, replenishing water when needed.
  6. Remove from water and store well wrapped until Christmas.
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