Christmas, Dinner, Entertaining, Lunch, Recipes, Savoury, Special Occasions
Preparation 10 Minutes
Cook 2 hours Minutes
Serves 6
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the pumpkin halves, cut-side up, on a baking tray. Brush the cut side with 1 tbs oil. Roast for 1 1/4 hours or until just tender. Set aside to cool.
Use a spoon to remove pumpkin seeds and membrane and discard. Meanwhile, arrange the walnuts & hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast for 3-5 mins or until toasted. Set aside to cool. Coarsely chop
Heat the remaining 1 tbs oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 4 mins or until softened. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 secs or until aromatic. Stir in the mushrooms & lemon thyme.
Place the onion mixture, breadcrumbs, egg, fetta, baby spinach, currants and nuts in a large bowl and stir to combine. Season.
Divide mixture among pumpkin shells and press down firmly. Carefully place the pumpkin shells together and tie with kitchen string to secure. Place on a baking tray and roast for 45 mins or until heated through. Transfer to a serving platter.
Ingredients
2kg butternut pumpkin, halved lengthways
2 tbsp olive oil
50g (1/2 cup) Sunbeam Australian Walnuts
55g (1/3 cup) Sunbeam Australian Hazelnuts
105g (1 1/2 cups) Fresh sourdough breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)
Diced mushrooms
100g Danish feta, crumbled
1 egg, lightly whisked
2 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs, to serve
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
30g baby spinach leaves, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
100g (¾ Cup) Sunbeam Australian Currants
Recipe Collection
Baked Sweet Potatoes with Toasted Hazelnuts
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line an oven tray with baking paper.
- Rub sweet potatoes in half the olive oil and place onto baking tray. Roast for approx. 45 minutes or until just cooked all the way through.
- Heat remaining oil in a small fryingpan. Add hazelnuts and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden. Add sesame seeds, cumin and thyme. Cook a further 1-2 minutes, remove from heat and stir in the lemon rind, season well.
- For serving, cut down the centre of each sweet potato and push out to make a small cavity. Top each with the hazelnut mixture, crumble over the feta and drizzle with lemon juice, additional oil and the harissa.
Cinnamon Scrolls
Transfer warm milk to the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Add in sugar, egg, egg yolk and melted butter. Mix until well combined.
Stir in flour, salt, currants and sultanas until a dough begins to form.
Place dough hook on stand mixer and knead dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. Dough should form into a nice ball.
Transfer dough ball into an oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Allow dough to rise for approximately an hour, or until doubled in size.
After dough has doubled in size, transfer dough to a well-floured surface and roll out into a 35x22cm rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough.
In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Use your hands to sprinkle mixture over the buttered dough followed by the currants, then press into the butter.
Tightly roll dough up, starting from the shorter side and place seam-side down making sure to seal the edges of the dough as best you can.
Cut into 1 inch sections with a serrated knife. You should get 9 large pieces.
Place cinnamon scrolls in a greased 23x23cm baking pan or round 23cm cake pan. Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel and let rise again for 30-45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Remove clingwrap and bake for 20-25 minutes or until just slightly golden brown on the edges. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before frosting.
Makes 9 cinnamon scrolls.
To make the frosting:
In the bowl using electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth, light and fluffy.
Twisted Christmas Bread Wreath
Chocolate & Prune Pudding
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Remove from pot and either serve immediately, or leave in the basin and refrigerate until required.
- 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.
- For mascarpone cream, fold mixed spice into mascarpone and set aside until required.
- 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.
Christmas 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, biscuit and nuts.
Refrigerate until set. Break bark into pieces to serve.
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.
