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
Christmas Cake Friands (GF)
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Lightly grease 12 x ⅓ cup capacity muffin pans.
- Place fruit and brandy in a microwave proof dish and cook on medium heat for 30 seconds. Set aside to cool.
- Sift icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir in the almond meal and flour.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Mix in the butter and add to the icing sugar mixture. Stirring until well combined.
- Pour mixture between prepared moulds and bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans and cool completely on a cooling rack.
- For icing, combine icing sugar and water mixing until smooth. Allow to sit until desired consistency is achieved. Spoon over each cake and finish with lemon rind and raspberries.
Twisted Christmas Bread Wreath
Christmas Cheesecake
Preheat oven to 180oC (160oC fan). Generously grease a 20cm round, loose-bottom (or springform) tin. Line the base with baking paper.
In the bowl of a food processor, add biscuits. Blitz to a fine crumb. Add 250g of the melted butter and blitz until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and use a spatula to gentle push half of the mixture up the sides of the tin. Spread remaining mixture evenly over the base (using a drinking glass can help to compact the mixture around the sides and base). Refrigerate.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine remaining butter with sugar and whisk until combined. With the motor running, add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add cream cheese, quark, sour cream and vanilla, whisk until smooth. Add cornflour and mix until incorporated.
Add peel and sultanas and gently fold through the cream mixture, then spoon into the prepared base and smooth the surface.
Bake cheesecake for 10mins then reduce oven temperature to 170°C (150°C fan) and bake for a further 50 mins. Turn off the oven, leaving the door slightly open, allow cheesecake to sit in the oven for a further hour until the edges of the cheesecake feel firm when gently pressed.
Allow the cheesecake to cool completely at room temperature then remove sides of tin and transfer cheesecake to refrigerator to cool overnight.
To make the meringue decoration, place the egg whites and caster sugar in a large bowl and whip into soft peaks. Spoon the meringue on top of the cheese cake and shape with a spatula. Use kitchen blow torch to lightly crisp the outside of the meringue. Serve and enjoy!
Strawberry Almond Slice
Friand meets slice, equals utterly delicious
Apple Pie with Raisins
Pre-heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).
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Peel and core apples, cutting into eighths. Tossing in a saucepan with the lemon juice as they are prepared.
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Add the raisins, sugar, butter and cinnamon stick to the apples. Simmer, stirring often for 10 minutes until sugar has dissolved and apples are just tender. Set aside to cool.
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Press one of the pastry sheets into a lightly oiled round 22 x 5cm pie dish. Trimming edges where required. Brush edges with egg wash. Sprinkle the base with almond meal. Cut the second pastry sheet into 3cm wide strips.
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Spoon cooled apple mixture into pie dish, discarding any excess liquid. Lay strips of pastry over the top of the apple mixture, to form a lattice pattern. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with almonds and the additional sugar. Bake for 35 minutes until pastry is golden. Serve warm with cream.
Apple & Sultana Crumble Cake
1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Lightly grease a 22cm spring form pan and line the base with baking paper.
2. Place butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time until well incorporated.
3. Add sour cream, followed by the flour, almond meal and spice. Mix until batter is smooth. Add sultanas, mixing in well. Spoon into prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with diced apples.
4. For the crumble, combine oats, sugar and butter in a bowl and using fingertips, rub to combine so mixture resembles chunky breadcrumbs. Mix in the almonds. Sprinkle over apples and bake for 1 hour or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Serve warm with custard or cream.
