Christmas Nougat

Preparation 20 Minutes

Cook 20 Minutes

Serves 8

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Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Lightly brush a 15cm square cake pan with oil. Line the base with 1 sheet of rice paper.2Spread pistachios over baking tray. Bake for 4-5 minutes, until toasted.

Set aside to cool.3In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, honey, glucose and water, and stir over low heat for 5-7 minutes, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil, without stirring, for 20 minutes, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water.

Remove from heat.4Meanwhile, in a clean bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg-white and rosewater together until stiff peaks form. With the motor running, pour hot sugar syrup into the egg-white mixture in a thin, steady stream.

Using a metal spoon, stir in pistachios and cranberries. Pour into prepared pan. Press firmly into the base.

Top with the remaining rice paper sheet. Set aside in a cool, dry place for 4 hours to set.

Turn nougat onto a chopping board and cut into 3cm squares to serve.

Ingredients

2 edible rice paper sheets

1 cup pistachio kernels

1 1/3 cup caster sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup liquid glucose

2 tablespoon water

1 egg-white

2 teaspoon rosewater

1 1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup Angas Park dried blueberries

1/2 cup SUNBEAM Currants

Recipe Collection

Almond Star Bread

Preheat the oven to 180℃.  

 To make the Spiced Almond Cream: place butter and sugar into a stand mixer bowl. Mix for 2 minutes, until smooth. Slowly add the whisked eggs, salt and vanilla and mix again to incorporate. Fold in the almond meal and cinnamon and fold through with a wooden spoon to incorporate.  

Slice each piece of puff pastry into 4 x 25cm circles.  

Place one dough circle onto a piece of baking paper and spread 1 tablespoon of the Spiced Almond Cream evenly over the top. Stack the next dough circle on top and repeat with more Spiced Almond Cream. Repeat again with the final two dough circles.  

Place a round object, about 7-8cm wide into the centre of the circle and make an indent, which becomes the centre of the star.   

Cut the dough into 16 evenly spaced strips, starting from the indent to the edge of the dough. Take two strips next to each other and roll them away from each other. Press the two ends together to join. Repeat with the remaining 14 strips until each are twisted and paired up.  

Transfer the star on the baking paper to a large baking tray. Brush with egg water wash and sprinkle over the flaked almonds. Place into the oven and bake for 25 minutes until puffed up and golden brown.   

Remove from the oven, allow to cool and then dust with icing sugar, to serve.  

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Toasted Hazelnuts

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line an oven tray with baking paper.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Easter 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.

Custard-stuffed Hot Cross Doughnuts

Place the water, sultanas, currants, cinnamon, vanilla bean and honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer to cook for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Liqueur 43 (if using). Set aside for 30 minutes to steep and cool. Discard the vanilla bean and cinnamon quill. Drain through a sieve set over a jug, reserving the steeping liquid. Set aside.
To make the custard, place custard powder in a saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk and mix until smooth and well combined. Stir in the remaining milk, then add the cream. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens. Add the chopped chocolate and mix until smooth. Set aside to cool. Spoon into a piping bag and place in the fridge until required.
Place the warmed milk in a jug. Add the yeast and 3 tablespoons of reserved steeping liquid to the warm milk. Set aside in a warm spot for 5-10 minutes until foaming. Place flour, mixed spice and butter into the bowl of a large food processor (your processor needs to be at least 12 cups). Process until butter is incorporated. With the motor running, pour the milk mixture and egg. Process for 1-2 minutes or until dough has formed a ball and is smooth and elastic. If the dough is a bit to sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it is the right consistency. Add drained sultanas and pulse to combine. Turn onto a floured surface and bring the dough together. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl. cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour or until mixture has doubled in size.
Line two trays with baking paper. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes, knocking the air out. Cut the dough into 16 even portions. Roll each portion into a ball and place on the lined tray and flatten slightly, allowing a little room between each to expand. Cover with a tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes to prove.
Place 4 doughnuts in the wire basket of an air fryer and brush with melted butter. Air fry at 180°C for 8 minutes or until crisp and golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts. (Alternatively, heat a saucepan of vegetable oil to 160°C and deep-fry doughnuts, turning halfway through, for 2-3 minutes or until golden and cooked through).
Cut a small slit into the base of each doughnut. Pipe custard into the slit on the base of each doughnut. Return to the rack, cut side down.Step 7
Brush the doughnuts with the remaining reserved steeping liquid and set aside for 5 minutes to set.
Place the melted white chocolate melts into a piping bag. Snip the corner and pipe a cross over each doughnut. Set aside for 5 minutes to set.

Spiced Lemon Cake

Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).

  1.  Place butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer, beat until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until well incorporated.

  2. Fold in the sifted flour, almond meal, baking powder and spice alternately with the sour cream, mixing until well combined. Add lemon juice and rind, mixing well.

  3. Spoon batter into a greased and lined 20cm square cake pan. Sprinkle the pine nuts and currants over the top and bake for 40- 45 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

  4. For the syrup: Place sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until reduced, thick and syrupy. Remove cinnamon stick.

  5. Drizzle the syrup evenly over the cake, allowing it to be absorbed. Allow to cool in the pan for 1 hour. Serve cake pieces with a dollop of thick cream or yoghurt.

Salted Caramel Easter Scrolls

  1. Whisk together milk, 1 tsp caster sugar and 2 tsp yeast and set aside for 10 mins until frothy. Whisk in 2 of the eggs.
  2. Combine remaining sugar and flour in a large bowl, using a whisk to beat. Add yeast/eggs mixture and use a wooden spoon to stir until the mixture just comes together, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and slowly incorporate the butter while kneading the dough. Once all the butter has been incorporated, add the sultanas and currants and continue to knead for a further 3-4 mins or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  3. Grease a large bowl with extra butter, then place dough inside, brush with a little extra melted butter then cover with a clean tea towel and place somewhere warm to prove for 1 hour (or until doubled in size).
  4. Meanwhile, to make salted caramel, add sugar to a medium, heavy-based saucepan. Stir constantly until sugar has completely dissolved then remove from heat, whisk in butter (be careful as it will spit) then pour in thickened cream in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Whisk in salt then set aside and allow to cool.
  5. Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan).
  6. Once dough has risen, lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll dough out to a 30x40cm rectangle shape with the long side facing you. Spread half the salted caramel over the top (leave a 2cm border around each edge), then roll the long side up into a tight scroll.
  7. Cut the scroll into 12 even, smaller rolls then arrange closely in a greased 18x22cm rectangular tin. Whisk remaining egg with a splash of water and brush over the rolls, then bake for 20-25 mins (you may need to cover with foil after 10 mins if your rolls are browning too quickly) until golden and the rolls sound hollow when tapped. Serve warm from the oven with extra salted caramel.
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