Layered Caramel Cake with Christmas Fruit Cream

Preparation Minutes

Cook Minutes

Serves

Method

Step 1: In a medium bowl soak Sunbeam fruit with orange rind, maple syrup & boiling water for 2 hours.

Step 2: Caramel Ganache.  In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt the caramilk chocolate and 400ml of cream to form a ganache. Once melted and well combined, stir and set aside to cool. Once the caramilk ganache has cooled, whip with a hand blender till firm.

Step 3: Fruit Cream. Remove orange rind and drain fruit of any excess liquid. Set liquid aside as you will use this later. In a large bowl whip 400ml cream, corn flour and All Spice until firm. Add fruit mix to cream and stir through.

Step 4: Assemble. Cut your sponge cake into halves so you have 4 pieces to form 4 layers. On each layer of the cake spread 2-3 tablespoons of the caramilk ganache followed by 2-3 tablespoons of the fruit cream mix – spread evenly and layer your cake.

Garnish with any leftover ganache and cream and top with seasonal fresh fruits.

Ingredients

1 x 460g Woolworths Double Unfilled Sponge

300g Sunbeam Sultanas or Raisins

Rind of 1 Orange

100ml Pure Maple Syrup

250ml Boiling Water

2 x 180g Caramilk Chocolate Blocks

900ml Thickened Cream

1 tbsp Corn Flour

2 tsp All Spice

Recipe Collection

Spiced Nuts & Seeds

  1. Pre-heat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Combine nuts and seeds in a large bowl with salt and spices.
  2. Combine oil and maple syrup and tip over nut mixture. Toss well.
  3. Spread onto a lined oven tray and bake for 12 minutes, tossing occasionally until toasted. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Fruit & Nut Hot Cross Truffles

  1. Combine mixed fruit, dates, seed mix,  hazelnuts, coconut, coconut oil and vanilla essence in a food processor and blend until a smooth, thick paste is formed.
  2. Divide into 25 equal portions and roll each  into a ball before flattening slightly.
  3. Pipe melted white chocolate crosses onto  truffles and refrigerate for at least 2 hours  before serving cold.

Turmeric Chicken Curry

  1. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add onion, ginger and garlic, cooking over low heat for 4-5 minutes until tender. Stir in spices and cook a further minute.

  2. Add coconut milk, chicken and almond meal to pan. Simmer over a low heat partially covered until chicken is cooked through.

  3. Serve curry sprinkled with flaked almonds, tomatoes and coriander. Accompany with rice and cucumber.

Couscous Dried Fruit Salad

Rinse the couscous under cold, running water.  Add to a saucepan with 750ml water, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 mins or until soft.  Drain and rinse under running water and set aside to cool completely.

Whisk together olive oil and lemon juice, season and pour over the cooled couscous.  Toss to coat. 

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Spoon into a presentation bowl to serve.

This salad can be served cold or at room temperature.

Moghrabieh can be substituted for Israeli (pearl) couscous.  Simply follow the cooking instructions on the packet as they can vary.

Baked Brie with Fruit & Nuts

 

Soak dried fruit in maple syrup & hot water to coat for 15–20 mins until plump and sticky. The longer the soak the plumper the fruit gets.

Score the top of the brie (light cross-hatch), place on a baking dish or lined tray. Bake at 180°C for 10 mins, until soft and gooey.

Top with the soaked fruit mixture and a little extra maple syrup.

Serve warm with crusty bread & crackers

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!

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