Ricotta & Apricot Loaf with Thyme
Preparation 15 Minutes
Cook 50 Minutes
Serves 8-10
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line the base and sides of a 10 x 20cm loaf pan.
- Combine butter, eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk well. Add flour and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the ricotta, apricots and thyme. Spoon into prepared pan and sprinkle the top with almonds and thyme. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan.
Ingredients
125g butter, melted
2 extra large eggs
¾ cup raw sugar
1½ cups self-raising flour
250g fresh ricotta, roughly crumbled
½ cup ANGUS PARK Dried Apricot Halves, finely chopped
2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
1 tbsp SUNBEAM Slivered Almonds
Extra thyme leaves, for sprinkling
Recipe Collection
Gingerbread Decorations
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Place butter, sugar and golden syrup in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until creamy. Add egg and mix until well combined.
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Gently fold in the flour, almond meal and spices until a dough has formed. Shape into a flattened ball and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
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Pre-heat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced). Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to 5mm thickness. Using star and round shaped cutters, cut shapes and transfer to lined oven trays. Using a small piping nozzle, cut a hole in the top of each shape prior to baking. Re-roll the dough offcuts until all has been used.
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Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool on trays for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once cool, decorate the biscuits with icing and currants. Thread lengths of ribbon through the holes and tie. Decorate your Christmas tree or give as gifts.
Alternative option: Prior to baking, press flaked almonds or slivered almonds into the dough and bake. Once cooked and cool, dust with icing sugar.
Easy Florentines
Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan).Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
In a large bowl, combine Corn Flakes, almonds, sultanas and cherries, mix well.Pour over the sweetened condensed milk and stir to coat.
Place an egg ring onto prepared pan.Spoon the mixture into the egg ring, filling to the top and gently pressing down to compact.Remove egg ring and repeat, with remaining mixture, 6 biscuits on each tray.
Bake biscuits for 15 mins, swapping the trays around half way.Remove from oven and allow biscuits to cool completely on trays.
Melt the chocolate and brush onto the bases of each biscuit.Rest cookies on a baking rack, chocolate side up, to allow chocolate to set.
You will need a 7.5cm egg ring for this recipe
Rum & Raisin Trifle
Place the raisins, sultanas, currants, mixed peel, almonds and dates in a bowl and pour over 3/4 cup rum. Cover and allow to macerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Keep additional raisins seperate and add 1/4 cup rum these will be used for garnishing the trifle.
Pre heat the oven to 140 degrees C.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs and beat well.
Place the butter mixture, soaked fruit mixture, flour bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and allspice in a large bowl and stir to combine.
Line a 20cm square cake tin with two layers of non-stick baking paper.
Spoon in the mixture and bake for 2 hours or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
Cool in the tin. Once the cake has cooled remove from tin and freeze to semi-firm
Cut the fruit cake into 3cm pieces and decoratively line the base of trifle bowl & pour over the extra rum
Layer custard over fruit cake and repeat cake & custard layers if desired.
Whip caster sugar & thickened cream until stiff and add to trifle
Garnish with rum soaked raisins, and crushed ginger snaps
To make spun sugar, combine sugar with the water in small heavy-based saucepan. Stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves; bring to the boil.
Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, without stirring, until mixture is golden brown. Remove from heat; stand until bubbles subside. To make spun sugar, drizzle toffee between 2 wooden spoons over baking paper-lined oven tray.
Shape & stand at room temperature until set.
Sultana & White Chocolate Shortbread
Beat the butter and sugar until creamy, approximately 2-3 minutes, add the sifted flour, when almost combined add the sultanas, choc chips & continue to beat with the flat beaters until a firm dough is obtained, be aware that it does take time to bring it together. If you knead by hand it will take approximately 4 minutes of kneading.
Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes or even overnight.
Remove the dough from the fridge, and if very firm, gently knead, place the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll to ¼ inch thickness, cut out with your feastive cookie cutters, place on the prepared cookie sheets. Refrigerate the cookies while the oven is pre-heating, for about 15 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 160C. Line 1 or 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let sit 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
Almond & Sultana Snowballs
Blitz ingredients in a small blender or kitchen wiz until sticky and evenly combined.
Roll into small balls (about 1 tablespoon (30g) each).
Coat in extra almonds & desiccated coconut.
Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.
Keeps for up to 1 week refrigerated.
Gifting tip:
Pack them into a kraft paper box or clear cellophane bag tied with twine and a “Handmade with Love” tag for the perfect holiday treat
Lunchbox Muffins
Preheat oven to 180°C and line cupcake or muffin tray with paper cases.
- Combine the fruits, butter, sugar, spices, bicarbonate of soda and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring, then remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Add the eggs and beat well. Add flours to the mixture and beat well.
- Pour into paper cases and bake for 30 minutes, or until skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Allow to cool on rack.
