Spiced Currant Biscuits
Preparation 10 Minutes
Cook 20 Minutes
Serves 15
Method
- Sift the flour and spices into a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric beaters until thick and pale, then add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold ii the flour mixture slowly, then stir in currants and lemon zest. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out dough 4-5mm thick then cut with a round biscuit cutter and place on the trays. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling the trimmings.
- Sprinkle biscuits with extra sugar. Bake for 10 minutes until firm to touch but still pale. Cool on trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Ingredients
3 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
225g salted butter, at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp extra to sprinkle
2 eggs
3/4 cup Sunbeam currants
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Recipe Collection
Sunbeam Raisin Toast
Gather the ingredients.
Yeast needs warm water to activate, not hot. Just warm. Sprinkle your packet of yeast over the top of the warm water. You don’t even need to stir it in.
Once you get the yeast on the water, add about a teaspoon of granulated sugar.
After a couple of minutes it will start to look cloudy and have a little bit of foam on top.
Once you see the foam, & bubbling you’re ready to use your yeast in this recipe.
In a large bowl, combine the Sunbeam raisins, warm milk, butter, sugar, and salt; stir to dissolve the sugar. Let the mixture cool to lukewarm.
Stir 1 1/2 cups of the flour into the milk mixture and beat until smooth.
Add the yeast mixture and the beaten eggs to the milk mixture and mix to blend well.
Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft but stiff dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Butter or oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the greased bowl. Turn it over to grease the entire surface of the dough.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it stand in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Punch the dough down and divide it into two equal portions. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Shape the dough into two loaves and place them in two greased 8-by-4-inch loaf pans.
Cover the pans with a kitchen towel and let the loaves rise for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until the dough has almost doubled in bulk. Then preheat oven to 180c.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Place foil over the loaves for the last 10 minutes if they look overly brown.
Remove the loaves from the pans and let them cool on racks.
Toast & enjoy!
Choc Date Balls
- Place the dates, sultanas and oats in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until pureed.
- Gently warm the coconut oil and honey in the microwave until oil is liquid. Add to the date mixture with the cacao, water and orange rind. Mix well.
- Roll teaspoonsful into balls and roll in pepitas. Refrigerate until required.
Chocolate Caramel Tart
Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. In a large bowl add Sunbeam Almond Meal, sugar the butter and egg and combine until a breadcrumb texture. Spoon into a greased 23cm (base measurement) fluted loose base tart tin. Press mixture to line the base and sides of the tin. Making sure you have made even base and sides, the palm of your hand for the base. Freeze for 15 minutes. Place the tart shell on a baking tray and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool.
Combine the Nestle Sweetened Condensed Milk, golden syrup and half the extra butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 5-7 minutes or until golden in colour and caramel thickens. Remove from heat and immediately pour into the pastry case. Use a small palette knife to smooth the surface.
Place the chocolate, cream and remaining extra butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water and stir with a metal spoon for 5 minutes or until chocolate melts and mixture is glossy. Pour over the caramel and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Set aside for 30 minutes to set.
Toast almond in moderate oven for 10mins then roughly blitz to make nut sprinkles to decorate, add gold leaf & fresh berries. Cut into wedges to serve.
Note: Packets of edible gold leaf are available from the baking aisle. Use tweezers to arrange pieces of
Festive Fruit Cake
Preheat the oven to 150°C. Line the base and sides of a 20cm springform cake pan.
Mix nuts, dried fruits, glace cherries, peel in a bowl. Sift in flour, baking powder then stir in sugar. Lightly whisk eggs with vanilla, then stir into the cake mixture until well combined. Pour into pan. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack over a plate and remove baking paper. Pierce all over with a skewer. Drizzle with brandy, then wrap tightly in foil and leave in a cool, dry place for 2-3 days to mature.
For the topping: Soak fruit in Maple syrup, add boiling water to cover and let soften. Closer to serving, warm jam in a pan over low heat or in the microwave until runny. Arrange the maple-soaked fruits over the top of the cake in a decorative pattern, then brush with warm jam to set in place.
Moroccan Chicken with Raisins, Almonds and Honey
Pat chicken dry with paper towel, and sprinkle both sides of meat with salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil into a large heavy-based pot over medium-high heat.
When oil is shimmering, add half the chicken pieces and cook 5 – 7 mins per side, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
Reduce heat to medium, and add onion, garlic, ras el hanout, cinnamon stick, and ginger to the hot oil. Stir well, then cook for 5 mins, until onions have started to soften.
Return chicken and any resting juices to the pot. Add stock, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1.5 hrs, until the chicken is tender.
Remove cinnamon stick and add raisins and honey to the pot. Gently stir to combine and increase heat to medium. Simmer uncovered, for a further 30 – 45 min, until the sauce has reduced and the raisins are plump. Stir through lemon juice.
Garnish with almonds and parsley. Serve with crusty bread, rice, or couscous.
Hot Cross Sultana Muffins
Cream together the butter, sugar and orange rind until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Sift together the flour, cinnamon and combine with the Sultana Bran, Sunbeam Sultanas and walnuts. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternatively with yogurt, until just combined. Spoon mixture into greased muffin pans filling ¾ full. Pipe on crosses. Bake in moderate oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve Warm.
Crosses:
Mix flour and water to a smooth paste. Fill into a small plastic bag, cut a small hole across the corner and use to pipe crosses.
