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
Simnel Cake
Preheat the oven to 180degress.
Butter the walls of your Bundt tin well.
Chop your glace cherries into quarters and mix into your mixed fruit.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and add the lemon zest.
Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and ground almonds into a bowl and stir to combine.
Into the whipped butter and sugar mix, add 1 of the eggs with a quarter of the dry ingredients.
Add in the other 2 eggs in the same way, followed by the rest of the dry mix remaining.
Mix in the mix, then the fold in the fruit.
Spoon the mixture evenly around the Bundt tin and smooth out the mix.
Bake on 180degrees for 30 minutes and then turn down the oven to 150 degrees for 1.5 hours or until the cake has risen and a skewer comes out clean.
Let the cake rest for 15 minutes before turning it out to cool further.
For the icing, mix the icing sugar, milk and orange juice together and pour over and enjoy!
Fancy Fruit and Nut Cake
Preheat oven to 150°C
- Grease a standard loaf tin (21 x 13cm or larger). Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 6cm above rim to form a collar.
- Coarsely chop half the nuts, glacé fruit and cherries and place in a large bowl (reserve the remainder of each for topping). Add raisins and dates and stir to combine.
- Sift flours and cinnamon, then stir 1⁄4 cup into the fruit mixture.
- Beat eggs, sugar, 2 tablespoons of brandy and rind together until light. Add remaining flour and stir to combine, then fold through fruit mixture. Spoon into prepared tin/s and press down with back of a spoon.
- Cut remaining glacé fruits into quarters. Press gently on top of cake along with whole nuts and whole cherries.
- Cover top of cake with paper bag or baking paper, resting on the collar. Bake large cake for 11⁄2-13⁄4 hours or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool in tin.
- Place apricot conserve and remaining brandy in a small saucepan. Simmer, stirring for 3 minutes. Strain, then brush over cake. To serve, cut into thick slices.
Orange & Olive Oil Almond Cakes (Gluten Free)
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line 12 x ⅓ cup capacity muffin moulds with paper cases.
- Combine flour, almond meal, sugar and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, milk, eggs and orange rind until well combined. Add to flour mixture and mix until smooth. Pour between paper cases and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake for 20 minutes.Tip:
For those avoiding dairy, simply substitute the cows milk with your milk of choice.
Walnut Cheese Log
Cheese to room temp.
In a bowl, mix cheese & alcohol in a processor with salt and pepper until smooth.
Mix chilli with herbs and nuts, then sprinkle on a 30cm piece of plastic wrap, leaving a 2cm border.
Spoon cheese along one end of herbs. Lift wrap and roll cheese away from you into a log, pressing gently to coat well in herbs, shape the mixture into a log, then wrap and refrigerate for about an hour, until the mixture is firm.
Serve with crackers
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.
Pistachio & Fruit Cheesecake
- Cover Angas Park Apricots in 100ml maple syrup & 50ml water in bowl. Cover Angas Park Fruit Medley in 150ml of maple syrup and 50ml water in another bowl. Set both aside to soak.
- In a food processor blend almonds and almond meal until fine crumb. Mix almond crumb with melted butter, press into bottom of cake tin. Preheat oven to 180ºC & bake 15 min.
- Mix room temperature cream cheese until fluffy. Dissolve gelatine powder in boiling water. Add gelatine, condensed milk, melted white chocolate to cream cheese & combine until smooth.
- Fold well-drained fruit medley into cake mix then pour over cooled almond base in springform cake tin. Refrigerate until set (Approx. 6 hours).
- Remove cheesecake from tin and serve with drained apricots and chopped pistachios for garnish.
