Sticky Date Christmas Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce
Preparation Minutes
Cook Minutes
Serves 12
Method
TO MAKE THE PUDDING
1. Combine dates, mixed fruit, 280ml water, sugars, salt and butter in large saucepan. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 8 mins.
2. Add bicarbonate of soda, stir well and allow to cool completely (preferably overnight).
3. Once completely cool, add eggs, flours, spices and rum. Mix well.
4. Generously grease inside the pudding bowl. Pour the mixture into tin then cover with a layer of baking paper and a layer of foil and secure tightly with kitchen string.
5. Place a small cooling rack or an upturned oven-safe dish into the base of a large saucepan. Place pudding bowl on top so that it is not directly touching the bottom of the pan. Fill saucepan with boiling water to come half way up the sides of the pudding bowl. Bring water to the boil then reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for 3 hours. Remove pudding from water, allow to cool completely before removing pudding from tin.
TO MAKE SAUCE
1. Combine cream, butter and sugar in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat until all ingredients combined.
2. Stir in salt.
Ingredients
You will need an 8 cup capacity pudding bowl for this recipe
450g Pitted Dates
375g SUNBEAM, Mixed Fruit
¾ cup caster sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
Pinch of sea salt
130g butter, plus extra to grease tin
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 large eggs
1 ½ cup self raising flour
1 ½ cup plain flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp rum
SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
300ml thickened cream
80g butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
Recipe Collection
Fruit Mix Ice-cream Bombs
Remove Ice-cream from the freezer & stand in the fridge for 20 min to soften; do not melt completely.
Line 6 x 180ml dariole moulds or similar with plastic wrap. Put the fruit mince, sherry and almonds in a large mixing bowl, add the softened ice-cream & gently stir to combine.
Spoon the ice-cream mix into each pre-pared mould.
Return moulds to the freezer & freeze for 5 hours or till firm.
Put the sugar & egg whites in small bowl, beat until soft peaks form. Approx 10 min
Turn out the ice-cream moulds, invert onto tray,
Spoon or pipe meringue onto each ice-cream mould.
Blow torch to brown meringue or bake at 220C for 5 min
Traditional Christmas Puddings
- Combine mixed fruit, raisins, brandy and cranberry sauce in a large bowl. Cover and set aside overnight or for at least 2 hours.
- Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, beat in maple syrup. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Stir butter mixture, sifted self-raising flour and spices, fresh breadcrumbs and almonds into soaked fruit, mixing well.
- Grease a 2 litre and 1 litre capacity pudding basin and a line both the bases with a double layer of baking paper. Fill mixture into the large basin to approximately 3cm from top of basin. Spoon remainder into small basin and smooth tops. Double line each of the tops of the puddings with baking paper rounds.
- Take a 60cm long piece of baking paper and 60cm piece of foil, layer and fold in half, make a 3cm pleat in the middle (this allows for any expansion of the pudding). Place sheets over large pudding and secure tightly with string. Repeat process for small pudding.
- Place wire racks onto the base of a large and a medium saucepan and fill both one third with water and bring to the boil. Carefully place puddings onto wire rack in each saucepan making sure the water level comes about halfway up each pudding basin. Cover and simmer the large pudding 6 hours and the small pudding for 4 hours. Replenish with boiling water when needed.
- Serve with custard or cream with a dash of brandy added.
Hot Cross Bun Waffles
Cut Hot cross bun in half
Heat your waffle iron and place both halves on the waffle iron to toast
Scoop vanilla ice-cream and place between the toasted bun
Drizzle with chocolate sauce and serve.
Walnut & Sultana Monkey Bread
Prepare the dough: The dough comes together with a mixer. You can also make the dough by hand, but it requires a bit of arm muscle. After the dough comes together in the mixing bowl, it’s time to knead. You can simply continue beating the dough with the mixer for this step or you can knead the dough by hand.
Let the dough rise: The dough rises in about 1-2 hours in a relatively warm environment.
Punch down the dough: Punch down the dough to release the air.
Shape & coat dough balls: Pull off little pieces of dough and roll into balls. Dunk the balls into melted butter, then coat with cinnamon sugar. Little bakers love to help out with this step! Good thing to note: the heavier the cinnamon-sugar coating, the more these little monkey bread bites will taste like gooey cinnamon rolls.
Let the shaped monkey bread rest for 20 minutes: Arrange the coated balls in a flat oven proof pan or a cast iron pan, cover lightly, then set aside to rest as you preheat the oven. The balls will slightly rise during this time.
Top with buttery brown sugar sauce: Before baking the monkey bread, mix melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract together. Stir in the nuts. Pour any remaining sauce sauce all over the dough balls.
Bake:
Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 40 minutes.
Invert onto serving plate: Allow the monkey bread to cool for 5-10 minutes, then invert it onto a serving plate.
Drizzle with vanilla icing: Whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Drizzle all over the warm monkey bread. Top with extra nuts
Toasted Almond & Blueberry Salad
- Toast almonds in a pan on medium heat then set aside.
- Wash berries and slice strawberries into halves.
- Crumble blue cheese and combine salad ingredients together.
- Combine dressing ingredients and blend until smooth, pour over salad when serving.
Date Cookies
- Pre-heat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Line oven trays with baking paper. Place oats, flour, dates and pepitas in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Remove to a mixing bowl.
- Place butter and honey in a small saucepan and heat until melted. Add to oat mixture with the banana and mix well. Spoon tablespoons of mixture onto prepared trays. Bake for 20 minutes or until just golden. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
