Sunbeam Christmas Pudding
Preparation 15 MINS + overnight cooling
Cook 6 hours
Serves 12
Method
In a large saucepan combine all dried fruits with 300ml water, butter and caster sugar. Stir well to combine, then bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and stir over a simmer for 8 mins. Turn off the heat and stir in bicarbonate of soda. Cover and allow mixture to cool completely overnight.
Soak breadcrumbs in milk until just absorbed. Add to the mixture with lemon zest, almonds, carrot, flour and spices. Mix well then stir in eggs, brandy and orange juice.
Grease the base and sides of a 2L lidded pudding basin. Spoon the mixture into the basin then smooth the surface and cover with a round of baking paper before closing the lid.
Place a trivet into the bottom of a large saucepan and rest the pudding basin on top. Fill the saucepan with enough boiling water to come half way up the basin. Cover the saucepan with lid, bring the water to a boil then reduce to very low simmer and leave the pudding to steam for 6 hours.
Check that the pudding is done by gently pressing gently the centre. If it springs back it’s ready (f not, re-cover and steam for a further 30 mins, repeating if necessary).
Allow pudding to cool in the tin for an hour then invert onto a baking rack to cool completely.
Ingredients
250g Sunbeam Raisins
250g Sunbeam Sultanas
165g Sunbeam Currants
125g Angas Park Prunes, roughly chopped
125g Angas Park Mixed Peel
165g butter
165g caster sugar
1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
165g fresh, white breadcrumbs
125ml milk
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
60g blanched almonds
1 medium carrot, grated
85g plain flour
¼ tsp sea salt
2 tsp mixed spice
2 eggs, lightly whisked
60ml brandy
165ml orange juice
Recipe Collection
Australian Ice-cream Pudding
Preheat oven to 180oC.
Brush a 2 litre pudding basin with vegetable oil, then line with plastic wrap, trying to keep wrap smooth without wrinkles. Place in the freezer to chill. In a bowl combine Sultanas, Raisins, cranberries, apricots, Macadamias and orange liqueur. Leave to soak for 30 minutes. Place softened ice cream in a large bowl stir in soaked fruit. Fold in whipped cream and pour mixture into prepared pudding basin. Place in the freezer and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
To prepare orange cake, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in Almond Meal, orange juice and rind. Pour into a greased and paper lined 20cm cake tin and bake for 1 hour. Allow too cool in the tin, before turning out onto a board.
To finish pudding, ease ice-cream pudding from basin and place on top of cake. Trim the cake edges if required and serve cut into thick slices.
Sunbeam Traditional Fruit Cake
You will need a 21cm round tin for this recipe (base measurement)
- Soak fruit overnight in brandy, if you warm the brandy it infuses faster and you can soak for a few hours instead of overnight.
- Place soaked fruit, water, butter, maple syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil then remove from heat and add bicarbonate of soda mixed with one tablespoon boiling water. Cool for 15 minutes. Add lightly beaten eggs, mixing thoroughly. Fold in sifted flours, spices and vanilla essence.
- Preheat oven to 160ºC. We used a 21cm bundt tin. Spoon batter into the prepared tin, using a spatula to smooth the surface. Bake for up to 75 to 90 minutes or until the cake springs back when gently pressed in the centre. Allow cake to cool in the tin for an hour then invert onto a cooling rake to remove. Allow to cool completely.
TIP: Liquor can be substituted with flavoured syrup or orange juice.
Optional cinnamon burnt buttercream: Heat 500g butter in a large frypan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until a deep golden colour. Pour the butter and milk solids into a heatproof bowl and refrigerate until hard. Remove burnt butter from fridge for 1 hour to soften then add 250g of the butter to a stand mixer and beat for 4-5 mins until creamy. Add 320g sifted icing sugar mixture, ½ tsp ground cinnamon and 2 tbsp milk and beat for a further 6 mins or until light and fluffy.
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.
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.
Sultana & Orange Friands
In a small saucepan heat the sultanas in orange juice, when the juice starts to bubble turn heat off and set aside to infuse.
Preheat oven to 180°C & Lightly grease a friand tin
Place egg whites in a medium bowl; whisk lightly with fork until combined. Add butter, milk, extract, ground almonds, orange rind, sifted icing sugar and flour; stir until combined.
Drain any excess liquid from sultanas and add to the mix & combine.
Pour mixture into pan; Bake friands 20 minutes; or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Stand friands 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.
For the icing | In a bowl using an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth, light and fluffy. Use a piping bag to swirl icing across cooled friands, sprinkle with diced pistachios.
Dust the friands with sifted extra icing sugar & optional rose petals before serving.
White Christmas Tree Bites
- Line the inside of 12 ice-cream cones with baking paper, using a stapler or sticky tape to secure paper.
- Place white chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (ensuring bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water) and stir until the chocolate has melted and is smooth. Remove from heat.
- Allow to cool then add all the other ingredients and stir to coat. Spoon into the prepared lined cones Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set before serving.
