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
Aussie 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.
Quick and Easy Christmas Pudding
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Place fruit and brandy in microwaveable bowl and heat for 1 minute or until warmed through. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.
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Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift flour and mixed spice over butter mixture, then stir in breadcrumbs and fruit mixture. Mix well.
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Grease and flour a 1.5L microwaveable bowl. Spoon mixture into bowl and smooth top. Cover with a pleated, double-layer of baking paper secured with kitchen string.
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Cook in microwave on defrost setting (300W) for 30 minutes, rotating the bowl after 20 minutes. Test with a skewer inserted into pudding. If it doesn’t come out clean, microwave at 5 minute intervals until done. Leave pudding to stand for 10 minutes before turning onto a plate. Serve with custard.
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.
Tomato & Raisin Chutney
- Place tomatoes, onion, sugar, vinegar, raisins, spices and salt into a large saucepan. Heat over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Increased heat and bring to a simmer, cooking for approximately 1 hour, until thickened and reduced. Stirring often throughout cooking time to prevent sticking to the bottom.
- Place washed and rinsed jars into an oven so they are hot. Remove to a benchtop and pour chutney between the jars. Wipe clear covers with vinegar and place over the top of each jar, sealing with an elastic band. Allow to cool before screwing jar lids on and decorating for giving as gifts.
Once opened, store chutney in the refrigerator.
Chocolate Fruit Truffles
- Add chocolate to a food processor and blitz until very finely chopped.
- Transfer chocolate to a bowl, pour over the hot thickened cream, add butter, currants and salt and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours until firm but still able to be scooped with a spoon.
- To make truffles, scoop 1 heaped tbsp of the mixture and use clean hands to roll into a rough ball. Repeat with remaining mixture (you should make about 24)
- Arrange crushed nuts, desiccated coconut and cacao powder in separate bowls. Roll each of the truffles into different coatings to decorate.*to make coloured coconut we combined desiccated coconut with a few drops of food colouring
Walnut Sultana Zucchini Carrot Cake
Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan). Grease and line base and sides of two x 22.5cm (9”) round baking tins.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with beater attachment, combine zucchini, carrot, flour, sugar, 50g of walnuts, sultanas and spices. Mix on low until just combined.
Whisk together oil and eggs then add to the zucchini mixture and beat on low until just combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tins, smoothing the surfaces. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in tins for an hour, then invert onto a baking rack to cool completely.
To make the icing, combine butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk until smooth. Add sifted icing sugar and whisk until smooth and fluffy.
To decorate, spread half the icing on top of one cake. Arrange the second cake on top and spread with remaining icing. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts to decorate.
