Twisted Christmas Bread Wreath

Preparation Minutes

Cook Minutes

Serves

Method

Ingredients

Recipe Collection

Pumpkin Fruit Cake

Preheat oven to 160⁰C. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin.

  1. Bring to the boil mixed fruit, sugar, syrup, butter and apricot nectar, stirring all the time and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add bicarbonate of soda. Allow mixture to cool.
  2. Add eggs and pumpkin. Beat till smooth. Then add flours and mix well to combine.
  3. Place in tin and bake for 90 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Traditional Christmas Puddings

  1. Combine mixed fruit, raisins, brandy and cranberry sauce in a large bowl. Cover and set aside overnight or for at least 2 hours.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Serve with custard or cream with a dash of brandy added.

Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Lightly grease a 4 cup capacity baking dish.
  2. Combine flour, almond meal, sugar and cocoa in a large mixing bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs and milk. Add to the dry ingredients with the raisins and mix well. Spoon into baking dish.
  4. For the sauce, combine the water, sugar and cocoa. Pour over the batter in the baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes until cake is cooked. Serve warm with ice-cream, cream or custard.

Turmeric Chicken Curry

  1. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add onion, ginger and garlic, cooking over low heat for 4-5 minutes until tender. Stir in spices and cook a further minute.

  2. Add coconut milk, chicken and almond meal to pan. Simmer over a low heat partially covered until chicken is cooked through.

  3. Serve curry sprinkled with flaked almonds, tomatoes and coriander. Accompany with rice and cucumber.

Carrot & Sultana Cake

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line two 20cm cake tins.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb, spices and salt. Stir to combine.

In a stand mixer, beat the eggs, sugars, oil and vanilla until smooth. Add half of the flour mix and mix on low speed until combined. Add remaining flour mix and mix on low speed again until all of the flour is incorporated. Add the pineapple and sultanas. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

Divide evenly between the prepared tins and bake for 40 mins or until cooked. Rotate the cakes after 20 mins. (You can test with a skewer, and the cake is ready when the skewer comes out clean.)

Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 mins, then transfer to cooling racks and leave until cooled.

Meanwhile, prepare the icing.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until very pale and creamy, about 4 mins. Add half of the sifted icing sugar and beat on low speed for about 1 min. Increase speed to medium to combine. Add remaining icing sugar and reduce speed to low for a further minute, then increase to medium speed for another few minutes until all of the icing sugar is combined. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Beat for 1 minute or until combined. Add extra tablespoon of milk of you would like a thinner frosting.

Divide the frosting between the centre of the cakes, reserving the remainder for the top and the sides.

Decorate with topping of choice.

Butter Biscuit Wreaths

  1. Preheat oven to 160°C and line with baking trays. Set aside 1/4 cup raisins for decorating. Roughly chop remaining raisins.

  2. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and creamy. Sift in flour and mixed spice and add chopped raisins. Mix until combined. Divide dough in half and form into two disks. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm.

  3. Roll dough between sheets of baking paper to 0.5cm thick. Cut 8cm rounds with cookie cutter. Transfer to lined baking trays and cut 3cm circles from middle of rounds to form rings. Reroll dough as necessary and refrigerate if too soft. Bake 15-20 minutes until lightly coloured. Cool on trays.

  4. To decorate, working with one biscuit at a time, drizzle white chocolate over the top and decorate with raisins, almonds and other decorations.

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