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Individual Christmas Puddings with Fresh Cherry Sauce

Ingredients

Pudding

  • 375g pack mixed dried fruits
  • 3 tablesp brandy
  • 1 cup Self-Raising flour
  • 1 teasp cinnamon
  • 1 teasp nutmeg
  • 50g cold butter, coarsely grated
  • 1 slice (1/2cup) whole meal bread crumbed
  • 1 x 60g egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 tbs unsweetened apple juice
  • 2 tbs skim milk

Makes 6

Cherry Sauce

  • 500g fresh cherries, rinsed, stems removed, pitted
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons Kirsch or Grand Marnier
  • 1/4 cup pouring cream

Makes 1 cup

Preparation

  • Spray 6, 200ml china custard cups with non-stick cooking oil.
  • Set aside.
  • Place fruits and brandy in an ovenable glass jug.
  • Stir to combine, cover and cook on HIGH (100%) for 2 minutes.
  • Sift the flour and spices into a mixing bowl.
  • Rub in the butter and stir in breadcrumbs.
  • Add the egg, apple juice and milk, stir well.
  • Add the warm fruits.
  • Stir until mixture is well combined.
  • Working quickly, spoon the fruit mixture into the cups
  • Elevate the cups around a microwaveable roasting rack.
  • Cook on Low (30%) for 8 minutes, check, cook a further minute if necessary.
  • Allow to stand for 5 minutes, invert onto serving plates and serve with warm cherry sauce.

    Preparation – sauce:

  • Place cherries and liquor into a blender.
  • Add the liquor and blend the cherries until the fruit liquefies.
  • Pass the cherry mix through a fine mesh strainer.
  • Warm the strained cherry juice in a pan, stir in cream and then swirl around individual plum puddings to serve.

Tip
Puddings suitable for people with Diabetes & tested in 850 watt microwave oven

Cherry Semifreddo Christmas Pudding *

Ingredients

  • 400gr fresh ripe cherries, pitted
  • 2 tablespoons rose water
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 250 mls whipping cream


Omit cherries, replace with 375g packet dried fruit medley or jar of fruit mince and serve with any berry coulis.
Pour final mixture into a 4 cup (1litre) loaf pan or 20cm spring form pan lined as directed.

Preparation

  • Rinse cherries and sprinkle with rosewater and allow to macerate for several hours.
  • Beat the egg yolks and half the sugar with the electric beater until thick, pale, creamy and double the volume.
  • Whip the cream with other half of the sugar and combine evenly with the egg mixture.
  • Line the base and sides of a 1 litre pudding basin with plastic wrap leaving the wrap hanging over the sides of the basin.
  • Spoon the mixture into the basin, fold the plastic over the top to cover the semifreddo.
  • Freeze for I – 2 hours or until partially frozen.
  • Remove from freezer and stir through cherries.
  • Recover and return to the freezer until frozen.
  • Turn out of the basin, slice and serve with a few extra fresh cherries.

Christmas Wreath

Ingredients

  • 12 x 5cm profiteroles
  • 2 x 200g tubs crème fraiche at room temperature
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk
  • 5 tablespoons Blackwood Lane natural healthy Fruit mince
  • ½ x 200g block Plaistowe dark cooking chocolate
  • 2 punnets medium strawberries, rinsed
  • ½ honeydew melon
  • ½ x100g packet hazelnuts, roasted, skin removed and chopped or
  • 2-3 tablespoons ground hazelnut meal

Serves 6 – 12

Preparation

Step 1
Cut the profiteroles in half and set aside. Mix the crème fraiche and milk together in a bowl until smooth. Gently stir through fruit mince. Generously fill the each profiterole bases and return tops.

Step 2
Place the filled profiteroles in a circular configuration around the edge of a 28-30cm wide flat plate so they are touching each other. Place the chocolate in a zip lock bag and microwave on Medium High (70-80%) for 1 minute or until melted. Snip the end of the bag and drizzle over the profiteroles. Scatter over choice of hazelnuts. Refrigerate for 5 minutes or until the chocolate is set.

Step 3
Cut strawberries in half. Remove the seeds from the melon half. Either dice or scoop into balls using a melon baller. Combine the fruits and fill the centre of the wreath just before serving.

Brandy Sauce

Ingredients

  • 40g unsalted butter
  • 30g plain flour
  • 60g castor sugar
  • 2 tabsp golden syrup
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • 3 tbsp Brandy

Makes 1 cup

Preparation

  • Melt the butter in 1 litre Pyrex Jug on High (100%) for 35 seconds.
  • Add the flour , stir well.
  • Mix in the sugar and syrup and cook on High (100%) for a minute.
  • Pour in the milk gradually blending well.
  • Cook on High (100%) stirring regularly.
  • Blend in the brandy prior to serving with your Plum Pudding.

Tip
Leave out sugar and syrup and replace with your favourite grated cheese for a savoury sauce

Festive Fruit Tart

Ingredients

  • 200g dried fruit medley
  • 1 cup brandy
  • 200 g butter softened
  • 200 g caster sugar
  • ¼ c plain or gluten free flour
  • 200g almond meal
  • 4 whole eggs
  • yoghurt to serve

Serves 6 – 8

Preparation

  • Place fruit medley and brandy in a 1 litre Pyrex jug, cover and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes to infuse the fruit with liquor.
  • Uncover and set aside to cool.
  • Cream butter and sugar.
  • Add flour, almond meal and eggs combining well.
  • Refrigerate mix for 15 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 170c.
  • Grease a 24 cm round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
  • Spread brandied fruit over the base of container and then pour tart mix into the tin and spread evenly.
  • Bake for 30 minutes then check to see if skewer comes out cleanly from the centre.