* * * Christmas Favourites * * *

Christmas Favourites

Traditional Christmas Pudding

Ingredients

500g chopped Golden Raisins and Sultanas
500g Dried Currants
250g Mixed Candied Citrus Peel
1/2 Cup Brandy
500g Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup CSR Brown Sugar
7 Eggs, separated
1 Cup Plain Flour sifted
1 pinch of Salt
3 cups fresh Breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated Nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground Cinnamon
2 teaspoons All Spice
1/2 cup Cream
Zest of 1 Orange

Method

1. Mix fruit in a large bowl with brandy, cover and let stand for 3 hours.

2. Cream butter and CSR Brown Sugar until fluffy and add beaten egg yolks a little at a time, whisking well after each addition.

3. One ingredient at a time, fold in sifted flour, salt, breadcrumbs, spices and orange rind with soaked fruit.

4. Stir in cream, beaten egg whites, and brandy then pour into a buttered 10-12 cup capacity pudding mould.

5. Cover pudding with a double sheet of greaseproof paper and a sheet of foil and tie securely with a piece of string. Tie another piece of string across the top to make a handle. Lower pudding into boiling water for six hours - keep topping up the saucepan with boiled water, so it doesn't boil dry.

This recipe is courtesy of CSR Sugar.

Rich Christmas Cake

Ingredients

1.5kg mixed dried fruit
250g glace cherries, red and green mixed
100g mixed peel
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1/2 cup brandy or dark rum
500g butter
1 1/2 cups CSR Dark Cane Sugar
8 eggs
2 bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 cups plain flour
1 cup self raising flour

Method

Place the mixed fruit, cherries, mixed peel, orange rind, lemon rind and brandy or rum in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and leave overnight.

Cream butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and then add the bananas and vanilla essence. Stir in the fruit mixture, mix well and add the flour. Mix until well combined.

Place in a deep 25cm cake tin, which had been lined with two layers of brown paper and one layer of grease proof paper. Bake at 150°C for approximately three and a half hours, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Makes large family size deep 25cm Christmas cake.

This recipe is courtesy of CSR Sugar.

Fruit Mince Tarts

Ingredients

PASTRY
1 Cup Plain Flour
1/2 Cup Self-raising Flour
1/4 Cup CSR Soft Icing Mixture
1/4 Cup Custard Powder
125g unsalted Butter, chopped
2 teaspoons lemon rind
1/4 Cup Ice Water

FILLING
1 Green Apple, peeled, cored and grated
410g Jar Fruit Mince
CSR White Sugar for sprinkling

Method

1. Sift flours into a large bowl and add CSR Soft Icing Mixture, custard powder and lemon rind.

2. Rub butter into mixture until a crumbly texture, add water and knead until a smooth dough. Cover and keep in fridge for 20 minutes.

3. Roll out thinly and cut into 7cm circles with fluted pastry cutter. Place each circle into a shallow patty tin and refrigerate for 10 mins. Use pastry off cuts for decorations - I love hearts or stars on the mince pie tops.

4. Combine grated apple and fruit mince and spoon into each tart case.

5. Decorate the top of each tart with pastry shapes, sprinkle the CSR White Sugar and bake for 15 minutes on 200C.

This recipe is courtesy of CSR Sugar.

Cranberry Christmas Cake

Ingredients

1kg mixed dried fruit consisting of:
170g dried cranberries,
200g dried pineapple,
200g dried apricots,
430g sultanas
1/4 cup sherry or brandy
3/4 cup CSR White Sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
175g butter, melted
1 1/2 cups high grade flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
Topping
1/4 cup sieved apricot jam,
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots,
1/4 cup dried cranberries,
1/4 cup pineapple,
1/4 cup raisins,
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Method

Preheat the oven to 150ºC. Lightly grease a deep, 20 cm round cake tin and line with baking paper.

Combine the chopped fruit, sherry, sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the cooled, melted butter, then the sifted flour and spice. Mix gently.

Spoon in to the cake tin and smooth the top with a wet hand.Bake for about 1 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Brush the jam over the cake and sprinkle with the dried fruit and almonds.

This recipe is courtesy of CSR Sugar.