Christmas Chocolate Bark
This simple snack is a delicious way to nourish your guests, plus it will make your kitchen smell amazing. It’s perfect for the kids, they can help create this recipe in the kitchen with you and totally make it their own! Grab their favourite dried fruit, nuts and snacks to top with – they will love making their own ‘chocolate bar’! You can adjust the toppings to suit your taste.
Ingredients
250g dark chocolate (around 62% is best)
1/3 cup Alison’s Pantry Shelled Pistachios
1/3 cup Alison’s Pantry Natural Almonds
1/3 cup Alison’s Pantry Natural Cashews
1/4 cup Alison’s Pantry Whole Cranberries
6 pieces Alison’s Pantry Crystallised Ginger
(each cut into small pieces)
1/4 cup freeze dried raspberries
Method
Preheat oven to 140 degrees Celsius. Spread the nuts out on a oven proof tray. Roast for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool completely before chopping roughly.
Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heatproof bowl or small pot that will fit over a larger pot of water that has just been brought to a rapid simmer. Turn off the heat and let the chocolate sit without stirring until 2/3 melted. Stir to melt the remaining chocolate.
Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Pour the chocolate onto the sheet. Use the back of a spoon to spread it out. Sprinkle the nuts and other ingredients on top. Work fast so that the chocolate doesn’t start to set. Place in the fridge or freezer to set.
Use your hands to break into pieces that will fit into the neck of your jar.
Store in the fridge or in a cool part of your pantry for up to 1 month.
Festive Truffles
Makes 15-18 truffles
Homemade truffles are such a gorgeous gift to give and share with friends and family. These are simple to make and are easy to infuse with lovely Christmassy flavours.
Option 1: White chocolate, orange, coconut and macadamia truffles
250g white chocolate
1/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup Alison’s Pantry Shredded Coconut
½ cup Alison’s Pantry Natural Macadamia Nuts
Zest of 1 orange
Extra Alison’s Pantry Shredded Coconut for coating truffles
Place the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and stir until smooth. Add the butter, orange zest, coconut and macadamias and stir well. Pour into a shallow bowl and place in the fridge for 1 – 2 hours until set enough to roll into balls. If you leave it too long and it becomes too hard, simply leave at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Roll heaped teaspoons of chocolate mixture into balls* and then roll in shredded coconut. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
*The rolling will be easier with cool hands-on a cooler day. If the mix is melting too much, place in the fridge for 10 minutes before carrying on.
Option 2: Dark chocolate, apricot and almond truffles with freeze-dried raspberries
250g dark chocolate (around 62% is good)
½ cup cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Alison’s Pantry Ground Almonds
10 Alison’s Pantry Choice Turkish Apricots – diced
Freeze-dried raspberry powder for rolling truffles
Place the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and stir until smooth. Add the butter, ground almonds and apricots and stir well. Pour into a shallow bowl and place in the fridge for 1 – 2 hours until set enough to roll into balls. If you leave it too long and it becomes too hard, simply leave at room temperature for 1 hour.
Roll teaspoons of chocolate mixture into balls* and then roll in the raspberry powder. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
*The rolling will be easier with cool hands-on a cooler day. If the mix is melting too much, place in the fridge for 10 minutes before carrying on.
Option 3: Dark chocolate, pistachio and mint truffles
250g dark chocolate
½ cup cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon mint essence
¾ cup Alison’s Pantry Shelled Pistachios for filling – roughly chopped
¾ cup Alison’s Pantry Shelled Pistachios for rolling truffles
Place the pistachio nuts into a food processor and blitz for a few minutes until a fine crumb. Set aside until ready to use.
Place the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and stir until smooth. Add the butter, mint essence and pistachio nuts and stir well. Pour into a shallow bowl and place in the fridge for 1 – 2 hours until set enough to roll into balls. If you leave it too long and is too hard, simply leave at room temperature for 1 hour.
Roll teaspoons of chocolate mixture into balls* and then roll in the pistachio crumbs. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
*The rolling will be easier with cool hands-on a cooler day. If the mix is melting too much, place in the fridge for 10 minutes before carrying on.
Jumbo Savoury Muffins w/ roast pumpkin and feta
Makes 6 large muffins
These are the perfect savoury addition to a festive brunch. Wholesome and packed with delicious flavour, they are wonderful with a thick spread of butter or basil and pistachio pesto.
6 free range-eggs
½ cup milk
1 garlic clove – finely diced
3/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup melted butter
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 heaped teaspoon finely diced fresh rosemary leaves
2 cups Alison’s Pantry Ground Almonds
¼ cup Alison’s Pantry Hemp Seeds
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
80g crumbled feta
1 ½ cups roasted pumpkin cubes (roughly 300g of 4cm cubed raw pumpkin will yield this once cooked)
12 cherry tomatoes – halved
Alison’s Pantry Pumpkin Seeds and Sesame Seeds to top
Salt and cracked black pepper
Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius
Combine eggs, milk, garlic, parmesan cheese, melted butter, herbs, almond meal, hemp seeds and baking powder. Mix until thoroughly combined. Season generously. Gently fold in feta and roasted pumpkin.
Spoon into a well-greased or lined jumbo muffin tin. Place the halved cherry tomatoes on top, cut side facing up. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean when inserted.
Wait until cool before removing from the tin. Will keep for up to four days in an airtight container in the fridge. Can be enjoyed fresh or toasted under the grill.
Cooks tip: You can use a regular sized 12 hole muffin tin if you prefer. Reduce the cooking time to 20-25 minutes.
Gado Gado Inspired Platter
Build a delicious and gorgeously colourful Gado Gado inspired platter to feed a crowd and suit a range of dietary preferences on Christmas Day. The recipes below form the foundation of a platter packed with tasty and nutritious meat free options. Add lots of colourful fresh seasonal produce and barbecued seafood or meat as desired.
Satay Sauce
Quinoa, Spring Onion and Parmesan Patties
Seed and Spice Crusted Tofu
Flaxseed Crackers
Roasted lentil, walnut and cranberry loaf with vegetarian mushroom gravy
Serves 8
This rich, hearty loaf will be a hit with both vegetarians and omnivores. The vegetarian mushroom gravy is a wonderful match. This pairing is the perfect dish for your Xmas table.
2 onions – finely diced
4 large garlic cloves – finely diced
1 large carrot – grated and squeezed tightly of juice
200g firm tofu – grated
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 cup vegetable stock
½ cup Alison’s Pantry red lentils
½ cup Alison’s Pantry brown lentils
¾ cup Alison’s Pantry American walnuts – roughly chopped
½ cup Alison’s Pantry whole cranberries
2 free range eggs
¾ cup flour (use All Purpose GF flour if necessary)
Olive oil for sauteing
Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a large saute pan over a medium heat. Cook the onions, moving frequently for 10 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and carrot and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Add the tofu, dried herbs, spices and soy sauce and cook for a few more minutes.
Add the tomatoes, stock, lentils and walnuts. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes with a lid slightly ajar. The pan should be mostly dry at the end of this time. Stir through the cranberries. Leave to cool for about 45 minutes. Add the eggs and flour and stir well.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
Spoon into a loaf tin lined with baking paper. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook uncovered for a further 40-45 minutes until browned and firm.
Mushroom and rosemary gravy
⅓ cup olive oil
½ brown onion – finely chopped
3 garlic cloves – finely chopped
400g Portobello or swiss brown mushrooms – sliced thinly
1 rounded teaspoon fresh rosemary – finely chopped
¼ cup flour (use all purpose GF flour if needed)
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup water
2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
Cracked black pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a pot that will be large enough to hold all the stock. Add the onions and cook for around 10 minutes until translucent and tender. Add the garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and turn the heat up slightly. Cook for another 8-10 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and glossy.
Sprinkle the flour over the top and cook for 2 minutes. Add a little more oil if the pan is dry.
Add the stock and tamari. Whisk well to avoid lumps as the gravy comes to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes until thick. Add the tamari and black pepper to taste.
At this stage you can use a stick blender to blitz until silky smooth. Serve immediately or can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat gently in a pot on the stove.
Christmas Cake with Figs, Ginger, Walnuts & Orange
Serves 8 – 10
This wholesome Christmas cake has a fantastic moist texture and is packed with figs, ginger, walnuts and zesty orange. Wonderfully simple to prepare, this cake would make a beautiful homemade gift.
Ingredients:
2 cups spelt flour*
1 cup coconut cream
1/2 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
1 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
½ cup Alison’s Pantry Figs, roughly chopped
grated zest and juice of 1 orange
1 cup currants
1 cup Alison’s Pantry Walnuts, roughly chopped
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
A pinch of sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
½ cup Alison’s Pantry Natural Almonds for decorating
*For a gluten-free cake substitute the spelt flour for buckwheat or all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Pre-heat the oven to 160 C, and grease a 23cm cake tin with coconut oil or line with baking paper.
- Add all ingredients into a large mixing bowl, and mix until well combined. The mixture will be quite sticky, don’t worry!
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared cake tin, and smooth out evenly. Place the almonds on top, and gently press into the batter.
- Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre.
- Leave to cool in the tin completely before carefully transferring to a plate.
The cake will keep for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
Download the PDF version here: Alison’s Pantry Christmas cake with Figs, Ginger, Walnuts & Orange
This recipe was created by Eleanor Ozrich for Alison’s Pantry.
Kiwi Style Fruit Mince (Christmas Fruit Mince)
Makes approximately 6 cups (1.2kg)
This fruit mince recipe is very versatile; feel free to replace anything, for example, replace the dried blueberries with dried cranberries; swap the almonds for pine nuts or chopped walnuts; brandy, whiskey or rum can be used in place of the lemon juice, etc. This way, the recipe gives you the building blocks to make your own great fruit mince but you can also adapt it to your own taste – simply replace an ingredient with a similar one, weight for weight, or measurement for measurement.
Some examples of variations have been given in the recipe.
This fruit mince can be made and, if stored in a cool, dark place, it will last for up to two months, and tends to just taste better and better over time. If alcohol is added, then the fruit mince can be stored for at least six months.
2 cups Alison’s Pantry Choice Apricots, (or NZ Apricots bring a nice tang) finely chopped
1 cup Alison’s Pantry Jumbo Raisins, finely chopped or (raisins or sultanas)
1 cup Alison’s Pantry Dried Cranberries, chopped
1 cup Alison’s Pantry Natural Almonds, roughly chopped (or other natural nuts such as pine nuts, walnuts or pecan)
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and coarsely grated
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup brandy (or substitute for orange juice, if preferred)
1. Combine all ingredients in a non-metallic bowl. Cover and store in a dark place for 2-3 days to allow the flavours to develop. Stir once a day to mix ingredients evenly
2. Pack the fruit mince into sterilised jars, pressing down well to remove any air pockets, and seal with tight-fitting lids
3. Unopened, the fruit mince will last for up to two months if stored in a cool, dark place. If alcohol is added, the fruit mince will last for at least six months. Flavours will continue to develop over time.
4. Once opened, store the fruit mince in the fridge
Download the PDF version: Alison’s Pantry Kiwi Style Fruit Mince (Christmas Fruit Mince)
Pineapple Christmas Cake
The Iconic Kiwi Christmas cake, first made by Alison Holst around 30 years ago!
MAKES 1 X 23CM ROUND OR SQUARE CAKE
Cake Mix:
700g Alison’s Pantry Sultanas
500g Alison’s Pantry Raisins
250g Currants
50g mixed peel
432g can crushed pineapple in juice
3 cups high-grade flour
1 tsp each cinnamon and mixed spice
½ tsp ground cloves
225g butter
1 cup sugar
½ tsp each vanilla, almond and lemon essences
6 large eggs
50g Alison’s Pantry Roast Unsalted Almonds, to decorate (optional).
The day before mixing the cake, put the dried fruit and undrained pineapple in a large fry pan. Cover pan, heat until liquid boils then simmer until all juice is absorbed. Leave overnight, or until cold.
Next day, combine flour and spices and set aside. In a very large bowl, cream butter, sugar and essences until light. Beat in eggs one at a time, adding 2 tablespoons of the spiced flour with each.
Stir in prepared (cold) fruit and remaining spiced flour. If the mixture seems too soft, add extra flour until mixture will just drop from a spoon. Put in a lined tin, levelling the surface. Decorate with blanched almonds.
Bake at 150°C for 1½ hours, then 130°C for 2 hours longer, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. (Brush hot cake with ¼ cup brandy or sherry if you like.)
Note: We usually bake this cake without using fan bake.
Once cooled, remove from tin and wrap in greaseproof paper and tea towels. Leave in a cool place, if kept in the correct environment, the cake will keep for weeks. Perfect recipe to get a head start on Christmas prep!
For a twist on an old classic try this Toffee Fruit & Nut Topping by Julie Le Clerc
Download the PDF version: Alison Holst Pineapple Christmas Cake
Christmas Mince Pies with Almond Pastry
Makes 24 mini pies
To make gluten-free pastry, simply use wheat and gluten-free baking mix in place of ordinary flour in this recipe
125g butter, softened
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 small egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
1 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted
Pinch salt
1 cup Alison’s Pantry ground almonds
2 cups prepared Alison’s Pantry Fruit Mince – Kiwi Style (see Recipe)
Icing sugar, to dust
1. To make pastry, beat butter and sugar in a bowl, to just combine. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and almonds until mixture comes together into a ball. Turn pastry out onto a work surface and knead lightly until smooth. Form pastry into a disc, wrap well and chill for 1 hour until firm.
2. Lightly grease 2 x 12-hole mini muffin tins. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to 3mm thick. Use an 8cm round cutter to stamp out 18 circles.
3. Press one circle gently into each muffin hole, prick bases with the tip of a skewer, then fill with the fruit-mince.
4. Cut 6cm circles from remaining pastry (re-roll scraps, if necessary) and use these to form lids to the pies. Cut out small star patterns before fitting lids, if desired. Press edges together to seal. Chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Download the PDF version here: Christmas Mince Pies with Almond Pastry
Nut & Cranberry Chocolate Brownies
(Makes 18 squares)
Ingredients
1.25 litre capacity glass jar with lid
1 cup plain flour, sifted
¼ tsp baking powder
150g Alison’s Pantry Roast Unsalted Supreme Nut Mix
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup cocoa powder; sifted
1 cup caster sugar
150g dark chocolate drops
100g Alison’s Pantry Cranberries
Method
To make gift jars, place the ingredients into a jar, in the order given. Seal jar tightly. Label with the following cooking instructions.
To create the Brownies
- Preheat oven to 160°C. Line a 17 x 27cm slice tin with non-stick baking paper.
- Tip all the ingredients into a large bowl. Add 200g melted, cooled butter and 4 lightly beaten eggs. Stir together until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared tin.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out with a few damp crumbs on it. Cool in the tin before slicing. Serve warm or cold.
Download our brownie jar gift tag
Christmas Panforte
This chewy, very firm, dark and compact flat cake, of Italian origin, is flavoured with chocolate, nuts and fruit. Carefully gift-wrapped it makes a dozen or so special and unusual gifts for good friends.
For about 12 – 15 servings:
75g butter
½ cup dark chocolate drops
1 cup Alison’s Pantry Natural Almonds
1 cup Alison’s Pantry Hazelnuts
1 cup Alison’s Pantry Pecans
1 cup dried fruit (we suggest Alison’s Pantry Choice Apricots, chopped)
½ cup Alison’s Pantry Crystallised Ginger
¼ cup caster sugar
½ cup honey
½ cup flour
¼ cup cocoa
2 tsp cinnamon
Heat oven to 150°C. Melt butter and chocolate chips together in a large bowl in the microwave oven at 50% power for 2 minutes, or over a pot of hot water. Roast nuts in a shallow baking dish as oven heats until lightly coloured, about 10 minutes. Tip hot nuts into melted chocolate mixture. Stir in your chosen dried fruit and chopped ginger.
Stir sugar and honey over low to moderate heat, until sugar dissolves. When mixture bubbles all over the surface, stir hot syrup into nut mixture.
Sift in flour, cocoa and cinnamon until blended, then pour the warm mixture into a round tin about 24cm round, or 23cm square tin with bottom and sides lined with a Teflon liner or baking paper. Pat out evenly, with a piece of plastic between the cake and your hand, if necessary.
Bake at 150°C (on fan bake if possible) for 30 – 45 minutes, or until centre looks and feels as cooked as the part 5cm from the edge. Longer cooking gives a firmer, more toffee-like cake. Mixture will feel much softer than usual for a cake, but firms on cooling. Leave at least 24 hours before cutting with a very sharp or serrated knife. Dust with icing sugar before serving. Store wrapped pieces in the refrigerator or freezer, if you are making it some weeks before it is needed.
Notes: Replace half the cocoa with same amount of extra flour for a milder chocolate flavour. Mixture contains no baking powder, soda or eggs.
Download PDF version: Alison Holst’s Christmas Panforte
Kiwi Fruit Mince Ham Glaze
Makes glaze for one large whole ham
1 cup prepared Alison’s Pantry Fruit Mince – Kiwi Style (see recipe)
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
2 Tbsp rum or whiskey (optional)
8-9kg whole ham, cooked on the bone
1 cup orange juice (or white wine, as desired)
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. To make the ham glaze, combine the fruit mince, sugar and mustard in a bowl, adding rum or whiskey if desired
2. To prepare the ham, run a knife around the shank end of the ham. Carefully slice under the edge of the rind at the base of the ham, then ease between the rind and the fat with your fingers and pull to gently remove the rind
3. With a sharp knife, score the fat in a diamond pattern with 3mm deep cuts. Place the ham in an oven pan large enough to catch any glaze that will drip as it cooks. Surround the ham with orange juice (or wine, as preferred)
4. Smear the glaze over the scored fat of the ham. Place the ham in oven to bake for one hour, basting at regular intervals until glaze has caramelised
5. Sliced ham can be served hot or at room temperature
Download the PDF version: Kiwi Christmas Fruit Mince Ham Glaze
Fruit and Nut Shortbread
Makes 40
Ingredients
250gm butter softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups plain flour
1/3 cup Alison’s Pantry Blueberries, chopped
1/3 cup Alison’s Pantry Whole Cranberries, chopped
1/3 cup Alison’s Pantry Shelled Pistachios, chopped
1/3 cup Alison’s Pantry Natural Cashews, chopped
Extra: 1 cup Alison’s Pantry Vitality (if making Christmas Tree)
- In the bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until creamy. Add flour and mix to just combine. Stir in dried fruits and nuts.
- Divide dough into two parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a log measuring 20cm long x 4cm round. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or until firm.
- Preheat oven to 170°C. Line 3 baking trays with baking paper. Cut logs into 1cm thick slices and place on baking trays. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove to cool on wire racks.
To Create a Christmas Cookie Tree
- Roll out prepared shortbread dough to 1cm thick. Cut out 9 circles graduating in size from 2.5cm to 12cm in diameter.
- Bake until firm and lightly browned around the edges. Watch carefully, as smaller circles will take less time to bake and larger circles will take longer, so adjust cooking time to suit.Remove to cool on wire racks.
- Once cold, layer up graduating circles starting with biggest cookie circle as a base. Scatter some Alison’s Pantry Vitality blend between cookies to separate layers and give height. Decorate tree, as desired (We used fondant icing snowflake cut-outs).
Download the PDF version here: Alison’s Pantry Fruit and Nut Shortbread
This recipe was created by Julie Le Clerc for Alison’s Pantry.
Chocolate Fruit Mince Truffles
Makes approximately 36, depending on size
A fun way to present truffles is to pop them onto skewers then place in cellophane bags so they look like cake pops. Rolled in different coatings, such as chopped nuts or coconut, these truffles make great edible Christmas gifts.
1 1/3 cups blanched almonds
2 cups prepared Alison’s Pantry Fruit Mince – Kiwi Style (see recipe)
1/4 cup Alison’s Pantry crystallised ginger, chopped
150g dark chocolate, melted, to coat
1 cup walnuts toasted and chopped, or desiccated coconut, or chocolate sprinkles, to dip
1. Place almonds in a food processor and process to chop. Add fruit mince and ginger and process until mixture forms a thick textured paste
2. Roll paste into even-sized balls. Dip balls in melted chocolate, to coat and while still wet, roll in coating of choice
3. Place on a baking paper-lined tray to set.
4. Pop on sticks to serve, if desired
Download the PDF version: Chocolate Fruit Mince Truffles
Delicious Cheesecake
Serves 10-12
Base:
250g malt biscuits, crushed
50g Alison’s Pantry ground almonds
130g butter, melted
Filling:
500g cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
4 eggs
3/4 cup prepared Alison’s Pantry Fruit Mince – Kiwi Style (see recipe)
To make base
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Brush a 20cm springform cake tin with melted butter.
2. In a bowl, combine the crushed biscuits, almonds and melted butter. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the base and up the sides of the tin. Chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
To make filling
1. In a clean bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add the sour cream and beat until well combined and the mixture is light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the eggs, to just combine. Don’t overbeat at this stage. Stir in the fruit mince and pour the mixture over the crumb base. Bake for 40 minutes or until just set in the centre. Cool completely in the cake tin.
3. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove cheesecake from fridge 30 minutes before serving so that filling softens a little. Slice to serve.
Download the PDF version: Festive Cheesecake Desert
Christmas Cake with a Twist
Makes 23cm cake
1.5kg Cake Mix:
250g Alison’s Pantry Select Dates, chopped
300g Alison’s Pantry Sultanas
250g Alison’s Pantry Raisins
200g Currants
200g dark chocolate drops
300g Alison’s Pantry Figs, chopped
1/2 cup sherry
1 lemon, finely grated zest
1 orange, finely grated zest
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
250g butter, softened
1 Tbsp treacle
5 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp of ground allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander and nutmeg
1. One to two days before the cake is to be made, put the cake mix into a plastic bag and add the sherry. Turn the bag a couple of times a day and leave the bag in a warm place until the sherry has been absorbed by the fruit
2. Preheat oven to 150°C and line a 23cm cake tin with greaseproof paper
3. Grate/zest the rind of the lemon and orange taking care not to include the pith. Process in food processor with the sugar until well combined
4. Add the butter and process until soft and fluffy, then add treacle and mix again. Add the eggs, one at a time, with a tablespoon of the measured flour between each egg
5. Mix the rest of the flour with the spices and fruit in a large bowl
6. Tip the creamed mixture into the floured fruit and mix until the mixture is soft enough to drop from the spoon. If the mix is too dry, add up to 1/4 cup of sherry or another spirit
7. Put the mixture into the prepared tin and bake at 150°C for one hour, then at 140°C for approximately three hours, until a skewer in the center of the cake comes out clean
8. Optional: Dribble 1/4 cup of alcohol (whiskey, rum or brandy) over the top of the cake whilst the cake is hot
9. Leave in the tin for an hour before turning it out
Download the PDF version: Alison’s Pantry Christmas Cake with a Twist