100ml thickened cream
1 tsp sea-salt flakes
Toffee antlers, to garnish
(see recipe, below right)
STEP 1 Preheat oven to 160ºC
fan-forced (180ºC conventional).
Brush 8 ½-cup capacity metal
dariole moulds with butter.
STEP 2 Put sugar and extra butter in a
large bowl of an electric mixer and beat
with whisk attachment on high speed
for 4 minutes or until light and fluffy.
STEP 3 Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating
well after each addition. Stir in sultanas
and raisins, then sift in flour, cocoa,
mixed spice and bicarb. Stir until just
combined. Divide mixture among
prepared moulds and smooth surface.
STEP 4 Put moulds in a large deep
roasting pan and add enough boiling
water to come a third of the way up
the sides of moulds. Cover tops with
a sheet of baking paper, then cover
entire roasting tray tightly with foil.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer
inserted into centre of puddings comes
out clean. Remove pan from oven,
remove puddings from water and set
aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly
before turning out onto a wire rack.
STEP 5 Meanwhile, to make salted
caramel sauce, combine sugar and
water in a medium saucepan over
low heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar
has dissolved. Bring to the boil. Boil,
without stirring, for 10 minutes or until
mixture becomes golden, brushing
down side of pan with cold water if
sugar crystals start to form. Remove
from heat and stir in cream. (Take care
as mixture will splutter). Return to the
heat, reduce heat to low and cook,
stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until sauce
has thickened slightly. Stir in salt.
STEP 6 Trim bases of puddings
so they sit flat on a serving platter.
To serve, drizzle puddings with
salted caramel sauce and garnish
with toffee antlers (see below).GINGERBREAD GIFT TAGS
Preparation time 20 mins
plus 45 minutes chilling
Cooking time 15 mins
Makes 22150g butter, chopped, softened
½ cup brown sugar
1⁄ 3 cup golden syrup
2 cups plain flour
3 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Ribbon or string, to decorate
Icing
2 free-range egg whites
2½ cups pure icing sugar
3-4 tsp lemon juiceSTEP 1 Line 2 large oven trays with
baking paper. Put butter and brown
sugar into a large bowl. Beat with
electric hand beaters on high for 2
minutes or until light and fluffy. Add
syrup and beat until combined.
STEP 2 Stir in flour, cinnamon and
bicarb until a soft dough forms. Knead
into a ball, flatten into a disc, then wrap
in plastic wrap. Chill for 15 minutes.
STEP 3 Roll out dough between 2
sheets of baking paper to form a
rough rectangle, 5mm thick. Use an
8cm long, 5cm wide gift tag template
to cut out 22 tags from dough, re-
rolling as necessary. Use a straw to
make a hole 1cm from top of tag.
STEP 4 Arrange tags, 2cm apart, on
prepared trays. Chill for 30 minutes.
STEP 5 Preheat oven to 160ºC fan-
forced (180ºC conventional). Bake for
12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.
Set aside on tray to cool completely.
STEP 6 To make icing, put egg
whites in a medium bowl and beat
with an electric hand mixer until they
start to froth. Sift pure icing sugar
onto a sheet of baking paper. Add
icing sugar to egg whites, 1 Tbsp
at a time, and beat until thick and
stiff peaks form. Add enough lemon
juice to thin icing until it has reached
the desired drizzling consistency.
STEP 7 Pipe icing onto tags, writing a
name. Set aside for 30 minutes to set.
Thread ribbon through the tag holes.Chocolate and raisin puddings Gingerbread gift tagsTO MAKE
TOFFEE ANTLERS
Draw 5cm antler shapes with
a pen on a sheet of baking
paper, place on a large flat
tray, ink side down. Put ½
cup sugar and 30ml water
in a small saucepan. Stir to
combine. Cook over a high
heat, brushing down side of
pan with cold water if sugar
crystals start to form. Cook
for 5–10 mins, or until the
mixture is amber in colour.
Remove from heat and plunge
into a bowl of iced water for
10 seconds. Set aside for 2
minutes until toffee drizzles
like runny honey and doesn’t
drip. Using a small spoon,
carefully trace drawn antler
shapes with hot toffee. Leave
on tray to set completely
before using as a garnish.
Photography Andre Martin; styling Annette Forrest; food preparation Kayla Cameron26 BHG DECEMBER 2017
FESTIVE BAKING