Ingredients:

• ½ cup sultanas
• ½ cup chopped raisins
• ½ cup chopped dates
• 2 ½ cups fresh or frozen quandong, deseeded
• ½ cup chopped glazed apricots
• 1 cup pineapple
• ¼ cup quandong jam
• ¾ cup orange liqueur
• 250g butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 ½ cups macadamia nuts
• 1 tsp ground bush tomato
• 1 tsp ground pepperberry
• 1 tsp wattleseed, toasted and ground

Instructions:

1. Combine fruit, jam and liqueur in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Cover and stand overnight or for several days, stirring mixture occasionally.
3. Preheat oven to 140C.
4. Line the base and sides of a deep 20cm round cake tin with baking paper.
5. Beat butter and sugar in a small bowl until creamy. Add eggs. Add butter mix to fruit mixture and stir well. Stir in sifted flour and mixed spice, then macadamias, bush tomato, pepperberry and wattleseed.
6. Spread mixture evenly into cake tin. Bake for 3 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Ingredients:

• 1500g brown sugar (½ cup)
• 400g unsalted butter
• 400g dark brown sugar
• 100g black treacle
• 5 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 275g plain flour, sieved
• ½ tsp finely grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
• 250ml dark rum
• 250ml falernum (sweet, spiced almond and lime syrup)
• 350g currants
• 300g raisins 
• 225g candied cherries, coarsely chopped
• 400ml dark rum
• 200ml ruby Port 

Instructions:

1. For macerated fruit, mix fruit in a bowl, then transfer to a jar, pour in rum and Port, seal and set aside in a dark, cool place, turning occasionally, for at least a week.
2. Blend fruit mixture in a food processor to a chunky paste when ready to use.
3. To make burnt caramel, scatter brown sugar in a large saucepan over medium-high heat stir until melted.
4. Continue stirring until thick and caramelised then remove from heat and add 125ml hot water.
5. Return to heat and stir until all the sugar has dissolved (1-2 minutes). Set aside to cool.
6. Preheat oven to 140C. Thoroughly grease a round cake tin.
7. Beat butter and dark brown sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add treacle, then caramel. 
8. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each is emulsified into the butter between additions. 
9. Add vanilla extract, then fold in flour, spices, rinds and 1 tsp salt, followed by fruit paste, then spoon batter evenly into prepared tin. 
10. Bake for 4½ hours until a cake tester or thin skewer inserted withdraws clean (the cake may still wobble when fully cooked). 
11. Remove cake from oven and cook on a wire rack. 
12. Place in an airtight container and brush cake generously with equal parts rum and falernum; repeat brushing daily for at least a week.

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 300g caster sugar
• 600ml milk
• 40g yeast
• 700g plain flour
• 100g butter, melted
• 100ml honey
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp salt
• 500g walnuts
• 100g raisins – soaked in rum

Instructions:

1. For the dough, mix the sugar with 200ml of the warm milk and blend in the yeast and leave to rise for 15 minutes.
2. Mix together flour, yeast, salt, butter and egg yolks to make a dough. Beat with a wooden spoon.
3. Cover and let stand in a warm place until it doubles in size, this will take about 1 hour.
4. For the filling, beat egg whites until stiff. Heat the rest of the milk and once hot pour over the walnuts. Combine with sugar and honey and then allow to cool, then gently fold in the egg whites.
5. On a floured surface, divide the dough into two halves. Then, roll each section out so that it’s very thin.
6. Then split the walnut mix in half and fill both rolled out doughs evenly with the walnut filling 
7. Then roll up the dough.
8. Grease 2 bread pans and place a roll into each pan.
9. Brush the rolls with melted butter and bake at 180C for about 40 minutes or until they become golden. Leave them to cool in the pan. 

Ingredients:

Genoise sponge:

• 4 eggs
• 60g caster sugar
• 60g plain flour
• 20g unsalted butter, melted

For the French buttercream:

• 70g caster sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 30ml dark rum
• 240g unsalted butter, softened 
• 200g candied chestnuts, half kept whole, other half chopped 

For the syrup:

• 40g caster sugar
• 25ml dark rum

Instructions:

1. For the genoise, preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Gradually add the sugar as you whisk the egg whites. Then whisk the egg yolks into the mixture, one by one.
2. Sift half of the flour into the bowl, then gently pour in the egg mixture. Add the remaining flour and mix, then add the melted butter.
3. Line a 30cm/12in Swiss roll tin with greaseproof paper and pour in the genoise mixture.
4. Bake the genoise in the oven for 10 minutes, or until it is pale golden-brown in colour and springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin.
5. While it’s cooking, heat the sugar and 50ml water in a small saucepan until the temperature of this sugar syrup reaches 121C (use a sugar thermometer for this).
6. Using an electric whisk or free-standing mixer, whisk the egg yolks with 30ml/1fl oz water for 5 minutes on full speed until pale and fluffy.
7. While mixing, drizzle the sugar syrup in a thin stream down the side of the bowl. (Caution: do not pour the hot syrup directly onto the beaters). Whisk until the mixture is thick and smooth and cooled.
8. Then slowly whisk in the rum. Add the softened butter a little at a time, whisking until each addition has become fully incorporated into the mixture. Fold in the chopped chestnuts. Then when all is added, ensure all ingredients are fully combined.
9. For the soaking liquid, bring the sugar and 40ml water to the boil in a small saucepan, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum.
10. Then brush the soaking liquid over the cooled sponge.
11. Turn the soaked sponge upside down onto a clean towel, then carefully peel away the greaseproof paper.
12. Spread one-third of the buttercream in an even layer all over the soaked sponge. Place the candied chestnuts in a line where the inside of the roll will be. Then roll the sponge as tightly as possible.
13. Wrap the sponge roll tightly in cling film, then chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
14. Unwrap the sponge roll and transfer it to a cake board with the seam on its underside.
15. Spread the remaining buttercream all over the sponge roll in an even layer. Drag a fork lightly and unevenly through the buttercream to make it look like tree bark. 
16. Refrigerate for a further 30 minutes. 
17. Just before serving, dust the bûche de Noël with a little cocoa powder and icing sugar.

Ingredients:

• 500g flour
• 5g salt
• 120g caster sugar
• 10g fast-action yeast
• orange zest, finely grated 
• lemon zest, finely grated 
• 160g/5½oz softened butter
• 2 medium eggs 
• 2 egg yolks 
• 3 tsp vanilla paste
• 100ml milk, warmed
• Icing sugar for dusting

Instructions:

1. Sift the flour into a bowl. 
2. Add in the salt and caster sugar and yeast.
3. Then add the orange and lemon zest, softened butter, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla and milk. 
4. Slowly mix together to form a sticky dough.
5. Then increase the speed of the mixer until the dough is much thicker and smooth but still sticky. 
6. Use flour to dust a clean work surface and gently knead the dough into a ball. 
7. Put into a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave to prove until doubled in size.
8. Depending on the time available, this can take 4 hours, but for best results leave overnight.
9. Grease a 500g Pandoro mould with butter. 
10. Take the dough from the bowl and roll on a floured surface to remove the air, then reshape into a ball and put into the mould.
11. Cover and leave to rise to the top of the tin, which can take up to 2 hours
12. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. 
13. Uncover and bake for 35–40 minutes. 
14. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn out and cool on a wire rack.
15. Slice into thick horizontal slices, dust heavily with icing sugar and serve.

Ingredients:

• 25g active yeast
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 100g flour
• 75ml warm water
• 250g finely chopped assorted crystallized fruit, plus extra for topping
• 100g seedless raisins
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind and 1 tsp finely grated orange rind
• 2 tbsp port wine
• 1 tbsp rum
• 150g butter
• 150g granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 600g wheat flour
• 75ml warm milk
• 50g chopped almonds and 50g chopped walnuts
• 25g pine nuts
• A bean wrapped in greaseproof paper and a small coin or other trinket (wrapped in greaseproof paper)
• Icing sugar for dusting

Instructions:

1. Prepare the yeast mixture: mix together the yeast, sugar, flour and warm water to create a smooth dough. Cover and set aside to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
2. For the dough: in another bowl add the chopped crystalized fruit, raisins, grated lemon and orange peel, port wine and rum. Leave the fruit to soak up the liquid while you prepare the dough.
3. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, adding a little of the flour so the mixture doesn’t curdle. Using a spoon, gradually beat in half of the remaining flour and the milk. Then add the yeast mixture to the dough and blend. Add the almonds, walnuts and pine nuts and the crystalized fruit mixture.
4. Lightly mix in the remaining flour to create a sticky bread like dough and until all the fruit and nuts are evenly covered by the dough.
5. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about one hour or until it has doubled in size.
6. Take the dough and knead for about one minute, then shape into a round loaf and place on a greased baking tray.
7. Using your thumbs, open up a hole in the middle of the dough so that you are left with a wreath shape, or crown. 
8. Make a hole with a knife on one side of the wreath and push the wrapped broad bean into the dough. Choose another spot on the wreath, make a hole with the knife and push the wrapped coin into the dough.
9. Decorate the wreath with a few crystalized fruits. Brush a beaten egg over the wreath. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about one hour or until it has doubled in size. 
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 190C for about 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and dust with icing sugar.

Ingredients:

• 250g flour
• Pinch of salt 
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• knob of butter
• 300g blueberries
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• Additional 100ml sour cream or crème fraiche
• 1 tbsp icing sugar, plus more for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. To make the dough, sieve the flour and icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the salt and the lemon zest. Make a well in the middle of the mixture.
2. Lightly whisk the egg with the sour cream and 2 tbsp water, then pour this into the well.
3. Mix the flour into the wet ingredients, until you have a floury dough. 
4. Put onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth. It should not be sticky, if needed, add more flour. Cover the dough and leave for 1 hour.
5. When you are ready to bake, roll out the dough to a thickness of between 1-2mm. Cut out rounds of 8cm in diameter.
6. Coat the blueberries in sugar. Put 4-5 blueberries on each pastry round in a line, then bring the edges together to form a crescent shape. Crimp together with your fingers.
7. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Cook the pierogi a few at a time, this should take about 2-3 minutes. They will float to the top when cooked.
8. Melt the knob of butter in a large frying pan and add one teaspoon caster sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Once melted, add the pierogi, in batches, and fry for a couple of minutes on each side until starting go crispy and brown.
9. Sweeten the sour cream by whisking in the icing sugar.
10. Serve the dumplings with the sweetened sour cream and a sprinkling of icing sugar.

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 350ml cream
• 100g butter
• 200ml brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 15ml apricot jam 

Batter:

• 30g butter
• 100ml brown sugar
• 45ml apricot jam 
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 125ml milk
• 250ml cake flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp vinegar

Instructions:

1. Sauce: Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan. Stirring continually over a high heat, bring the sauce to the boil. When boiling, remove from the heat.
2. For the batter, cream the butter and the sugar together until the butter is pale and soft. Beat in the jam and then the egg.
3. Separately mix the bicarbonate of soda and the milk. Sift the cake flour and the salt together and add to the batter, alternating with the milk. Then mix in the vinegar.
4. Grease a bowl and then pour in the batter mixture. Pour half of the sauce onto the mixture.
5. Preheat the oven to 180C. Bake the malva pudding for 40 minutes or until risen and golden.
6. Remove from the oven and pour over the remaining sauce a little at a time until all the sauce is absorbed by the hot pudding.
7. Serve hot with custard, cream or ice cream.

Ingredients:

• 50g blanched almonds (chopped)
• 2 large cooking apples (peeled, cored and chopped)
• 200g box candied peel (chopped)
• ¾ of a nutmeg, grated
• 1000g raisins
• 150g plain flour
• 100g soft fresh white breadcrumbs
• 100g light muscovado sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp brandy
• 250g packet butter
• 175g unsalted butter softened
• grated zest of half an orange
• 5 tbsp icing sugar
• 4 tbsp Brandy
• 2 pieces of stem ginger, finely chopped

Instructions:

1. Mix the almonds, apples, candied peel, nutmeg, raisins, flour, breadcrumbs, light muscovado sugar, eggs and 2 tbsp brandy in a large bowl.

2. Holding the butter in its wrapper, grate a quarter of it into the bowl, then stir everything together. Repeat until all the butter is grated, then stir for 3-4 mins – the mixture is ready when it subsides slightly after each stir. 
3. As per tradition, everyone should take a turn to stir, and as they do, make a wish.
4. Generously grease two bowls and put a circle of baking parchment in the bottom of each, pour in the pudding mixture. Cover with a double layer of baking parchment, allow extra for it to expand! At this point, you can also add a silver coin for good luck.
5. Now stand each bowl on a large sheet of foil and bring the edges up over the top, then put another sheet of foil over the top and bring it down underneath to make a double package (this makes the puddings watertight).
6. Boil the puddings for 8 hrs. Remove from the pans and leave to cool overnight. When cold, discard the wrappings and re-wrap. Store in a cool, dry place until Christmas.

7. To make the brandy butter, cream the butter with the orange zest and icing sugar. Gradually beat in the brandy or cognac and chopped stem ginger. Put in the fridge to set.
8. On Christmas Day, boil or oven steam for 1 hr, then unwrap.
9. To flame, warm 3-4 tbsp brandy in a small pan, pour it over the pudding and set light to it, be careful, and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 175g butter
• 200g brown soft sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 150g black treacle
• 2 eggs
• 375g flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 dessert spoon ground allspice
• 6 egg whites
• 1700g icing sugar, sifted

Instructions:

1. First cut out in thin cardboard: a side wall: 12x20cm; an end wall: 12x13cm, a triangular gable: 12x7.5x7.5cm and a roof rectangle, 12x23cm. Tape the rectangular end wall piece to the triangular gable piece: match the long side of the triangle, 12cm, to one of the 12cm sides of the end wall.
2. Mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice and treacle. 
3. Then, beat in 2 eggs. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices together; stir all together. 
4. Wrap dough in baking parchment, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. On a floured surface, divide dough into 6 portions, 2 slightly larger than the others. 
6. Next, roll out the 4 smaller pieces to approximately the size of the side wall and the end wall with gable card templates; cut out two of each. 
7. Roll out the rest of the dough, and cut into two rectangular roof pieces. 
8. Then put all the gingerbread onto greased baking trays.
9. Preheat oven to 190C, and then bake gingerbread for 10 minutes, or until crisp. When removing from the oven, leave the gingerbread on the baking trays for a few minutes to set, then transfer to wire racks. Leave them overnight!
10. In a large bowl, lightly whisk 2 egg whites.
11. Beat in a third of the icing sugar and mix until it stands in firm peaks. 
12. Pipe the edges of the gingerbread in order to stick them together into the shape as designed on the cardboard cut-outs. 
13. Leave overnight to set firmly.
14. When ready to decorate, make the remaining icing by gently whisking 4 egg whites and the remaining icing sugar. You can use this to make snow, and as glue for other decorations.