Rich Hazelnut Fruit Cake...

I made this cake for Christmas hoping to please both traditional Christmas Cake lovers and haters... and it worked! This cake is very dense and moist, it is full of fruit, nuts and has a chocolate flavour.
No glace cherries either!!
It can be made up to 6 months ahead (I made it a month ago).

Ingredients:
2 1/3 C sultanas
2 1/4 C chopped raisins
1 1/2 C chopped seeded dates
1 1/4 C chopped seeded prunes
2 T raspberry jam, warmed, seived
2/3 C Franjelico
185g butter, chopped
1/3 C Nutella
1 C firmly packed brown sugar
4 eggs
1 3/4 C plain flour
1/4 C cocoa powder
1 t ground nutmeg
1 t ground cinnamon
1 C roasted hazelnuts, chopped
1/4 C Franjelico, extra (for pouring over)

Combine fruit, jam, liquor in a large bowl, cover, stand at room temperature overnight or up to one week.
Line base and side of deep 18cm square cake tin with about 3 layers of baking paper, bringing it up 5cm above tin.
Beat butter, Nutella and sugar in a bowl until just combined. Add egss, one at a time, beating until just combined between additions. Stir butter mixture with fruit mixture along with sifted dry ingredients and nuts.
Spread mixture in to prepared tin.
Bake in slow oven for about 3.5 hours.
Brush hot cake with extra Franjelico.
Cover hot cake with foil; allow to cool in pan.

Enjoy!

Extracted from The Australian Women's Weekly - The Christmas Book.

Custard Tarts...

A few weeks ago I made these Portuguese Custard Tarts for a picnic at the Zoo with my friends... they went down such a treat! Here's the recipe...

Portuguese Custard Tarts

Ingredients:
1 1/3 sheets of puff pastry
3 egg yolks
1/2 C caster sugar
2 T cornflour
3/4 C cream
1/2 C milk
Strip of lemon zest
2 t vanilla extract

Method:
Preheat oven to 200C. Spray a 12-hole muffin tin with oil. Cut sheets of pastry in to 12 squares and press in to muffin tin, then chill in the fridge. Put yolks, sugar and cornflour in to a bowl and whisk. Heat cream & milk in a pot until it just comes to boil, pour over eggs & stir in zest & vanilla. Return to the pot & stir over medium heat until mixture almost comes to the boil. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat immediately and take the zest out. Divide your custard between the 12 pastry cases and bake fro around 20 minutes or until tops are browned and pastry is crisp. Cool on a wire rack. Take to a picnic to impress your friends.

Thanks Kate McGhie!