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2. desserts and baking

HERBS & SPICES
Christmas Recipes Collection
Allspice
Chocolate Truff les
Preparation time: 15 minutes plus 1 hour refigeration
Cooking time: 5 minutes Makes: 30 small balls
Ingredients:
200g plain cooking chocolate
50g butter
2 medium egg yolks
2 tsp McCormick Allspice Ground
1 tsp McCormick Cinnamon Ground
1 tsp McCormick Vanilla sugar
250g White chocolate melted
200g shredded coconut
Method:
1.Melt chocolate and butter and stir in egg yolks and spices. Mix well.
Beat until the mixture thickens. Place in a refrigerator until the
mixture has hardened slightly about 1 hour.
2.Shape the mixture into ½ to 1 tsp balls
3.Dip set truffles in melted white chocolate and coat with shredded
coconut. Add the zest of ½ orange to truffle mix for added zing.
Hint & Tips:
Add the zest of ½ orange to truffle mix for added zing.
Adults only – add 2 Tbsp dark rum to mixture at step 1.
before refrigeration.
Place finished balls into sweet cases and put into a pretty box and give
as a gift.
Hints & Tips
Fruit Mince Pies
Preparation time: 30 minutes plus overnight soaking of fruit
Cooking time: 20 minutes Makes: 12 pies
Ingredients:
375g dried mixed fruit
Pastry
1 green apple, peeled and grated
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups self raising flour,
|plus extra for kneading
50g butter, melted
185g butter, cubed
Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
2 egg yolks
2 tsp McCormick ground mixed spice
2 Tablespoons lemon juice or
iced water
2 tsp McCormick ground cinnamon
2 tsp McCormick ground nutmeg
Icing sugar, to dust
Method:
1.Place dried fruit, apple, sugar, butter, liqueur, orange rind and juice
and spices into a bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2.Next day, Preheat oven to 200ºC (fan forced).
3.In a large food processor add flour, butter and process until mixture
resembles breadcrumbs. With motor running add egg yolks and
lemon juice until dough starts to form a ball.
4.Remove dough and place on a sheet of greaseproof paper.
Lightly knead until dough comes together and smooth. Add 1 –2
Tablespoons of flour to dough if wet. Dough should be soft and
damp but not sticky.
5.Place another sheet of greaseproof paper over dough and roll dough
between two sheets of greaseproof to about 3 mm thick. Cut 12
rounds to fit into patty pans and cut 12 star shapes for pie tops.
6.Place pastry rounds into a greased 12-hole small patty pans and
spoon 2-3 tsps prepared fruit mince into each. Top each with a star
shaped pastry.
7.Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool completely in pans.
8.Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with icing sugar.
Fruit Mince Jars as Gifts:
Using leftover Fruit Mince (from recipe Fruit Mince pies), place uncooked fruit
mince, into a saucepan and stir on a LOW heat until simmering and cook for
10 minutes until sauce is thick and syrupy. Spoon fruit mince into small jars,
close lid, label and tie with string and give as a Christmas gift.
Adults Only - Add 60ml Liqueur (contreau, brandy, rum)
to fruit mixture to add extra depth of flavour to your
fruit mince.
Christmas Turkey &
Herb Roasted Potatoes
Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 120 minutes
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
4 kg turkey, thawed
Turkey Rub:
3 tsp McCormick Mixed Herbs
2 tsp McCormick Garlic powder
1 tsp McCormick ground Salt
1 tsp McCormick ground Black Pepper
¼ cup olive oil
Herb Roasted Potatoes:
4 (medium) potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
4 (medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp McCormick Roast Vegetable seasoning
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan-forced)
2.Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey. Pat the cavity and skin
dry using paper towel. Place turkey on a baking tray.
3.Mix all the turkey rub ingredients together with the olive oil and
brush over the turkey and inside the cavity. Tie legs together with
cotton string.
4.Bake for 2 ½ hours or until cooked and golden, basting from time to
time. After 1 ½ hours cooking, mix potatoes with oil and seasoning
and place on a baking tray or around the turkey to cook, turning
potatoes occasionally until tender, golden and crisp.
5.To serve; place turkey on to a large serving platter with potatoes and
accompanied with McCormick gravy and cooked beans.
Hints & Tips
Plum Pudding
Preparation time: 10 minutes plus overnight soaking of fruit
Cooking time: 2.5 hours Serves: 8
Ingredients:
1kg mixed dried fruit
180g butter, at room temperature
1 orange, finely grated rind and juice
60g (1/3 cup) brown sugar
1 Tbsp McCormick ground mixed spice
3 x 60g eggs
1 tsp McCormick ground ginger
210g (3 cups) fresh breadcrumbs
1 tsp McCormick ground cinnamon
50g (1/3 cup) plain flour
1 tsp McCormick ground cloves
Bought custard and vanilla
ice cream to serve
Melted butter, to grease
pudding bowl
Method:
1.Combine mixed fruit, orange rind and juice and spices in a large
bowl. Stir in 250ml water or alcohol (see tip), cover and refrigerate
overnight.
2.Next day, grease a large pudding bowl (1.5L/6 cup) with melted
butter and line base with a circle of grease-proof paper.
3.Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add
eggs and beat until well combined.
4.Mix in soaked fruit mixture, fresh breadcrumbs, flour and stir well
until all mixed together.
5.Spoon mixture into prepared pudding bowl and cover with
greaseproof paper, then foil and tie a double piece of kitchen string
under rim of pudding bowl to secure.
6.Place pudding bowl into a large saucepan of simmering water onethird full on top of a upturned heatproof saucer and ensuring water
only reaches two thirds up the side of pudding bowl. Cover saucepan
with lid and simmer pudding for 2.5 hours.
7.Remove pudding from simmering water and set aside for 10 minutes
before turning out onto a serving platter.
8.To serve, cut into wedges and dollop custard and a spoonful a
creamy vanilla ice-cream.
Adults only –add 250ml liqueur (contreau, brandy, rum) instead of
water at Step.1 to add extra depth of flavour to your pudding.
Cook pudding the week before Christmas and keep stored in fridge
then re-heat on Christmas day in simmering water for about 1hour
before turning out onto a serving platter to serve.
Ice Cream
Christmas Cake
Preparation time: 20 minutes plus overnight freezing
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
2 Litre’s vanilla ice cream
500g dark fruit cake, roughly chopped
1 tsp McCormick ground allspice
3 Tbsp golden syrup
100g Glaced Cherries, roughly chopped. Reserve a bit for garnish
100g Golden Syrup.
100g Amaretti biscuits, crushed
Method:
1. Remove ice cream from freezer and allow to soften and cut fruitcake
into small cubes.
2.In a large bowl fold spices, cherries and cake cubes into softened ice
cream, fold until well mixed and paste like.
3.Place mix in a large loaf tin lined with baking paper, smooth top and
cover with plastic wrap. Return to freezer overnight to set firm.
4.Remove plastic wrap and turn cake onto a serving plate.
5.Drizzle with golden syrup and top with crushed biscuits and
remaining cherries.
6.Cut ice cream into slices and serve with extra golden syrup.
Hints & Tips:
Adults Only - add 2 Tablespoons Liqueur (contreu, brandy, rum) to step
3 when mixing all ingredients in to add extra depth of flavour to
your ice-cream.
Hints & Tips
• Adults Only - Add 60ml Liqueur (contreau, brandy, rum) to
fruit mixture to add extra depth of flavour to your fruit mince.
Herb Roasted Potatoes
Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 60 minutes
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
Herb Roasted Potatoes:
4 (medium) potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
4 (medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp McCormick Roast Vegetable seasoning
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan-forced)
2.Mix potatoes with oil and seasoning and place on a baking tray to
cook, turning potatoes occasionally until tender, golden and crisp.
3.Serve with roast meat, gravy and cooked beans.
Hints & Tips
Gingerbread House
This cute gingerbread house will keep for up to 1 week.
Best made a couple days before Christmas. Don’t forget
it’s edible! Best served when kids are around so they can
crack it open and find the treats hidden inside!
Preparation time: 1 hour plus 1-2 hours for decorating Cooking time: 30 minutes Makes: 1
Gift idea: wrap completed gingerbread house in clear
celephane and tie with a pretty ribbion. Take to a Christmas
party or give as a gift.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup plain flour
2 Tbsps McCormick ground ginger
1 Tbsp McCormick ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp McCormick ground cloves
Royal icing (We used a double batch of the
icing as we covered the base of the cutting
board to simulate snow and also used it to
decorate the house)
2 eggwhites, lightly beaten
185g butter, chopped
3 cups pure icing sugar
Lollies for decorating (We used sour fruit strips,
boiled lollies, musk sticks, and merengues)
1/2 cup golden syrup
McCormick vanilla sugar for dusting
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup pure icing sugar
Extra lollies or small toys to place inside of house
30cm round or square cake board
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
2.Combine flours, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, sugar and butter in a food processor. Process until
mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Whisk golden syrup and eggs together in a jug. With the
motor running, add egg mixture and process until dough just comes together. Turn onto a
lightly floured surface. Knead gently until smooth. Cut dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap.
3.Meanwhile, cut paper patterns for gingerbread house; cut two 12 cm x 19cm rectangles for
roof; two 10.5 x 16cm rectangles for side walls of house; and two 16cm x 18cm rectangles for
front and back walls of house and add 14cm gables with total height 28cm.
4.Roll dough, 1 portion at a time, between 2 sheets baking paper until 5mm thick. Remove
top layer baking paper. Using cardboard cut-outs as a guide, cut shapes from dough. Place
gingerbread in a single layer on trays. Re-knead and re-roll dough as needed to cut shapes
from dough. Line 4 baking trays with baking paper. Place gingerbread on trays. Bake, 2 trays
at a time, for 15 minutes or until firm. Cool on trays.
5.Meanwhile make royal icing: Using an electric mixer, beat eggwhites until soft peaks form.
Gradually add icing sugar, beating constantly until thick.
6.Using a knife spread icing to join wall edges together, start with a front and side wall, placing
pins into adjoining wall edges to support joins until icing dries. Then join back and side wall,
placing pins into adjoining wall edges to support joins until icing dries. You should have an
empty house without a roof. Fill inside of house with lollies or small toys. If house feels strong
and dry enough. Use icing to attach roof to walls, using pins into adjoining sides to support
roof until icing dries completely. Remove pins only when house is solid and dried.
7.Spoon 1/2 cup remaining icing into a snap-lock bag. Trim 1 corner of bag and pipe windows and
doors on house and frost on roof edges. Allow to dry. Spoon remaining icing into snap-lock bag. Pipe
a little icing on the back of each lolly and attach to house to decorate. Dust roof with icing sugar.
Tip: Before cutting gingerbread to size, make a test run
with cardboard cut-outs to ensure pieces will fit together.
White Christmas
Preparation time: 25 minutes Chill time: 4 hours + refrigerate overnight
Makes: 40 small squares
Ingredients:
600g white chocolate melts, melted
1 1/2 cups rice bubbles
100g red and green glace cherries
1 cup crushed nuts
50g White chocolate
1 cup sultanas
1 cup (90g) desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon McCormick mixed spice
½ teaspoon McCormick ground ginger
Method:
1. Line a 30cm x 20cm (base) baking pan with baking paper.
2.In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together and pour mixture into
the prepared pan, pressing down with a large metal spoon.
3.Refrigerate for 4 hours or until set.
4.Turn slice onto a chopping board. Using a knife that has been dipped
in hot water, cut into squares.
5.Melt 50g white chocolate and drizzle over set slice and serve.
Hints & Tips:
Place white Christmas squares into confectionary boxes and give
as a Christmas gift!
Spicy Date &
Almond Fruit Cakes
Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 2 hours
Serves: 16
Ingredients:
250g butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
3 Tbsp black treacle
or golden syrup
4 x 60g medium eggs, beaten
350g (2 ½ cups) self-raising flour
2 tsp McCormick Nutmeg Ground
2 tsp McCormick Cinnamon
Ground
2 tsp McCormick Ginger Ground
1 tbsp McCormick All Spice or
Mixed Spice
120g blanched almonds
250g pitted dates, roughly
chopped and soaked in 1 cup hot
water until soft
375g sultanas
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
Zest of 1 orange
Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 150ºC (fan forced).
2. Grease and line a 20.5cm (8”) square or round cake tin with
a double layer of greaseproof paper.
3. Cream butter and sugar together. Stir in treacle. Beat in eggs a little
at a time, adding a spoonful of flour with each one. Mix in remaining
flour with the Spices. Fold in almonds, dates and sultanas.
4. Spray and line mini loaf tins with baking paper.
5. Spoon cake mix into tins and bake at 150ºc for 45 minutes.
6. Bake for approx. 2 hours or until the cakes have risen and are
firm to touch.
7. In a small sauce pan, combine sugar and water.
8. Heat until sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and let cool.
9. Add zest and infuse for at least 1 hour.
10. Top cooled cakes with zest and serve.
Hints & Tips
Adults Only – add 3 Tbsp dark rum into cake mixture before baking.
The cake may be stored for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
This cake when cooked is very solid and perfect to use for iced
Christmas cake.
Christmas Turkey
Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 120 minutes
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
4 kg turkey, thawed
Turkey Rub:
3 tsp McCormick Mixed Herbs
2 tsp McCormick Garlic powder
1 tsp McCormick ground Salt
1 tsp McCormick ground Black Pepper
¼ cup olive oil
Method:
1.Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan-forced)
2.Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey. Pat the cavity and skin
dry using paper towel. Place turkey on a baking tray.
3.Mix all the turkey rub ingredients together with the olive oil and
brush over the turkey and inside the cavity. Tie legs together with
cotton string.
4.Bake for 2 ½ hours or until cooked and golden, basting from time
to time.
5.To serve; place turkey on to a large serving platter with potatoes and
accompanied with McCormick gravy and cooked beans.
Slow Cooked
Spiced Plum Pudding
Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 6 hours on HIGH
Serves: 10 - 12
Ingredients:
Butter to grease
2 cups plain flour, sifted
600g mixed dried fruits, chopped
(we used fig, raisin, currant and
glace cherry)
1 tsp McCormick Mixed Spice
1 tsp McCormick Nutmeg Ground
1/3 cup (85ml) golden rum
(or orange juice)
¾ cup loosely packed brown sugar
125g butter, finely chopped
1 tsp McCormick Cinnamon Ground
1 egg, whisked
1 tsp baking soda
Method:
1.Choose a 6 - 8 cup heatproof pudding basin or Pyrex bowl, making
sure it will fit into your slow cooker appliance with the lid firmly in
place. Grease well with butter.
2. Place the fruit, rum and butter into a saucepan, bring to the boil, then
remove from the heat. Add baking soda and leave for 10 minutes to
cool. Sift together flour, Mixed Spice, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and brown
sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the cooled
mixture and egg. Stir gently to combine so all dry ingredients are
mixed through, and the batter is a wet drop consistency.
3. S
poon mix carefully into the pudding basin, cover top loosely with
baking paper and a layer of foil. Place into the slow cooker insert pot.
Pour warm water around pudding basin to half way up the side of
the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours.
4. W
hen cooked, carefully remove from the slow cooker insert pot, and
remove baking paper and foil. Turn out from basin and serve warm
with custard or whipped cream with 1 tsp McCormick Cinnamon
Ground mixed through.
Hints & Tips
This pudding can be kept refrigerated for up to two weeks, or can be
frozen for 3 months.
Christmas Apple
& Spice Cupcakes
Preparation time: 25minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 12
Ingredients:
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
1 tsp McCormick Mixed Spice
1 tsp McCormick Nutmeg Ground
¾ cup castor sugar
1/4 cup (65ml) apple juice
½ cup (125ml) milk
125g butter, melted
2 eggs
Decoration:
1 cup icing sugar
boiling water
1 tsp McCormick Cinnamon Ground
12 glace cherries
Method:
1.Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with patty pan cases. Preheat oven
to 200ºC.
2. Sift together flour, Mixed Spice, Nutmeg and castor sugar in a large
bowl. Make a well in the centre. Mix the apple juice, milk, butter and
eggs and pour into the dry mix. Using a metal spoon, stir gently to
combine.
3. S
poon mix carefully into the patty pan cases, then place in preheated
oven. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out
clean. Cool on a wire cake rack.
4. W
hen cold, combine icing sugar with just enough boiling water to
make a thick paste, and ice the top of each cake carefully. Sprinkle
each with a little cinnamon, then top with a glace cherry. If you
can find it, serve with sprigs of holly or fresh apple leaf but remove
before eating.
For more delicious
recipes from McCormick
please visit us at
mccormick.com.au
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facebook.com/mccormickaustralia