Christmas Fruit Balls (Kid's Version Rum Balls)

This is my alcohol-free rum ball recipe for all the little people and pregnant ladies out there.

As far as sweet treats go, these fruit balls actually make quite nutritious little snacks. Full of dried fruits and calcium rich sweetened condensed milk, they are high in sugar but also high in fibre, and a source of calcium and iron.

Christmas Fruit Balls

400g mixed dried fruit

100g glace cherries, chopped

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (approx. 2 oranges)

250g milk arrowroot biscuit

1 cup milk powder

2 tbsp pure cocoa powder

1 cup dessicated coconut (plus extra for rolling in)

1 can sweetened condensed milk (400g)

1. Preparation should begin a few days in advance. Pour orange juice over mixed fruit and cherries, cover, and store in refridgerator for at least 2-3 days.
2. Use a blender or food processor to crumb arrowroot biscuits.
3. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients - biscuit crumbs, cocoa powder, milk powder, and coconut.
4. Make a well in the centre of dry mix and pour in condensed milk and fruit. Stir well with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Mixture will be reasonably difficult to stir.
5. Use a teaspoon to measure mix, form into balls and then roll gently in additional coconut to coat.
6. Place coconut coated balls on plate and then freeze until needed. 

Date and Almond Biscotti

For a lower fat tea time treat, try biscotti instead of cake or regular sweet biscuits. They are surprisingly simple to make and also make a wonderful food gift during the festive season.

Date and Almond Biscotti

1 cup plain flour

1 cup SR flour

120g blanched almonds

150g pitted dates

1/2 cup castor sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, almonds and dates
2. Make a well in the centre and add eggs and vanilla
3. Mix well with a wooden spoon to form a sticky dough
4. Use floured hands to roll the dough out into a long snake. You may find it easier to divide the dough into two parts when doing this.
5. Place on a lined baking tray and bake at 160 degrees for about 30min or until surface just starts to brown slightly.
6. Cool on trays then slice diagonally into 1cm thick slices.
7. Lie slices flat on lined baking tray and bake again at 160 degrees for about 25 min, turning over at halfway.



Chickpea and Carrot Salad

Bored with steamed vegetables? Salads are made for summer. This is such a simple salad to make and it is a great example of how you can incorporate more legumes into your diet.

Take leftovers to work for lunch. Turn it into a meal by adding a small can of salmon and a dollop of cottage cheese.

Suitable for 12mths+

Chickpea and Carrot Salad

400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 onion, finely diced

1 red capsicum, finely diced

1 carrot, coarsely grated

Dressing

1/2 lemon, juice only

2 tbsp French dressing

Ground white pepper to taste

Asparagus and Ricotta Tart

Asparagus is at its seasonal best in Spring. Use reduced fat puff pastry in this tart and serve warm for a quick and nutritious mid-week dinner. Or for a more decadent version, bake with flaky short crust pastry. 

Asparagus and Ricotta Tart

1 sheet reduced fat puff pastry

250g light ricotta cheese

5 eggs

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

2 bunches of asparagus, ends trimmed to fit tart tin

Cracked black pepper and salt

1. Line a tart tin with the sheet of pastry.
2. In a bowl, whisk eggs together with ricotta, nutmeg and parmesan cheese
3. Season with pepper and salt to taste
4. Pour egg mix into pastry lined tin
5. Lightly lay trimmed asparagus on top of egg mix
6. Bake at 180 degrees for about 45 min or until top is golden and egg just set



Rum Balls (Adults Only Version)

Finally, the highly coveted and super secret family recipe has been released...

Best made a month in advance and stored in the freezer until required.

Rum Balls

400g mixed dried fruit

100g glace cherries, chopped

1 cup rum

250g milk arrowroot biscuits

1 cup milk powder

2 tbsp pure cocoa powder

1 cup dessicated coconut (plus extra for rolling in)

1 can sweetened condensed milk (400g)

1. Preparation should begin a few days in advance. Pour rum over mixed fruit and cherries, cover, and store in refridgerator for at least 2-3 days.
2. Use a blender or food processor to crumb arrowroot biscuits.
3. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients - biscuit crumbs, cocoa powder, milk powder, and coconut.
4. Make a well in the centre of dry mix and pour in condensed milk and fruit. Stir well with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Mixture will be reasonably difficult to stir.
5. Use a teaspoon to measure mix, form into balls and then roll gently in additional coconut to coat.
6. Place coconut coated balls on plate and then freeze until needed.





Minted Lamb Patties

Fresh mint and peas add a lift to spring lamb in these hamburger patties. Using herbs is a great way to boost the flavour of meals without adding salt. Suitable for 7-9mth+.

Minted Lamb Patties

500g lean lamb mince

1 garlic clove

1 onion, finely diced

1 cup peas

1 bunch fresh mint leaves (just remove any woody stalks)

1 royal gala apple, cored and roughly sliced

1 egg

1. In a food processor, blend the garlic, mint, apple and egg
2. Once mostly smooth, add the peas to the food processor and pulse once or twice only. You want some of the peas to remain intact.
3. Combine the puree mix with the minced lamb in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly with clean hands and shape into patties.
4. Cook on a hot BBQ, turning once only.



Christmas Cake

Fruit cakes are naturally packed with goodness from all the dried fruits and nuts they contain.

Use a canola based margarine instead of butter and make sure to soak the dried fruit in the fridge for at least a few days before you start. I use rum, but you could also use brandy or even home-squeezed orange juice. Don't worry, the alcohol cooks off during the cooking process!

Christmas cakes are best made a month ahead. Consider 'feeding' the cake with a few teaspoons of liquor each week in the lead up to Christmas.

Christmas Cake

400g currants

325g sultanas

200g raisins

200g glace cherries

100g mixed candied peel

2 cups rum

1 apple, cored and pureed fresh with skin on

4 eggs, lightly beaten

175g margarine

175g soft brown sugar

200g SR flour

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tbsp black treacle

28 blanched almonds (for topping)

1. Place all dried fruit, treacle and apple in a bowl and cover with rum. Cover dish and refridgerate for at least a couple of days before you start the cake.
2. Grease and line a 2cm round cake tin. Tie some additional paper around the outside of the tin and prepare a double layer square of baking paper with a small cutout in the middle. The square is to be placed gently on top of the cake to prevent burning during the long cooking time.
3. Preheat oven to 140 degrees.
4. Sift flour and spices into a bowl.
5. In another bowl, beat together sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating all the time. Adding the eggs slowly should prevent them from curdling, but if the mixture does curdle, don't worry too much as the cake will still taste delicious!
6. Fold the flour gently into the egg mix.
7. Gently fold fruit and almond mix in now.
8. Transfer cake mix to the cake tin, spreading out evenly.
9. Place almonds in a circular pattern on the cake surface.
10. Cover with baking paper square and bake for 4 - 4.5hrs or until skewer tests clean.