So it’s getting to the business end of the Festive Season, and you’ve been to so many Christmas parties already. The food, so much food! Although Christmas Cake is a splendid thing indeed, fatigue can set in. Well, we’ve stumbled across a recipe for darling little Christmas Cake bites. In one mouthful you get all the festive flavours, without OD-ing on cake yet again.
This recipe for mini Christmas cake bites is kid-friendly in that there’s no alcohol added. So if you need a quick dish to whip up for the Playgroup Christmas Party, this has your bases covered. For the booze-loving adults amongst us however, this can be easily remedied by substituting the apple juice for the liqueur of your choice.
MINI CHRISTMAS CAKE BITES
You Will Need:
1/3 cup Apple Juice
375 g Mixed Fruit
1/4 cup Dried Apricots, diced
100 g Unsalted Butter, softened
1/3 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Large Egg
100 g Slivered Almonds, chopped
1/2 cup Self Raising Flour
1/2 teaspoon Mixed/All Spice
1/4 cup White Chocolate Bits
150 g White Chocolate Melts
100g Red Glace Cherries
Red and Green mini patty pans
12-hole Mini muffin tin
Directions:
Heat apple juice in microwave for 1 minute. Pour hot juice over the mixed fruit and apricots and let them absorb it for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Strain the juice out of the fruit mixture when ready.
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with patty pans. Beat the butter, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy (the volume might be too small for your electric mixer). Beat in the egg until well combined. Stir in the fruit mixture, chopped almonds, flour, spice and white chocolate bits until evenly distributed. Drop teaspoons of the batter into mini muffin pans until filled to the top, pack the batter firmly in to each one. (These don’t rise, so don’t worry about overflow). Bake for 25 -30 minutes, until golden brown and the top is firm to touch.
Allow cakes to cool slightly in the pan, then remove onto a wire rack. Melt the white chocolate melts in the microwave. Drizzle the tops of the cakes with melted chocolate. Place half of a glace cherry on the top.
Makes 24-36, depending on volume of mini muffin tray.
| Mini Christmas Cake Bites |
- 1/3 cup Apple Juice
- 375 g Mixed Fruit
- 1/4 cup Dried Apricots, diced
- 100 g Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1/3 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Large Egg
- 100 g Slivered Almonds, chopped
- 1/2 cup Self Raising Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Mixed/All Spice
- 1/4 cup White Chocolate Bits
- 150 g White Chocolate Melts
- 100g Red Glace Cherries
- Red and Green mini patty pans
- 12-hole Mini muffin tin
- Heat apple juice in microwave for 1 minute. Pour hot juice over the mixed fruit and apricots and let them absorb it for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Strain the juice out of the fruit mixture when ready.
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with patty pans. Beat the butter, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy (the volume might be too small for your electric mixer). Beat in the egg until well combined. Stir in the fruit mixture, chopped almonds, flour, spice and white chocolate bits until evenly distributed. Drop teaspoons of the batter into mini muffin pans until filled to the top, pack the batter firmly in to each one. (These don’t rise, so don’t worry about overflow). Bake for 25 -30 minutes, until golden brown and the top is firm to touch.
- Allow cakes to cool slightly in the pan, then remove onto a wire rack. Melt the white chocolate melts in the microwave. Drizzle the tops of the cakes with melted chocolate. Place half of a glace cherry on the top.
