Microwave Christmas Pudding - easiest and best ever.

    

Ingredients

• 1 x 500g bag mixed dried fruit
• 1 x 330ml bottle orange juice
• 3 tsp ground mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 75g plain flour
• 100g suet or butter
• 100g dark brown soft sugar
• 50g breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp medium sweet sherry
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• icing sugar, for dusting

GET AHEAD

Prepare up to the end of step 2 a few hours ahead

1. Put the dried fruit into a pan with the orange juice. Bubble for 5 minutes until the fruit has absorbed almost all the liquid and plumped up.
2. Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients, except the icing sugar, in a large bowl. Stir in the hot dried fruit. Pour into a lightly greased 2-litre glass (microwave-proof) bowl, base lined with a circle of nonstick baking paper. Cover with a microwave-proof plate.
3. Microwave at 600W for 10 minutes. Remove from the microwave and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Invert the pudding on to a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar and serve with brandy butter, rum sauce or Chantilly cream.

 

Microwave carrot cake

 

• 1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 cups carrot finely grated
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 eggs

Mix all together, microwave on medium (600W) for 8 minutes.

• FROSTING

• 125 g cream cheese
• 60 g butter
• 2 cups icing sugar sifted
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Microwave flapjack

Melt together 75g butter, 1 large tablespoon golden syrup and 50g sugar (mixed brown and white)

Stir in approx 200g oats, or a little more up to 250g.
Add handful sunflower seeds, sultanas, etc.

Bake in square silicone tin in microwave for 5 minutes, perhaps 5 1/2, leave to cool  a little, mark into squares and cool completely.

Microwave coconut macaroons

Ingredients

• 1 Egg White
• 3/4 Cup Unsweetened Coconut
• 1 Tsp. Cocoa
• 1 Cup Icing Sugar

Method

1. Add egg white to a small bowl and beat until foamy on top.


2. In another bowl mix together icing sugar and cocoa; then add egg white mixture and stir thoroughly;




3. Add coconut and mix together.


4. Line a microwaveable plate with a piece of parchment paper and add 4 spoonfuls of the mixture to the plate

5. Microwave on high for 90 seconds.
6. Let cool and move to rack.
7. Repeat as this mixture should make 8.
8. ENJOY!

2 minute meringues

Mix one egg white into 300g icing sugar. Mix to a firm ball with hands/knife.
Form into marble sized balls, place 4 on a kitchen towel on a plate, evenly spaced apart.
Microwave for one - two minutes.

Video here.