PANETTONE STUFFING WREATH

Preparation time 15 mins Cooking time 50 mins Serves 6-8

Cooking oil spray, to grease 4 beef sausages, casings removed 50g butter, melted 2 free-range eggs ½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve 2 green shallots, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, finely grated 5 cups panettone, torn into bite-size pieces or fruit bread ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped ¼ cup dried cranberries 50g parmesan, finely grated Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season 125g thinly sliced pancetta, roughly torn

STEP 1 Preheat oven to 180°C fanforced (200°C conventional). Grease base and sides of a 21cm (base measurement), 10cm deep, 5cmwide centre, removable base ring tin with cooking oil. Line base and sides, including centre, with baking paper.

STEP 2 Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Break sausage filling into bite-size pieces and add to pan. Cook, stirring, for 8 minutes or until cooked through. Drain on paper towel.

STEP 3 Use a fork to mix butter, eggs, parsley, shallots and garlic in a large bowl. Add panettone, pecans, cranberries and parmesan and toss to coat using your hands to avoid squashing the panettone. Season, then add cooked sausage and gently toss again.

STEP 4 Spoon stuffing mixture into prepared tin, without pushing it down too firmly. Bake for 25 minutes. Arrange pancetta on top, slightly pushing it into stuffing mixture. Bake for a further 15 minutes, uncovered, or until pancetta is golden brown. Serve scattered with extra parsley.

Panettone stuffing wreath Mix Italian sweet bread with sausage meat and bake it in a ring tin with pancetta on top.

Preparation time 20 mins plus 24 hours marinating, 12 hours soaking and 20 mins cooling Cooking time 6 hours 5 mins Serves 12

1 cup sultanas

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup finely chopped soft

and juicy dried figs

125ml coconut-flavoured rum ½ cup seed tapioca, also

known as sago

400ml can coconut milk 250ml water

50g butter, softened, plus

extra for greasing

¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed 2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups gluten-free dried

breadcrumbs

Holly, to decorate (not for eating)

STEP 1 Combine dried fruit and rum in a large bowl or plastic container. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 24 hours.

STEP 2 Meanwhile, put sago in a large heat-proof bowl. Heat coconut milk and water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil and immediately pour over sago, stirring to remove lumps. Cover and set aside for 12 hours.

STEP 3 Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat with electric hand beaters until mixture looks like rough breadcrumbs. Add eggs and beat until combined. Stir sago mixture to loosen, then add to butter mixture along with bicarb, mixed spice and vanilla. Stir in soaked fruit, then stir in breadcrumbs.

STEP 4 Grease an 8-cup capacity pudding basin with butter. Line base with a disc of baking paper. Add pudding mix. Cover pudding with a circle of baking paper and cover with lid.

STEP 5 Put a saucer at the base of a large heavy based saucepan, sit pudding on top and add enough water to come halfway up side of pudding basin. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for 6 hours checking every 45 minutes to make sure the water level stays at the halfway mark on the basin. If water has evaporated, add more to the saucepan. Remove basin from water.

STEP 6 Stand pudding in basin for 20 minutes. Use a non-stick spatula to carefully loosen the pudding away from the side of the basin, then invert pudding onto a cake stand. Serve garnished with holly leaves.