or scroll for handy tips and a little nostalgia.
Packed with sultanas, peel and peanuts, and topped with a little white chocolate, these Fruit and Nut Clusters are only a little bit naughty and a lot nice.
I’ve decorated them here with red cherries and crushed green pistachio to add a little Christmas magic.
These Festive Fruit Clusters are so simple to make and always go down a treat.
Here, the clusters are held together with a biscuit-y mixture and topped with chocolate, making this Fruit and Nut Clusters recipe a nice variation on the cluster recipes that use only chocolate.
Nana Ling’s Fruit and Nut Clusters recipe
This recipe is from the pages of Nana Ling‘s handwritten recipe books.
Admire her gorgeous handwriting in the page pictured below, but keep scrolling for the tested and tweaked version of the recipe in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Fruit and Nut Clusters: the ingredients
You’ll need the following to make these cute little clusters:
- butter
- brown sugar
- egg
- SR flour
- cocoa
- unsalted shelled peanuts
- sultanas
- mixed peel
- vanilla essence
- red glace cherries
- crushes pistachios
- white chocolate.
The precise quantities and the simple method of making these can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Fruit Clusters
Pre-heat the oven to 175 degrees celsius/350 degrees fahrenheit (fan-forced)
Cream the butter and sugar.
Next, add egg and vanilla essence and beat into creamed butter and sugar.
Add the sifted SR flour and cocoa, peanuts, sultanas and peel. Mix well.
Roll heaped tablespoons (or use a cookie scoop to measure out portions) into balls and place on a tray lined with baking paper – leaving room for a little spreading.
Bake for 12-13 minutes.
Allow to cool then top with melted white chocolate, glace cherries and crushed pistachios (or your choice of topping).
Recipe FAQs
Q. How long will these fruit clusters keep?
They should last a few days stored in an airtight container.
Q. Do you have more of Nana Ling’s handwritten recipes?
Plenty! Check out the entire handwritten collection here.
Q. Do you have more Christmas recipes.
Check out the Cooking with Nana Ling Christmas collection here.
Fruit and Nut Clusters
Ingredients
Clusters
- 115 grams butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup SR flour (or 1 cup plain/all purpose flour + 2 teaspoons baking powder)
- 2 teaspoons cocoa
- 230 grams unsalted shelled peanuts
- 1 cup sultanas
- 1/4 cup mixed peel
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
Topping
- 18 red glace cherries
- 1/4 cup crushed pistachios
- 225 grams white chocolate
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 175 degrees celsius/350 degrees fahrenheit (fan-forced)
- Cream the butter and sugar.
- Add egg and vanilla essence and beat into creamed butter and sugar.
- Add sifted SR flour and cocoa, peanuts, sultanas and peel. Mix well.
- Roll heaped tablespoons (or use a cookie scoop to measure out portions) into balls and place on a tray lined with baking paper – leaving room for a little spreading.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes.
- Allow to cool then top with melted white chocolate, glace cherries and crushed pistachios (or your choice of topping).