Nut Crusted Cheese Log
Preparation 15 Minutes
Cook 1 hour Minutes
Serves 8-12
Method
Let the cheeses soften on your bench while you dice nuts and herbs. Whip the cheeses with liquor to combine until smooth.
Mix chilli with herbs and nuts, then sprinkle onto a 30cm piece of plastic wrap, leaving a 2cm border.
Spoon cheese along one end of herbs. Lift wrap and roll cheese away from you into a log, pressing gently to coat well in herbs, shape the mixture into a log, then wrap and refrigerate for about an hour, until the mixture is firm. (NOTE: Can be made up to 2 days ahead of time)
Serve with your favourite crackers.
Ingredients
250 g cream cheese
150g Castello Double Cream Brie
2 tablespoons port, brandy or sherry
2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1/2 cup finely chopped mixed soft herbs (such as parsley, chives and basil)
1/3 cup finely chopped SUNBEAM pistachios, diced
1/3 cup SUNBEAM macadamia, diced
Recipe Collection
Crunchy Apple Slaw
- Place pine nuts and sesame seeds in a small frying pan and cook for 5 minutes until golden and toasted. Set aside.
- Combine the cabbage, apples, spring onions, raisins and mint in a large mixing bowl and toss well.
- Whisk together the oil and vinegar. Season to taste. Pour over apple mixture and toss well. Spoon onto serving platter and sprinkle with toasted seeds and nuts and some additional mint leaves.
Custard-stuffed Hot Cross Doughnuts
Fruit Nut Fudge Brownie
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line base and sides of a 27cm x17cm slice pan with baking paper, extending paper over sides.
- Combine fruit and rum or juice in saucepan and bring just to the boil. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally. Set aside 1/4 cup of the fruit mixture for decorating the top.
- Heat butter and chocolate in saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and combined. Set aside to cool 10 minutes.
- Whisk sugar and eggs together in large bowl, then whisk in cooled chocolate mixture and remaining soaked fruit. Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder into the bowl and add half of the hazelnuts (saving some for the top). Stir until combined. Pour into prepared pan and scatter with reserved fruit and nuts.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until tested with a skewer. Some crumbs will cling to the skewer. Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing. Cut into 18 pieces and serve warm and gooey or cool and fudgy.
Chutney for Glazed Ham
Put the vinegar and sugar in a large pan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
Put the remaining ingredients in the pan and bubble on high for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
The chutney is ready when the mixture looks sticky and thick, and a wooden spoon leaves a brief trail on the bottom of the pan.
Leave to cool, then pour into sterilised jars

Lemon Friands
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease with some butter and dust with additional almond meal 12 x ⅓ cup capacity friand moulds.
- Combine icing sugar, almond meal and flour in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Stir in the butter and juice. Add to the icing sugar mixture and mix until well combined.
- Pour between prepared moulds and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan and cool completely on a cooling rack. Serve dusted with additional icing sugar.
Spinach & Ricotta Tart
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line an oven tray with baking paper.
- Steam or microwave spinach leaves until just wilted. Squeeze any excess liquid when cool enough to handle and then finely chop.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over low heat, add spring onions and garlic, cooking for several minutes until just tender. Add spinach and cook a further minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Meanwhile, lightly whisk the egg white with a splash of water, set aside.
- Combine spinach mixture in a large mixing bowl with the ricotta, egg yolk, parmesan, pinenuts, mint and lemon rind. Mix until well combined and season well.
- Lay one pastry sheet onto oven tray and spoon spinach mixture over the top, leaving a 2cm border around each edge. Lightly brush the edges with some of the egg white mixture.
- Using the tip of a knife, lightly score the other sheet of pastry without cutting all the way through. Place on top of spinach mixture and seal the edges with a fork. Brush top sheet with some more of the egg white mixture and sprinkle with the seeds. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden.