Macadamia Biscuits

Couscous Dried Fruit Salad

Rinse the couscous under cold, running water.  Add to a saucepan with 750ml water, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 mins or until soft.  Drain and rinse under running water and set aside to cool completely.

Whisk together olive oil and lemon juice, season and pour over the cooled couscous.  Toss to coat. 

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Spoon into a presentation bowl to serve.

This salad can be served cold or at room temperature.

Moghrabieh can be substituted for Israeli (pearl) couscous.  Simply follow the cooking instructions on the packet as they can vary.

Banana & Walnut Muffins

Sultana & Orange Friands

In a small saucepan heat the sultanas in orange juice, when the juice starts to bubble turn heat off and set aside to infuse.

Preheat oven to 180°C & Lightly grease a friand tin

Place egg whites in a medium bowl; whisk lightly with fork until combined. Add butter, milk, extract, ground almonds, orange rind, sifted icing sugar and flour; stir until combined.

Drain any excess liquid from sultanas and add to the mix & combine.

Pour mixture into pan; Bake friands 20 minutes; or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Stand friands 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

For the icing | In a bowl using an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth, light and fluffy. Use a piping bag to swirl icing across cooled friands, sprinkle with diced pistachios.

Dust the friands with sifted extra icing sugar & optional rose petals before serving.

Aussie Ice-cream Pudding

Preheat oven to 180ºC.

1. Brush a 2 litre pudding basin with vegetable oil, then line with plastic wrap, trying to keep wrap smooth without wrinkles. Place in the freezer to chill.
2. In a bowl combine sultanas, raisins, cranberries, apricots, macadamias and orange liqueur. Leave to soak for 30 minutes.
3. Place softened ice cream in a large bowl stir in soaked fruit. Fold in whipped cream and pour mixture into prepared pudding basin. Place in the freezer and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
4. To prepare orange cake, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in almond meal, orange juice and rind. Pour into a greased and paper lined 20cm cake tin and bake for 1 hour. Allow too cool in the tin, before turning out onto a board.
5. To finish pudding, ease ice-cream pudding from basin and place on top of cake. Trim the cake edges if required and serve cut into thick slices.

Chocolate Raisin Pudding

Pre-heat oven to 190°C (170°C fan-forced).

1. Roughly chop raisins and place in a small saucepan with port. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Place chocolate and butter in a bowl over simmering water, stirring often until melted and smooth. Cool slightly.
3. Beat together the eggs, yolks and sugar until pale and increased in volume. Add chocolate mixture, mixing until well combined. Fold in flour with the raisins and mix well.
4. Spoon mixture between 6 x 250 ml capacity oven proof serving dishes. Place onto an oven tray and bake for 10-12 minutes until just cooked. Allow to sit for 3-4 minutes before serving with cream or ice-cream.

Crunchy Apple Slaw

1. Place pine nuts and sesame seeds in a small frying pan and cook for 5 minutes until golden and toasted. Set aside.
2. Combine the cabbage, apples, spring onions, raisins and mint in a large mixing bowl and toss well.
3. 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.