Pistachio & Fruit Cheesecake

Apple & Sultana Crumble Cake

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Lightly grease a 22cm spring form pan and line the base with baking paper.

2. Place butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time until well incorporated.

3. Add sour cream, followed by the flour, almond meal and spice. Mix until batter is smooth. Add sultanas, mixing in well. Spoon into prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with diced apples.

4. For the crumble, combine oats, sugar and butter in a bowl and using fingertips, rub to combine so mixture resembles chunky breadcrumbs. Mix in the almonds. Sprinkle over apples and bake for 1 hour or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Serve warm with custard or cream.

Rum & Raisin Profiterole Wreath

To make the custard, combine raisins and rum in a small bowl and allow to soak for 10 mins.  Drain and roughly chop the raisins.

Combine milk, cream and vanilla in a medium sized, heavy based saucepan over medium heat.  Not letting the milk come to a boil, stir until warmed. 

In a separate bowl combine egg yolks and sugar, whisk until mixed then add flour and whisk to incorporate. 

Gradually add the egg mixture to the milk, whisking over a medium heat, until it is all added and incorporated.  The custard will thicken, continue to whisk until smooth.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before stirring through the soaked raisins.

To make the choux pastry, preheat oven to 190ºC (170ºC fan).  Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. 

In a medium saucepan, combine butter and sugar with 250ml water.  Stir over a medium-high heat until the water begins to boil and the butter has melted.  Remove pan from the heat, add the flour and use a wooden spoon to vigorously mix to combine.  The mixture will begin to resemble a dough – return pan to medium heat and cook for a further 1-3 mins, stirring, until you notice the dough pulling away from the sides of the pan.  Spoon the dough into a bowl of a stand mixer and allow to cool slightly (10 mins).

Fit the stand mixer with a whisk attachment.  Add vanilla bean paste and 1 egg and whisk until just combined.  Repeat with remaining eggs until your dough is glossy.

Transfer the mixture to a large piping bag fitted with large, round, open tip.  Spray the surface of the baking paper with a fine mist of water.

Pipe 12 rounds, evenly spaced, onto each prepared tray.  Bake for 30-40 mins, ensuring the oven door stays closed for the first 25 mins, until the pastries are puffed and golden.  In the final 5 mins, prick the base of the pastries with a toothpick and return to the oven to dry out.

Turn off the oven and open the door, allow pastries to cool completely in the oven.

Once the pastries are cool dip in melted chocolate (white and dark) and rest on a baking rack until chocolate sets.

Pipe each profiterole with the rum and raisin custard.  Arrange in a wreath shape on a large, round serving platter.  Decorate with cherries, raspberries and mint leaves.  Generously drizzle with chocolate sauce to serve.

Macadamia Biscuits

Preheat oven to 170⁰C. Line baking tray with grease proof paper.

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla essence and egg, beating until well combined.
2. Stir in flour, macadamia nuts and choc chips.
3. Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls and place on tray 5cm apart. Bake for 12mins or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Golden Fruit Cake

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. In a large bowl add Sunbeam Almond Meal, sugar the butter and egg and combine until a breadcrumb texture. Spoon into a greased 23cm (base measurement) fluted loose base tart tin. Press mixture to line the base and sides of the tin. Making sure you have made even base and sides, the palm of your hand for the base. Freeze for 15 minutes. Place the tart shell on a baking tray and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool.

Dark Chocolate Rocky Road

1. Grease and line base and sides of a 27cm x17cm slice pan with baking paper, extending the paper over sides.
2. Place chocolate and coconut oil in a large heatproof bowl over saucepan one-third filled with simmering water. Stir until melted and remove from heat.
3. Add raisins, marshmallows, macadamias, coconut and three-quarters of the seed mix (saving some for the top). Stir to combine and spread into prepared pan. Scatter with reserved seed mix.
4. Set aside to cool for 1 hour or until set. Refrigerate if weather is hot. Cut into 24 pieces to serve.

Spinach & Ricotta Tart

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line an oven tray with baking paper.
2. Steam or microwave spinach leaves until just wilted. Squeeze any excess liquid when cool enough to handle and then finely chop.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.