If nuts are not already roasted, place on lined baking tray and spray with oil – bake for 5 minutes until golden. If already roasted, skip this step
While the nuts are roasting in the oven, prepare the spice mixture by adding butter, syrup and spice mix together in a heat proof bowl and microwaving for 45 sec to 1 min
Once the nuts are toasted, remove from the oven and coat with warm spice mixture – mix well to ensure even coating
Return the nuts to the oven for approx 10 more minutes or until golden, stirring once after 5 minutes
Remove tray from oven and cool on baking tray
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week
Place all ingredients into a large glass container and mix until combined.
Cover the glass container with a lid or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. Toppings can be added the night before or immediately before serving.
Uncover and enjoy from the glass container the next day. Thin with a little more milk or water, if desired.
Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. (This can also be done in a food processor.)
Add the grappa and eggs and mix with your hands to form a dough. Transfer to a work surface and knead until smooth. Cover in plastic wrap and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into four sections. Roll the first through a pasta machine on the widest setting. Fold it in half and run it through the machine again.
Do this several times until smooth, then start rolling it out at narrower settings until you reach the last setting and have a very thin, long sheet. Lay the sheet on a floured surface while you roll out the other pieces of dough.Cut the sheets into strips 3–4 cm wide (a ravioli cutting wheel with a crimped edge gives a decorative look).
Cut a few small slits in the centre of each strip running lengthways.
Deep-fry small batches of crostoli in hot oil (180°C) until pale golden. Drain on paper towel. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Butter and line the base and sides of a 20cm springform tin. Blitz the digestives in a food processor until you get fine crumbs, or bash in a sandwich bag with a rolling pin.
Transfer to a bowl and stir in the melted butter until it looks like damp sand.
Tip into the prepared tin, and smooth the mixture with the back of a spoon to make an even base, then chill.
Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water. Put the raspberries in a food processor or in a jug using a stick blender, and blitz to a smooth purée.
Sieve out the seeds. Warm the raspberry sauce in a small pan with 1 tbsp sugar until just starting to steam, then pour over 1 drained gelatine leaf in a bowl and stir to dissolve.
Blitz 3 (about 65g) of the strawberries in a food processor, and warm through with 1 tbsp sugar in the same way. Tip into a bowl and stir in the other drained gelatine leaf.
Whisk the soft cheese, cream and caster sugar until it just starts to thicken. Divide between three bowls (about 260g per bowl).
Fold the strawberry purée into one with a few drops of food colouring to make it light pink, the raspberry mix with the gelatine into another with more food colouring so it’s dark pink, and the vanilla bean paste into the third.
Spoon the raspberry filling over the biscuit base, smoothing the surface so it’s flat. Next, add the strawberry filling, gently smoothing over without disturbing the bottom layer, then repeat with the vanilla mixture, using a clean spoon to level the top. A spatula or knife might help with this to keep from dragging the below layers.
Chill for 4 hrs or overnight.
Run a knife around the sides of the cake tin between the cheesecake and the parchment, and loosen the base.
Transfer to a cake stand, and smooth the sides, using a palette knife, to neaten the layers. Mix the chocolate with a few drops of lemon extract, if using.
Pile the remaining strawberries, some sliced, some whole, on top, and drizzle over the chocolate to finish
In a large pan, heat 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil on medium heat. Add the pita bread and season with salt and freshly cracker pepper
Fry the pita for 5-7 minutes until the pieces are crispy and golden in colour. (Alternatively, bake the pita bread at 200° for 5-10 minutes.) Set the fried bread aside.
In a large bowl, add the salad dressing ingredients: olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sumac, pomegranate molasses, mint, salt and pepper. Whisk together until the dressing is emulsified and well blended.
Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and toss.
Add the fried pita bread to the salad immediately before serving and gently toss again.
Utensils: stand mixer, plastic wrap, oven, rolling pin, pie dish, pie weights, parchment paper, cutting board, knife, large bowl, cooking spoon, pastry brush
METHOD:
360 g butter – 500 g flour – 1 egg yolk – ½ tsp salt – 120 g sugar – 60 ml water
Cut butter into large pieces and add to a stand mixer with most of flour, egg yolk, salt, and sugar.
Beat for approx. 2 – 3 min. until crumbly. Then, slowly add water, reserving a small amount for the final step, and continue to beat for another 1 – 2 min. until dough is smooth and uniform in consistency.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator. Allow to set for approx. 1 h. 40 min.
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Cut dough into two even rounds. Then, flour work surface, place dough on top, and roll out, one at a time, using a rolling pin until rounds are larger than your pie dish.
Flour both sides of dough and transfer to pie dish. Press evenly into all edges of dish and then remove excess dough. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of dish and fill with pie weights.
Place in preheated oven at 180°C/350°F and blind bake for approx. 10 min.
Peel, core, and quarter apples. Then, cut crosswise into medallion-sized pieces.
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together apple, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, sugar, and brown sugar.
Transfer apple slices to pie dish and spread out evenly. Cut remainder of butter into pieces and place on top of apples. Cover pie with rest of dough. Make a small hole in the middle, so air can escape.
Mix together egg white and water and brush on top. Return to oven and bake at 180°C/350°F for approx. 50 – 55 min. until golden brown. Enjoy
An easy and delicious pear cake that looks fancy but is super easy. If you don’t want to use tinned pears just sliced fresh ones or peel and poach your own. Enjoy!
125 gram butter
125 gram caster sugar
2 large eggs
50 gram plain flour
100 gram almond meal
4 gram baking powder
1 tinned sliced pears
50 gram flaked almonds
2 tablespoon icing sugar
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Grease and line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy with an electric beater or stand mixer
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour and baking powder together, gently fold in the to the butter mix with the ground almond. Spoon into the pan noting it won’t fill very high
Arrange the pear slices in an even pattern over the batter and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle flaked almonds on top, return to oven for 5-10 minutes until cake is cooked through and almonds are golden
Allow to cool and remove from pan. Sprinkle with icing sugar and cut into generous slices to serve. Enjoy!
This recipe is a great way to prepare an easy meal for a family – add some steamed or roasted veg or a garden salad and you have a quick mid week dinner – prepping ahead saves future time
Herbed crumbed chicken
Recipe Type: family meal
Author: In My Own Kitchen
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 35 mins
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
1 cup plain flour
2 eggs, whisked
1/3 cup milk
2 cups breadcrumbs
Dried Italian herbs
2 large chicken breasts filleted
Vegetable oil to fry
Instructions
Place flour, eggs and breadcrumbs into three separate bowls. Add milk to eggs and mix well. Add herbs to breadcrumbs
Using one hand gently press the chicken into the flour to coat then shake off the excess flour
Using other hand dip into the whisked egg allowing any excess to drip off
Using the same hand from the flour press the chicken gently into the breadcrumbs.
Place on a plate not touching or overlapping the other pieces of chicken. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to help crumbs set
Heat a frying pan to a medium heat and add the oil.
Place chicken into pan making sure you don’t crowd the pan – cook on one side until golden then flip to finish the other side. Chicken should be cooked through by this time and now serve
Notes
Ensure oil isn’t too hot or the crumb will burn before the chicken cooks[br]Ensure the oil isn’t cold as the crumbs will become soggy and then stick to the pan[br]The crumbed chicken can be frozen before cooking – place into containers and separate into layers with baking paper or cling film in between[br]Defrost frozen chicken in fridge overnight[br]Crumbed chicken can be made into parmigiana by topping with tomato sugo, sliced ham and grated cheese
