Fig & Ricotta Hotcakes with Thyme Infused Honey

Fig & Ricotta Hotcakes with Thyme Infused Honey

Recipe By Courtney Roulston

Ingredients

• 150 ml honey 

• 1 small lemon 

• ½ bunch thyme, plus a few extra sprigs to serve  

• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

• 2 free range eggs

• 450 g ricotta cheese (fresh one from the Coles deli) 

• ½ cup Coles full fat milk

• 1 cup self-raising flour 

• sea salt to taste 

• 4 fresh figs

• Squeaky Gate extra virgin olive oil, for frying 

Method

• Cut the lemon in half and place cut side down in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Grill the lemon for 3 minutes, or until slightly charred.

• Place 120 ml of the honey in a small pot over a low heat along with the thyme, vanilla bean and charred lemons. Leave on a very low heat for 15 minutes to infuse.

• Whisk together the eggs, remaining honey, 280 g of ricotta, milk and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Sift in the flour and roughly chop 2 figs and add to the bowl. Gently fold through the flour and figs until you have a smooth batter.

• Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Place heaped tablespoon sized amounts of the batter in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes each side, or until golden, puffed and cooked through. Repeat this process with all the remaining batter.

• Gently squeeze a little of the charred lemon juice into the infused honey. Whisk 1 tbs of the honey through the remaining ricotta cheese in a bowl.

• To serve, place the hotcakes onto serving plates and spoon on some of the ricotta mixture. Slice the remaining figs, place a few wedges onto the hotcakes and drizzle some of the infused honey all over the top. Scatter over some fresh thyme leaves and serve. 

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Dukkah

Dukkah

Recipe By Courtney Roulston

Ingredients

• ½ cup hazelnuts

• 2 tbs whole coriander seeds

• 2 tbs whole cumin seeds

• 2 tsp whole fennel seeds

• 1/3 cup white sesame seeds

• ½ cup roast whole almonds

• ½ cup unsalted roasted cashews

• ½ cup unsalted pistachio nuts

• 1 tsp sea salt flakes

• 1 tsp cracked black pepper

Method

• In a medium-sized frying pan over a medium heat, add the hazelnuts and toast for 4-5 minutes, or until fragrant and coloured. Remove from the pan and wrap in a clean tea towel. Leave for 5 minutes before rubbing the nuts in the towel to remove most of the outer skin. Set aside.

• Meanwhile place the same pan back onto a medium heat and add in the coriander, cumin and fennel. Toast the spices for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant. Place them into a spice grinder or mortar and pestle until broken up.

• Toast the sesame seeds in the same pan over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until golden. Add into the food processor along with the hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachio nuts, salt and pepper. Pulse until the mixture has combined, but still has some chunks of the nuts in the mixture for texture.

• Place the dukkah into a large dry sterilised jar and enjoy used in a wide variety of recipes!

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Lemon Myrtle Cookies

Lemon Myrtle Cookies

Recipe By Nornie Bero

Ingredients

• 225 g butter, at room temperature

• 225 g raw caster (superfine) sugar

• 1 tbs vanilla extract

• 3 free range eggs

• 350 g self-raising flour, sifted

• 20 g Mabu Mabu lemon myrtle, ground

• 1 tsp poppy seeds

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (°C).

• Whisk the butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy.  Add one egg at a time, mixing until combined.

• In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, ground lemon myrtle and poppy seeds.  Fold the wet mix into the dry mix.

• Roll into small balls, about 1 tablespoon of mixture each.

• Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the balls on the baking paper and press each one down with a fork.

• Bake for 15–20 minutes.

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Honey & Pistachio Yoghurt Cheesecake

Honey & Pistachio Yoghurt Cheesecake

Recipe By Courtney Roulston

Ingredients

• 500 g Jalna pot set creamy vanilla yoghurt

• 400 g digestive biscuits

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp ground cardamom

• 120 g butter, melted

• 5 gelatin leaves

• zest & juice of 2 lemons

• ½ cup honey

• 600 ml thickened cream

Topping

• 2 tbs honey

• 2 tbs pistachio nuts, crushed

• 2 tbs edible dried rose petals

Method

• Crush the biscuits in batches in a food processor into a fine crumb then place them into a bowl. Stir through the cinnamon, cardamom and melted butter until well combined.

• Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a lined spring-form 23cm cake tin in an even layer and chill for 30 minutes.

• Soak the gelatin leaves in cold water for 5 minutes.

• Place the lemon juice and honey into a small saucepan over a medium heat. Stir until the honey dissolves then take off the heat. Drain the gelatin leaves and add to the lemon mixture and stir until smooth and all the gelatin has dissolved.

• In a large bowl whisk the cream and yoghurt together until smooth. Stir through the lemon zest and gelatin mixture then pour into the biscuit lined pan and refrigerate overnight to set.

• Remove from the refrigerator and drizzle with honey and scatter with pistachio nuts & dried rose petals before slicing and serving.

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Salted Caramel Molten Pudding with Ice-Cream

Salted Caramel Molten Pudding with Ice-Cream

Recipe by Sarah Todd

Ingredients

• 180g Coles sugar

• 30g Bulla light cooking cream

• 30g butter

• 250g butter

• 4 eggs whole

• 4 egg yolks

• 75g Coles sugar

• 75g Coles flour

• 3g salt

to serve

• ice-cream

Method

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees, grease ramekins and dust with flour.

• Caramelise 180g sugar, add the 30g of butter and cream and mix well. Take off heat and add in 250g butter, little by little until all incorporated. Allow to cool and add in eggs and yolks. Add the salt and sugar and whisk. Add in flour, mix well and rest the batter in the fridge for at least an hour.

• Pour mixture into ramekins and bake for 10 minutes. Flip out onto a plate and serve with ice-cream.

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Vanilla Labneh with Sweet Dukha and Strawberry

Vanilla Labneh with Sweet Dukha and Strawberry

Ingredient

1kg Sweet and Creamy Yoghurt
1tbs Vanilla bean paste
¼ pistachio, toasted
¼ sesame seeds, toasted
¼ pumpkin seeds, toasted
¼ hazelnuts toasted
1/2tsp cinnamon
1 tsp icing sugar
1 punnet of Strawberries, diced
2tbs caster sugar

Method

Add vanilla bean paste and honey to yoghurt. Mix together and hang.

Toast the nuts and seeds

Combine in a mortar and pestle and pound to break up. Add the cinnamon and sugar.

Combine the sugar and strawberries allow to macerate

To serve top the labneh with the strawberries and sweet dukkha.

Recipe by Michael Weldon

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