HONEYCOMB COOKIE BARS

Americans are all about the cookie bar. We’ve taken this up a level by adding honeycomb.

INGREDIENTS

• 100g unsalted butter
• 2 tbs caster sugar
• 75g brown sugar
• 1 1/3 cups (200g) plain flour
• 1/3 cup (40g) malted milk powder (from supermarkets)
• 1/4 tsp each baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 egg
• 100g dark chocolate chips
• 50g cacao nibs

Nut crumb

• 1/4 cup (90g) honey
• 50g unsalted butter, chopped
• 1 cup (70g) shredded coconut
• 1 cup (100g) walnuts, chopped

Honeycomb

• 1 cup (220g) caster sugar
• 1/2 cup (180g) honey
• 11/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, sifted

• METHOD

  • 1
    Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm x 30cm lamington pan and line with baking paper, leaving some overhanging.
  • 2
    To make the base, place butter, sugars, flour, malted milk powder, baking powder and bicarb in a bowl. Using your fingertips, rub butter into dry ingredients until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add vanilla, egg, chocolate chips, cacao nibs and 1 tsp salt, and stir to combine. Press into base of prepared pan and bake for 15-16 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven.
  • 3
    Meanwhile, for the nut crumb, place the honey and butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until melted and bubbling. Add the coconut and walnuts, and stir to combine. Spread over the cookie base and return to oven for 8 minutes or until golden. Remove and set aside.
  • 4
    For the honeycomb, place the sugar, honey and 1/4 cup (60ml) water in a large, deep saucepan over medium-low heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Cook, without stirring, for 5 minutes or until deep golden and it reaches 154°C on a sugar thermometer. Remove from the heat and allow bubbles to subside. Working quickly, add bicarb, stirring with a wooden spoon to combine (honeycomb will foam). Pour honeycomb over the warm cookie slab, being careful not to overfill pan. Set aside to cool completely.
  • 5
    When cool, cut into bars and serve.

  • NOTES

    -

    You will need a sugar thermometer.

SAFFRON HONEY JALEBI

Jalebi is a popular sweet across Asia, India and parts of Africa and the Middle East. It’s made by deep-frying a flour batter into pretzel-like shapes, which are then soaked in sugar syrup. Why not give it a try today?

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups (300g) plain flour
• 1/3 cup (50g) chickpea flour (besan)
• 1 tsp finely grated turmeric
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup (250ml) apple juice
• Pinch of saffron threads
• 1/2 cup (180g) honey
• 1 tsp whole cloves
• 1 tbs cardamom pods
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• Sunflower oil, to deep-fry
• Bee pollen (optional – from health food shops), to serve

• METHOD

  • 1
    To make the batter, combine the flours, turmeric and baking powder in a bowl. Stir in apple juice and 1 cup (250ml) water. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature overnight to rest.
  • 2
    The next day, transfer the batter to a squeeze bottle with a 5mm nozzle (you can use a clean, empty sauce bottle).
  • 3
    To make the syrup, place saffron and 1/4 cup (60ml) boiling water in a pan and set aside for 10 minutes to infuse. Add honey, cloves and cardamom. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes or until reduced by half. Stir in lemon juice and set aside.
  • 4
    Line a baking tray with baking paper. Half-fill a large saucepan or wok with oil and heat to 180°C (a cube of bread will turn golden in 45 seconds when hot enough). In 3 batches, squeeze batter into oil in long spirals, working from the inside out. Cook, turning halfway, for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon, dip in syrup for 30 seconds, then remove and place on prepared tray.
  • 5
    Sprinkle the jalebi with bee pollen, if using, and serve with remaining syrup.

FRESH HONEYCOMB AND CREAM SPONGE CAKE

There's nothing quite as simple or impressive as a tall sponge filled with whipped cream and fresh honeycomb.

INGREDIENTS

• 400g self-raising flour, sifted
• 400g caster sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 400g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
• 8 eggs
• 1/3 cup (80ml) milk
• 50g honey
• 1 1/2 cups (375ml) pure (thin) cream
• 220g mascarpone
• 200g fresh honeycomb (from selected grocers), chopped
• Pure icing sugar, to dust

• METHOD

  • 1
    Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan-forced). Grease 3 x 20cm shallow cake pans and line bases with baking paper.
  • 2
    Place the flour, sugar and baking powder in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter, eggs, milk and honey, and beat for 6 minutes or until smooth and doubled in size.
  • 3
    Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and bake, swapping pans halfway, for 25 minutes or until the centre of the cakes spring back when gently pressed. Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then place on wire racks to cool completely.
  • 4
    Place the cream and mascarpone in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form.
  • 5
    Place 1 sponge cake on a serving plate. Spoon over half the cream and spread out to the edges. Scatter with half the honeycomb. Top with second sponge cake and remaining cream, spreading to edges, then scatter with remaining honeycomb. Top with final sponge cake.
  • 6
    Dust the cake with icing sugar and cut into pieces to serve.

PORTUGUESE TART WITH STICKY CINNAMON HONEY

This rich, honey-spiked Portuguese tart is the perfect size for entertaining.

INGREDIENTS

• 375g sheet frozen all-butter puff pastry (we used Carême – 52cm x 26cm sheet), thawed
• 240g caster sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 cups (500ml) milk
• 1/2 cup (125ml) pure (thin) cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
• Pared zest of 1 lemon
• 70g plain flour, plus extra to dust
• 300g honey
• 6 egg yolks

METHOD

• 1
  Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan-forced). Grease a 23cm, 1.5L-capacity pie dish.
• 2
  Place pastry on a clean work surface lightly dusted with flour and cut into 6 even squares. Combine 2 tbs sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon in a bowl, then sprinkle pastry squares evenly with 1 tbs cinnamon sugar, reserving remaining. Stack pastry squares directly on top of one another, then use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out to a 40cm square.
• 3
  Line prepared dish with pastry, allowing excess to overhang. Fold over pastry edges to create a thicker crust, then use your thumb and forefinger to roughly crimp. Lightly prick the base of pastry case with a fork and sprinkle all over with remaining cinnamon sugar. Line with baking paper and fill with pastry weights right up to sides. Freeze for 15 minutes or until firm, then bake for 30 minutes or until edges are light golden. Remove weights and paper, and bake for a further 15 minutes or until the base is dry to the touch. (If the base has puffed up, use the back of a spoon to lightly press pastry down). Set aside.
• 4
  Reduce oven temperature to 180°C.
• 5
  Meanwhile, to make filling, place milk, cream, vanilla pod and seeds, and lemon zest in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes to infuse. Strain through a fine sieve, discarding solids. Wipe saucepan clean, then add the flour to pan. Gradually whisk in the milk mixture to combine, then place over medium heat and cook, whisking, for 4-5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
• 6
  Place 200g honey, remaining 200g sugar and 1 tbs water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until dark golden and it reaches 110°C on a sugar thermometer. Whisking constantly, gradually add the syrup to the milk mixture until combined, then add the egg yolks and whisk to combine. Carefully pour into the pastry case. Place on a baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface and the filling has a slight wobble.
• 7
  Using a kitchen blowtorch, caramelise the tart surface, then set aside to cool for 30 minutes.
• 8
  To make sticky cinnamon honey, place remaining 100g honey and 1 tsp cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, then transfer to a heatproof serving dish and serve with the tart.

• NOTES

  -

  You will need a sugar thermometer and a kitchen blowtorch

HONEY VANILLA SLICE WITH HONEYCOMB

HONEY VANILLA SLICE WITH HONEYCOMB

We’ve given this Australian classic a twist by caramelizing the pastry with honey and adding a toffee crunch

INGREDIENTS

• 375g sheet frozen all-butter puff pastry (we used Carême – 52cm x 26cm sheet), thawed
• 1/2 cup (180g) honey, warmed, plus extra to drizzle
• 90g cornflour
• 2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (375ml) milk
• 1 tbs vanilla extract
• 2 titanium-strength gelatine leaves
• 2 cups (500ml) pure (thin) cream
• 50g unsalted butter, chopped
• 4 egg yolks

Honeycomb

• 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
• 1/4 cup (90g) honey
• 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda, sifted

• METHOD

  • 1
    Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease 2 baking trays and line with baking paper, then grease a 22cm square cake pan and line with baking paper, leaving 5cm overhanging each side.
  • 2
    Cut the pastry sheet into 2 squares and place on the prepared trays. Brush both the pastry sheets generously with honey, then cover each sheet with a piece of baking paper and place another baking tray on each to weigh down and keep flat while baking (work in batches if you don’t have enough baking trays).
  • 3
    Bake, swapping trays halfway, for 40-45 minutes or until the pastry is cooked through. Remove the weights and the top sheets of baking paper, then brush the pastry with more honey. Bake, checking every 3-5 minutes (be careful, as the honey can burn easily), for a further 10 minutes or until crisp, golden and glossy. Set the pastry sheets aside to cool completely.
  • 4
    Meanwhile, to make the custard, place the cornflour and the sugar in a heatproof bowl. Place the milk and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to just below boiling. Gradually whisk the warm milk into the cornflour mixture until smooth.
  • 5
    Meanwhile, soak gelatine in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to soften.
  • 6
    Return milk mixture to saucepan and place over medium heat. Add cream, then bring to the boil, whisking until thickened. Squeeze the excess water from gelatine, then add to the pan with the butter. Whisk until melted and combined. Remove from the heat and whisk in egg yolks until smooth and combined.
  • 7
    Using a serrated knife, trim the pastry to fit the prepared pan. Place 1 piece, honey-side up, in base of pan. Pour the custard over pastry base, then set aside for 15 minutes to cool slightly. Place remaining pastry piece, honey-side up, on top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight or until firm.
  • 8
    For the honeycomb, grease a 20cm x 30cm lamington pan and line with baking paper. Place sugar, honey and 2 tbs water in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Increase the heat to high and bring to the boil. Cook, without stirring, for 5 minutes or until deep golden and it reaches 154°C on a sugar thermometer. Remove from the heat and allow bubbles to subside. Working quickly, add bicarb, stirring with a wooden spoon to combine (honeycomb will foam). Quickly pour into the prepared pan and set aside to cool completely. When ready to serve, remove honeycomb from pan and roughly chop.
  • 9
    Using a serrated knife, cut the vanilla slice into pieces. Drizzle with extra honey and top with honeycomb to serve.
  • NOTE:
  • You will need a sugar thermometer. Begin this recipe 1 day ahead.

CAULIFLOWER CHEESE SOUP (VEGETARIAN)

INGREDIENTS

• 700g cauliflower
• 450ml milk
• 450ml thin cream
• 1 bay leaf
• 50g unsalted butter
• 350g chopped onion
• 25g plain flour
• 200ml vegetable stock
• 350g gruyere or cheddar cheese (or half and half)
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

• METHOD

  • 1
    Chop cauliflower into small florets, discard outer leaves and place in a pan with milk, cream and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat until tender. Strain, reserving cauliflower and liquid.
  • 2
    Wipe pan clean, return to heat and melt butter. Add onion and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until just softened. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, then add stock and strained liquid, stirring to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes over a low to medium heat or until slightly thickened.
  • 3
    Add cauliflower and 300g of cheese and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. (Soup can be prepared ahead up to this stage and kept refrigerated.)
  • 4
    Preheat the oven to 220°C.
  • 5
    Divide soup between 6 ovenproof serving bowls and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Place bowls in a roasting pan, pour in enough water to come halfway up the sides of bowls and bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and golden.

VEGETABLE CASSEROLE WITH SIMMERED EGGS (VEGETARIAN)

INGREDIENTS

• 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled, chopped
• 2 potatoes, peeled, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 500g zucchinis, cut into 1cm pieces
• 1 1/2 cups tomato passata*
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 20ml (1 tablespoon) red wine vinegar
• 3-4 free-range eggs
• 4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• Crusty bread, to serve

• METHOD

  • 1
    Place oil in a frypan over low heat. Add onion, potato and carrot and cook until vegetables start to turn golden. Add the garlic and zucchini and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir in passata, oregano, vinegar and 3 cups of water. Season.
  • 2
    Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally or until thickened.
  • 3
    Make 3-4 small indents in casserole and break in 3-4 eggs. Partially cover and cook for 10 minutes or until eggs have set.
  • 4
    Sprinkle with parmesan and serve from pan at the table with lots of crusty bread.
  •