THREE-CHEESE PUMPKIN PIE (VEGETARIAN)

Enclosed in this free-form pie is a perfectly balanced mixture of sweet pumpkin and salty cheese.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 25g unsalted butter
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 butternut pumpkin (about 450g), peeled, cut into 1.5cm cubes
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 lightly beaten egg to brush
• 100ml pure (thin) cream
• 120g Gruyere, grated
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
• Fried sage leaves, to serve (optional)

Pastry

• 2 cups (300g) plain flour
• 30g cheddar, grated
• 150g chilled unsalted butter, chopped

• METHOD

  • 1
    For the pastry, place flour, cheddar and butter in a food processor with a pinch of salt. Process until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add 1/3 cup (80ml) chilled water and process until mixture comes together to form a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
  • 2
    Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the oil and butter a in large frypan over low heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the pumpkin and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes.
  • 3
    Add 1/2 cup (125ml) water and bring to a simmer. Cover, return heat to low and cook for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft. Stir in the sugar and balsamic vinegar, then allow to cool.
  • 4
    Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  • 5
    Roll out pastry on a lightly floured board to a 30cm disc and place on the prepared baking tray.
  • 6
    Place the cooled pumpkin mixture in a large bowl. Add the eggs and cream, and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in half the gruyere, then sprinkle the remaining gruyere over the pastry, leaving a 2cm border. Fill the centre of the pastry with the pumpkin mixture, then fold over the 2cm border and roughly pleat. Brush the pastry edge with the beaten egg and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
  • 7
    Serve the pie warm, garnished with fried sage leaves, if using.

  • NOTES

    -

    Vegetarians can use animal rennet-free cheese, available from selected supermarkets. Note: Instead of making the pastry yourself, you can use a 375g block of frozen shortcrust pastry (from supermarkets) for this recipe.

CHILLI CON CARNE

A good slow-cooked beef and bean chilli always goes down a storm in my house. Make a big batch of this on Sunday, then freeze any leftovers for another night. It’s brilliant spooned over a baked sweet potato, says Jamie

INGREDIENTS

• 4 onions, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, trimmed, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
• 2 each red and yellow capsicums, seeds removed, chopped
• 1 each red and yellow chillies, chopped, plus extra sliced red and yellow chilli to serve
• 600g beef brisket or chuck steak, cut into 3cm cubes
• 1 tbs ground cumin
• 1 tbs ground coriander
• 1 tbs smoked paprika (pimenton)
• 1 tbs cocoa powder
• 3 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 400g can adzuki beans (from delis – substitute extra kidney beans)
• 2 x 400g cans kidney beans
• 6 small sweet potatoes
• Coriander sprigs, lime wedges and guacamole, to serve

• METHOD

  • 1
    Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a baking tray and line with baking paper.
  • 2
    Place the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a food processor and whiz until finely chopped.
  • 3
    Heat 2 tbs oil in a large flameproof casserole with a lid over high heat. Add capsicum and chilli, and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until browned all over. Add chopped vegetable mixture, spices and cocoa powder. Season, and cook, stirring regularly, for 15 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
  • 4
    Add the tomatoes and beans along with their canning liquid. Bring to the boil and cover, then transfer to the oven. Cook for 3 hours 30 minutes or until meat is tender and the sauce is dark and rich. In the final 1 hour 45 minutes of cooking, prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place on the prepared baking tray. Drizzle with remaining 1 tbs oil and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes or until tender.
  • 5
    Remove chilli con carne and sweet potato from oven. (If chilli has not reduced enough, bring to the boil over high heat for 15 minutes or until reduced.)
  • 6
    Make an incision along the length of each sweet potato and carefully squeeze open. Divide half the chilli con carne among sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with coriander and sliced chilli, and serve with lime wedges and guacamole.
  • 7
    Remaining chill con carne will keep refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months

TRIPLE HONEY CHOCOLATE TRIFLE

Desserts with a nostalgic flavour are trending right now. This Triple honey chocolate trifle is for the violet crumble lovers. Just try to resist this

INGREDIENTS

• 120g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup (125ml) pure (thin) cream
• 1/2 tsp sunflower oil
• 2L (8 cups) thickened cream
• 2 cups (560g) thick Greek-style yoghurt
• 620g chocolate chip biscuits, crushed
• 2 tbs Grand Marnier
• 1/2 cup (175g) honey

Honey mead jelly

• 6 titanium-strength gelatine leaves
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 cups (500ml) honey mead (from selected bottle shops)

Honeycomb

• 2 cups (440g) caster sugar
• 1/2 cup (175g) golden syrup
• 1 tbs bicarbonate of soda

• METHOD

  • 1
    For honey mead jelly, soak gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to soften. Place the honey and 1/4 cup (60ml) mead in a saucepan over high heat.
  • 2
    Cook, swirling pan, for 2 minutes or until honey dissolves. Remove from heat. Squeeze excess water from the gelatine, then stir into the honey mixture until melted and combined.
  • 3
    Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups (440ml) mead to gelatine mixture and stir to combine. Transfer to a 4L trifle dish, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4-6 hours to set.
  • 4
    Grease and line two baking trays with baking paper. For the honeycomb, place sugar, golden syrup and 1/2 cup (125ml) water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, swirling pan occasionally, for 6-8 minutes until dark golden.
  • 5
    Working quickly, remove pan from heat and whisk in bicarbonate of soda (honeycomb will foam).
  • 6
    Pour into prepared trays, tilting to spread evenly (do not stir – it’s a good idea to have a second person help tilt the second tray while you tilt the first). Set aside for 1 hour to harden.
  • 7
    To make the chocolate sauce, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside. Place the thin cream in a saucepan over high heat. When the cream starts to bubble around edges, pour over the chocolate. Set aside for 2 minutes or until melted, then stir until smooth. Stir through oil and set aside until needed.
  • 8
    Using electric beaters, and in batches if necessary, whisk thickened cream to stiff peaks, then fold in yoghurt.
  • 9
    Combine biscuits and Grand Marnier in a bowl. Break honeycomb into pieces and place in a separate bowl, reserving large shards for the top of the trifle.
  • 10
    To assemble, spread one-quarter cream mixture over honey mead jelly, drizzle with one-third honey and top with half the biscuit mixture.
  • 11
    Top biscuits with another one-quarter cream mixture and one-third honey, then scatter over half the crushed honeycomb.
  • 12
    Top honeycomb with another one-quarter cream mixture and one-third honey, and top with the remaining biscuit mixture. Finish with a final layer of cream mixture and top with remain honeycomb, arranging larger shards upright.
  • 13
    Drizzle with the chocolate sauce to serve.

SPELT HONEY CAKE WITH CORIANDER AND ORANGE SYRUP

There is something about a sticky, honey-drenched cake like this one that is so appealing, says chef Gill Meller. This recipe is an extract from Gill Meller's new book, Gather, available nationally now.

INGREDIENTS

• 220g unsalted butter, roughly chopped
• 1 cup (220g) golden caster sugar
• 1/3 cup (115g) honey
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted, crushed
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup (150g) white spelt flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups (150g) almond meal

Honey coriander syrup

• 1/3 cup (115g) honey
• 2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted, crushed
• Juice of 1 orange

• METHOD

  • 1
    Heat the oven to 170°C. Grease the base and sides of a 20cm springform cake pan and line with baking paper.
  • 2
    In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, honey, zest and coriander seed until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, adding 1 tbs flour with each and beating thoroughly before adding the next, until incorporated.
  • 3
    Combine baking powder and almond meal with the remaining flour. Sift over the egg mixture, then, using a large metal spoon, carefully fold into the egg mixture until combined.
  • 4
    Spoon batter into prepared cake pan, spreading evenly with a spatula. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. (The cake will have a slight dip in the centre.)
  • 5
    Meanwhile, for the honey coriander syrup, whisk all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat until combined. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until reduced slightly.
  • 6
    Leaving the hot cake in the pan, gently prick the top with a toothpick and drizzle over the syrup so that it soaks into the sponge. Leave cake to cool in the pan for a further 30 minutes, then remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
  • 7
    The cake tastes best if left for a day or two before eating, and it will store well for at least a week in an airtight container.

GARDEN OLIVE OIL CAKES

This is the perfect cake that’s wonderful to eat with a cup of loose-leaf green tea. I love that it’s not too sweet and scented with only a hint of raw organic honey. Add apple puree in place of yoghurt to make these cakes dairy free.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to grease
• 1 cup (100g) almond meal, plus extra to dust
• 1 1/4 cups (140g) buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 1/3 cup (120g) raw honey
• 200g thick Greek-style yoghurt
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Thyme sprigs, to serve

• METHOD

  • 1
    Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 12 small (1/3-cup-capacity) bundt pans or a 20cm bundt pan with a little oil and lightly dust with almond meal.
  • 2
    Combine almond meal, buckwheat flour and bicarb in a bowl. Add oil, orange zest, honey, yoghurt, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until well combined, then pour batter into prepared pans.
  • 3
    Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool, then turn out of pans and serve topped with thyme sprigs.

APPLE AND ORANGE BLOSSOM TART WITH HONEY LABNEH

We guarantee you've never eaten anything like this tart before! You won't stop once you do though.

INGREDIENTS

• 400g thick Greek-style yoghurt
• 2 tbs honey
• 2 tbs store-bought apple sauce
• 2 cups (500ml) milk
• 3 eggs, plus 1 extra egg yolk
• 1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
• 11/2 tbs orange blossom water (from gourmet food shops)
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pastry

• 2 cups (300g) plain flour, plus extra to dust
• 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
• 180g unsalted butter, chilled, chopped
• 2 egg yolks

• METHOD

  • 1
    To make the labneh, line a fine sieve with a large square of muslin or a clean Chux cloth. Set over a bowl and add yoghurt. Fold up edges to cover the yoghurt, then chill overnight to drain. Transfer to a bowl, discarding liquid. Swirl through honey.
  • 2
    For the pastry, place flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and whiz until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add egg yolks and 11/2 tbs chilled water, and whiz until just combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth. Shape into a disc, enclose in plastic wrap, then chill for 30 minutes.
  • 3
    Preheat oven to 180°C. Line the base of a 20cm springform pan with baking paper.
  • 4
    Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to 8mm thick, then use to line base and sides of prepared pan, allowing excess to overhang. Chill for 20 minutes.
  • 5
    Trim excess pastry, then line with baking paper and fill with pastry weights up to sides. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove weights and paper. Bake for a further 8 minutes or until golden. Brush with apple sauce.
  • 6
    Reduce oven to 160°C. To make the filling, whisk milk, eggs, egg yolk, caster sugar and orange blossom water until combined.
  • 7
    Pour into pastry case and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until just set with a slight wobble in the centre. Allow to cool, then chill until cold.
  • 8
    When ready to serve, slice apple very thinly and layer over tart. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon, then use a kitchen blowtorch to caramelise lightly. Serve tart with honey labneh.

KNAFEH WITH CRISPY HONEY KATAIFI

Knafeh is a traditional Middle Eastern cheese dessert that works beautifully with the honey. It's a little bit different but a whole lot of tasty.

INGREDIENTS

• 80g unsalted butter, chopped
• 500g fresh ricotta
• 1 1/4 cups (125g) finely grated mozzarella
• 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
• 200g kataifi (shredded pastry – from Middle Eastern food shops) or 20 sheets filo pastry, finely shredded
• 1/4 cup (90g) honey
• 200g fresh honeycomb (from selected grocers – optional)
• 2 tsp rosewater (from gourmet food shops)
• Pistachios and dried rose petals (from gourmet food shops), to serve

• METHOD

  • 1
    Preheat oven to 200°C.
  • 2
    Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Skim off any foam using a spoon, then pour through a sieve lined with paper towel or a clean Chux into a large bowl (this will clarify the butter). Set aside.
  • 3
    Combine the ricotta, mozzarella and sugar in a bowl. Divide among 4 x 12cm (1-cup-capacity) ovenproof skillets or frypans. Separate kataifi into long strands and bunch into 4 bundles. Brush all over with clarified butter and arrange on top of the ricotta mixture. Place pans on a baking tray and bake for 40 minutes or until golden.
  • 4
    To make the honeycomb drizzle, place the honey, honeycomb, if using, rosewater and 1 tbs water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and spoon over warm knafeh.
  • 5
    Scatter with pistachios and rose petals, and serve immediately.