JOHN PAUL URIZAR.
I truly believe the kitchen is the beating heart of a home. When we cook for someone, we’re physically expressing how much we care for those in our lives. Whether it be sharing a meal together around the table or gifting a batch of biscuits to a neighbour, food provides a moment of connection. Plus, in this digital-obsessed world we live in, it can be a sweet relief to cook at home and eat dinner together with loved ones.
This month we’ve curated 30 of our most popular Test Kitchen recipes to create a bonus keepsake cookbook to inspire you in the kitchen. There’s a bunch of easy dinners from pastas to pies and simple roasts the whole family will love. And for the keen bakers and sweet tooths among us, our desserts, cakes and cookies will delight all who are lucky enough to taste them.
As a cook and food lover there’s one ingredient that I would never be without in my kitchen and that’s butter. That’s why I choose Lurpak® butter, it’s made with the highest quality Danish milk which gives a distinctive creamy taste. There’s nothing like butter for transforming simple dishes into elevated dinners – it seals and caramelises vegetables, chicken and seafood effortlessly and it gives cakes, pastry and biscuits a tender crumb and that rich, buttery goodness we all love.
Our selection of recipes will deliver night after night and quickly become staples in your family.
From pastas and pies to roasts and baked fish, there’s something for all.
PG 7 Portuguese piri piri chicken
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR
500g broccoli, cut into small florets
40g Lurpak® Slightly Salted Butter
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 cups (500ml) milk
½ cup (60g) coarsely grated cheddar
2½ cups (400g) shredded barbecued chicken
4 slices sourdough bread (280g) 50g Lurpak® Slightly Salted Butter, extra
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup (40g) finely grated parmesan fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, extra, to serve
1 Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Oil a deep 2-litre (8-cup) ovenproof dish.
2 Cook broccoli in a large saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes or until just tender; drain. Rinse under cold water; drain, cool.
3 Melt butter in same cleaned pan, add flour; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until mixture bubbles and thickens. Gradually stir in milk; cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in cheddar, chicken and broccoli; season. Spoon mixture into dish.
4 Tear bread into pieces; combine bread with remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Sprinkle bread mixture on top of chicken mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned lightly. Stand for 5 minutes before serving, sprinkled with extra parsley. Suitable to freeze.
SERVES 2-4 PREP + COOK TIME 55 MINUTES
500g ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 medium (170g) onion, chopped finely
6 anchovy fillets, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar 300g penne
1½ cups (120g) finely grated pecorino
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fanforced). Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2 Place tomatoes on tray, cut-side up. Season with salt and pepper; drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Bake for 45 minutes or until slightly browned and slightly shrivelled.
3 Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat; cook onion, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add anchovies and garlic; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until anchovies have almost dissolved. Stir in vinegar; season with pepper.
4 Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 8 minutes or until just tender. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup (80ml) pasta water. Return pasta to pan with onion mixture, roasted tomatoes, reserved pasta water, half the pecorino and half the basil; season, mix well.
5 Serve pasta topped with remaining pecorino and remaining basil. Suitable to freeze.
For best results, make sure the cherry tomatoes are really red and ripe. We used wholemeal penne but any short pasta shape is suitable. Anchovies provide an irreplaceable flavour for many Mediterranean dishes, dissolving into sauces, braises, dressings and stews to provide deeply rich, salty and umami notes. The delicate nature of these tiny fish mean that they are rarely eaten fresh, but instead they’re filleted, salt-cured and packed in oil or salt in tins or jars. Anchovies packed in olive oil are the best to use for cooking.
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 35 MINUTES
3 medium (600g) desiree potatoes
1.4kg butterflied chicken
⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil
PIRI PIRI SAUCE
6 fresh long red chillies
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind 2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, halved
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh oregano ½ cup (125ml) olive oil
1 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fanforced).
2 PIRI PIRI SAUCE Discard seeds from three chillies, then coarsely chop all the chillies; process with remaining ingredients until well combined. Season well with salt.
3 Prick potatoes all over with a fork; place on a microwave safe plate or bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100%) for about 3 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Coarsely chop potatoes.
4 Meanwhile, rub 1/3 cup of the piri piri sauce over both sides of chicken. Heat oil in a large flameproof roasting pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, skin-side down, for 5 minutes. Turn chicken over. Add potato to pan; cook for a further 5 minutes, turning potato until golden. Transfer pan to oven; roast chicken for 15 minutes or until juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced.
5 Place potato and chicken on a platter; accompany with remaining piri piri sauce and a green salad, if you like.
Ask the butcher to butterfly the chicken for you. Or, to do it yourself, use a large heavy flat-bladed knife or kitchen scissors to cut along each side of the backbone; discard bone. Open chicken out and press down on the breast bone to flatten. You can use other cuts of chicken on the bone, such as wings, cutlets and marylands, if you prefer.
If you and your family are not used to hot and spicy tastes, reduce the amount of chilli in the piri piri sauce, adding only enough to suit your heat tolerance. Removing the seeds and membranes from chillies also lessens the heat level.
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PG 11
Roasted beef with salsa verde & panzanella saladLurpak® Slightly Salted Butter enhances flavour and will transform simple dishes into elevated dinners.
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 45 MINUTES
1 litre (4 cups) gluten-free chicken stock
90g butter
1 medium (150g) onion, chopped finely
1 baby (130g) fennel bulb, chopped finely, fronds reserved
½ cup (125ml) dry white wine
1½ cups (300g) arborio rice
½ cup (60g) frozen peas
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
500g shelled and deveined uncooked medium prawns, tails intact
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Bring stock and 1 cup (250ml) water to the boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered.
2 Meanwhile, melt 60g of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook onion and fennel, stirring, for 5 minutes or until tender. Add wine; simmer for 3 minutes or until reduced by half. Add rice; stir to coat in mixture.
3 Add 1 cup of the hot stock to pan; cook, stirring gently, over medium heat until liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock in 1-cup batches, stirring, until stock
is absorbed after each addition. Total cooking time should be 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in peas and rind; season to taste.
4 Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat; cook prawns with garlic for 2 minutes or until prawns change colour.
5 Serve risotto topped with prawns and reserved fennel fronds. If you like, garnish the risotto with baby sorrel leaves and accompany with lemon wedges. Not suitable to freeze.
750g veal mince
½ cup (130g) sun-dried tomato pesto
1 cup (70g) stale breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten lightly
800g baby potatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
300g spinach, trimmed
¼ cup (65g) sun-dried tomato pesto, extra
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 50 MINUTES
1 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Line base and sides of an 11cm x 19cm loaf pan with baking paper.
2 Combine veal, pesto, breadcrumbs and egg in a large bowl; season. Press mixture into pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked through. Stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
3 Meanwhile, prick potatoes with a fork; place in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100%) for 3 minutes or until almost tender. Slice potatoes thinly.
4 Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat; cook potato with thyme, in two batches, for 2 minutes each side or until golden. Remove from pan, season to taste; cover to keep warm.
5 Add spinach to pan, in two batches; cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until wilted. Season to taste.
6 Serve meatloaf with potatoes, spinach and extra pesto. Meatloaf suitable to freeze.
SERVES 8 PREP + COOK TIME 35 MINUTES (+ STANDING)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3kg whole rump of beef
SALSA VERDE
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons baby capers
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
PANZANELLA SALAD
3 medium (600g) red capsicums
3 medium (600g) yellow capsicums
10 medium (1.5kg) ripe tomatoes
⅔ cup (160ml) extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup (60ml) red wine vinegar
1 loaf ciabatta bread (440g), crusts removed, cut into 2cm pieces
125g baby black olives
2 tablespoons baby capers
2 eschalots (50g), sliced thinly
1 cup torn fresh basil leaves
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).
2 Combine garlic, thyme, oil and vinegar in a small bowl; rub all over beef. Stand at room temperature for 1 hour; season.
3 Place beef in a roasting pan; roast for 30 minutes for medium-rare or until cooked as desired. Stand, covered loosely with foil, for at least 15 minutes (or up to 30 minutes).
4 SALSA VERDE Meanwhile, combine herbs, garlic and capers in a bowl; whisk in mustard, oil and vinegar until thickened. Season to taste.
5 PANZANELLA SALAD Preheat grill. Quarter capsicums; discard seeds and membrane. Place, skin-side up, on a large foil-lined oven tray. Place under grill for 10 minutes or until skin blisters and blackens. Cover with foil; stand for 10 minutes. When capsicums are cool enough to handle, peel away skins. Cut a small cross in the base of each tomato; plunge into boiling water, in batches, for 1 minute or until skin loosens. Immediately transfer to a bowl of iced water to cool. Drain and peel tomatoes; cut into wedges, discard seeds. Whisk oil and vinegar in a small bowl; season to taste. Ten minutes before serving, place capsicum, tomato, dressing and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently to combine.
6 Cut beef into thick slices; top with salsa verde. Serve with panzanella salad. Not suitable to freeze.
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 25 MINUTES
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 x 125g chicken thighs
2 cloves garlic, sliced 8 sprigs fresh thyme
4 (320g) flat mushrooms, sliced 250g cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 80g fetta, crumbled ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley crusty bread, to serve
1 Heat oil in a large, heavybased frying pan over high heat. Cook chicken, in batches, for 2 minutes each side or until browned. Remove from pan.
2 Reduce heat to medium. Cook garlic, thyme and mushrooms, stirring occasionally, for
5 minutes or until browned. Add tomatoes to pan; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Return chicken to pan; cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until cooked through.
3 Drizzle chicken with vinegar; sprinkle with fetta and parsley. Serve with bread.
Suitable to freeze
Serve with mashed potato instead of bread, if you like. Use skinless chicken thigh fillets, if you prefer.
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 45 MINUTES
2 sheets shortcrust pastry
2 tablespoons extra virign olive oil
300g coarsely chopped mushrooms
500g lamb mince
1 cup (250g) bottled tomato and basil pasta sauce
1 egg, beaten lightly
500g frozen peas
30g butter
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh mint 1 tablespoon boiling water tomato sauce, to serve
1 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fanforced).
2 Cut one pastry sheet into four squares. Line four oiled 9.5cm (base measurement) pie tins with pastry; trim excess pastry.
3 Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat; cook mushrooms,
stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until golden. Add lamb; cook, stirring to break up lumps, for 5 minutes or until browned. Stir in sauce; season to taste.
4 Fill pastry cases with lamb mixture. Brush pastry edges with egg. Cut four rounds large enough to cover pie tops from remaining pastry sheet; cover filling with pastry rounds, pressing edges together with a fork to seal. Brush pastry with egg. Make small cuts in top of each pie; bake pies for 25 minutes or until browned.
5 Carefully take pies out of tins; return to tray, cover loosely with foil. Bake pies, on bottom shelf of oven, for 5 minutes or until pastry bases are cooked through.
6 Meanwhile, boil, steam or microwave peas until tender; drain. Blend or process peas with butter, mint and boiling water, pulsing until mixture is coarsely crushed. Season.
7 Serve pies with mushy peas and tomato sauce. Suitable to freeze.
SERVES 6 PREP + COOK TIME
45 MINUTES
250g microwave brown and wild rice
¼ cup (40g) dried currants
½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra leaves to serve
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup (125ml) lemon juice
1 whole snapper (2kg), cleaned (see tips)
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon allspice
½ cup (125ml) tahini
lemon wedges, to serve
1 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Line a large oven tray with baking paper.
2 Heat rice according to packet directions.
3 Combine rice, currants, 1/3 cup of the parsley, the garlic, lemon rind, 1 tablespoon of the oil and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice in a medium bowl. Season.
4 Using a sharp knife, make two shallow diagonal cuts in thickest part of snapper on both sides. Drizzle fish with remaining oil; rub both sides with combined spices, season. Fill fish cavity with rice mixture. Place on lined oven tray; bake for 35 minutes or until fish is just cooked.
5 Meanwhile, process tahini, ¼ cup (60ml) water, remaining parsley and remaining lemon juice until smooth; season.
6 Serve fish with tahini sauce, extra parsley leaves and lemon wedges. Not suitable to freeze.
If you can’t find a large whole snapper, use 2 small whole snapper instead. The tahini sauce would also be delicious drizzled over chicken or roasted vegetables.
Fennel-crusted pork fillets with pears
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 30 MINUTES
350g broccolini, trimmed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
20g Lurpak® Slightly Salted Butter
2 small (360g) pears, cored, halved
4 (960g) pork fillets
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
½ cup (125ml) chicken stock
½ cup (125ml) pear juice
1 Boil, steam or microwave broccolini until just tender; drain, return to pan with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season to taste, toss to combine; cover, keep warm.
2 Melt butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat; cook pears for 3 minutes or until browned and just tender. Remove from pan; cover to keep warm.
3 Meanwhile, combine pork, pepper, fennel, half the mustard and remaining oil in a medium bowl. Cook pork in same frying pan, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes each side or until browned all over and just cooked through. Remove from pan; cover loosely with foil.
4 Drain excess fat from pan. Return pan to heat; add stock and juice, simmer for 2 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Stir in remaining mustard.
5 Serve pork with pears, mustard jus and broccolini. Not suitable to freeze.
For a recipe variation, use chicken in place of pork and apples in place of pears.
1 medium (300g) eggplant, peeled, chopped coarsely
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1 small (100g) red onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 cup (80g) finely grated parmesan
1½ cups (150g) packaged breadcrumbs extra virgin olive oil, extra, for shallow frying
375g spaghetti
700g bottled tomato pasta sauce
⅓ cup (25g) finely grated parmesan, extra
2 tablespoons small fresh basil leaves
1 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Line an oven tray with baking paper.
2 Place eggplant on tray; drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes or until golden and tender.
3 Process eggplant, chickpeas, onion, garlic, rosemary and parmesan until combined; season. Add 1 cup breadcrumbs; pulse until combined. Roll level tablespoons of eggplant mixture into 24 balls. Roll eggplant balls in remaining breadcrumbs to coat.
4 Heat extra olive oil in a large frying pan; shallow-fry eggplant balls, in batches, for 2 minutes or until golden and heated through. Drain on paper towel.
5 Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender; drain. Return to pan to keep warm.
6 Bring sauce to the boil in a large frying pan; add eggplant balls, simmer until heated through. Season.
7 Serve pasta topped with eggplant ‘meatballs’ and sauce; sprinkle with extra parmesan and basil. Suitable to freeze.
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 25 MINUTES
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 (600g) pork and fennel sausages
2 large (700g) red capsicums, sliced thickly
2 large onions (400g), sliced thinly
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup (250ml) dry white wine
1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
250g green beans, trimmed
1.25L (5 cups) chicken stock, extra 1 cup (170g) polenta
1 cup (80g) finely grated parmesan
30g butter, chopped
2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan, extra
1 Heat oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Squeeze sausage meat directly from casings, in meatball-sized lumps, into the pan. Cook, turning, for 4 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan.
2 Reduce heat to medium. Cook capsicum, onion, rosemary and garlic for 5 minutes. Add meatballs and wine, cook 1 minute. Add stock and beans to pan; cook, covered, 10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
3 Meanwhile, place extra stock in a medium saucepan; bring to the boil. Gradually add polenta. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in parmesan and butter; season.
4 Serve meatball and bean mixture with polenta. Sprinkle with extra parmesan. Not suitable to freeze.
Use one red and one yellow capsicum, if you like. We used a riesling-style dry wine in this recipe. This dish would also be nice with beef or chicken sausages. Serve with potato mash instead of polenta.
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 40 MINUTES (+ REFRIGERATION)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves, chopped coarsely
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind 800g pork scotch fillet, cut into 2cm cubes pitta bread, curly endive, sliced red onion and tzatziki, to serve
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, extra
1 Combine oil, vinegar, garlic, mint, lemon rind and pork in a large bowl. Season. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or longer if possible.
2 Heat a barbecue (or grill or grill pan) on high. Thread the pork onto skewers (see tips). Cook pork, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes or until well charred all over and just cooked through. Transfer skewers to a plate; cover with foil to keep warm.
3 Serve pork skewers with pitta bread, endive, onion and tzatziki. Drizzle with combined lemon juice and extra oil.
Souvlaki can be eaten plain straight off the skewers, or as we’ve done here served with fresh salad and tzatziki. You could also wrap the ingredients in flatbread or pitta wraps, to make a gyro-style meal.
You will need 8 bamboo or metal skewers for this recipe. Soak the bamboo skewers for 10 minutes in boiling water before using to prevent them burning during cooking; oil metal skewers to prevent sticking. To make a quick homemade tzatziki, combine Greek yoghurt with grated and drained cucumber, chopped fresh dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Not suitable to freeze.
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 25 MINUTES
1½ cups (375ml) chicken stock
3 fresh makrut lime leaves, torn in half 10cm (20g) stick fresh lemongrass, halved lengthways
3cm (15g) piece fresh ginger, sliced thinly
⅓ cup (100g) tom yum paste
2 tablespoons fish sauce
½ cup (125ml) lime juice
⅓ cup (75g) firmly packed brown sugar
200g dried rice stick noodles
400g baby bok choy, quartered
200g fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
400g chicken breast fillets, sliced thinly
3 small fresh red Thai chillies, sliced thinly
¼ cup fresh coriander leaves
1 Place stock, 1.5 litres (6 cups) water, lime leaves, lemongrass and ginger in a large saucepan; bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove lemongrass and ginger with a slotted spoon. Stir in paste; return to the boil. Stir in the sauce, juice and sugar.
2 Meanwhile, place noodles in a large heatproof bowl; cover with boiling water, stand for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain.
3 Add bok choy to the stock mixture with mushrooms, chicken and two of the sliced chillies; simmer until chicken is cooked through. Stir in noodles; simmer until hot. Season.
4 Serve soup topped with remaining chilli, coriander, and a squeeze of lime, if you like. Not suitable to freeze.
To save time, you can use chicken stir-fry strips instead of the breast fillet.
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 40 MINUTES
6 sheets puff pastry
½ cup (140g) Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey, warmed 500g finely chopped broccoli (heads and stems)
1½ cups (180g) grated cheddar
1½ cups (150g) grated mozzarella
1 egg, beaten lightly
3 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Line two large oven trays with baking paper.
2 Using a plate as a guide, cut a 22cm round from each sheet of pastry. Combine mustard and honey in a small bowl until smooth.
Spread mustard mixture on pastry rounds, leaving a 1cm border.
3 Combine broccoli and cheeses in a large bowl and season. Divide broccoli mixture between pastry rounds, placing in the centre of each one. Fold rounds in half, pressing edges to enclose filling. Seal edges using a wet fork.
4 Place pies on trays. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cut four slashes in the top of each pie.
5 Bake pies for 25 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cooked and uncooked pies suitable to freeze.
Pies can be made to the end of step 3 the day before; store, covered, in the fridge.
SERVES 6 PREP + COOK TIME 2¾ HOURS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1kg boneless lamb shoulder, cut into large pieces
2 medium (300g) onions, sliced thickly
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly 2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
400g can diced tomatoes
3 cups (750ml) beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons caster sugar
500g potato gnocchi finely grated parmesan and oregano leaves, to serve
1 Heat oil in a large saucepan; cook lamb, in batches, until browned. Remove from pan.
2 Add onion to pan; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic, dried oregano and cinnamon; cook, stirring, until mixture is fragrant.
3 Return lamb to pan with tomatoes, stock, paste and sugar; bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours or until lamb is tender.
4 Uncover, bring to the boil; boil for 10 minutes. Stir in the gnocchi; cook for 5 minutes or until gnocchi is tender and sauce is thickened. Season to taste.
5 Serve stew topped with parmesan and oregano. Suitable to freeze.
We used ‘fresh’ pre-made potato gnocchi available from the refrigerated section of most supermarkets.
Serve with a leafy green salad.
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 30 MINUTES
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
¼ cup (75g) Thai red curry paste
1 medium (400g) orange sweet potato, grated coarsely
270ml can coconut milk
2 cups (500ml) vegetable stock
200g firm tofu, cubed
400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
100g broccoli, cut into florets
1 medium (200g), red capsicum, chopped coarsely
120g green beans, trimmed ⅓ cup coriander leaves steamed rice and lime wedges, to serve
1 Heat oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Cook garlic, ginger, curry paste and sweet potato, stirring, 5 minutes or until sweet potato is tender. Stir in coconut milk and stock. Blend or process in batches until smooth.
2 Return curry to pan; bring to a simmer. Add the tofu, chickpeas, broccoli, capsicum and green beans. Simmer 5 minutes or until vegies are just tender. Season to taste.
3 Top curry with coriander and serve with steamed rice and lime wedges. Not suitable to freeze.
If you’re following a strict vegetarian diet, when buying the curry paste, check the label to ensure it doesn’t contain any animal products.
We’ve got your sweet bakes covered, whether it’s a treat to pop in a lunchbox, biscuits and scones for to have with a cuppa or something special to celebrate with.
SERVING IDEA Top with fresh berries such as blackberries or raspberries. PG 29
PG 25
2½ cups (375g) self-raising flour
250g strawberries, chopped coarsely
1 cup (220g) golden caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 2 eggs, beaten lightly
1 cup (280g) Greek yoghurt
125g Lurpak® Unsalted Butter, melted
½ cup (40g) flaked almonds icing sugar, for dusting
1 cup (280g) Greek yoghurt, extra MACERATED STRAWBERRIES
250g strawberries, sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon golden caster sugar
1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 22cm springform pan; line base and side with baking paper.
2 Sift flour into a large bowl; stir in strawberries, sugar, vanilla paste, egg, yoghurt and butter until just combined. Spoon mixture into pan; smooth the surface. Sprinkle with almonds.
3 Bake cake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean; cover loosely with foil halfway through baking if almonds are over browning. Leave cake in pan for 10 minutes. Release ring; transfer cake to a wire rack to cool.
4 MACERATED STRAWBERRIES Combine ingredients in a small bowl; stand for 20 minutes.
5 Top cake with macerated strawberries and dust with icing sugar; serve with extra yoghurt. Undecorated cake suitable to freeze.
Cake and macerated strawberries are best made on day of serving.
Lurpak® Unsalted Butter is perfectly suited to everyday baking as it enables you to control the salt content and add a pinch of salt to particular recipes to enhance certain flavours, like chocolate, or to temper a high-sugar recipe.
MAKES 6 PREP & COOK TIME 50 MINUTES (+ REFRIGERATION TIME)
3 sheets shortcrust pastry, partially thawed
⅓ cup (50g) unsalted macadamias
⅓ cup (45g) pecans
⅓ cup (35g) walnuts
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon plain flour 40g butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten lightly
¾ cup (180ml) pure maple syrup
1 Grease six 10cm round loose-based fluted flan tins.
2 Cut each pastry sheet in half diagonally. Lift pastry into tins. Press into base and sides; trim edges. Cover; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).
4 Place tins on an oven tray. Line each tin with baking paper; fill with dried beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove paper and beans. Bake for 7 minutes or until browned lightly.
5 Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a bowl.
6 Reduce oven temperature to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
7 Divide filling among cases. Bake pies for 20 minutes or until set; cool. Suitable to freeze.
SERVES 4 PREP & COOK TIME 5 MINUTES
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
½ cup (110g) brown sugar
½ cup (50g) cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 cup (250ml) milk
½ cup (125ml) vegetable oil
½ cup (165g) chocolate-hazelnut spread
4 scoops chocolate ice-cream
1 Combine flour, sugar and cocoa in a small bowl. Add eggs, milk and oil; whisk to combine. Pour mixture equally into 4 x 1½-cup (375ml) microwave-safe mugs. (Make sure you use the rightsized mugs or the mixture will overflow.) Drop 1½ tablespoons of chocolate-hazelnut spread into each mug.
2 Microwave on MEDIUM (50%)
for 1½ minutes or until cooked but slightly gooey at the bottom. Serve puddings immediately topped with ice-cream. Suitable to freeze.
We used a 900-watt microwave oven. If your microwave oven is a different wattage you may need to adjust the cooking time of the puddings. Check the manufacturer’s directions to familiarise yourself with your appliance. You could also serve the puddings topped with chopped toasted hazelnuts.
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STORE
Chocolate chip cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
MAKES 44 PREP + COOK TIME 30 MINUTES (+ FREEZING & COOLING TIME)
250g Lurpak® Unsalted Butter, chopped, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (165g) caster sugar
¾ cup (165g) firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
2¼ cups (335g) plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
375g dark chocolate (45%), broken into rectangles
1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease three oven trays; line with baking paper.
2 Beat butter, vanilla, sugars and egg with an electric mixer until combined. Stir in combined sifted flour and bicarb in two batches until just combined. Reserve 140g of the chocolate, then stir remaining chocolate into dough.
3 Roll mixture into 20 golf ball-sized balls (66g each) and place 5cm apart on trays. Freeze for 15 minutes.
4 Bake cookies for 12 minutes; push reserved chocolate equally into cookies. Return to oven; bake for a further 2 minutes or until golden and a biscuit can be pushed without breaking. Cool on trays. Suitable to freeze.
SERVES 8 PREP + COOK TIME 50 MINUTES (+ COOLING TIME)
200g white chocolate, chopped
½ cup {70g} macadamia halves
125g Lurpak® Unsalted Butter, chopped
¾ cup {180ml} canned coconut cream
½ cup {110g} caster sugar
½ cup {110g} firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten lightly
1 cup {150g} plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 cup {80g} desiccated coconut
1½ cups {375ml} thick cream, whisked lightly
SEA SALT HONEYCOMB
1 cup {220g} caster sugar
¼ cup {60ml} pure maple syrup
¼ cup {60ml} water
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda {baking soda}
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line an oven tray with baking paper.
2 Spread chocolate and macadamias evenly over tray. Cook in oven for 8 minutes or until chocolate caramelises to an even light brown colour and macadamias are roasted. Cool on tray.
3 Meanwhile, melt butter in a 25cm wide, 5cm deep, ovenproof non-stick frying pan over medium heat; cook until butter starts to turn golden brown. Add coconut cream and sugars; stir until sugars dissolve and mixture is smooth. Cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in egg.
4 Sift flour, baking powder and soda into a large heatproof bowl. Stir in coconut. Pour in butter mixture; stir until well combined. Stir in caramelised chocolate and roasted macadamias. Pour mixture into frying pan.
5 Transfer frying pan to oven; bake for 20 minutes or until slightly soft and fudgy in the centre.
6 SEA SALT HONEYCOMB Line an oven tray with baking paper. Stir sugar, maple syrup and the water in a medium heavy-based saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium; boil, without stirring, for 8 minutes or until syrup is a dark golden honey colour (or until it reaches hard crack stage 160°C on a sugar thermometer). Remove pan from heat; immediately stir in sifted soda – syrup will froth. As soon as the last of the soda dissolves, carefully and quickly pour honeycomb onto tray; don’t spread mixture or it will deflate. Sprinkle with salt; cool to room temperature. Break honeycomb into chunks.
7 Serve warm blondie topped with cream and honeycomb. Not suitable to freeze.
Making honeycomb requires precise timing, so make sure you have all the elements for the recipe at hand, including equipment, in order to execute each step concurrently. Also, keep in mind that, once the bicarbonate of soda is added to the syrup, the colour will darken a little further.
If your frying pan has a plastic or wooden handle, wrap the handle in foil to protect it before putting pan into oven. Some thick creams can be spooned from their container and others will need to be whisked lightly by hand with a balloon whisk to hold their shape.
Frying pan coconut blondie with sea salt honeycomb
SERVES 12 PREP TIME 30 MINUTES.
2 tablespoons instant coffee
3/4 cup (180ml) boiling water
½ cup (125ml) marsala
¼ cup (60ml) Kahlua (coffee liqueur)
3 eggs, separated
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
500g mascarpone
2 tablespoons marsala, extra
¼ cup (55g) caster sugar, extra
1/3 cup (80ml) thickened cream
375g small sponge finger biscuits
ESPRESSO DRIZZLE (optional)
½ cup (125ml) boiling water
¾ cup (150g) caster sugar
½ cup (125ml) strong espresso
1 Combine instant coffee and boiling water in a shallow bowl. Stir in marsala and Kahlua.
2 Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 4-5 minutes).
3 Fold in mascarpone; add extra marsala into egg yolk mixture until just combined.
4 Beat egg whites and extra sugar in a clean small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg white mixture into mascarpone mixture; fold in thickened cream.
5 Dip half the biscuits one at a time, for 1-2 seconds only into coffee mixture; arrange biscuits in a single layer of a 2 litre (8-cup capacity) square or rectangular dish.
6 Spread half mascarpone mixture over biscuits. Repeat with remaining
biscuits and mascarpone mixture. Cover, refrigerate overnight.
7 ESPRESSO DRIZZLE Combine all ingredients in small pan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until thickened slightly.
8 Just before serving, dust top with sifted cocoa and pour over Espresso drizzle. Not suitable to freeze.
Marsala is one of Italy’s most famous fortified wines. For making desserts, choose a sweeter variety rather than a dry one.
If you have an espresso machine make several short black coffees to make up 180ml instead of using instant coffee.
Three-bean chocolate cake
SERVES 12 PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR (+ COOLING & STANDING TIME)
½ cup (50g) cacao powder, plus extra to dust
175g Lurpak® Unsalted Butter, chopped 200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped coarsely
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules 1 tablespoon boiling water
6 eggs, at room temperature
1½ cups (330g) unrefined sugar
2 cups (200g) hazelnut meal
VANILLA BEAN CREAM
1 vanilla bean, split lengthways 300ml thickened cream
2 teaspoons unrefined sugar
1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fanforced). Grease a deep 22cm round springform pan; line base and side with baking paper.
2 Place cacao, butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl over a medium saucepan of simmering water (do not allow base of bowl to touch water). Stir until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from heat; cool for 15 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, combine coffee and the boiling water in a heatproof jug. Beat eggs and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or until thick and creamy. Stir in coffee. Add egg mixture to chocolate mixture; stir until just combined. Fold in hazelnut meal. Pour mixture into pan.
4 Bake cake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave cake in pan for 30 minutes.
5 VANILLA BEAN CREAM Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; reserve pods for another use (see tips). Place cream, vanilla seeds and sugar in a medium bowl; beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
6 Dust cake with extra cacao; serve with vanilla bean cream. Suitable to freeze.
We used rapadura, but any unrefined sugar can be used. The vanilla pods (after scraping the seeds) can be placed in a jar of sugar to make vanilla-flavoured sugar. The cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
SERVES 8 PREP & COOK TIME 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES (+ REFRIGERATION & COOLING TIME)
200g amaretti biscuits
2 tablespoons caster sugar
75g butter, melted
125g raspberries
2 tablespoons icing sugar
2 tablespoons water
125g raspberries, extra, for decorating
2 teaspoons icing sugar, extra RASPBERRY RICOTTA FILLING
500g cream cheese, softened 300g ricotta
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
⅓ cup (80ml) milk
3 eggs
125g raspberries
1 Grease a 20cm springform pan; line base and side with baking paper.
2 Process biscuits and caster sugar until fine crumbs form. With motor operating, gradually add butter until well combined. Press biscuit mixture over base of lined pan using the back of a spoon. Place pan on an oven tray; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3 Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced).
4 RASPBERRY RICOTTA FILLING
Process cheeses, sugar and milk until smooth. Add eggs, process
until combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; fold in raspberries. Pour filling into lined pan.
5 Bake for 50 minutes or until cheesecake is cooked around the edge and slightly wobbly in the middle. Turn oven off; cool cheesecake in oven for 1 hour with the door ajar. (Top of cheesecake may crack slightly on cooling.) Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, until firm.
6 Process raspberries, icing sugar and the water until pureed. Strain through a sieve into a small bowl. Spread some puree over cheesecake, top with extra raspberries; dust with extra icing sugar. Serve with remaining puree.
Undecorated cheesecake suitable to freeze.
You can use thawed frozen raspberries for the raspberry sauce. Depending on the design of the springform pan, clip the base in upside-down so the base is level; this makes it easier to remove the cheesecake.
The inclusion of ricotta in this cheesecake makes the filling lighter and less rich than the traditional all cream-cheese based dessert.
MAKES 20 PREP + COOK TIME 50 MINUTES (+ REFRIGERATION TIME)
With a buttery shortbread base, generous gooey caramel filling studded with hazelnuts and a cap of dark chocolate, each sublime layer of this decadent slice will make you feel like a millionaire.
125g Lurpak® Unsalted Butter, softened ½ cup (110g) caster sugar
1 egg yolk
1 cup (150g) plain flour
⅓ cup (50g) self-raising flour
2 x 395g cans sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons golden syrup
30g Lurpak® Unsalted Butter, extra 1 cup (140g) roasted skinless hazelnuts
200g dark (45%) or milk chocolate, chopped coarsely
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced). Grease a 20cm x 30cm rectangular slice pan; line base and long sides with baking paper, extending the paper 5cm over the sides.
2 Beat butter, sugar and egg yolk with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in combined sifted flours. Press mixture evenly over base of pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until deep golden brown.
3 Meanwhile, stir condensed milk, golden syrup and extra butter in a small saucepan, over medium heat, for 15 minutes or until mixture is golden brown.
4 Working quickly, pour hot caramel over hot base; smooth surface with a spatula. Press the hazelnuts into caramel with a spatula. Bake for 10 minutes; cool.
5 Stir the chocolate and oil in a small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Pour chocolate mixture over the caramel. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set before cutting into 20, 4cm x 7.5cm bars. Suitable to freeze.
SERVES 10 PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES (+ REFRIGERATION TIME)
2½ cups (375g) plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
250g Lurpak® Unsalted Butter, chopped, softened 1½ cups (330g) raw caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
3 eggs
½ cup (125ml) milk
¼ cup (40g) store-bought caramelised almonds, chopped coarsely ¼ teaspoon sea salt flakes
BROWN BUTTERCREAM ICING
250g Lurpak® Unsalted Butter, chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1½ cups (240g) icing sugar, sifted ¼ cup (60ml) warm milk
1 Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Grease a 10.5cm x 30cm (top measurement) loaf pan; line base and sides with baking paper. Sift flour and baking powder into a medium bowl; set aside.
2 Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Increase speed to high; beat for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low-medium, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3 Add the flour mixture and milk, in batches, beating until smooth, occasionally scraping down the side of the bowl with a spatula. Spread mixture into pan.
4 Bake loaf cake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave cake in pan for 20 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto a wire rack to cool.
5 BROWN BUTTERCREAM ICING
Meanwhile, stir butter in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat until melted. Cook for 5 minutes or until butter foams, stirring frequently until the milk solids turn golden brown and butter smells nutty. (Take care not to let it burn, as it will continue to brown once removed from the heat.) Transfer mixture to a heatproof bowl; refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until the butter is solidified but still soft enough to be beaten with an electric mixer.
6 Beat the brown butter and vanilla with electric mixer until as white as possible. Gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar and milk in two batches until fluffy.
7 Spread buttercream icing on the cake in a swirly pattern. Just before serving, top with almonds and salt flakes. Uniced cake suitable to freeze.
This slice will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
STORE
The cake will keep in an airtight container in a cool spot for up to 3 days.
Brown butter loaf cake
VARIATION
Make either dainty or impressive scones, adding 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and using 2 tablespoons brown sugar instead of caster sugar, and adding ⅓ cup finely chopped dried pitted dates with the buttermilk.
The holy grail of a great scone is a light fluffy interior and good rise. Choose your scone style, depending on the occasion: Make a smaller, “dainty” scone for afternoon tea when there are other treats on offer, or go for a large “impressive” size when it’s all about the scone. And of course, serve both with lashings of whipped cream or butter and strawberry jam.
MAKES 16 SMALL OR 8 LARGE
PREP + COOK TIME 35 MINUTES
2½ cups (375g) self-raising flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ tablespooons caster sugar
¼ teaspoon fine salt
30g butter
1¼ cups (310ml) buttermilk, approximately IMPRESSIVE SCONES (MAKES 8)
3¾ cups (555g) self-raising flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ tablespoons caster sugar
¼ teaspoon fine salt
50g butter
1¾ cups (430ml) buttermilk, approximately jam and whipped cream, to serve
1 Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan forced). For dainty scones, grease a 20cm square cake pan. For impressive scones, grease a large oven tray.
2 Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large bowl; rub in butter. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture; add buttermilk. Using a knife, cut buttermilk through flour mixture to form a soft, sticky dough (add a little more buttermilk only if needed). Gently knead dough on a floured surface until smooth.
3 For dainty scones, roll or pat dough out to approximately 2cm thick. Cut 5cm rounds from dough; place side-by-side in cake pan. Gently knead scraps of dough together; repeat pressing and cutting, place in pan. Brush tops with a little extra buttermilk.For impressive scones, roll or pat dough out to approximately 3cm thick. Cut 7cm rounds from dough; place side-by-side on the oven tray. Gently knead scraps of dough together; repeat pressing and cutting, place on tray. Brush tops with a little extra buttermilk.
4 Bake dainty scones for 18 minutes, impressive scones for 22 minutes or until golden and scones sound hollow when tapped with fingers. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve with jam and whipped cream. Scones suitable to freeze.
The trick to beautiful light scones is to handle the dough as little as possible.
To ensure scones rise evenly with straight sides, cut out the scones using a sharp metal cutter; remove the cutter in an upward, rather than a twisting motion.
The tarts can be made a day ahead and reheated before serving.
MAKES 6 PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR
20 MINUTES (+ REFRIGERATION & STANDING TIME)
1 cup (150g) plain flour
150g Lurpak® Unsalted Butter, chopped coarsely, at room temperature
CARAMELISED APPLE
5 small (650g) apples
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
75g Lurpak® Unsalted Butter, chopped coarsely
1 Sift flour into a medium bowl; rub in butter with your fingertips until mixture is crumbly and you can still see small chunks of butter. Make a well in the centre. Measure ²/₃ cup (160ml) iced water. Add enough of the water to make a firm dough. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth; shape into a rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 20 minutes.
2 Roll pastry on a floured surface into a 20cm x 40cm rectangle, keeping edges straight and even. Fold dough into thirds by bringing the top third down over the middle third, then the bottom third up to cover the
folded dough. Turn pastry a quarter turn to the right. Repeat rolling and folding once more. Wrap pastry in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 1 hour.
3 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Grease six 10cm pie tins (top measurement).
4 CARAMELISED APPLE Peel, core and quarter apples. Combine apples and juice in a medium bowl. Stir sugar and butter in a medium frying pan, over medium heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, without stirring, about 8 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, until dark caramel in colour. Add apples; cook for 3 minutes each side.
5 Place three pieces of apple, roundedside down, in each pie tin. Add 2 tablespoons of caramel to each one.
6 Roll pastry on a floured surface until 3mm thick. Cut 12 x 12cm rounds from pastry. If pastry softens, refrigerate until cold. Place rounds on top of apples in tins, tucking pastry down the side to fill gaps.
7 Bake tarts for 30 minutes. Leave tarts in pan for 20 minutes before turning onto a baking-paper-lined tray or straight onto serving plates. Not suitable to freeze.
MAKES 24 PREP + COOK TIME 30 MINUTES
1¼ cups (120g) gluten-free rolled oats
1¼ cups (185g) gluten-free plain flour
¾ cup (165g) firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup (40g) desiccated coconut
125g Lurpak® Unsalted Butter, chopped
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Line two large oven trays with baking paper.
2 Combine oats, flour, sugar and coconut in a medium bowl. Place butter and golden syrup in a medium saucepan; stir over low heat until butter melts. Combine bicarb and 2 tablespoons of boiling water in a cup; add to butter mixture then stir into dry ingredients until well combined.
3 Roll 1 tablespoon of mixture into balls (see tips) then place on trays 5cm part. Press down lightly lightly.
4 Bake biscuits for 20 minutes or until golden brown, swapping trays halfway through cooking, or until deep golden. Cool on trays. Suitable to freeze.
If you prefer crisper Anzac biscuits, flatten them a little more and bake for an extra 1-2 minutes.
Anzac biscuits will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week but will soften slightly.
