Passionfruit Cheesecake with Homemade Shortbread

It's been one year since I started this blog so I thought I'd bake something sweet to celebrate. Good excuse right?

There are many different approaches for making the classic dessert - cheesecake, my favourite is the fruity and baked variety. Passionfruit are available in Australia all year round, however they are in season and most affordable from December to April.

I love the gorgeous deep purple and red flesh inside the Passionfruit and glossy, golden pulp, perfect for decorating a fruit salad or baked treats.

In this recipe I have made my own shortbread base which is super easy. If you don't want to make your own, crushed up biscuits and butter work just as well.

Passionfruit Cheesecake with Homemade Shortbread

makes 4 x 200ml ramekins or 1 x 20cm flan tin

Shortbread base
100g butter
2 tbsp caster sugar
3/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup rice flour

Filling
250g cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbs lemon juice
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs

Topping
6 Passionfruit
1 tsp arrowroot
40ml water

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease ramekins or line with baking paper (if you would like to remove from the ramekin to serve).

2. Combine shortbread mixture in food processor until it forms fine crumbs. Press into base of ramekins and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven to cool. Reduce oven to 150°C.

3. To make the filling beat cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice and caster sugar until smooth. Add vanilla essence and eggs, beat again. Pour into ramekins leaving 1cm to the top. Bake for 25 minutes.

4. Remove pulp from Passionfruit and add to saucepan, heat, stirring until slightly simmering and frothy. Combine arrowroot and water and add to Passionfruit to thicken. Stir for 2 minutes over heat until thick and syrupy. Leave to cool.

5. Turn oven off and leave cheesecakes in oven to cool so they don't collapse or split. Add cooled Passionfruit topping and refrigerate for a couple hours to set.

6. Serve with ice-cream and fresh berries.

Happy Birthday Delicious Moments!

Australian Favourites

Australia Day is on its way, whether you’re planning an alfresco lunch, classic barbecue, cricket in the back yard, cooling off with a pool party or picnic in the park, let’s relax and enjoy the summer sun.

This is a very simple recipe for Sausage Rolls with pork, lamb and some veggies to make them a little bit healthier than your average treat wrapped in pastry. You can freeze them in advance and are fun to make with kids. For are vegetarian option replace the pork and lamb with some spinach and ricotta, which is also delicious.

Sausage Rolls
500g pork mince
200g lamb mince
1 onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 carrot, grated
1 zucchini, grated
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs (I keep crusts, freeze them then wizz in food processor)
Sea salt & cracked pepper
1 tsp curry powder
1 egg
3 sheets puff pastry
sesame seeds to sprinkle on top before baking

Makes 30

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line baking trays with baking paper.

2. Mix both minces, onion, garlic, carrot, zucchini, parsley, breadcrumbs, curry powder, salt and pepper together. Whisk 1 egg and add half to mince mixture, keep the rest to brush pastry.

3. Slice pastry sheets in half. Roll mince mixture into a log and lay out in centre of pastry. You'll need 6 portions of mince to fill pastry sheets.

4. Brush edges with egg and enclose filling. Slice into 5 pieces and place on baking trays. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

5. Bake for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 180°C, and cook for a further 10 minutes until golden.

Sunday Schnitzels

It's Sunday afternoon - what better way to relax than with a refreshing cocktail. I recently ventured over to Paddington, one of my favourite spots for food, drink, vintage shopping or a stroll around the leafy suburbs. One particular place which I love to visit for a luscious cocktail is the The Lark, on Given Terrace.

Nestled between many trendy shops and restaurants this gorgeous converted two story cottage offers innovative cocktails, a great wine selection by the glass and tasty share food. Launched in 2007 by Perry Scott, talented bartender previously of The Bowery, Lychee Lounge and London’s Match Bar Group, The Lark is unique and has received many rave reviews.

Sunday’s at The Lark also happen to be the very popular ‘Schnitzel Sundays’ with three great value schnitzels on offer alongside the regular menu.

The courtyard area is perfect for summer time alfresco dining, and on this particular warm Sunday arvo I welcomed sitting outdoors with the breeze.

I ordered a 'Strummer', which was the official cocktail of the Splendour in the Grass Festival; ingredients are vodka, falernum syrup, passionfruit, lime, ginger beer, topped with aromatic bitters. Falernum syrup has flavours of ginger, clove almond and lime, originating in Barbados it was widely used in the Caribbean. That’s my food trivia for the day. I requested gin instead of vodka, and it was just what I wanted on a hot day, icy and fresh, but not too sweet.

I love the crumbed variety of schnitzel so ordered the 'Russian' - crumbed pork, stuffed with Dijon mustard, caramelised onion and served with potato chips. It was a big serving, but I eagerly cleaned my plate with no room for dessert.

My dining companion chose the Florentina Schnitzel which is veal stuffed with spinach, gratinated with tomatoes and manchego cheese served with roast potatoes. We also ordered an Avocado salad with Buffalo Feta, fresh basil, rocket and soft poached egg, which perfectly combined the fresh basil and rocket with the soft creaminess of feta and oozing egg yolk.

All in all it was a very satisfying meal to enjoy on a lazy Sunday. Although I had no room for dessert on this occasion I can vouch for the Lark's dark chocolate fondant with amaretto liqueur cream. So if you're looking for a place to impress a date or catch up with friends the Lark is a great spot just out of the city.