A Cookies and cream cheesecake that's crunchy and extremely creamy at the same time. This recipe is my husbands favorite and almost everytime he flies in from work i have to have one made for him. As you can now get chocolate philly i sometimes use half normal and half choc to get an extra rich chocolate taste.

Ingredients:
250g Arrowroot Biscuits
100g OREO Cookies, Crushed
80g butter, melted
375g block Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cream
3 teaspoons powdered gelatine, dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water
Extra Oreos for decoration


Method:
Place arrowroot biscuits in a food processor and process into fine crumbs. Add the butter and process to combine. Press the mixture into a tin lined with baking paper and refrigerate 30 minutes.  
Beat the philly cheese, sugar and vanilla in a mixer until smooth, then add the cream and beat until light and fluffy (around 2-3mins). Stir through the gelatine mixture and oreos, then pour mixture over the base. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or until set. Crumble over extra oreos, Serve.

One thing you should all know is my father in law CAN COOK! he cooks the most amazing and tasty things so its only fair i share them with you. During a family dinner poppy pete released his latest secret recipe, these sweet, caramelized apple dumplings and i instantly fell in love. Serve with warm custard, cream or ice cream. 

Ingredients:
4 sheets Puff Pastry
1 cup Golden Syrup
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and quartered
1 Cup Butter
2 Cups Boiling Water
3/4 Cup Caster Sugar
1 Teaspoon Ground Cloves


Method:
Preheat oven to 160'c. Grease a baking dish.
In a small bowl combine caster sugar and ground cloves. Coat each piece of apple in the sugar mix. Cut each piece of pastry into 4 equal squares (total of 16 squares). Place one piece of apple diagonally on a square of pastry and wrap over from corner to corner and press together firmly encasing the apple.  Place each parcel into a baking dish sealed side down.
Mix Boiling water, butter and golden syrup in a saucepan over a medium heat until dissolved. Pour hot mixture over apple dumplings. Bake in a preheated oven for 45mins or until golden brown. 

Note: As dumplings absorb alot of syrup you may want to have extra syrup for serving.

A deliciously sweet and fluffy pavlova with a tangy lemon butter. My daughter loves to help me in the kitchen so today this was her dish! We decorated it with popping candy and crumbled crunchy chocolate (Lelahs request) Perfect for a party or even the birthday cake!

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cornflour
1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
3 Tablespoons Lemon Butter
Whipped Cream, Chocolate chunks and popping candy to serve


Preheat oven to 130'c.  Cover a baking tray with baking paper and trace 2 circles onto it (I used a small plate). 
In a Kitchenaid or in a bowl with an electric beater, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add sugar, lemon juice, cornflour and vanilla essence;  beat until stiff and glossy (around 10 minutes). Pile meringue onto paper and shape, leaving the centre slightly hollowed. Bake in the oven for 1½ hours or until crisp on the outside. Turn oven off and leave pavlova to cool in oven with door open slightly. Sandwich pavlovas with whipped cream and lemon butter. Top pavlova with cream, chocolate, lemon butter and popping candy.

I love this soft, fluffy pillow textured and extremely tasty dish. If my best friend had one dish i could make her, this is it! I serve mine with a butter sauce and crispy basil leaves over a cold passata.

Ingredients:
300g Fresh Ricotta
20g Parmesan cheese, grated
1 Egg, whisked
75g Plain Flour
80g Butter
20 Basil leaves
100g Passata 
Parmesan to garnish
Salt and Pepper to season

Method:
Place ricotta, parmesan and egg in bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Add flour and process until just combined. . Season with salt and pepper. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 1/2 hours to chill.
To shape the gnocchi you can either, roll into small balls or divide the dough into four, and roll each piece into a 2 cm-thick log. Cut into 2cm pieces. Place on a lightly floured chopping board or work surface. 
To cook the gnocchi, drop them in several batches into a saucepan of simmering, lightly salted water and remove as soon as they float to the top, usually after 1 or 2 minutes. 
To make crispy basil leaves melt 40g of the butter in a frying pan over medium heat until it foams. Add basil leaves and cook,  for 1-2 minutes or until basil is crisp but do not let it brown. Drain on paper towel.
Add remaining butter to the frying pan and heat over medium heat for 2 minutes or until it turns a light brown. Add Gnocchi to get some colour.  Place cold passata on bottom of serving dish, stack gnocchi on top and drip butter sauce over the top. Serve hot with crispy basil leaves and parmesan cheese..



Note: I serve my tomato pasata cold as i like the different contrasts with cold sauce and hot gnocchi, but you can heat it if you prefer.

Grilled Halloumi its simple, tasty and looks an sounds fancy! what more could you want? I pair it with a sweet potato hash browns, Grilled tomatoes and basil leaves. Delicious!

Ingredients:
1 block or packet Halloumi
300g Sweet Potato, grated
2 Eggs
1/2 Teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning
Oil for frying

Place the sweet potato, eggs and seasoning in a bowl and mix well. Heat a little oil in frying pan over medium heat. Cook ¼ cups of the sweet potato mixture for 2−3 minutes on each side or until they are golden and crispy. Drain on Paper towel and keep warm. Using the same frying pan add a little more oil if needed. Slice halloumi cheese into wide, 1 cm thick slices.  Place slices in frying pan for just a few minutes on each side (about 2-3 minutes), until lightly browned and gently crisped( Be careful to not overcook it as it will go rubbery) Halloumi cheese is best served immediately.

I visited rome in 2012 with my husband and on our travels we found this little italian place with red checkered tablecloths and a perfect view of the Castel Sant'Angelo. My husband ordered the lasagne and OH MY GOSH it was one of the best things i've ever eaten. From then on ive been researching and trying to replicate what we had that day. This closest tasting lasagne to the one i had in rome. 

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup Plain flour
4 cups milk 
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups tomato passata
Salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons oil
1 chuck steak & 1 pork scotch fillet steak, minced or 1 packet of mince
8 pasta sheets (use 1 lot of my fresh pasta) 
3 Cups cheese (I used cheddar, but you can use any other cheese you like)

Method:

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. When butter has melted, add flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps. Continue simmering and keep whisking over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, this will take around 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the nutmeg and tomato passata. Stir until well combined. Season with salt and Pepper and Set aside and allow to cool.

In a frying pan heat the oil, add the mince and season. Brown mince and remove from heat; drain any excess fat on kitchen paper. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

Cook pasta sheets until al dente.

Into the bottom of a  baking dish, spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Spread a thin layer of mince, sauce and cheese (in that order). Top with next pasta sheets and repeat the process until all mixture is used up (make sure top layer is just pasta and sauce). Top with any remaining cheese and bake in an oven for 40mins or until golden brown, bubbling and hot.

Note: I topped my lasagna with pancetta breadcrumbs for a crunchy                   top.

Once you make your own pasta, you will never buy brought again. I use extra yolks because i like the colour it gives. I do use my kitchenaid to start off my dough but you can use a normal food processor or just you hands. My husband recently got me the pasta roller attachment for my kitchenaid and i can honestly say i'm in love with it, it makes rolling sheets of pasta quick and super easy.

Ingredients:

3 Cups '00' Flour 
4 Eggs
2 Egg Yolks
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
Salt

Method:

Place flour into kitchenaid with the paddle attachment or a food processor. Whisk together eggs, yolks, oil and a pinch of salt n a small separate bowl. Add egg mixture to flour and beat until combined. Change to a dough hook (if using a kitchenaid) and mix on a low speed for 2 mins until a dough is formed. 

Sprinkle benchtop with flour and knead dough until it is soft, elastic and springs back when you touch it (this should take about 10mins) cover in cling film and let rest for 30mins at room temperature. Once this had been done you can use it for anything, spaghetti, lasagne sheets or any other pasta shapes. 

To cook, boil water with salt added (water should taste like sea water), add pasta and cook until pasta is al dente. 

I love pasta and everyone needs a quick spaghetti recipe up their sleeves, this is mine. Bacon and cream together is a match made in heaven and that's why i love this dish.  My fussy daughter loves it too so this is an all round winner winner spaghetti dinner.

Ingredients:

1 packet spaghetti
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
8  bacon strips, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Method:
Cook spaghetti to al dente. 
Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, saute onion and bacon in oil until tender. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. In a small bowl whisk flour and cream until smooth add to onion mixture, Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Drain spaghetti and add to the sauce. Stir in cheese and Serve Hot.

A tasty Easter bun decorated with the traditional cross. You can add fruit or chocolate bits to enhance your bun.

Ingredients:

4 Cups Plain Four
1 Teaspoon Salt
30g Yeast
1 1/2 Cups Milk
1/2 Cup Sultanas
60g Butter
1/2 Cup sugar
1 Egg
1/2 Teaspoon Mixed spice
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Method:

Cream yeast with 1 Tablespoon of each sugar and flour, add lukewarm milk and mix well. Cover and stand in a warm place for 10-15mins or until mixture is frothy. 
Sift remaining flour, salt, sugar and spices together. Rub in butter, add beaten egg, sultanas and yeast mixture mix into a dough. Stand bowl covered with a clean teatowel in a warm place for 40mins or until dough has doubled in size. Punch down dough, turn out onto a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic. Cut dough into 3 equal pieces, cut those into 5 equal pieces to create 15. 
Pre heat oven to 200'c. Knead and shape into buns and place onto a lightly greased 18x24 tin, stand in a warm place for 10-15mins or until buns reach the top edge of tin. 
Sift 1/2 Cup of plain flour, Mix with 1/3 Cup water into a paste. Fill mixture int a piping bag with a small hole cut across the corner. Pipe crosses on each bun.
Bake in a hot oven for 15-20mins. Remove from oven and serve .

Note: To make bun look glazed brush over a glaze made of 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1 Tablespoon Gelatin and 1 Tablespoon Hot Water.

A creamy simple pumpkin soup that's extremely easy to make. This recipe is from my year 10 cooking class and its my go to recipe on a cold winters day. Is there anything more comforting than a bowl of warm soup? I also serve mine with extra cream, feta and crispy bacon shards to add some texture.

Ingredients:

350g Pumpkin ( I use butternut)
1 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock
1/4 Teaspoon ground Ginger
1 Medium Onion
2 Tablespoons Cream

Method:

Peel pumpkin and cut into 5cm pieces. Peel and finely chop onion. Place all ingredients, except cream, into a saucepan. Cover and bring to the boil, Stirring once or twice. Once boiling turn heat down to a simmer and cook until pumpkin is soft. Cool slightly then place in a blender and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan and reheat soup. Stir in cream and serve hot.