ABBREVIATED RECIPE:

• Blitz crumb. Press into 33 x 23 cm / 9 x 13" lined pan with paper overhang (important). Bloom gelatine in the water, re-melt. Whip cream. In separate bowl whip cream cheese + sugar, then vanilla, lemon, salt and gelatine. Fold in 1/4 cream, then remaining cream. Fill pan, fridge 12 hours, decorate!

FULL RECIPE:

Line pan with overhang:

• Line – Grease a 23 x 33 cm / 9 x 13" can VERY lightly with butter or spray with a plain oil (I use canola). Line with parchment/baking paper with lots of overhang on the long side to lift the cheesecake out once set (see photos).

Biscuit crust:

• Blitz – Break up biscuits roughly by hand and place in a food processor. Blitz until it becomes fine crumbs (~30 seconds).
• Add butter – Add the butter, cinnamon and salt. Blitz until it resembles wet sand (~ 10 second). It should stay together when pinched between your fingers.
• Press – Pour into the prepared pan. Spread then use your hand or something flat to press it in firmly (firmer = more stable base). Refrigerate until required.

Gelatine (Note 2):

• Bloom gelatine – Put the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatine across the surface (don't dump it in one place. Whisk until dissolved then set aside for 3 minute or until it firms up like rubber.
• Melt – Microwave for 15 seconds on high or until it melts (do not let it boil). Cool for 5 minutes while you make the filling (make sure it's still liquid when you use it, if there's a skin on surface or walls, warm for 5 seconds to liquify).

No-bake cheesecake filling:

• Whip cream – Put the cream in a bowl and whip it with an electric beater on high for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes until firm peaks form (ie not softly whipped, we want good aeration!).
• Whip cream cheese – Put the cream cheese and sugar in a separate large bowl. Using the same beater (no need to clean), beat on high for 1 1/2 minutes just until it's soft and smooth. Add the vanilla, lemon and melted gelatine, then beat for 10 seconds on high to mix it through thoroughly. Don't beat excessively as we don't want too many air bubbles in the cheesecake (unsightly).
• Fold – Add about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Gently fold through using a rubber spatula or large spoon (don't mix aggressively, you'll knock all the air out of the cream!). Then fold in the rest of the cream.
• Refrigerate – Pour into the pan and smooth the surface. Refrigerate for 12 hours+ to set.

Decorating:

• Remove – Use the paper overhang to lift the cheesecake out of the pan and transfer it onto a serving platter. Then slide the paper out from underneath. Refrigerate until ready to decorate.
• Whip cream – Put the ingredients in a bowl and whip on high for 2 to 3 minutes until softly whipped. (Use an electric beater or stand mixer fitted with a whisk. Also, see Note 6 for stabilising to assemble ahead).
• Decorate – Spread the cream in big swirls across the surface of the cake. Pile on the berries and cherries, tuck in the orange slices and rosemary. Dust with icing sugar then cut into slices and serve!
  
  ................................................................................................................
  
  

  Irene’s Cretan biscuits (Greek almond cookies) 
  
  

  Ingredients

  • ▢2/3 cup (100g) blanched almonds (Note 1)
  • ▢2 1/2 cups plain flour (all-purpose flour)
  • ▢4 tsp baking powder
  • ▢One pinch cooking salt / kosher salt
  • ▢250g/ 2 sticks unsalted butter , softened (Note 2)
  • ▢3/4 cups white sugar (or caster sugar)
  • ▢1 large egg , at room temperature (~50g / 2oz in shell)
  • ▢1/2 tsp vanilla extract

  Almond decoration:

  • ▢1 egg white , lightly whisked (use leftover for breakfast scrambled eggs!)
  • ▢1/4 cup almond flakes

  Cook ModePrevent screen from sleeping

  Instructions

  ABBREVIATED RECIPE:

  • Toast almonds 7 min at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan), cool bash or blitz. Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients in 3 lots, then beat in almond. Roll 30 x 2 tbsp balls (#40 scoop). Slightly flatten, brush with egg white, top with flakes. Bake 20 min until light golden.

  FULL RECIPE:

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Lightly grease (or spray with oil) 2 large trays and line with baking paper (parchment paper).

  Almond bits:

  • Roasting (optional, Note 1) – Roast the almonds for 7 minutes on a small tray, shaking once halfway. Cool almonds on the tray.
  • Bash/blitz the almonds using a food food processor or ziplock bag with a rolling pin until they resemble coarse sand with some small lumps (little almonds bits in the cookies are nice). (Note 3)

  Cookie dough:

  • Dry ingredients – Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • Cream butter and sugar – In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar using a handheld beater until it is soft and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed, ~1 1/2 minutes on medium high. (Note 2 stand mixer) Add the egg and vanilla, then beat until mixed in. (Note 4)
  • Add the flour mixture in 3 lots, beating in between until the flour is mostly mixed in (some visible white flour is ok). Start the beater on low and increase to medium, about 7 sec each go.
  • Add the crushed almonds then beat on medium until you can no longer see flour.
  • Form cookies – Roll 30 x 2 tablespoon balls (#40 cookie scoop) then slightly flatten to about 2 cm / 0.8" thick. (Note 5 for my method). Place the cookies 4 cm / 1.6" apart on the trays. Brush the top with egg white them place a pinch of almond flakes on top (no need to press in, egg glues them on).
  • Bake both trays together for 20 minutes or until the cookies in the middle are light golden and the ones of the edge of the tray are slightly more golden.
  • Cool 5 minutes on the tray then transfer onto a rack to fully cool. Attack!
    
    ........................................................................................................
    
    

    No bake cheesecake 

    Ingredients

    Biscuit crust:

    • ▢200g/7 oz digestive biscuits (13 pieces, 1 2/3 cups crumbs), or other plain biscuits/cookies
    • ▢90g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
    • ▢1/2 tsp cinnamon powder (optional)
    • ▢1 tbsp brown sugar
    • ▢Pinch of salt

    No-bake cheesecake filling:

    • ▢2 1/4 tsp (9 g) gelatin powder , unflavoured (Note 2)
    • ▢2 tbsp cold tap water
    • ▢1 cup thickened or heavy cream , or any whipping cream, FRIDGE COLD (Note 3)
    • ▢500g/ 16 oz cream cheese block (not tub), well softened at room temperature (Note 4)
    • ▢3/4 cup caster sugar / superfine sugar (Note 5)
    • ▢1 tsp vanilla extract
    • ▢1 tbsp lemon juice (not critical, can do without)

    Optional decorations:

    • ▢6 strawberries , halved (plus extra for serving)
    • ▢Whipped cream (half batch for decorating, or full batch for extra to serving on side)

    Cook ModePrevent screen from sleeping

    Instructions

    ABBREVIATED RECIPE:

    • Blitz crumb ingredients. Press into 20cm/8" inverted base lined springform. Bloom gelatine in the water, re-melt. Whip cream. In separate bowl whip cream cheese + sugar, then vanilla, lemon, salt and gelatine. Fold in 1/4 cream, then remaining cream. Fill crust, fridge 6 hours.

    FULL RECIPE:

    Inverted cake pan:

    • Invert & line – Turn the base of a 20cm/8" springform pan UPSIDE DOWN (Note 6). Grease with butter very lightly. Place a square piece of parchment/baking paper on the base. Then clip into the springform pan – excess paper will stick out.
    • Line sides – Butter and line the side of the pan.

    Biscuit crust:

    • Blitz – Break up biscuits roughly by hand and place in a food processor. Blitz until it becomes fine crumbs (~30 seconds).
    • Add butter – Add the butter, cinnamon and salt. Blitz until it resembles wet sand (~ 10 second). It should stay together when pinched between your fingers.
    • Press – Pour into the prepared cake tin. Use a spatula to roughly spread it out over the base and up the walls. Then flatten and press the base and walls using something with a flat base and vertical edges (I used a measuring cup). Aim for the wall to be ~9mm (0.35") from the top of the rim (Note 7). Refrigerate crust until required.

    Gelatine (Note 2):

    • Bloom gelatine – Put the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatine across the surface (don't dump it in one place. Whisk until dissolved then set aside for 3 minute or until it firms up like rubber.
    • Melt – Microwave for 15 seconds on high or until it melts (do not let it boil). Cool for 5 minutes while you make the filling (make sure it's still liquid when you use it).

    No-bake cheesecake filling:

    • Whip cream – Put the cream in a bowl and whip it with an electric beater on high for 2 minutes until firm peaks form (ie not softly whipped, we want good aeration!).
    • Whip cream cheese – Put the cream cheese and sugar in a separate large bowl. Using the same beater (no need to clean), beat on high for 1 minute just until it's soft and smooth. Add the vanilla, lemon and melted gelatine, then beat for 10 seconds on high to mix it through thoroughly. Don't beat excessively as we don't want too many air bubbles in the cheesecake (unsightly).
    • Fold – Add about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Gently fold through using a rubber spatula or large spoon (don't mix aggressively, you'll knock all the air out of the cream!). Then fold in the rest of the cream.
    • Refrigerate – Pour into the crust, smooth the surface. Refrigerate for 6 hours+ to set. 
      
      ...................................................................................................
      
      
      

      Glazed White Chocolate Raspberry Loaf 

      Ingredients

      Wet ingredients:

      • ▢125 g/ 8 tbsp unsalted butter (1 US stick) (Note 1)
      • ▢3/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar) (Note 2)
      • ▢1 cup plain yogurt , at room temperature, full fat best (Note 3)
      • ▢2 large eggs , at room temperature (~50-55g/2 oz each)
      • ▢1 tsp vanilla extract
      • ▢1 tsp lemon zest (not critical)

      Dry ingredients:

      • ▢1 3/4 cup plain flour (all-purpose flour)
      • ▢2 tsp baking powder
      • ▢1/2 tsp baking soda (Note 4)
      • ▢1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

      Add-ins:

      • ▢1 1/2 cups raspberries , fresh or frozen (not thawed, see Note 5 tips)
      • ▢2 tsp flour , prevents raspberries from sinking (Note 6)
      • ▢1/2 cup white chocolate chips

      Extra Raspberries – decoration

      • ▢6 – 8 raspberries (optional)

      Glaze:

      • ▢1 cup icing sugar / powdered sugar , sifted
      • ▢1/2 tsp vanilla extract
      • ▢6 tsp milk , preferably full fat but low / 0% fat ok
      • ▢Pinch of salt

      Cook ModePrevent screen from sleeping

      Instructions

      Abbreviated recipe:

      • Toss raspberries in flour (if frozen, keep in freezer). Whisk butter and sugar then remaining Wet. Mix in dry, fold through choc and raspberries. Bake in lined 22 x 12 cm pan (8.7 x 4.7") at 190°C/375°F (170°C fan) for 40 minutes, cover with foil then bake another 35 minutes (+ 5 min for frozen raspberries). Cool, glaze!

      Full recipe directions:

      • Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F (170°C fan-forced). Grease and line a 22 x 12 x 7 cm loaf pan with paper (8.7 x 4.7 x 2.75", Note 6).
      • Toss the raspberries with the flour. If using frozen, put the bowl in the freezer (so they don't thaw).
      • Wet ingredients – Put the butter in a heatproof bowl and microwave until melted. Cool for a minute then whisk in the sugar. Next, add the yogurt, eggs, vanilla and lemon. Whisk until combined.
      • Dry ingredients – Sprinkle the dry ingredients across the surface, then mix it in using a rubber spatula. Stop mixing as soon as the flour is incorporated – some lumps in the batter is fine. (Over mixing = tough loaf)
      • Raspberries – Working fast, add the white chocolate and the raspberries (including any residual flour in the bowl), then mix briefly just to disperse the raspberries. (Fresh raspberries – careful not to squish them. Frozen – work fast, else the batter chills and thickens = takes longer to bake). Batter is pretty thick.
      • Fill pan – Scrape batter into the prepared pan. Roughly level the surface (spreads and levels in the oven). Press Extra Raspberries into the surface, if using.
      • Bake 40 minutes. Cover loosely with foil then bake for a further 35 minutes for fresh raspberries, 40 minutes for frozen. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out without raw batter on it.
      • Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer onto a rack. Full cool before glazing.

      Glaze:

      • Mix Glaze ingredients in a bowl until smooth.
      • Glaze – Put the rack on a tray or plate to catch glaze drips. Drizzle glaze all over the cake. Scrape up glaze from the plate and glaze again.
      • Serve – Leave for 20 minutes to let a crust form on the glaze before cutting thick slices to serve.