dicky & debbie.com

Ingredients
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon cake flour, divided
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
120 grams semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup candied citron
1/4 cup candied orange peel
1/4 cup dried figs, finely diced
1/4 cup dried apricot
1/2 cup almonds, toasted
1/2 cup hazelnuts, roasted and skins removed

Method
Preheat oven to 180 C.

Toast the nuts and set aside.

In a  small bowl combine 1/2 cup cake flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, coriander, cloves, salt and nutmeg.  Set aside.

In another small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of cake flour and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine honey and sugar.  Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until mixture comes to a full boil.  Remove from the heat.  Stir in the chocolate and allow to melt.  Stir together.  Stir in candied fruit an almonds or hazelnuts.  Sift in flour mixture: stir until well blended.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Smooth the top with a slightly wet palm of your hand.

Sift reserve cinnamon flour mixture over the top.

Place cake in center of middle oven rack.   Bake 30 minutes or until panforte just starts to simmer around the edge of the pan.  Remove from the oven to cool completely on a wire rack.

Loosen pan by running a small knife around perimeter.  Invert on to wire rack, letting excess cinnamon flour fall away.  Use knife to peel away parchment paper.  Invert panforte again and transfer onto a wire rack.  Dust the top with icing sugar.

When cool, it can be wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap for a couple of weeks, or frozen for up to six months.  Serve at room temperature.  Before serving, dust slightly with additional icing sugar.  Cut into small wedges to serve.

Of all the cheesecakes I have made, and there have been more than just a few, this is by far the cheesecake that stands out for me.  To tell the truth the secret is switching the over off and allowing it to cool overnight in the oven with the door closed. In the morning the filling will have sunk and firmed up a lot.  It is dense and rich and just delightful.

If you are using a springform tin you must put a tray underneath to catch the juices otherwise they make a real mess in your oven.

Ingredients

Base:
250 grams of shortbread
100 grams softened, not melted butter
50 grams ground almonds
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Filling:

500 grams cream cheese
juice and zested rind of 1/2 lemon
2 eggs, seperated
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup + 1/4 cup sugar
100 grams melted white chocolate
1/4 frozen raspberries

Method

Preheat the oven to 175°C.

In a food processor, combine the ingredients for the base.   Pulse until they are like breadcrumbs.  Press into a foil lined springform tin, covering the base and coming up the sides about 2cm.

In a glass bowl, mix the cream cheese, lemon zest and juice, egg yolks and the 1/4 cup of sugar, with an electric beater.  Add in the melted chocolate and combine.

In a seperate glass bowl, mix the egg whites to soft peaks then slowly add the sugar while beating to form stiff peaks.

Add the raspberries to the cream cheese mix then gently fold in the egg white.

Add to the bake and bake for about an hour or until the outside of the cheesecake is set but the inner is still wobbly.  Switch off the oven and allow to cool completely.

That sums up this brownie.  Oh My God!  Capitals, exclamation marks, absolutely justified.

I challenge you to make this.

Ingredients

250 grams butter, melted
400 grams dark chocolate
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup caster sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups plain flour
250 gram block of Caramello Cocolate, chopped
extra 200 grams dark chocolate, chopped
cocoa powder to dust

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C.  Grease a 19 x 30cm laminton pan.  Line base and sides with baking paper, extending about 2cm above the pan edges.  Place butter and chocolate in a large saucepan.  Stir over a low heat until the chocolate has melted.  Remove from the heat and stir in the sugars.  Cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Gradually beat in eggs usiing a wooden spoon or spatula.  Stir in the flour until well combined and then the Caramello and extra chocolate.  Spoon the mixture into a prepared pan, smooth the top over.  Cook for 30 minutes and then remove from the oven (the top should feel a little soft to the touch and the inside should still be moist)

Serve warm cut into squares or at room temperature.  Dust with cocoa powder.

Alternatively, crumble 1/4 of the brownie into softened vanilla icecream and stir to combine.    Freeze overnight.