Chocolate Passionfruit Banoffee Pie

Change is in the air. Last week was our first taste of autumn with my favourite kind of crisp mornings, sunny warm days and slightly cooler evenings. I've always thought that Sydney does the change of seasons really well. In the past I've always had great bursts of inspiration around spring, but I must have been too busy to notice last year because it's all happening right now. Better delayed than never! I get the feeling that 25 is going to be an interesting year.

But let's talk about this pie for a second. There's a chocolate pastry crust, a salted toffee caramel with just a hint of passionfruit, slices of banana that have been cooked in brown sugar, and on top some whipped cream and a mountain of chocolate shavings. It's Banoffee with a twist, and looks like the sort of decadent concoction that Miss Candy herself would think up. And boy, is it good!

Of course Easter is this coming weekend and this is a perfect choice for dessert. The pie crust and caramel can be made in advance, so putting it together on the day is a breeze. When making your caramel, watch the colour closely as it uses passionfruit juice rather than water and it's a little harder to tell when it's ready.

I hope you all have a lovely long weekend! If you're looking for any other Easter inspired recipes both savoury or sweet, head right over here.

Fig & Salted Caramel Meringue Smash

The last time I made one of these lists a few months back, I was having an absolutely terrible week and the act of thinking about and writing down the good stuff in life totally helped my mood. This time around I am realising how important it is notice the little things and to be thankful. It's so easy to take this stuff for granted, but the little details are what make life special. It's one of my goals this year to appreciate them more! So here are a few things that I'm loving lately...

• weeknight adventures • yacht club dj's mixtapes • maxi skirts • editing videos • timber chopping boards made by my dad • handwritten lists • playing with the vine app • my new favourite cauliflower salad • polka dot shoes • polka dots in general • vietnamese pho • red lipstick • tea-infused hot chocolate • going for walks • epic salads from room 10 • cardigans • writing in my 365 journal • surprising Stevie with phone calls • the best figs I've ever had!



Eton Mess seems to be the dessert of the summer, popping up on restaurant menus all over Sydney, and I'm definitely not complaining! My favourite is the one at Sweethearts with fresh summer berries, but I think this tasty dessert should not just be reserved for summer fruit! I decided to make a more autumnal version with figs stewed with brown sugar, vanilla and dark rum until jam-like, complete with lashings of salted caramel sauce, mascarpone whipped cream and crumbled meringues. Yes, I promise that it tastes as good as it sounds!

I've used store bought mini meringues to save on time, but if you really wanted (or if figs aren't in season where you are) you could use a good quality fig jam instead of stewing fresh figs. I will say that they were the best part though! The caramelly sweetness from the brown sugar was delicious, and you already knew that rum goes perfectly with figs!



This dessert can be as dressed up or casual as you like. With words like 'mess' and 'smash' being thrown around, it's not meant to look perfect!! Pile everything onto a large platter if serving this dessert at a casual weekend BBQ, or if you're feeling fancy, layer it up in sundae glasses or jars like I have. Preferably one with clear glass so you can see all of those awesome swirled layers!

Sticky Ginger Spice Cake

The single best thing about winter is all of the awesome comfort food you get to indulge in guilt free, at least until the start of spring! If you've been reading for a while, you may remember how much I love sticky date pudding. I've made it so many times i think it deserves to have its own category in my recipe index! Its something I make at least once every winter, topped with ice cream and cascading with warm butterscotch sauce.

But this year I'm taking a different route with this delicious ginger cake. I have been wanting to make it ever since I saw it on Jamie Oliver magazine a year or two ago. I finally found the required stem ginger in syrup in the David Jones Food Hall one day while browsing for something completely different and snapped it up.


The cake is super easy to make either in the food processor or a stand mixer. Of course I added a few extra spices to the mix because its my spicy blog birthday week, but feel free to stick to ginger if you prefer. Jamie suggests dousing the cake in rum once it's baked I added some to the batter instead.

The cake turned out a little differently to how I thought - a little less sticky and syrupy and more like a pudding, which is why ice cream and butterscotch sauce were my go-to accompaniments, but its also lovely as an afternoon tea cake completely unadorned, or topped with jam. And with a discovery as tasty as this, my old favourite sticky date might be on the back burner for a while...

Chai Spiced Rolls with Cinnamon Glaze

Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever figure this whole grown up work/life balance thing out. The last few months have been crazy with work, freelance and managing three blogs (PS, you should all go check out the other two) but also so rewarding with a promotion to Senior Designer (!) and getting to work on some great projects with my clients. I think it's easier to become a workaholic when you love what you do, but the constant deadlines, lack of sleep and having to be creatively switched on all the time is a little draining.

Yet still, somehow, baking is like a never-fail mood enhancer. I woke up bright and early on Sunday and started making dough. While kneading, I didn't think about all the other crap I had to do, and while making the filling with the warm scent of the spices filled the air, I resisted the urge to check my email again. Stressed is just desserts spelled backwards, right?

 
The second recipe in my very spicy birthday week is a twist on one of my all-time favourites from my archives, originally published in Bon Appetit by Molly from Orangette, whose blog I've been reading for as long as I've had my own. I've made it a few times over the years and decided that it would be delicious with chai flavours in addition to the cinnamon. And oh boy, it was!

This time I made a very simple cinnamon glaze to accompany the rolls, but the cream cheese version from the original would be absolutely delicious here as well. Make sure you have heaps of friends around for brunch when you make these, because the recipe makes about 18 rolls and they taste best the day they're made. Serve with lots of warm chai, of course.

Spiced Mulled Cider

It's a very special week here on Spicy Icecream and I've got a lot in store for you, lovely readers!

Oh my, time has flown since I decided to start this blog, but here we are... five years later. Five whole years! I seriously can't believe it. I can hardly remember what I did on the weekends before I started spending them baking and photograhing. I’ve made some wonderful friends, shared so many wonderful meals, and so to celebrate, this week I’ll be posting five spiced up recipes over five days.

Warm spice recipes in the dead of winter is the perfect combination and I've had a lot of fun putting this series together. Even though it feels like I have barely any time in the kitchen these days, I still love the whole process of blogging – from coming up the recipe ideas (and often brainstorming them with other fab food bloggers) to making, photographing, writing about them, and then finally sharing them with you guys.

First up we have a seriously fabulous winter drink that I only discovered very recently at The Winery, but I couldn’t get enough! Mulled Cider is a great drink during cooler months, to warm you up from the inside out. Best yet, you can play around with the spices depending on your preference and even do a booze-free version with apple juice for the kids. I like cinnamon sticks, ginger, cloves and a teensy bit of vanilla in mine, but perhaps some peppercorns, nutmeg or even some bay leaves would be nice too!

And as an added bonus, it will also make your whole house smell seriously amazing, like Christmas. I think it would also be delicious with pear cider too. I’ll be back tomorrow with another spicy recipe. Stay tuned!

Mini Lemon Sugar Bundt Cakes

I wasn't sure how to start this post, because really, these mini bundt cakes were not at all what I had planned to bake last weekend. I had visions of a wintery cake, maybe some brioche and if I got time, a batch of fun sprinkle-covered marshmallows, but I spied some cute mini bundt tins while shopping for something else entirely and thought about the Meyer lemons I had at home from my tree, Sparky. And then it all fell into place.


One of the most important lessons I've been learning lately is to just go with it and see where I end up. I've fallen into quite a few serendipitous opportunities, which never would have happened if I kept trying to force things to happen. So maybe there's something to this whole "come what may" mindset...

Anyway, back to the cake! I based the recipe off Sweetapolita's vanilla bean bundt, which was so lovely the last time I made it. I stayed fairly close to the recipe except of course for adding lemon juice and zest, and reducing the sugar a little since I would be covering the outside with a zesty lemon sugar coating, inspired by Donna Hay's spiced version. Also, I halved the quantity which was the perfect amount for 4 smaller bundt tins. The lemon flavour came through beautifully and we all loved these sunny little cakes.

Mac and Cheese, plus 13 ways with Gruyere

It's no secret that I loooove cheese. I could spend an hour in front of the epic wall of cheese at Harris Farm. You may have noticed that I don't often do savoury recipes here, but be sure that when I do they are really something special. I hope you enjoy this round up of cheesy recipes from some of my favourite food blogs!

Picture Credits: Raspberri Cupcakes & Gourmet Traveller

1. This thing of beauty was inspired by a wonderfully comforting Cheese Toastie we had at a dinner together at Gazebo Wine Garden. Steph from Raspberri Cupcakes take on it included sweet roasted garlic and oozy gruyere. Yes please!!

2. There is red hot competition for the title of Sydney's best burger and Rockpool's with bacon, gruyere and Zuni pickles rates pretty highly! I didn't manage to try it on my recent visit to Rockpool Bar & Grill in Perth (which you'll hear more about soon, promise) but I'll definitely be heading to the Sydney restaurant soon. Just look at that burger!

Picture Credits: Citrus and Candy & Tartelette

3. I can tell you firsthand how amazing the Gnocchi a la Parisienne is at Tastevin restaurant in Darlinghurst. Karen from Citrus and Candy made a beautiful version of it. The most interesting thing about this dish is that the 'gnocchi' is actually choux pastry, not made from potato. Note to self, try this at home... And make another reservation at Tastevin soon!

4. One of the ultimate comfort foods is French Onion Soup, especially as its getting colder by the day here in Sydney. Helene's version is stunning, especially when topped with steaming hot, deliciously melty gruyere toasts.

Picture Credits: Cannelle et Vanille & Donna Hay

5. I love the idea of these unique Apple, Gruyere and Sage Muffins from Cannelle et Vanille to accompany a bowl of  hot pumpkin soup. I imagine these would also be quite adaptable - substituting pear for apple, or perhaps adding in some bacon and changing up the herbs. Yum!

6. If Stuffed Zucchini Flowers are on a restaurant menu, it's fairly likely that they'll end up in front of me - especially if they're filled with cheese! I've never tried making them at home, but this recipe from Donna Hay looks particularly lovely.

Picture Credits: Spicy Icecream & Gourmet Traveller

7. This is a bit of a blast from the past, dug up out of the archives, but i had to share these Gougéres from the Tartine cookbook again because they were delicious. The perfect bite-size appetizer washed down with a glass of wine, you'll find it impossible to stop at just one. I also really liked the combination of gruyere and thyme.

8. I remember the very first time I tried a Gruyere Souffle at Ripples in Pyrmont, it was amazing! Being the twice-baked kind, it's a little easier for a home cook and every bit as delicious. I'm keeping this recipe from Gourmet Traveller on file for my next dinner party.

Picture Credits: Eat Little Bird & Williams-Sonoma

9. Savoury waffles is an interesting concept - usually I douse mine in ice cream and maple syrup! Eat Little Bird brings us Waffles with Gruyere and Thyme, which started as a way to use up leftovers in the fridge but I think it sounds like a delicious lunch. Note to self - buy a waffle maker!

10. Okay, so I've never actually eaten a Popover but by the sound of them, I think they'd be delicious - especially with Gruyere! The recipe from Williams-Sonoma suggests serving them with steak, which sounds like a beautiful modern take on the classic Yorkshire pudding.

Picture Credits: Real Simple & My Recipes

11. Bacon. Gruyere. Meatloaf. Yes please! This recipe from Real Simple dresses up the humble meatloaf into a delicious gourmet dinner. This would be lovely with a simple green salad.

12. I recently expressed my new found love of bread and butter pudding, and this Pear and Gruyere Strata layered with cinnamon bread from My Recipes looks delicious! I think it would be lovely for brunch or dessert, with a big scoop of ice cream.

13. Mac and Cheese is a guilty pleasure of mine. I mean the nasty microwave stuff - so bad it's good right? But absolutely nothing beats homemade, even some fancy restaurant versions I've recently tried! In my opinion Mac and Cheese is best when baked with a scattering of breadcrumbs so the top gets nice and crisp.

I like experimenting with different cheeses and I think this version with Gruyere, Fontina and a smidge of Reggiano is a winner, but feel free to experiment with your favourite cheese varieties - the original recipe used an intriguing chilli-flavoured cheddar.

Salted Caramel Cheesecake

 I'm smiling as I write this post, thinking about what a great time I had in Perth over the Easter long weekend. The weather was just stunning, the mood was relaxed (yay holidays!) and I got to hang out with my very favourite person. It doesn't get much better than that. On Easter Sunday we hosted a nice casual lunch with the best roast pork I've made to date (mmmm crackling), heaps of sides and this Salted Caramel Cheesecake for dessert.

Yes I'm sharing this recipe a little after the fact, but it was so delicious I couldn't let it sit another week on my hard drive. I had been wanting to make this Salted Caramel Cheesecake ever since it graced the cover of the 2011 Entertaining Issue of Donna Hay.
 I have a love/hate relationship with Donna's recipes these days, sometimes they work flawlessly - like this one, happily - but I've also had my fair share of utter disasters where I can't figure out if I did something wrong, or if the recipe wasn't properly tested before it was published. Those disasters often end up in the bin and not on the blog! So past frustrations aside, I gave this recipe a crack, sticking to the instructions exactly. Well, almost exactly... I couldn’t help adding a glug of bourbon to the caramel sauce.

I am usually a bit iffy about ricotta as a general rule, but I loved the texture of this cheesecake. It was rich but not sickly sweet thanks to the addition of sour cream to the topping. This is definitely a recipe I’ll be pulling out again for the next special occasion! 

And here’s a gif, just because.

Earl Grey, Apple and Chocolate Bread Pudding

If I were to pick my favourite ingredients to bake with, it would be a tough choice for sure, but tea (and booze!) would be right up there near the top. Every time I make something with Chai, Matcha or Earl Grey I wonder why I don't do it more often. Tea is usually a subtle but beautiful taste that seems to work well with almost everything, from chocolate to fruit and especially with creams and custards. I decided to combine all of the above in this recipe, although I can’t take all the credit – the genius idea came from the gorgeous blog Our Kitchen, by the talented team at Fisher and Paykel. Go and check it out!

When I made this bread pudding, my kitchen smelled positively ambrosial. I used T2 French Earl Grey because it’s my favourite and smells absolutely wonderful. The tea is infused into the milk and cream which then becomes the base for the custard, but I also decided to add some Earl Grey poached apple pieces and sultanas between the layers. I love the idea of using crossiants for the bread component. The buttery flaky pastries work really well to soak up that custard mixture.

Served warm, in thick slices with a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream, this is a fabulous dessert to make as we go into winter here in the Southern Hemisphere and would be very adaptable to almost any kind of flavours you want to put into it. Infuse the cream mixture with cinnamon and spices, or some lemon zest? Delicious. Throw in some frozen berries or chopped hazelnuts between the layers? Even better.

I think it would be lovely to make for Mothers Day too. My mum loved it, and mentioned that her Mum used to make a similar thing when she was young, albiet with white bread and sultanas, not crossiants and chocolate! Have a lovely weekend everyone! xxx

The beautiful apples used in this recipe were sent to me from Bite Communications

Also, it's time to announce the winner of my cookbook competition! Congratulations to Hannah from Wayfaring Chocolate! You've won a copy of David Herbert's 'Best Ever Baking Recipes' and will be receiving an email from me shortly :)

Rum & Ginger Flan with Caramelised Figs + 13 Ways with Figs!

I would be in a world of trouble if someone asked me to name my favourite fruit. Could I do a top 10 perhaps? Don't tell the peaches and the strawberries but figs are right up there. I look forward to fig season every year, and I love that they go so well in both sweet and savoury recipes. So this month I thought I would share 13 interesting ways to use figs while their short season lasts!



Picture Credits: The Kitchn & The Party Dress

1. The Old Fashioned has made a comeback in recent times, thanks in part to shows like Mad Men. I love the sound of this version with figs from The Kitchn. It looks like the perfect drink for autumn!

2. This fancy Fizzy Fig Cocktail from The Party Dress is about as festive as you can get, not to mention that it's absolutely beautiful! Plus I lovelovelove the idea of homemade flavoured sugar cubes. Imagine all the flavour possibilities! Plus they would make lovely little gifts for your foodie friends.


Picture Credits: Eat Boutique & Donna Hay

3. I've recently been interested in infusing my own vodka but ive been a little intimidated by the whole process. This Fig and Vanilla Vodka from Eat Boutique shows how easy peasy it can be. And just think of all the delicious ways you could use your fig-infused vodka! Mmmm...

4. An oldie but a goodie, I remember when I first saw the recipe for this Fig Martini in Donna Hay magazine and thought it sounded so grown up and sophisticated. I’m looking forward to impressing the girls with this one at our next lunch.

Picture Credits: Bakers Royale & Inspiring The Everyday

5. This list wouldn’t be complete without some kind of boozed up iced treat, and thse Fig and Port Popsicles from Bakers Royale are just beautiful. That colour is so striking and I bet they would taste absolutely delicious!

6. Another classy and stylish dessert is this Coconut Panna Cotta with Fig Syrup from Inspring the Everyday (a blog that I discovered recently but have fallen in love with!) that would be perfect for your next dinner party! I love the sound of a dairy-free coconut panna cotta for delicious twist on such a classic dessert.

Picture Credits: Tartelette & Spicy Icecream

7. Tartelette does it again with a gorgeous French dessert, Gateau au Riz, or a baked rice pudding studded with figs. It looks absolutely delicious, and this is definitely a recipe I want to try very soon.

8. One of the easiest and most delicious things you could do with figs is a Galette. No fiddly pie crusts here! This Honeyed Ricotta, Fig and Lavender Galette from my archives was a favourite last summer, and one that I'll definitely be making again soon! You could even add some prosciutto and a few sprigs of thyme for a savoury lunchtime version.

Picture Credits: Cilantropist & Gourmet Traveller

9. As I mentioned before, figs are delicious in both sweet and savoury recipes, and this Sausage Goats Cheese Pizza with fresh figs from Cilantropist looks completely delicious!

10. I love this adaptable recipe for 'Whatever' Upside Down Cake from Gourmet Traveller. Their version uses figs (and looks amazing!) but you could use almost any fruit that is in season, making it a great one to add to your repertoire.

Picture Credits: Burnt Carrots & Cannelle et Vanille

11. I can’t believe that I never thought of this before, since the flavours go so beautifully together, but this Fig Balsamic Jam from Burnt Carrots sounds absolutely delicious! I can imagine how awesome it would be as part of a cheese platter, or even just spread on hot toast for breakfast. This recipe is definitely going on my long list of things to make!

12. I always get excited when Aran from Cannelle et Vanille updates her blog, because her writing and photos are stunning. This post actually has two delicious recipes - Fig Hazelnut Financiers, which look delicious and this stunning Fig and Champagne Sabayon. Isn’t it just beautiful!



13. One of my favourite combinations in the world is fig and ginger (well, if we’re being honest – almost anything and ginger!) so when trying to come up with a great recipe with figs, of course it was this that I thought of! And what a great recipe it is! Creamy, rich, caramelly, gingery, boozy, it ticks all the boxes and is a perfect match for the caramelised figs. It’s the perfect dessert for this time of year, straddling the line between summer and autumn.




Rum and Ginger Flan with Caramelised Figs
Adapted from Gourmet Traveller
Serves 4

Caramel
• 90g caster sugar
• 65ml water
• 2 tablespoons rum

Flan
• 1 cup milk
• 160g caster sugar
• 1 thumb size knob of ginger, peeled and sliced
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• To serve, 4 figs, brown sugar


Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Combine 90g caster sugar and 65ml water in a saucepan and stir over medium heat to dissolve sugar. Bring to the boil, and cook until sugar turns deep caramel in colour. Add rum, stir to combine (being careful as mixture may spit). Pour caramel evenly between 4 ovenproof ramekins.

Meanwhile, bring milk, remaining caster sugar and ginger to the boil in a separate saucepan, for 5 minutes or to reduce mixture slightly. Remove from the heat and cover, allowing to infuse for at least 30 minutes. Whisk egg yolks, egg and vanilla in a heatproof bowl. Strain milk mixture over (discard ginger) and whisk to combine. Pour evenly between caramel filled ramekins. Place them in a roasting pan, fill with boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins and bake until set (30-40 minutes depending on the size of your ramekins) Remove from pan, cool, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until cool.

To serve, cut figs in half and dip cut sides into brown sugar. Preheat a fry pan or BBQ plate, and place figs cut side down. Cook until caramelised. Serve flans in the ramekins, or dip bases into a pan of hot water and invert onto plates. Serve with caramelised figs.

Chocolate and Pear Tart with Cardamom Creme Anglaise

I bought some absolutely beautiful pears last week. I know, I know, I get a little obsessed with them every winter, but how could you not? They lend themselves to cold-weather cooking so beautifully, both in sweets and savouries. When I got home, I found that Mum had also bought a slew of pears and my brain went into overdrive thinking about what I could do with them all. And for some reason, every idea seemed to involve pears and chocolate.

I was a little wary of the combination at first but I’ve seen it work beautifully and I wanted to give it a try. I used Matt Moran’s insanely good chocolate crust from the Aria Chocolate tart, which is kind of magical. It uses eggs to bind it together instead of iced water, which I think is the reason that it doesn’t shrink in the oven. It’s a godsend because shrinking pastry is one of my absolute pet hates in baking!

The tart filling is lovely and rich thanks to the ground almonds and cocoa. I underbaked mine a tiny bit so it was nice and gooey in the middle, with the perfectly cooked pears lending a lovely floral taste. It just was delicious with a lightly spiced cardamom crème anglaise. I loved how elegant this dessert turned out to be, and it would be a great way to end a dinner party. And, as always, a good splash of booze in the filling wouldn’t go astray – perhaps some Kahlua for a slight coffee hit.



Pear and Chocolate Tart with Cardamom Crème Anglaise
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves 8

Chocolate Pastry (this makes enough for 2 tarts)
• 320g plain flour
• 60g cocoa
• 160g caster sugar
• 160g cold unsalted butter, diced
• 2 eggs

Filling
• 160g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup almond meal
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 firm, ripe pears (use 4 if pears are small)

Cardamom Crème Anglaise
• 3 egg yolks
• 55g caster sugar
• 6-8 cardamom pods
• 250ml milk
• 250ml pouring cream

To make the chocolate pastry, place the flour, cocoa, sugar, butter and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add eggs and process until dough just starts to come together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Flatten into a disc shape, wrap in clingwrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Roll out the pastry to about 3mm thick. Line the base and sides of two tart tins (I used 20cm round tins) with the pastry, and trim any excess. Alternately, halve pastry, wrap excess in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 6 months. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest. Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking weights or rice. Bake at 160°C (320°F) for 10 minutes. Remove paper and weights and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until firm to the touch. Allow to cool.

To make the filling, place butter, almond meal, sugar, eggs, cocoa and vanilla extract in the bowl of a food processor and process until combined. Spread mixture evenly in prepared tart crust. Peel, halve and core pears. Cut into quarters and slice horizontally, but not all the way through. Arrange on top of chocolate mixture, pressing in very slightly.

Increase oven temperature to 180°C (350°F). Place pan on baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes or until top is puffed and toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Cool completely in pan.

In the meantime, make the cardamom crème anglaise. Lightly whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Place the milk, cream and cardamom in a saucepan and bring almost to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 30 minutes. Return to the heat and rewarm. Whisk the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, and return to the saucepan.

Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Do not let it boil. Strain through a fine sieve, allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Crème anglaise will keep refrigerated for one or two days. To serve warm, gently reheat in a saucepan over low heat.

Pork, Apple and Cider Pie

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang

There's something inherently special about Sundays. For me, it's a golden opportunity for a sleep in, and a nice time to relax before stepping in to the new week. In my perfect world, there would be a picnic lunch every Sunday in summer, either in the park or down at the beach, and a nice hearty lunch at home every Sunday in winter.

Sadly, the Sunday Lunch seems to be a forgotten ritual these days – I know I don't do it enough – but I think that makes them even more special when they do come around. Usually everyone helps with the cooking, and then sits down together to enjoy the meal. It’s really lovely.

I love the combination of pork and apples, but wanted to try something different from your usual roast, so I decided to make it into a pie. I simmered the pork shoulder with chicken stock and apple cider for about an hour, until it was falling apart, then added some sage, potato and apple. But the best part is, it’s actually really simple to prepare. In fact once the main prep work is done, you can leave it pretty much alone to simmer over a low heat, with just a stir here and there.

It’s a really great dish that is hearty but not heavy, thanks to the light flavour of the cider. It is just perfect for this end of winter weather, when spring has been playing hide-and-seek. But with my undying love of pulled pork, I would very happily eat it all year round.



Pork, Apple and Cider Pie
Serves 6
Adapted from Donna Hay

• Olive oil, for frying
• 2.2kg boneless pork shoulder, cut into 5cm cubes (remove excess fat)
• 1 ½ brown onions, sliced
• 3 bottles dry apple cider (I used Monteiths)
• 2 cups chicken stock (I used Campbell’s Real Stock)
• 1 large potato, peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes
• 2 tablespoons sage leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper
• 3 granny smith apples, peeled, and chopped into 2cm cubes
• 1 sheet store-bought puff pastry
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat, and add the pork. Cook in batches until browned (4-5 minutes). Remove pork and set aside.

Heat another 1 tablespoon of olive oil and brown onion over medium heat or until softened. Return the pork to the pan with cider and stock. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for 1 hour. Add the potato, sage, vinegar, salt and pepper and cool for a further 15-20 minutes or until the potato is tender and the pork is falling apart. Stir through the apples and allow to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Spoon the pork mixture into a pie dish or ovenproof frying pan. Trim pastry to fit over the top and brush with lightly beaten egg. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.