Chocolate Raspberry Brownies

200g dark chocolate, chopped 

100g milk chocolate, chopped 

250g butter 

400g caster sugar

4 large eggs 

140g flour 

50g cocoa powder 

200g raspberries 

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 20 x 30cm baking tray tin with baking paper. Place chocolate, butter and sugar in a pan and gently melt, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in the eggs, one by one, into the melted chocolate mixture. Sieve the flour and cocoa, and stir in. Stir in half the raspberries, and scoop mixture into a tray, then scatter over the remaining raspberries. Bake on the middle shelf for 30 mins or, if you prefer a firmer texture, for 5 mins more. Cool before slicing into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Salmon with Maple Syrup and Soy

1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and ground black pepper
500g fresh salmon

Remove skin and bones from salmon.  Lightly score the flesh to enable marinade to penetrate.

In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper. 

Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. 

Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator for approx 30 minutes, turning once. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F [200 degrees C]. 

Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and bake salmon uncovered 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork.

Serve with lightly sauteed fresh vegies: bok choy, broccoli, asparagus ...

No Crust Cheese Cake

250g cream cheese, softened [leave sitting out at room temperature for no longer than 2 hours]
 ⅔ cup caster sugar, plus an extra 3 tablespoons
4 eggs

1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together cream cheese, ⅔ cup sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. Pour filling into a 9-inch glass pie plate and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden and set in the middle. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together sour cream, remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, and vanilla and spread on top of cheesecake. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Cheese blintzes

Crepes

3 eggs
625 ml (2½ cups) water
225 g (1½ cups) plain flour
pinch of salt
½ teaspoon baking powder

Cream cheese filling
2 eggs
500 g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons caster sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons sour cream, or as needed
300 ml pure cream (35% fat)

Method

To make the crepes, beat the eggs and water together. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together, then add to the egg mixture and beat until smooth. The batter needs to be of a thin pouring consistency; if necessary add more water. Allow the batter to rest while you make the filling.

To make the filling, beat together the eggs, cream cheese and sugar. Beat in the sour cream (enough to make a smooth paste). Taste for sugar and add more if needed. It should be just sweet.

To cook the crepes, heat a non-stick crepe pan or 20 cm frying pan and grease lightly. Pour enough batter into the pan to thinly coat the base, swirling the pan so the batter spreads to the edge, and tip off any excess. Cook the crepe on one side only until it is dry, comes away from the side of the pan and is very lightly coloured. Tip out onto a paper towel, with the uncooked side facing downwards - this will be the inside of the blintz. Continue with the rest of the batter, piling the crepes on top of each other. Repeat to make 18-20 crepes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a large baking dish.

To assemble the blintzes, place a crepe on the work surface, uncooked side upwards. Put 1-2 tablespoons of cream cheese filling in the centre. Fold one side over and then the other to form a roll. Fold one end over onto the top and the other end underneath, to form a square parcel. Place the blintzes in the dish, snugly, side by side. Pour the cream over so there is about 7-8 mm of cream in the bottom of the dish. You may need some extra cream depending on the size of your dish. Bake for about 30 minutes, uncovered, or until the blintzes are golden brown and puffed up. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and serve with sour cream on the side if desired. Or with fruit.

Meringue-topped lemon and passionfruit delicious

150g unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons lemon rind, finely grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh passionfruit pulp
1 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup self-raising flour
1 1/4 cups milk
4 eggs, separated
Double cream, to serve

Meringue
3 egg whites
3/4 cup caster sugar

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Grease a 1.5-litre (6-cup-capacity) baking dish.

Place butter, lemon rind, lemon juice, passionfruit pulp, sugar, fl our, milk and egg yolks in a bowl. Whisk to combine.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Using a metal spoon, fold 1/4 of the egg white into lemon mixture. Gently fold in remaining egg white.

Spoon mixture into prepared dish. Place dish in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into pan to come halfway up side of dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden and just set.

Meanwhile, make meringue using an electric mixer, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture is thick and glossy.

Preheat grill on high. Remove pudding from water bath. Dollop meringue over pudding. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately with cream.