Your main squeeze
Enjoy the seasonal abundance of zingy fresh citrus with these bright little rays of sunshine, says NZ House & Garden’s Sally Butters.
Lime cheesecake slice
Serve this easy, delectable offering as an afternoon tea treat or use it as a great make-ahead dessert.
250g (1 packet) plain biscuits,
crumbed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
150g butter, melted
250g cream cheese
395g can sweetened condensed milk 2 tsp gelatin
2 tbsp water
1⁄2 cup cream
1⁄4 cup lime juice
2 tsp finely grated lime zest
Combine biscuit crumbs, cinnamon and butter and mix well. Press into a dish about 22cm x 30cm and chill while making topping.
Beat cream cheese and condensed milk together until smooth.
Sprinkle gelatin over water and let swell for 5 minutes then heat gently until smooth and gelatin is dissolved.
Beat cream, lime juice and zest into cream cheese mixture then stir in warm gelatin.
Pour filling over biscuit base and chill at least 3 hours before cutting. Slice will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Makes about 24 pieces
Citrus jelly
This jelly is delicious on hot, buttered toast but is also wonderful with duck and other game birds, or as an accompaniment to a creamy white cheese.
6 navel oranges 4 tangelos 2 limes
2 lemons 1-11⁄2kg sugar
Wash fruit in cold water, pat dry and slice thinly. Put fruit, including pips, in a preserving pan with 5 litres of cold water. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until liquid has reduced by about half – this will take
2-3 hours.
Strain mixture through a clean, suspended jelly bag or piece of muslin. Leave to drip into a bowl overnight or for 24 hours if possible (do not be tempted to squeeze the bag – it will make the jelly turn cloudy).
Measure juice into a preserving pan and add 1kg sugar to every 1 litre of liquid. Heat gently, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
Bring to a rapid boil and cook until jelly reaches setting point (about 110 degrees Celsius on a sugar thermometer, or test a small amount on a cold saucer – it should wrinkle when you gently push your finger into it).
Ladle jelly into warm, dry, sterilised jars and seal straight away. Store in a cool, dark place. Once open, keep in the refrigerator. Makes about 5 cups
Steamed orange pudding with orange whisky sauce
Buttermilk ensures this spongy pud has a lovely light texture. We used citrus jelly (recipe above) in our mixture, but orange marmalade works just as well.
Pudding
100g butter, softened 125g caster sugar 2 eggs
2 tsp finely grated orange zest 2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp orange marmalade or
citrus jelly
185g self-raising flour
1⁄3 cup buttermilk
Orange whisky sauce
3⁄4 cup orange marmalade or
citrus jelly
2 tbsp caster sugar
1⁄4 cup water
1 large orange, finely grated zest 3 tbsp whisky
Cream butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Add orange zest, juice and marmalade or jelly, beating until well combined.
Fold in flour followed by buttermilk to form a dropping consistency.
Pour mixture into a 1 litre steamer basin. Cover with a piece of baking paper cut about 4cm larger than top of basin, crease it in the middle and secure with the lid, or cover with tinfoil tied with string.
Place an upturned saucer in a large saucepan and set pudding bowl on top (the saucer stops the pudding burning). Pour in enough hot water to come three-quarters of the way up the basin.
Cover and cook 1-11⁄2 hours until a skewer inserted in the centre of the pudding comes out clean and it feels spongy to touch. (If using a funnel basin like we did, the cooking time will be a little shorter). If necessary add more water during cooking.
Sauce: Place marmalade or jelly, caster sugar, water and zest in a small saucepan and simmer gently until sauce thickens, stirring from time to time.
Stir in whisky. Allow to stand for 15 minutes to thicken further before serving by drizzling it over the hot pudding with a dollop of thickened cream.
Serves 8