Tiramisu Italian Cheesecake

Ingredients

• Flaked chocolate, to serve
• Mixed berries, to serve
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup cream
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee
• 250g packet sponge finger biscuits
• 3 x 55g egg yolks
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 3/4 cup Marsala
• 500g block PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

Method

• Beat PHILLY and sugar using an electric mixer until smooth. Add the egg yolks and cream and beat until well combined.
• Combine water, Marsala and coffee in a shallow dish; allow to cool slightly. Dip half the biscuits into the mixture then arrange in a single layer in a rectangle serving dish. Spread over half the PHILLY mixture then repeat with remaining biscuits and PHILLY mixture. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
• Cut into 8 slices and serve topped with flaked chocolate and berries.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage and Garlic Recipe

Ingredients

• 600g orange sweet potato (kumera)
• 3 egg yolks
• ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups flour
• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes
• Olive oil spray
• Salt, for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 250ml PHILADELPHIA Light Cream For Cooking
• ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons chopped sage
• Toasted pine nuts, for garnish
• Chopped sage, extra, for garnish

Method

• STEAM or boil the sweet potato until tender. Drain well and mash until smooth, cool slightly then stir through the yolks, Parmesan and seasonings.
• GRADUALLY mix in enough flour until the dough is soft and pliable, but not too sticky. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth. Divide into 4 portions and roll each into a 2cm thick rope, then cut into 2cm long pieces. Shape each into a round and press with the back of a fork. Set aside.
• PLACE the tomatoes on a paper lined baking tray, spray with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake in a moderate oven 180°C for 10 minutes. Keep warm.
• HEAT the oil in a frypan and sauté the spring onions and garlic for 3 minutes. Add the PHILLY, stock and chopped sage, stir until smooth and simmer for 2 minutes. Season to taste.
• COOK batches of gnocchi in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, removing with a slotted spoon as they float to the surface. Toss the cooked gnocchi in the sauce with the tomatoes and cook a further 2 minutes or until heated through. Spoon into serving bowls, garnish with pinenuts and extra sage. Serve immediately.

Strawberry, White Chocolate and Vanilla Cheesecakes

Ingredients

• Extra strawberries, to garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 1/3 cup cream
• 100g strawberries, chopped
• 250g block PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 60g white chocolate, melted

Method

• Beat together the PHILADELPHIA, sugar and vanilla using an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the melted chocolate and cream until well combined.
• Stir in the strawberries then pour mixture into 4 serving glasses and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Serve topped with extra strawberries.

Strawberry Hazelnut Tart

Ingredients

• 1 cup (150g) plain flour
• ½ cup (50g) hazelnut meal
• 100g unsalted butter, diced
• ¼ cup (55g) caster sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1-2 tablespoons cold water

• 140g chewy toffees
• 1/3 cup (80ml) milk

• 250g PHILADELPHIA Block Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons pure icing sugar
• 2/3 cup (165ml) PHILADELPHIA Cream for Desserts, a double cream alternative
• 450g (about 2 punnets) strawberries, sliced
• ½ cup (75g) hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and chopped, for serving

Method

PLACE flour, hazelnut meal and butter into food processor. Process until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add sugar and pulse briefly. Add egg yolk and cold water and then pulse until mixture just forms a ball.
PREHEAT oven to 190C or 170C fan. Knead dough briefly on a lightly floured surface, then roll out between 2 pieces of baking paper and then use to line a 23cm loose-based tart pan. Trim excess pastry then chill for 30 minutes. Line pastry case with greaseproof or baking paper and fill with pastry weights, dried beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove paper and beans and cook for a further 5-7 minutes, until pastry is cooked and lightly browned. Cool.
PLACE toffees and milk in a small pan and heat on medium-low heat, stirring, until toffees have melted into a smooth glossy sauce. Set aside.
BEAT PHILADELPHIA Block Cream Cheese with icing sugar then fold through PHILADELPHIA Cream for Desserts. Mix half of the strawberries into PHILLY mixture.
REMOVE pastry case from pan and set on a serving plate. Spread two-thirds of toffee sauce over base, then spoon over PHILLY mixture. Scatter remaining strawberries over filling. Drizzle remaining toffee sauce over strawberries and sprinkle with hazelnuts to serve.

I have to admit, this one is a bit over-the-top at first glance. But the richness of PHILLY Cream Cheese, hazelnuts and toffee is beautifully balanced with the tart strawberries, and the pastry is divine.

Spinach with Garlic and Nutmeg

Ingredients

• 500g baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, sliced lengthways
• 100ml PHILADELPHIA Cream for Cooking, a cream alternative
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg, or to taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

WASH the spinach leaves in cold water and then drain in a colander. Snap off any coarse stems and discard. Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, add the garlic and cook for 10 seconds, then add the spinach leaves. Turn the heat to high and gently stir with a fork until spinach is just wilted, then add the nutmeg.
LOWER the heat to medium, and add the PHILLY Cream for Cooking and seasonings and stir to combine. Serve the spinach hot as a side dish.

Spinach goes down to almost nothing when cooked, so you need a mass of leaves for this healthy version of creamed spinach. This is wonderful served with grilled lamb cutlets in the winter months, when a spinach-leaf salad just won’t cut it. Be sure to get local garlic, the flavour is so much better.

Spanakopita Spirals

Ingredients

• 250g PHILADELPHIA Block Cream Cheese, softened
• 150g ricotta cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 150g feta cheese, crumbled
• 250g frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
• 6 spring onions, finely chopped
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
• ¼ cup finely chopped mint
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 24 sheets filo pastry
• 1/ 3 cup olive oil, for brushing
• 1/ 3 cup pine nuts, chopped, for sprinkling

Method

• BEAT together the PHILLY, ricotta, egg and nutmeg. Stir through the feta, spinach, onions, herbs and seasonings. Divide mixture into 12 portions.
• BRUSH a sheet of filo with oil and top with another. Spoon a portion of the PHILLY mixture down the long side of the filo leaving a 2cm edge. Fold in the edges and loosely roll to form a long sausage shape. Curl the sausage into a spiral and place on a paper lined baking tray. Brush with oil and sprinkle with pine nuts. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 12 spirals in total.
• BAKE in a moderate oven 180°C for 30–35 minutes or until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Slow Cooked Beef and Red Wine Casserole

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil
1 kg gravy beef, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons plain flour
8 shallots, peeled and halved
3 cloves garlic, thickly sliced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup red wine
400g can diced tomatoes
¼ cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1½ tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
250ml PHILADELPHIA Extra Light Cream For Cooking, a cream alternative
Pearl couscous, for serving
Steamed greens, for serving

Method

1. HEAT 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan.  Add beef in batches and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned.  Transfer to a slow cooker and sprinkle with flour.
2. HEAT remaining oil in the same saucepan then add the shallots and cook over medium-low heat until softened.  Add garlic and smoked paprika and cook for a further minute until fragrant.  Add wine and bring to the boil.  Pour mixture over beef.  Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and thyme.  Cover slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or until just tender. 
3. STIR through the PHILLY and allow to simmer a further 10 minutes until heated through. Spoon into serving bowls with the couscous and steamed greens. Serve immediately.