HILA'S GOOEY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Golden, soft and chewy, these cookies have all the comforts of home cooking wrapped up in one bite. Our Creamery and Cafe pastry chef, Hila Perry, has shared her recipe for the cafe’s famous chocolate chip cookies. These cookies are best on the day of baking but will keep for up to a week in an airtight container. For an extra step, once they are out of the oven, sprinkle some sea salt flakes on top to enhance the chocolate flavour. 

What you’ll need: 

220g butter soft

200g caster sugar 

50 g soft brown sugar 

5g vanilla paste

1 egg

280g plain flour 

2.5 g baking powder 

4g salt

300g dark callebaut chocolate chips 

Method:

1. In a mixer, with the pedal attachment cream together the butter, both sugars and vanilla. 

2. Add the egg and keep mixing on a low setting until it’s incorporated. 

3. Sieve flour, baking powder and salt and add to the butter. Mix only until a dough is formed.

4. Add your chocolate chips and mix until they are evenly distributed.  

5. Divide the dough in to 60g portions and roll in to balls.  

6. Place evenly about 5 cm away from each other (as they will spread!) on a tray lined with baking paper. 

7. Bake in a preheat oven on 160° for 12-15 minutes, until golden and crisp on the sides of the cookies.

8. When taking out of the oven "drop" the tray on the bench from about 30 cm high to create the cracks look on the cookies. Cool before serving with a tall glass of Schulz milk. 

CREAMY VANILLA SCHULZ MILK CUSTARD

Warm up this winter with a delicious, silky, creamy custard to pour over your favourite desserts. Our Creamery and Cafe pastry chef, Hila Perry, has shared her recipe for Vanilla Custard using our very own Schulz Organic Full Cream Milk. Custard is the perfect accompaniment to golden syrup dumplings, encased in flaky buttery pastry, but especially poured atop fruit crumbles! The best part? It can be made in minutes!

What you’ll need:

500 ml Schulz Full Cream Milk 

1 spoon vanilla extract or 1/2 a vanilla bean scraped into the milk

50g caster sugar

80g egg yolks (5 egg yolks)

Method:

1. Bring milk and vanilla to the boil, take off the heat. 

2. In a bowl, mix egg yolks and sugar. 

3. Poor 1/3 of the warm milk over the yolks mixture and mix. 

4. Poor back to the pot and put back on low heat. Mix constantly until reaching 82° if using a thermometer or until desired thickness.  

5. Pour into a bowl straight away to cool down, or serve fresh. 

HILA'S SPINACH AND FETTA TRIANGLES

Buttery flakey pastry with gooey cheese filling, what could be better? Our Creamery and Cafe pastry chef, Hila Perry has shared her recipe for Spinach and Fetta Triangles using our organic Fetta and Quark. Our Fetta is hand made on site from our gently pasteurised, fully certified organic full cream cows milk. A blend of cultures is added to give it that salty tang. It’s an addition to this recipe that produces a creamy, soft texture and lightly salted flavour sure to impress a crowd at your next dinner.

What you’ll need: 

1 pack filo pastry leaves

1 stick of fresh butter

For the filling:

300g fetta

200g plain quark

350g washed baby spinach

1/2 cup chopped dill

2 onions, chopped and fried lightly

2 g cracked pepper

1 egg

Sesame & Poppy seeds for sprinkling

Method: 

1. Drain the fetta from the brine and crumble it into a large bowl. Add your quark, dill and spinach to the same bowl. 

2. In a saucepan over medium to low heat fry your onions until tender. 

3. Once soften and tender, mix your cooked onions into the bowl with the spinach and feta mix. 

4. Loosely mix together until all ingredients are distributed in the mix evenly. 

5. Open the pack of filo and cover with a damp cloth or tea towel. Melt your butter over the stove in a saucepan or in the microwave. 

Assembling Your Triangles: 

1. Take one sheet of filo pastry and spread it flat on the bench.  Using a pastry brush, brush the sheet with a tablespoon of melted butter until it covers the whole surface. 

2. Place another filo sheet on top. Cut your double sheet of filo pastry in half, lengthways, go get two long strips.

3. Place a spoonful of the filling in the corner of the strip and fold it over into a triangle shape. 

4. Keep folding the pastry over until the strip is finished to create layers of pastry over the filling. Place on a tray lined with baking paper.

5. Repeat for the rest of the pastries.

Baking:

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C. 

2. Brush the pastries with the egg and sprinkle on top with Sesame and Poppy seeds.

3. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

4. Serve with fresh tomato salsa or your favourite relish. 

QUARK TIRAMISU

There is nothing more satisfying than pulling out a large spoonful of freshly made tiramisu and seeing all the glorious layers of cream and sponge fingers inside. Our Creamery and Cafe pastry chef, Hila Perry has shared her recipe for tiramisu using our organic Quark. Quark is a German-style fresh cheese, similar to an Italian mascarpone, however it contains the ABC cultures of yogurt which gives a mild tartness. It’s an addition to this recipe that produces a light and creamy tiramisu sure to impress a crowd at your next dinner.

What you’ll need:

1. A large piping bag adorned with either a large star or round nozzle.

2. Baking trays

3. Mixing bowls

4. Serving bowl

5. A sieve

Ladyfingers (or you can just buy a pack 😉)

4 egg yolks

140g sugar

4 egg whites 

½ tsp orange blossom water 

90g flour 

1 pinch salt

Icing sugar

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C.

2. In a mixer, whip egg yolks and 70g of sugar until the mix turns a pale yellow and is light and fluffy. Set aside. 

3. In a clean mixer bowl, whip egg whites with the remaining 70g of sugar until stiff peaks form.

4. Fold whites mix into the yolks mix, add in your orange blossom water then sieve in flour and salt. Carefully fold in your dry ingredients until you have a smooth but pipeable batter. 

5. Fill your large piping bag with the batter and pip into 3 ½ inch long lines about 1 inch apart.

6. Dust with icing sugar and bake for 10–15 minutes, or until just beginning to brown around the edges.

7. Allow to cool completely before using. If not used straight away they can be kept in an airtight container for roughly three days.

Mousse

600mL Schulz Organic Cream 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

80g yolks

100g sugar

150g Schulz Organic Quark

1. Combine 400mL Schulz Organic Cream and vanilla in a heavy saucepan, over a low/medium heat bring to a simmer. 

2. Remove from heat and whisk in egg yolks and sugar.

3. Once incorporated, return to the stovetop. Stir over a low heat until the mixture thickens (around 5–-10 minutes) or enough to coat the back of a spoon. 

4. You’ve now made a crème anglaise! Strain into a bowl or container and cool overnight. 

5. In a mixer, whip together your crème anglaise plus the remaining 200mL Schulz Organic Cream and the quark until you have a light mousse consistency.

Coffee syrup

10g amaretto liquor 

100g sugar syrup 

160g espresso

1. In a shallow dish mix all three ingredients together.

Assembling your Tiramisu

Ladyfingers

Coffee syrup

Mousse 

Cocoa powder

1. One-by-one, soak your ladyfingers in your coffee syrup then line into a serving dish until you’ve covered the base. 

2. Spoon a thick layer of mousse on top of your layer of ladyfingers and repeat this process of layering coffee-soaked ladyfingers and mousse until your dish is full, remember to finish your layering with a mousse layer at the top.

3. Dust a generous amount of cocoa power on top of your dish and set it in the fridge for at least two hours before serving. Enjoy! 

HILA'S LEMON BERRY PAVLOVA

Lucky for us, our Creamery and Cafe pastry chef, Hila Perry has shared her Lemon Berry Pavlova recipe. Hila's Pavlova is deceptively simple to make and sure to impress, with its crisp exterior, soft, marshmallowy centre, and fruity toppings.

INGREDIENTS

MERINGUE

4 egg whites (160g)

Pinch of salt

1 3/4 (180g) cups icing sugar, Sift.

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 teaspoon vinegar

2 1/2 teaspoons cornflour

LEMON CURD

75g fresh lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

75g sugar

4 egg yolks

110g SOD cultured Butter cut to small pieces at room temperature

STRAWBERRY COULIS

250g Strawberries

25g caster sugar

METHOD

1. Start the meringue by whipping egg whites and salt, gradually add the sifted icing sugar.

2. Keep whipping until the mixture is glossy and your meringue mix is stiff enough to hold over your head without falling.

3. Add vanilla and vinegar and keep whipping until all mixed up.

4. Fold the cornflour into the mixture using a silicone spatula.

5. Line a baking tray with baking paper, create 6 rough-looking meringue dollops with a flat top.

6. Bake at 170° for 5 minutes.  Drop the temperature to 120° on the oven setting and continue to bake for another 1.5 hours.

7. Turn the oven off and allow the meringue to cool down before taking it out of the oven.

8. To make your lemon curd mix the lemon juice, zest, sugar and egg yolks in a heat-proof bowl. 

9. Boil water in a pot over the stove, once the water starts to simmer, Place the bowl over the pot creating a double boiler.

10. Mix the mixture over heat until it thickens.

11. Once thick, remove from heat and gradually mix the butter in until completely incorporated with dollop smooth texture. Cool overnight.

12. To make your strawberry coulis blend strawberries and sugar together with a stick blender.

Keep refrigerated.

To serve: Place your pavlova on a serving dish or plate, with a round tip and pastry piping bag, pipe lemon curd sporadically add dollops of whipped Schulz Organic Dairy Pure Cream. Top with your favourite in-season summer berries, mint leaves and drops of strawberry coulis. Enjoy!

RECIPE: SCHULZ ORGANIC CREAMERY & CAFE SCONES

Is there anything better than a batch of freshly made scones, served direct from the oven and topped with Schulz Organic Pure Cream? We think not. Every day our team at Schulz Organic Creamery and Cafe bakes up these fresh and fluffy clouds of delicious for our customers – but if you’re not able to visit us here in Timboon, here’s how you can re-create this classic scone recipe at home.

If you don’t have a scone cutter at home, a glass or jar can also work. 

INGREDIENTS 

Makes 15 scones 

• 560g of self raising flour 

• 2 tablespoons of icing sugar 

• 300ml of Schulz Organic Full Cream Milk

• 300ml of Schulz Organic Pure Cream 

• 2 pinches of salt

• Scone cutter (6.5cm diameter) 

• Jam, to serve (we love Lana’s Garden rhubarb and strawberry jams)

METHOD 

1. Sift the dry ingredients together into a bowl.

2. Mix together the cream and milk and add to the dry ingredients.

3. Mix together until the dough is consistently mixed and sticky.

4. Dust the bench generously with flour and place the dough on top then cut scones. with a scone cutter and place them one touching the other on a tray lined with baking paper. 

5. Brush top of the scones with Schulz Full Cream Milk.

6. Bake at 160°C for 15 minutes.

7. Dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped Schulz Pure Cream and jam.

Image courtesy of @otwayharvesttrail

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

These zucchini fritters are crisp and moreish and scented with lemon and cumin. The yogurt sauce can be served alongside to dip into. If you don’t want to deep fry the fritters, simply shallow fry them in a pan, flattening them instead of cooking them in small mounds.

Ingredients

Makes 8

3 zucchini (around 400g ) Zest of a lemon
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 spring onion, finely sliced 1tsp ground cumin

100g plain flour

Vegetable oil such as canola or rice bran oil Lemon wedges to serve

Yoghurt Dip

250g Schulz Natural yogurt
1 small garlic garlic, crushed or finely grated Handful of dill, roughly chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Sea salt and black pepper

Method

Grate the zucchini on the coarse side of a box grater and place into a bowl. Scatter with a good pinch of salt and mix with your hands. Allow the zucchini to sit with the salt for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce by mixing all of the ingredients in a small bowl until well-combined. Season to taste and set aside while you continue with the zucchini.

Squeeze out excess water from the zucchini and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, season with salt and pepper and mix until everything is well combined.

Heat 6cm of oil in a medium pot to 180C on a thermometer. Scoop heaped tablespoons of the zucchini mixture into the hot oil, a few at a time. Cook for 2 minutes on each side or until golden and cooked all the way through. Drain on a rack or paper towel and season with sea salt. Serve hot with the yogurt sauce and wedges of lemon.

YOGURT CHEESECAKE WITH FIGS AND HONEY

This smooth and creamy cheesecake can be adapted to whatever is in season. Figs in Autumn, mangoes in summer or berries in spring.

Ingredients

Serves 8-12

250g cream cheese, room temperature
500g Schulz Greek yogurt, plus extra to serve 100ml Schulz pure cream
200g caster sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Zest of an orange
4 eggs
1 tbsp plain flour

Base

150g plain sweet biscuits, like Granita 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
80g unsalted butter, melted

Figs, to serve
Runny honey, to serve
Roughly chopped pistachios, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 170C. Place the biscuits and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor and blitz until you have a fine crumb. With the motor running, pour in the melted butter and process until it just comes together. Tip into the base of a 23cm springform tin. Press the crumbs firmly and use the base of a glass to ensure everything is well compacted and even. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden.

Allow to cool.

For the filling, place the cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add in the yogurt, cream and sugar and whisk until all combined and smooth. Add in the cinnamon and orange and one egg at a time, mixing well between each addition. Mix in the flour and then pour the mixture into the tin with the biscuit base. Alternatively the mixture can be whisked by hand or mixed in a food processor.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until just set in the centre, it should still wobble ever so slightly. Allow to cool completely in the tin. Run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake to release it from the side, then remove the side of the tin, followed by the base. The easiest way to remove the base of the tin is invert the cheesecake onto a plate, remove the base, then invert the cheesecake back onto a serving plate. Top with figs, torn or cut in half, a drizzle of runny honey, and a scattering of the pistachios. Serve with an extra dollop of greek yogurt.

UPSIDE DOWN RHUBARB YOGURT CAKE

This simple cake is made extra special with glistening layer of rhubarb which happily cooks under the cake and then is upturned for a beautiful surprise. Here, yogurt reacts with the raising agent in the flour to create a light and moist cake.

Ingredients

Ingredients

Serves 8-10

150g unsalted butter, softened 100g caster sugar
50g brown sugar
2 eggs

1tsp vanilla extract
150g Schulz natural yogurt, extra to serve 150g self-raising flour

Base

350g rhubarb stalks
Zest of an orange
150g caster sugar
1/2 tsp freshly ground cardamom

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 23cm round baking tin. Cut the rhubarb to lengths to fit the base of the tin in a single layer. Keep any trimmings for the glaze later. Toss the rhubarb
in a medium bowl with the orange zest, 100g of the sugar and the cardamom.

Layer the rhubarb in the base of the cake tin in and even layer along with the sugar mixture. Set aside.

For the cake, cream the butter and sugars together in a large bowl, either by hand or with the beater attachment of a stand mixer. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Mix in the vanilla and yogurt and then gently fold in the flour until just smooth. Spoon the batter over the rhubarb and spread to flatten. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or when the centre comes out clean when tested with a skewer. Alternatively, the cake should spring back when gently pressed.

Meanwhile, put the rhubarb trimmings you saved into a small pan with the remaining 50g of sugar and 50ml of water. Simmer over a medium heat until the liquid turns pink and has thickened slightly (3-4 minutes). Invert the warm cake onto a serving plate and brush the rhubarb syrup onto the top of the cake. Serve with extra yogurt.

CARAMELISED ONION, TOMATO & ROCKET TART

A versatile tart that can be filled with whatever vegetables and herbs you have on hand. The quark in the filling gives the tart a welcome zing and cuts through the richness of the eggs and cream. This tart is wonderful eaten warm or cold.

Ingredients

Serves 8

Pastry

250g plain flour
125g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes sea salt
1 egg yolk
Iced water

Filling

3 eggs
1 egg yolk
200ml Schulz pure cream
150g Schulz quark
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 125g cherry tomatoes, halved Small handful of rocket, roughly chopped

Caramelised onions

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large brown onion, halved and finely sliced 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Sea salt
1 tsp caster sugar
1 sprig of oregano or thyme

Method

To make the pastry, tip the flour onto a clean work surface and sprinkle in a pinch of salt. Add the butter and toss through the flour. Using a metal pastry scraper or a knife, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and mix in, followed by iced water, 1tbsp at a time, until the dough just comes together, using your hands or a pastry scraper to help it along. Shape the pastry dough into a rough flat circle, wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and, on a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 30cm circle, about 3mm thick. Ease the pastry into a 25cm fluted loose-bottomed tin, press gently into the sides, then cut off any overhanging pastry. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.

Preheat the oven to 180C. While the pastry is chilling in the refrigerator, begin cooking the onions. Warm the oil in a pan over a low-medium heat and add the onions and garlic and a good pinch of salt. Cook for 15 minutes then add the sugar and continue cooking for another 10-15minutes or until golden and caramelised. Stir through the oregano or thyme and set aside to cool.

Remove the chilled tart shell from the refrigerator and line the base with baking paper. Fill the tart with baking beads or rice and blind bake the tart in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until light golden. Remove the baking paper and weights.

Arrange the cooled onions in the base of the tart followed by the halved cherry tomatoes and the rocket.

Make the quark filling by whisking all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Season well with salt and pepper and gently pour into the tart.

Bake in the oven for approximately 45 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the centre just set. Leave to cool for 20 minutes then transfer to a serving plate.

ROAST CAULIFLOWER AND CHICKPEA SALAD

Inspired by one of our favourite dishes Fatteh, which can be found all over the Middle East, this crunchy salad is perfect to serve up at the table for lunch or dinner. The yogurt sauce ties everything together wonderfully. If you have any left over roast chicken, it can be shredded up too, and added in with the cauliflower when you serve.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
Sea salt and cracked black pepper

2 Lebanese pita breads
50g unsalted butter, melted Sea salt

Dressing

400g Schulz Greek yogurt
2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely grated
1 tbsp tahini paste
Juice of half a lemon
Sea salt

60g unsalted butter
100g slivered almonds
2 tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed Smoked paprika

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the cauliflower into a small bowl and toss with the olive oil, cumin seeds and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Arrange in a flat layer on a baking tray lined with baking paper and roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden.
Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the crunchy pita but separating each pita into two thinner rounds. Cut the pita into 3cm rough squares. Place into a small bowl and pour over the melted butter. Season with salt and toss to ensure the pita is well coated. Arrange on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake in the oven until golden and well toasted, around 15 minutes. Leave to cool.

Make the yogurt dressing by simply whisking all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth. Season to taste.

To assemble, arrange the cauliflower at the base of your serving plate, followed by the chickpeas. Scatter the crunchy pita over and then drizzle over the yoghurt dressing.

Finally, melt the butter in a small pan over a medium heat and then add the almonds. Toast the almonds in the butter until the almonds are a light golden colour and the butter beginning to brown. Pour straight away over the cold yogurt, it should make a satisfying ‘tshh’ sound as it hits the yogurt. Sprinkle over some paprika and serve. Once the dish is at the table, I use two spoons to mix everything up together for better eating.

HILA’S BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING

Hila Perry our Creamery and Cafe pastry chef shared her bread and butter pudding recipe. Hila says “It saves money, is delicious, reduces waste and the kids love it”. Bread and butter pudding is a very versatile solution for using up excess bread, overripe fruit and dairy nearing its expiration date.

You’ll need: 

24cm cake tin

6 thick slices of bread/brioche/croissants 

4 eggs

200g Schulz Organic Cream

200g Schulz Organic Full Cream Milk

100g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 pinch of salt

Fruit – 2 sliced bananas/chopped apples/pears/berries 

100g of chocolate to your liking 

Demerara sugar to sprinkle on top 

Method: 

1. In a bowl, mix cream, milk, eggs, yolks, vanilla, salt and caster sugar.

2. Tear the bread and place it in the tin, sprinkle the chocolate and fruits in between the bread pieces.

3. Pour the wet mixture over the bread.

4. Make sure all the bread is covered with the mixture.

5. Let it sit for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight in the fridge to absorb all the liquid.

6. Sprinkle generously with demerara sugar.

7. Bake in a 160°C preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes,  until golden brown. 

8. Cool down before slicing.

Serve with cream, whipped or pouring/ice cream/maple syrup or honey

OSTRO: Spinach And Fetta Tart

There is something special about homemade pastry. It’s buttery and flaky and this one from Julia Ostro takes just a few minutes to make – just be sure all of the ingredients are very cold for best results. Spinach and feta is a classic combination and works very well in this tart, complemented by nutmeg, lemon and parsley. The guanciale is wonderful too, but can be omitted to make it vegetarian. Serve the tart with a punchy salad of bitter greens lightly dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

PASTRY:

• 300g plain flour

• sea salt

• 250g chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• 2 - 3 tbsp iced water

FILLING:

• 125g guanciale, sliced into lardons

• 5 eggs

• 500ml Schulz Organic Dairy Pure Cream

• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

• zest of a lemon

• 150g Schulz Organic Dairy Fetta

• 200g English spinach, roughly chopped

• small handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

• sea salt and pepper

METHOD

For the pastry tip the flour onto a clean work surface and sprinkle with the salt. Add the butter and toss through the flour. Using a pastry scraper or a knife, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles very coarse breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with iced water, a little at a time, bringing the dough together with your hands or a pastry scraper until you have a shaggy pastry. Shape into a flat circle, cover with a barely damp cloth or cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and, on a lightly floured work surface, roll the pastry out to a circle around 3mm thick. Drape the pastry into a deep loose-bottom round fluted 25cm tin. Press the pastry into the edges and trim off most, but not all, of the overhanging pastry. Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking weights. Blind bake the tart shell for 10 minutes or until just beginning to colour. Remove the paper and weights and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes.

Reduce oven to 160C.

Meanwhile, heat a small pan over a medium heat and fry the the guanciale until just beginning to crisp (3-4 minutes), stirring occasionally. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk the eggs, cream, nutmeg and lemon zest until well combined. Crumble in 1/2 of the fetta and stir through the roughly chopped spinach and parsley. Add in the cooked guanciale and season to taste.

Pour the filling into the tart shell and crumble over the remaining fetta. Bake in the preheated oven for around 30-40 minutes or until the tart is golden in colour with a slight wobble in the centre. Trim off any overhanging pastry with a sharp knife if desired. Allow the tart to stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

OSTRO: Spiced Carrot Cake With Quark Frosting

Julia Ostro kindly shared her recipe for her carrot cake with a simple frosting made with tangy quark – perfect for afternoon tea. Once frosted, the carrot cake should be stored in the fridge where it will keep nicely for a 3-4 days, just be sure to bring it to room temperature before serving again. Feel free to adjust the spices to your liking, adding more of one and less of another or adding new ones entirely!

Serves 8 - 10

INGREDIENTS

CAKE:

• 380g plain flour

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp freshly ground cardamom

• 4 eggs

• 150g brown sugar

• 100g caster sugar

• 200ml canola oil

• 4 carrots (appx. 375g), coarsely grated

• 100g walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)

QUARK FROSTING:

• 350g Schulz Organic Dairy Quark

• 125g icing sugar, sieved

• 2tsp lemon juice

• coconut flakes, to top

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 170C. Grease and line a 22cm square cake tin.

In a large bowl, combine the flour with the baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom and set aside.

Now in another a large bowl, beat the eggs together with sugars and canola oil until light and pale. This is best done in a stand mixer but by hand is fine too. Gently fold in the dry ingredients, then the carrots and walnuts (if using). Spoon into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for around 45-55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when tested.

Allow to cool briefly in the tin before transferring to a wire rack.

Meanwhile, for the frosting, simply mix the quark and icing sugar together in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice and check for sweetness, adding a little more icing sugar if preferred. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake, sprinkle generously with coconut flakes and serve.

OSTRO: Linguine With Lemon, Cream And Peas

Julia Ostro’s subtle but satisfying pasta is so quick to make and is perfect in the Spring as the weather begins to warm and fresh peas are becoming available (although frozen ones work just as well too). The cream is gently perfumed with garlic while the lemon gives the dish a nice fresh lift. Feel free to use whichever herbs you have on hand, but avoid woody herbs such as rosemary or sage which will overpower this delicate sauce. Other pasta such as tagliatelle or spaghetti would be wonderful here too as would asparagus or broad beans to replace the peas.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 400g dried linguine

• 250gm Schulz Organic Dairy Pure Cream

• 2 cloves of garlic, gently bruised with the back of a knife

• 125g of peas (fresh or frozen), blanched until just tender

• juice and zest of a lemon

• handful of herbs such as mint, basil, oregano, dill, finely chopped

• handful of parmesan cheese (around 40g), finely grated, plus extra for serving

• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling (optional)

METHOD

In a large pan, warm the cream with the garlic cloves very gently for 4-5 minutes over a low heat. Squeeze in the lemon juice and continue to cook over a low flame for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. By this stage the sauce should have begun to thicken nicely. Remove and discard the garlic cloves.

Meanwhile, cook the linguine in a large pot of generously salted boiling water until just al dente, according to the packet’s instructions. When ready, tumble the pasta into the sauce, reserving some of the cooking liquid.

Add in the blanched peas, parmesan and lemon zest and toss so that everything is well coated. Use some of the cooking liquid to thin the sauce if needed. At the very last moment, stir through the herbs, season to taste and serve immediately with extra parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.

OSTRO: Strawberry Quark Cheesecake

Julia Ostro’s simple baked cheesecake recipe uses quark instead of cream cheese, giving it a wonderful texture and flavour. The cheesecake can be made in advance and topped with the luscious strawberries just before serving, making it a wonderful dessert for entertaining. Although strawberries are used here, other fruits such as figs, raspberries, blueberries and peaches would be lovely too.

Serves 8 - 10

INGREDIENTS

BASE:

• 250g plain chocolate biscuits

• pinch sea salt

• 110g unsalted butter

TOPPING:

• 250g strawberries, sliced

• 2 tsp icing sugar

• freshly cracked black pepper

• thyme leaves

FILLING:

• 700g Schulz Organic Dairy Quark

• 300g Schulz Organic Dairy Pure Cream

• 150g caster sugar

• 1tbsp plain flour

• zest of a lemon

• seeds from 1 vanilla pod OR 1 tsp of vanilla extract

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line the base of a 23cm round springform tin.

For the base, blitz the biscuits in a food processor to a fine crumb. Transfer to a bowl and mix with the salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until everything is combined. Tip into the prepared tin and using your hands, evenly press the crumb firmly into the base of the tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes and set aside.

Reduce the oven to 150C.

To prepare the filling, whisk the quark and pure cream together in a large bowl until smooth – this can be done in a stand mixer if too difficult by hand. Now stir in the sugar, plain flour, lemon zest and vanilla and mix until well combined. Gently stir through the eggs and pour the filling into the tin, atop of the biscuit base.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until the cheesecake is just set. It should still be a little wobbly in the centre as it will continue to cook as it cools. Switch off the oven and leave the cheesecake to completely cool inside, with the door ajar.

When completely cool, run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake and remove from the tin. Transfer to a serving plate, lightly cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

To decorate the cheesecake, combine the strawberries in a bowl with the icing sugar and sprinkle in a little black pepper to taste. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Arrange the strawberries on top of the chilled cheesecake, sprinkle over some fresh thyme leaves and serve.

Hila’s Hot Chocolate

Our pastry chef Hila Perry has shared her hot chocolate recipe from the Schulz Organic Creamery & Cafe for you to enjoy at home. What a legend! It all starts with a ganache base made from Belgian Callebaut chocolate, mixed together with Schulz Organic Cream.

INGREDIENTS

• 255ml Schulz full cream milk 

• 25g of Schulz organic cream 

• Pinch of salt 

• 25g of 53% Callebaut dark chocolate

METHOD

Bring the milk and cream to the boil then add a sprinkle of salt and turn to simmer. 

Gently stir in the chocolate until the mixture is smooth. Enjoy while it’s hot.

Serves one.