Merediths Mini Orange Cheesecakes

The Clarence Valley is home to the juiciest and sweetest oranges you will find anywhere.
Some of the best are available from Keith Taylor at Blaxands Creek ( Nymboida River Region)
Keith also sells these oranges at the Farmers Markets each Thursday at Market Square in Grafton.
BASE
1/2 packet plain sweet biscuits, such as Marie
90g butter, melted
FILLING
1 x 250g packet cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup caster sugar (Sunshine Sugar from the Harwood Mill)
2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind ( Keith Taylor oranges)
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons gelatine
2 tablespoons water
150ml thickened Norco cream, whipped (for filling)
150ml thickened Norco cream, whipped (for decoration)
serve with Challacombe Strawberries and Corindi Blueberries also available from the Farmers
Market at Market Square in Grafton
METHOD
1. Line a 12 hole muffin tray with muffin papers.
2. Process biscuits until finely crushed. Combine crumbs with butter in a bowl. Press 1 tablespoon of mixture over base of each case. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
3. Beat cream cheese, sugar, rind and juice until smooth. Sprinkle gelatine over
water in a cup, stand cup in a pan of simmering water, stir until the gelatine is dissolved;
cool. Stir gelatine mixture into cream cheese mixture; fold in the cream.
4. Spoon filling into prepared cases. Cover; refrigerate for several hours or until firm.
5. Serve with remaining whipped cream and decorate with rind

Tis the season to - LIP, SIP, SUCK LOCAL LEMONS

Lisaʼs Lemon Curd (Lemon Butter) - Made with the luscious golden yolks of eggs from our own Clarence Valley chickens which are for sale every Thursday at the Farmers Market and zesty fresh bush lemons from the Valley . These are also for sale from the markets or Causley Fresh. Spread on a fresh baguette or sourdough toast; or on crunchy meringue with whipped cream; or fill a tart shell and top with local Corindi Blueberries, Challacombe Strawberries available from our farmers markets and Causley Fresh .

125g butter

2 cups sunshine sugar (Harwood Mill)

1 tablespoon bush lemon zest

juice of 3 bush lemons

4 large Clarence Valley eggs well beaten

Method

Beat eggs with sugar in saucepan (Just whisk - not stiff). Add butter, lemon juice and zest.

Stir over medium heat until it thickens (this happens quite quickly) like honey.

Cook for another 2 -3 minutes - DO NOT BOIL!

Cool & bottle

NOTE - Nice clean skinned lemons.  Zest gives majority of flavour.

A very nice spread!

Lemon Chiffon Pie -

"Chiffon pies are absolutely wonderful, rather like elegant Victorian ladies, quivery or trembly, always delicate, but with a sound, well-bred constitution."
Marion Cunningham, The Fannie Farmer Baking Book 1984

Lemon Chiffon Dessert has to be the most favoured recipe in my collection and has been handed down from my mother in law -Pam Dougherty. Pam has always used local lemons from her tree to make the dessert and when you taste it you will know why she is a local baking legend.

Preheat oven to 200° Celsius

Crust

1/2 cup packet of biscuits ( Nice or Marie work well )

75g of butter

crush biscuits in a food processor, melt butter, combine and press into a greased pie plate.
Refrigerate whilst making filling.


Filling
4oz packet of cream cheese
1 can condensed milk
2 clarence valley free range eggs separated
juice and grated rind of a local lemon
1/2 cup sunshine sugar

Method
Beat cream cheese, add condensed milk,egg yolks, lemon rind, and juice . Pour over the crust.
Beat egg whites until stiff, gradually adding 1/2 the sugar. Fold in the remainder of the sugar
Spread over the filling and bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes to brown the meringue.
Cool on bench before serving
Serve with cream , Corindi Blueberries and Challacombe Strawberries