Mid-Winter Refresh

In addition to the below recipes, use dried edible flowers to finish baking, cocktails, homemade cheeses, butters, and dips.

Dried citrus also goes such a long way from garnishes, to blending into salts and spice mixes, popped into slow cooked dishes for added flavour, and gives a whole other level to your wood chips in a smoker for meats and vegetables.

A big thank you to local suppliers CM Props & Backdrops @cmbackdrops and Crawford Road @crawfordroad_gardens for collaborating with me in this issue.

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Mini Chocolate Orange Cakes

Reminiscent of Sacher-Torte, these decadent gluten-free treats are made with whole orange, dark chocolate and almond meal, and topped with the silky chocolate icing.

Serves 12

Cakes

250g (approximately 1) whole seedless orange, washed with core and stem removed
200g almond meal
200g caster or superfine sugar
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs, room temperature beaten
150g dark chocolate, melted

Chocolate Icing

100g unsalted butter
100g dark chocolate, chopped
Garnish with dried orange segments

Grease and line 12 mini cake tins, or large muffin tins and preheat your oven to 160°C fan bake.

Place your orange in a saucepan, poke holes all over and cover with boiling water. Allow to simmer until the oranges are soft, topping up the water as required during the cook.

This can take some time, around half an hour, and can be done in advance. Drain, cool, and chop roughly.

In a food processor, add the almond meal, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder, and process to combine.

Add the eggs and chopped orange and blend until smooth.

Add the melted chocolate and mix until combined.

Pour mixture evenly into lined tins and bake in the oven for approximately 35 minutes or until the centres spring back when pressed.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely before icing.

For the icing, slowly warm the butter and chocolate together until melted and set aside to cool.

This can be cooled in the fridge, but in these winter months it doesn’t take long to firm up.

The icing can be spread or piped on the cakes once thickened and garnished with dehydrated orange segments.

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Spicy Grapefruit Margaritas

It’s cold and I’m bringing Mexican warmth home with this cocktail. The spiced salt is amazing on fish, chicken, and crispy potatoes too.

Serves 2

Margaritas

120ml silver tequila
40ml simple syrup
60ml freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
60ml freshly squeezed lime juice

Spiced Salt

2 large dehydrated orange slices
2 tbsp pink salt
1 tsp sugar
1/3 tsp mild chilli powder

To make the salt, place all ingredients into a clean spice or coffee grinder and blend until fine. Store in a cool airtight container.

To assemble, run a fresh wedge of lime around the rim of your glasses and then roll in the spiced salt. Shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker or large jar with a handful of ice cubes until cool. Pour immediately into your prepared glasses and garnish with a slice of dried citrus. Enjoy!

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Mandarin Fennel Salad

Serves 4 as a side‍

Salad

3 small tender fennel bulbs (reserve the fronds for garnishing)
4 seedless mandarins
150g chèvre cheese
Edible dried mixed flower petals

Dressing

Zest and juice of 2 mandarins
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp honey (or brown sugar)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare the salad, remove the tougher outer layers of the fennel bulb, trim off the fronds, wash, and thinly slice the bulb with a mandolin or sharp knife. Peel the mandarins and cut into thin slices. To assemble, scatter the fennel and mandarin slices on a platter. Combine all dressing ingredients in another bowl and drizzle over the top.

Just before serving, gently break up the chèvre into pieces and scatter over the top along with small fennel fronds and edible flower petals.

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Words, recipes & styling by Holly McVicar
Photography by ilk

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