Some simple yet scrumptious ideas from The Dairy Kitchen whether you are thinking of evening tea or for kids’ lunchbox.

The goodness of dairy brings veggies to life and adds a little oomph to even bland Zucchini.

Chocolate Stuffed Gingerbread Cookies – Makes 25

Ingredients:
125g unsalted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 egg
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3/4 teaspoon bicarb of soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of cloves
80g dark cooking chocolate, broken into squares and each square halved

 

Method:

  1. Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses then gradually add egg, beating well until combined. Sift in the flour, soda and spices and stir into butter mix until combined into a very soft dough. Note: Don’t worry if the dough is really soft, it should still roll into balls easily.
  2. Roll 1/2 tablespoons of mixture into balls. Take a piece of chocolate and sandwich a ball of dough on each side. Firmly press together ensuring the sides are sealed and roll into a ball.
  1. Place balls on a baking paper lined tray about 5cm apart. Using a skewer, imprint Christmas patterns into the uncooked dough. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 180˚C or until lightly browned and cooked through (they will be soft and cakey in texture). Allow to cool before removing from the baking tray and dusting with icing sugar.

Dairy Kitchen Notes:

Serve cookies warm for a molten chocolate centre. Microwave cold cookies for 10-15 seconds to soften if desired.


Salted Florentine Bark and Blue Cheese

Serves 10

Ingredients:

40g butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons honey

40g plain flour

2 tablespoons pinenuts

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup flaked almonds

2 tablespoons pepitas

2 tablespoons raisins, roughly chopped

2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes, for sprinkling

300g wedge of blue cheese for serving

Method:

  1. Bring butter, sugar and honey to the boil in a small saucepan. Boil for 2 minutes.
  2. Stir flour into the butter mixture followed by nuts, pepitas, raisins and thyme.
  3. Line a baking tray with paper ensuring it extends up and over both sides on the tray. Dollop scant tablespoonfuls of the mixture onto the tray about 5cm apart. Bake at 180°C for 7-10 minutes or until spread, bubbling and deep golden in colour. Remove and sprinkle with salt. Cool on tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Note that the mixture will have formed one large thin sheet and will harden upon cooling.
  4. Break sheet into shards and serve with a wedge of blue cheese.

Visit www.legendairy.com.au/recipes and let The Dairy Kitchen inspire you with an extensive collection of locally developed dairy recipes for all occasions.

 

By K. Dev