Dessert Recipe: The Ultimate Cheesecake Using Native Australian Ingredients

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“Once you start using native Australian ingredients in your cooking,
it will open a world of possibilities.”
 – Chef Tom Milligan

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Australia is home to over a million different native species, with more than 80% unique to the country. By incorporating elements from the abundant Australian environment into our diet, we can discover many distinctive flavours, textures, earthy colours and scents which Indigenous communities have shared for many years. By swapping key ingredients for sustainably sourced, local bushfoods, we connect with the land and add a taste of the Australian landscape to our plates.

In the recipe below, Le Cordon Bleu Technical Director, Tom Milligan, has developed an indulgent no-bake cheesecake featuring four Australian ingredients picked from the Aussie bush:

• Lemon Aspen

  What is it? A citrus tree native to the rainforests of Far-North Queensland. Lemon Aspen grows small, edible fruits.
  What does is taste like? A cross between a lemon and a grapefruit.
  How can I use it? Lemon Aspen can be used in various forms, such as powder or extract, as an alternative to other citrus fruits in jams, chutneys, sauces and desserts.
  

• Leatherwood Honey
  

  What is it? A honey made from Leatherwood plants which are unique to Tasmania.
  What does is taste like? A creamy, buttery honey with hints olemof balsamic and spice.
  How can I use it? Swap your supermarket honey for Leatherwood Honey to add a distinct, smooth flavour in cakes, desserts, drinks and syrups.

• Rosella
  

  What is it? A type of hibiscus which produces an edible, fruit-like flower and grows in New South Wales and Queensland.
  What does is taste like? A tart, sweet flavour similar to berries or rhubarb.
  How can I use it? As a substitute for berries or tart fruits in a range of marinades, sauces, chutneys, desserts, baked goods and drinks.
  

• Macadamia Nuts
  

  What are they? Nuts from macadamia trees which grow in Queensland and New South Wales.
  What do they taste like? A crunchy, buttery, creamy nut.
  How can I use them? Use macadamias as a luxe option in baked goods, granola, desserts, stuffing as well as producing a macadamia nut butter, oil, milk or flour for use in cuisine or patisserie.

Lemon Aspen Tree, Leatherwood Honey, Rosella Flowers, Macadamia Nuts.

Recipe: Lemon Aspen & Leatherwood Honey Cheesecake

with Yellow Peach & Rosella Syrup Coulis, Macadamia Nut Nougatine