Line the base and sides of a 20 x 30cm slice (slab) or lamington tin with baking paper, leaving enough paper overhanging to help lift the cooked slice out of the tin. Take the cream cheese and sour cream (for the topping) out of the fridge to come to room temperature while you make the base.

Make the base by combining the flour, desiccated coconut, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the melted butter. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. Tip the rubbly mixture into the base of your prepared tin and press out firmly into an even layer. Place the tin in the fridge (or freezer if you have space), until well chilled and firm.

While the base is chilling, preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced. When firm, bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes or until golden and smelling deliciously toasty. Allow to cool slightly while you make the cheesecake topping. Lower the oven temperature to 140C.

Place the cream cheese and lime zest in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until smooth. Add the sour cream, sugar, vanilla and eggs and mix again, scraping down the side of the bowl a few times until the mixture is smooth. Lastly, sift in the flour and mix briefly to combine. Set aside.

Peel and roughly chop the mango and place it, along with the lime juice, in a small blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. Fold half of this through the cream cheese mixture before pouring the cream cheese mixture on top of the cooked base.

Smooth the surface and dot the top with spoonfuls of the remaining mango and lime puree. Run a knife gently through the surface of the slice to create a decorative effect – I do this in lines through the mango puree to create little heart patterns, because I’m a hopeless romantic, but you do whatever works for you!

Bake in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes. The surface of the slice should be set, but there should still be a slight wobble in the middle when you jiggle the tin. Allow the slice to cool completely in the tin before placing it in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours (or overnight). To serve, slice into bars with a hot, sharp knife.


Store & Share
This slice is best eaten cold, within two to three days of baking. Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, sneaking a piece when you think no one is looking!

First, make the lemon filling by placing the sugar, lemon zest and lemon thyme leaves in a mixing bowl. Use your fingers to rub the zest and thyme through the sugar until the mixture is fragrant and resembles damp sand. Add the whole egg and egg yolks to the bowl and use a hand whisk to mix for a minute or so until well combined. Whisk in the flour and salt before adding the lemon juice and cream, whisking again until smooth.

Cover and place in the fridge to infuse for at least an hour, or overnight, while you bake the tart shells. When ready to make the tarts, preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced and place 10 loose-bottomed tart (flan) tins with a base measurement of six centimetres, two centimetres deep (or equivalent sized tins) on a baking tray.

Prepare the tart shells by cutting your rested pastry log into 10 equal rounds. Working with one piece at a time, scrunch each round in your hand once or twice to make the pastry malleable, then roll into a ball. Place on a lightly floured surface and, using a rolling pin, roll each ball out to a 10–12cm circle. Gently ease the rolled pastry into the tins, pressing the pastry snugly into the base and up the sides of each tin. If the pastry has warmed up a lot, refrigerate the tart shells for 30 minutes before baking. Use a small sharp knife to trim off any excess pastry, then place a square of baking paper or foil into each pastry shell. Fill with baking beads and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until deeply golden all over.

Remove from the oven and allow the tart shells to cool with the baking beads in them. (This step can be done the day before you want to serve the tarts; just store the cooled, cooked tart shells in an airtight container until ready to bake.) Lower the oven temperature to 120C.

While the pastry shells are cooling, take the lemon filling out of the fridge. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug that pours well, then use a piece of paper towel to skim off as much foam from the surface as you can. When the tart shells are cool, remove the baking paper and baking beads. Gently pour the lemon filling into the pastry cases. I do this while the tray is in the oven as I find it easier than juggling the tart shells back to the oven filled with the runny lemon filling. Bake the tarts for 15–20 minutes, or until the filling is just set, but still a little wobbly in the middle. The curd will continue to cook as it cools. Allow the tarts to cool to room temperature before serving, with a dollop of thick cream, if you like.

Store & Share
These little tarts are at their best on the day they are baked, but will store in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. The pastry will soften a little, and the curd may crack the longer they are stored, but they will still taste delicious!

Short Sweet Pastry

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 650g

Place the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix again until well combined. You’re not looking for a light and fluffy texture here, just a uniformly creamy consistency.

Add the egg and continue to beat, now on medium speed until the mixture comes together, scraping down the side of the bowl once or twice. It can take a few minutes for the egg to incorporate, especially if your kitchen is cold, so just take your time here. Add the flour and salt to the bowl and mix on low speed until the pastry just comes together.

Tip the whole lot out onto a clean work surface and gently bring the pastry and any loose flour together with your hands. Squish and knead ever so slightly until smooth, then divide the pastry in two. Roll each portion into a little fat log. Wrap well and place in the fridge to chill for an hour or two (or up to two days), or until the pastry is firm enough to work with. If your pastry has been in the fridge for longer than a couple of hours, leave it out at room temperature for 30–60 minutes before using as directed in the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 160C fan-forced and line four 12-hole mini muffin/cupcake tins (with 30ml capacity holes) with paper cases (or bake the cakes in batches if you have fewer tins).

For the cakes, in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the side of the bowl after each addition.

Add half the flour and the salt to the creamed butter mixture, stirring gently, before adding half the milk. Once incorporated, follow with the remaining flour and the remaining milk, mixing gently until just combined.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake cases, filling to just over half full, and bake in the preheated oven for eight to 12 minutes or until the cakes are golden and cooked through. Take care not to over-bake as these tiny cakes cook very quickly. Allow the cakes to cool in their trays for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

When the cakes are cool, make the Swiss meringue buttercream by placing the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl. Stir regularly with a flexible spatula until the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are warm to the touch.

Remove from the heat and place the egg white and sugar mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium–high speed for five to eight minutes or until the meringue mixture is thick and glossy, and has cooled to room temperature.

Reduce the speed to low and whisk in the butter, a couple of tablespoons at a time. Continue to mix for a minute or so on low speed once all the butter has been incorporated, or until the mixture is glossy and smooth. When adding the butter to the meringue, there may be a point when the mixture looks like it has split or curdled – don’t worry, this is quite normal and it should come back together as you continue to add the remaining butter and whisk on low speed.

Once the buttercream is smooth, add the vanilla and then either the strawberry and rhubarb jam and rosewater, the passionfruit curd, or the melted chocolate, then fold them through and mix gently, but thoroughly, until combined. Spoon or pipe buttercream onto the cooled cakes and decorate as desired.

Store & Share
While best eaten on the day they are made, these cakes will keep happily in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two – just return to room temperature before serving.