Better Living Sept '13 Part I - Pepperleaf Recipes

What a night!

There was so much information I'll have to split the posting up.

One of our key focus topics was the Tasmanian Pepperberry.

It seems there is something delicious to taste every month and the Pepperleaf and Parmesan Biscuits that Katherine brought in were DIVINE! So moreish and she has provided the recipe.

This page here gives an in depth description of the pepperberry. Both male and female plants are required for pollination if you are wanting to achieve actual pepperberries but the leaves may also be used for a peppery taste. I have one of each at home and they do happily grow in pots and can be kept as compact bushy shrubs. They are flowering now and we passed around specimens taking note of the rich maroon coloured stems, the smooth leathery olive coloured leaves and the small umbels of tiny yellow flowers (distinctly differing on male and female) and the small bunch of berries on the female specimen. 

Marlene has taken the cuttings to have a go at striking them. There is more useful care and cultivation notes here. The leaves are just as hot and peppery as biting into a berry and I have previously posted about stuffing a fowl for roasting with lemon, garlic scape and pepperberry leaf, all of which are in season now.

Pepperberry leaf would be a great addition to any of your rubs for roasted meats and goes well with cheese so if you are a cheese maker the addition of pepperberry would be fabulous. Jo was also telling us that more research is being done into the medicinal properties of the Tas pepperberry too and I think we will see this plant more widely used in the coming years.

Without further ado....

I give you the recipe Katherine provided for these amazing biscuits (cookies) and I dare you stop at four!

Pepperleaf and Parmesan Biscuits

350g butter unsalted and softened

400g plain flour

300g of matured cheese

50g of parmesan cheese 

1/2 teas salt

1/2 teas paprika

2 teas pepperleaf chopped finely

macadamias or walnuts to decorate

Cream the flour and butter till pale and fluffy.

Grate both the cheeses and mix with the seasonings thoroughly into the dough.

Roll into sausage shaped logs and wrap in foil and refrigerate.

Cut into rounds and allow to come to room temperature.

At this point you can gently push in a macadamia half.

Bake @ 170 C for approx 10 min.

Notes:

You could use salted butter and omit the salt of course

Use 2-2 1/2 times the dried weight of leaf for fresh

Mixture may be frozen and baked when visitors pop in, BONUS!

These were a big hit!

The Living Better Sept '13 meeting continued in the next post.....