Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Honey Cheesecake Panzerotti
Makes 24
Panzerotti are fried, crescent-shaped pastries often made with bread dough and a savoury filling. This version is crisp and sweet. At The Wine Library, honey is collected from the bar's rooftop apiary.
1 2/3 cups (250g) plain flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking powder
150ml milk
25g unsalted butter, melted
175g softened cream cheese
1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3cup (115g) honey
2 eggs
Finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
250g mascarpone
Pinch saffron threads
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted
Sunflower oil, to deep-fry
Icing sugar, to dust
To make the pastry, combine the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the milk and butter, then gradually draw flour into the centre with your fingers to form a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Form into a disc, then enclose in plastic wrap. Chill for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 180°C. To make the cheesecake mixture, beat the cream cheese, caster sugar, vanilla and 55g honey with electric beaters until smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until combined, then beat in the lemon juice. Beating constantly, gradually add the mascarpone until smooth. Spoon the mixture into a 20cm square ovenproof dish or cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until just set. Cool slightly, then chill for 1 hour or until completely cool.
To make the honey topping, combine the lemon zest, saffron, fennel seeds and remaining 60g honey in a bowl. Set aside. Divide pastry into 2, then roll out 1 portion on a lightly floured work surface until 2mm thick. Using a 9cm round pastry cutter, cut out 12 rounds. Repeat with remaining pastry. Spoon 2 tsp cheesecake mixture into the centre of each pastry round, then fold over and lightly crimp the edges with your fingers to seal.
Half-fill a deep-fryer or large saucepan with oil and heat to 180°C (a cube of bread will turn golden in 25 seconds when the oil is hot enough). Working in batches, gently lower panzerotti into oil and fry for 2-3 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Dust with icing sugar and serve with honey mixture.