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Australian houses, from architectural masterpieces to suburban family homes, Victorian terraces, mid-century marvels, coastal shacks, city apartments, and everything in between.
Award-winning Australian architecture, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top architects.
Award-winning Australian interior design, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top designers.
In depth features on Australia’s most beautiful gardens and landscape design.
Studio visits with Australia’s most talented creatives, from artists to architects, ceramicists to stylists, furniture makers to lighting designers.
Studio visits with Australia’s top artists, and unmissable art exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and beyond.
Weekly recipes and meal ideas from our favourite cooks, authors and foodies.
Unique travel destinations, design-led accomodation and day trip ideas in Australia and New Zealand.
The smell and taste of rosewater takes me straight back to Istanbul, where on every street there are ‘lokum’ (Turkish delight) shops with towering mounds of glistening freshly made sweets in their windows. Nougat, sugared nuts, jellies – I tried them all! The flavour that I always went back for was rose.
Rosewater can be used in so many ways and adds great depth to any dessert. Not only can it be used in cooking, it is also fabulous for your skin, and can be used as a face wash or toner - it’s age defying stuff!
My favourite way to use rosewater is adding it to desserts. Just enough so you get a lovely aroma, and people questioning what that subtle flavour is! I guarantee after you prepare this dessert, everyone will be talking. Teamed with burnt figs and spiced almonds, it's a match made in heaven. It is also deliciously light, so a great way to finish off your Middle Eastern feast, or any meal for that matter.
For the rosewater cream
250g mascarpone
200g full fat Greek yoghurt
3 tsp rose water
2 tsp maple syrup
½ vanilla pod seeds
For the figs
6 fresh figs
1 tsp maple syrup
A few sprigs of mint
For the spiced almonds
½ cup slivered almonds
2 tsp maple syrup
¼ tsp vanilla powder or ¼ vanilla pod seeds
¼ tsp cinnamon
For the rosewater cream
In a mixing bowl gently stir the yoghurt and mascarpone together. Add rosewater, maple syrup and vanilla, gently mix through till combined. Refrigerate this until you serve.
For the spiced almonds
Pre-heat your oven to 150 degrees. You want the oven on a lower temperature to ensure the nuts crisp slowly and don’t burn. Mix all ingredients together well and scatter over a lined baking tray. Cook between 15 and 20 minutes or until the nuts are golden brown and crisp. Set aside to cool.
For the figs
Slice the figs in half and drizzle with maple syrup. Place underneath the grill until the surface of the figs begin to caramelise and slightly burn.
To plate this dessert up, I like to use a large serving platter and bring it to the table. First spread the rosewater cream using the back of a spoon, then layer the figs on top and drizzle with the juices remaining from the bottom of the roasting pan. Scatter the almonds and mint leaves on top. The beauty of this recipe is that all of the elements can be prepared in advance and then assembled just before serving, making the end of your feast oh-so-easy!
Huge thanks to Gemma for joining us this month! For more of Gemma's beautiful styling work, do check out her folio website and recipe blog!
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