Donna Hay shares recipes for lemon cake, snack baguette and more
The chef discusses her new cookbook, "Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt."
Donna Hay is bringing fresh summer flavors to the table.
The Australian chef and bestselling author joined "Good Morning America" on Friday to share recipes from her new cookbook, "Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt."
The book focuses on dishes designed for easy entertaining, from quick dinners to summer gatherings, along with simple styling tips.
Hay shared with "GMA" viewers recipes for everything from a carrot tart with whipped feta and hot honey and a whole lemon cake to a stuffed and roasted snack baguette.
Find the recipes below and try them at home.
Carrot Tart with Whipped Feta and Honey
"Sweet, salty and buttery, this has all the classic flavours of a savoury tart, with some cooling creaminess from the whipped feta," Hay writes. "I love the drizzle of chilli-spiked honey for a final flavour lift."
Serves 4
Ingredients
375g (13 oz) store-bought ready-rolled puff pastry
60g (2 1/4 oz) unsalted butter, chopped
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
8–10 sprigs thyme
sea salt and cracked black pepper
8–10 small carrots, peeled and halved lengthways
Whipped Feta
Ingredients
200g (7 oz) soft feta
⅓ cup (80g) plain thick Greek yogurt
To Serve:
Ingredients
Honey and dried chilli flakes
Directions
Use an inverted 26cm (10¼ inch) ovenproof non-stick frying pan to cut a round from the pastry sheet. Refrigerate until chilled.
To make the whipped feta, place the feta and yogurt in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Heat the same ovenproof non-stick frying pan over medium–low heat.
Add the butter, sugar, thyme, salt and pepper and cook, stirring until the mixture is smooth and bubbling.
Arrange the carrots, cut-side down, in the frying pan and cook for 10–12 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
Place the chilled pastry over the carrots and bake for 20–25 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden.
Allow the tart to stand for 2 minutes, then carefully invert onto a serving plate. Top with the whipped feta and a drizzle of honey. Sprinkle the chilli flakes over the honey, to serve.
Zesty Whole Lemon Cake
"One of my absolute favourite cakes is a whole orange cake, so I decided to try it with lemons this summer," Hay writes. "The result is a super tangy, ultra soft cake with the zestiest, most delicious syrup."
Serves 12-14
Ingredients
2 medium thin-skinned lemons+
1 cup (220g) caster (superfine) sugar
1/2 cup (75g) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 1/2 cups (180g) almond meal (ground almonds)
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup (180ml) grapeseed or light-flavoured
extra virgin olive oil
3 eggs, lightly whisked
Lemon syrup
2/3 cup (160ml) lemon juice
1/3 cup (75g) caster (superfine) sugar, extra
To Serve:
Ingredients
candied citrus and sweet vanilla bean labne or plain thick Greek yogurt
Directions
Place the lemons into a saucepan over medium heat and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and gently cook for 1½ hours or until soft. Remove the lemons from the pan and set aside to cool slightly.
Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Line a 22 cm (8½ inch) round cake tin with non-stick baking paper.
Halve the lemons (being careful not to lose their juice) and remove and discard any seeds. Place in a food processor with the sugar and process until smooth.
Place the lemon mixture into a large bowl. Sift in the flour, almond meal and baking powder.
Add the oil and eggs and mix until combined.
Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 45–50 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
While the cake is baking, make the lemon syrup. Place the lemon juice and extra sugar in a medium frying pan over medium–low heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until thickened slightly.
Pour half the hot syrup over the hot cake. When ready to serve, place the cake on a cake stand or plate and serve warm or cooled with candied citrus, the remaining syrup, and labne or yoghurt.
Cook's note:
Be sure to use medium (not large) thin-skinned lemons for this recipe to avoid a bitter flavor.
Stuffed and Roasted Snack Baguette
"I'm picturing an afternoon lounging in the sun with a tall cool drink, pulling cheesy chunks from this delicious baguette," Hay writes. "What's not to love about this picture?"
Serves 6–8 as a side
Ingredients
1 x 30cm (12 inch) sourdough baguette
50g (1 3/4 oz) unsalted butter, chopped and softened
1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1/2 cup (150g) store-bought caramelised
onion relish
12 slices prosciutto or thinly sliced smoked ham
1 1/2 cups (150g) finely grated gruyère cheese
12 sage leaves, plus extra for sprinkling
extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
Directions
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
Slice the baguette at 3cm (1 1/4 inch) intervals, ensuring not to cut all the way through.
Place the butter, Dijon, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix to combine.
Spread the butter mixture between each slice, followed by the onion relish, then insert the prosciutto, gruyère and sage leaves in. Sprinkle with the extra sage leaves.
Brush the baguette with oil and wrap in baking paper and aluminum foil.
Place on a baking tray and bake for 18 minutes, then remove the foil and paper and bake for a further 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden.
Cook's note:
This recipe can easily be doubled to feed a crowd.
Cucumber, Celery and Dill Salad
"Think of this simple salad as the crunchy, tangy, creamy bowl of freshness your table was missing!" Hay writes.
Serves 6 as a side
Ingredients
4 Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced
6 stalks celery, trimmed and shaved using
a vegetable peeler
1/2 cup (10g) small dill leaves
1 2/3 cups (400g) sour cream
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
sea salt and cracked black pepper
Directions
Combine the cucumber, celery and dill.
Combine the sour cream, lemon rind, salt and pepper.
To serve, spread the sour cream mixture over a serving plate and top with the cucumber, celery and dill.
Pistachio Choc Chip Cookies
"I don't want to brag, but my choc chip cookies have earned a bit of a reputation for their fudgy, chewy, crisp-edged perfection," Hay explains. "So if I'm doing a new flavour riff like this nutty pistachio one, it has to keep hitting all those high notes!"
Makes 12
Ingredients
120g (4 1/4 oz) pistachio spread
2 1/4 cups (335g) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of (baking) soda
1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)
3/4 cup (180g) firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (110g) caster (superfine) sugar
225g (8 oz) unsalted butter, chopped and slightly softened
2 cold eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
250g (9 oz) milk chocolate, chopped
1 cup (150g) toasted pistachios, chopped
Directions
Line a small baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Scoop 12 x 1 1/2 teaspoons of pistachio spread into balls and place on the prepared tray. Freeze for 1 hour or until firm.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cornflour. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, add both the sugars and butter and beat for 8 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Add the vanilla and salt and beat for 3–4 minutes or until the batter turns pale in colour and the sugars are well incorporated.
Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until combined, ensuring not to over-mix. Add the chocolate and pistachios and stir to combine.
Roll the dough out into 12 x 1/2-cupful (about 110g) rounds and flatten slightly.
Press a frozen pistachio ball into each and gather the dough edges around the pistachio ball to enclose. For thicker, fudgier cookies, freeze the cookie dough rounds for 1 hour or overnight.
For flatter, crispier cookies, bake the cookie dough rounds immediately.
Place the cookie dough rounds onto 2 large baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper, allowing 10cm (4 inches) between each cookie.
Bake for 12–14 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Allow to cool on the trays.
Cook's note: You can also use store-bought pistachio spread for this recipe.
Recipes reprinted from "Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt."
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Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt: A Celebration of Modern Coastal Home Cooking by Donna Hay
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