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Here is a recipe for anyone who has more lemon myrtle than they can keep up with! You can only drink so much tea, right?

Lemon Myrtle Syrup Cake

Ingredients

Syrup (start the night before):

  • Four generous handfuls of fresh or dried lemon myrtle leaves
  • 2 cups raw sugar (could use honey)
  • 1 lemon

Biscuit base:

  • Melted butter, to grease
  • 150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup raw caster sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup almond meal
  • Finely grated zest of 1-2 lemons
  • 1 ½ cups plain flour, sifted

Topping:

  • 1 cup raw caster sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup plain flour, sifted
  • ½ cup desiccated coconut
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • Icing sugar, to dust

 

Method

  1. Start the syrup: Pour three cups of boiling water over the lemon myrtle leaves, in a ceramic or metal container. Cover and leave to steep overnight.
  2. Prepare the pan: Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a 25 cm pan with melted butter. Line the base with non-stick baking paper.
  3. Make the biscuit base: With an electric beater beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add 1 egg and beat until combined. Fold in the almond meal, lemon rind and flour until well combined. Press over the base of prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until light golden.
  4. Make the topping: Whisk together the coconut, baking powder, lemon juice, sugar, eggs and flour in a large bowl.
  5. Bake: Pour the mixture over the base. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until light golden.
  6. Make the syrup: Measure out 2 cups of lemon myrtle infusion, add to a saucepan with an equal quantity of sugar. Add juice and peel of one lemon. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  7. Finish: Dust the top liberally with icing sugar and place under a hot grill to caramelise (a gas torch will make this easier). Set aside to cool completely.
  8. Cut the cake into squares and place upside down in a larger container, with all squares touching the base rather than stacked. Pour the hot syrup over, and allow it to soak in thoroughly before serving, turned right side up.

This recipe began as http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/18063/tangy+lemon+slice and has been re-developed by Tilly Hinton to showcase lemon myrtle and to cover up an overbaking mistake that resulted in a chewy dry slice!

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Other lemon myrtle recipe ideas:

Mix equal parts pineapple juice, cold lemon myrtle infusion and mineral water, serve over ice with shredded mint, lemon balm or basil for a heavenly punch.

Dry the leaves and grind them to a fine powder, mix through a cream cheese and butter frosting for the perfect companion to carrot cake. I’ve recently tasted lemon myrtle hollandaise using the ground leaves which is nothing short of spectacular.

Let’s grow this list. Do you have a favourite lemon myrtle recipe? Or another abundant harvest that you’re cooking your way through right now?