A Flourless Chocolate Cake with a Twist!

A good friend of mine recently had a birthday, and joined "Club 50!"  In honour of this auspicious occasion I decided to try something a little different.  In a recent edition of Good Taste Magazine (The Italy Edition) there was a recipe for a Torta Caprese al Limone.  It looked fabulous - however when push came to shove I didn't think I was going to be able to produce this cake in the limited amount of time that I had to make it in!

I searched through cookbooks to try and find something similar that I could produce in the given time (it was almost like a MasterChef time challenge really!!)  I found 3 different recipes - all slightly different from each other.   Mmmm what was I to do??? What any aspiring cook would do - combine all the elements that I liked into one cake, that I could produce in the time frame given!!!

Here is my take.

Torta Caprese al Limone

250g white chocolate, broken into pieces
250g almonds
250g sugar
rind from 2 lemons (yellow part only)
150g butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 eggs
1 tsp baking powder

Lightly grease, and line base of a springform pan with baking paper.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees (non fan).

Place the chocolate into the TM bowl and grate for 6 seconds on speed 8.  Set aside.

Place the almonds in the TM bowl and mill for 4 seconds on speed 6.  Add to the chocolate.

Place the sugar and lemon peel in the TM bowl and mill for 20 seconds on speed 9.

Add the butter, eggs, vanilla, and baking powder to the bowl and mix for 20 seconds on speed 7.

Add the chocolate and almond mixture and mix for 30 seconds on speed 6.

Put mixture into the prepared cake pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer when inserted in the middle comes out clean (it is ok to have a little bit of moisture on the skewer - this means the cake won't be too dry!)

Well I made the time challenge (almost!!) - I had to dash out, and wasn't 100% convinced the cake was cooked - so I turned the oven off and left the oven door ajar.  Did it turn out OK?

As they say - the proof of the pudding is in the eating!!!

This cake was delicious - and will definitely be on my "make again list" - in fact  Mr. CCC has a birthday coming up and I just may make this one again for him  (if he behaves himself that is!!)

So Dear Readers tell me - do you often experiment and combine several recipes to make a new one - and are you successful?

Just as a post script - and for those that are following - Buster has made incredible inroads - yesterday I managed to get him to walk 2 metres (6 feet) or more!!!!!  Mind you I was holding one of his favourite treats in front of his nose - but how else do you do it???  I may need to seek employment in dog rehabilitation after this!!!!!

Rhubarb, Strawberry and Hazelnut Cake with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

I was on dessert duty the other day.  Actually I was on more than that, but I was coming down with the dreaded "lurgie" and I couldn't think, let alone contemplate what I was going to make.  In fact, I was not even sure I was going to attend the event - but you know, sometimes you have just got to go the extra mile!!  Especially when there are birthdays (and death anniversaries) involved!

I had about a million ideas running through my head of what I thought I was going to make for dessert - but as for motivation.... zipo, zilch!!!  I unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you look at it,  had to make a mad dash to the local fruit and vegie shop, and it was there that I found the recipe for a Rhubarb and Hazelnut Cake.  It looked interesting.  I had all the necessary ingredients.  I also had some strawberries, that I was going to do something else with, but had just never got around to it.  Perhaps we can combine them all???

So here is what eventuated.....

Rhubarb, Strawberry and Hazelnut Cake with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
Adapted from a recipe found on a card produced by Sydney Markets

Serves 8

125g butter, softened
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup milk
100g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 bunch of rhubarb, trimmed, washed, cut into 2cm lengths
1 x 250g punnet strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 tbs icing sugar

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.  Grease and line a 22cm round springform pan with baking paper.

Either with electric beaters (or in the Thermomix) beat the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy (in TM speed 5 for approximately 1 minute - scrape down bowl and repeat if necessary).  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  (TM - still on speed 5 - for approximately 15-20 seconds).

Gently fold in flour, milk and half of the hazelnuts (speed 2-3 - 10-20 seconds).

Spoon mixture in to prepared pan.

Evenly top the cake batter with the rhubarb and strawberries.  Sprinkle with the remaining hazelnuts.  Gently press the mixture into the cake batter.

Bake for 1 hour or until the cake is cooked when tested with a skewer.

Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack.  Dust with icing sugar.

Serve warm with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream (or Thermomix Vanilla Bean Custard!!!)

Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

500ml Whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2-3 tbs icing sugar

Whip cream until soft peaks form.  Add the vanilla bean paste and icing sugar.  Continue whipping until stiff peaks form (dont't go too far - or you will have vanilla cream butter!!!!)

Enjoy!!

So tell me Dear Readers do you have times when you just can't get your head around what you are going to make, and wander aimlessly until an idea lands literally right in front of you!  Please tell me it isn't only me?!

3 Minute Chocolate Cake in a Cup

Sometimes it is the things that seem the easiest that are the hardest.

The case in point is this fortnight's Cook Book Challenge.  The theme is "Cup".  Now you would not think that this would be particularly hard would you.  Well for me it was.  I naturally assumed that everybody would come up with simply stunning cupcakes.  They are not my forte - so I didn't even want to go there - so where else do you go?

I could make one of those "5 cup" cakes - but they are actually pretty boring.  I used to make a lemon chicken many, many years ago that the ingredients equalled up to a cup - but for the life of me I could not remember all three ingredients - I know 3 ingredients!!!

So..... I decided to go the incredibly boring, but oh, so tasty option of the 3 minute microwave Chocolate Cake in a cup!!!  Having made this now I must say this is a lethal weapon in your arsenal.  I wasn't going to try the cake - I was simply going to hand it on to "The Darlings" - but in the name of honesty in cooking I thought I better give it just a little taste test.  This cake was good!!!  Warm, and chocolatey and oh so sinful.  This could be the death of many a person when they get the late night munchies..... you know who you are!!!!!

3 Minute Chocolate Cake in a Cup
Makes 1

Recipe from - many and various places on the internet!!!! but I got this one from here

4 tbs plain flour
4 tbs sugar
2 tbs cocoa powder
1 egg
3 tbs milk
3 tbs oil
dash vanilla
1-2 tbs chocolate chips (optional)
dash salt
dash baking powder

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Put mixture in a large coffee mug (I advise putting on a plate as it does overflow!!)

Microwave for 3 minutes, or until cooked (this will depend on the wattage of your microwave!)

The cake will rise, but then fall after you take it out of the microwave.

PLEASE, have some restraint and do not try and eat it immediately!!!! (I have warned you - if you cannot wait - you will pay the price - a burnt mouth!!!)

Yes, I know, not gourmet, not particularly exciting - but it is in a CUP!!!!

Fruit Tingle Macarons - Trip to Wonka Land!!!

Several posts ago I put up a photo of my first attempt at making macarons.  I did mean to blog about them, but then as time went by, I kind didn't feel about them the way that I did when I first made them - you see this is the bad thing about blogging - you just gotta do it straight away or you never get back to it!!!  A loyal follower has requested I post about the adventure - so here goes.....

As it was my first attempt I think I did OK.  Saying that though - they were not up to Zumbo standards.  I think in hindsight I probably should have attempted to make "virgin" macarons first before attempting anything more fancy.  I spent hours "researching" various recipes on the internet - visited many blog sites for advice, and in the end I combined a couple of recipes.  I did want to make them in the Thermomix - so I headed over to firstly to the Thermomix Forum the recipe there was submitted by Trissalicious - she has many versions of macarons to try - and she uses a Thermomix for one of her recipes.

So as a basic starting point here is the macaron recipe I used, utilising the Thermomix.

Macarons - French Style
From Trissalicious

125g ground almonds
150g icing sugar (not icing mixture)
100g caster sugar
100g egg whites (at room temperature) approx 3 eggs
colouring (I used blue)

Grind the almonds and the icing sugar on speed 10 for 10 seconds.  * TIP 1

Clean the TM bowl ** (TIP 2) and add the butterfly attachment.  Place the egg whites into the bowl and whip on speed 4 for 4 minutes.  Add the caster sugar after 2 minutes.  Whip the whites until they form stiff peaks.

Add the almond/icing sugar mixture into the TM bowl with the egg whites.  Add the mixture on reverse and soft speed for 10 seconds.  Add any colouring at this time. *** TIP 3

Place the mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto a baking tray that has been lined with baking paper. **** TIP 4

Dry the macarons for approximately 30 - 40 minutes - or until they have formed a hard shell, and your finger doesn't stick to the mixture when lightly touched.

Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 150 degrees (fan forced) for 10-13 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before filling.


TIPS


* TIP 1  - Several of the recipes I read said that you should sift this almond and icing sugar mixture 3 times, discarding any solids that are left over.  This is very time consuming - but I think worth it in the end!

** TIP 2 - Clean out the TM bowl - I have had a failure with eggs whites in the Thermomix before - so now when I want to whip up egg whites I put some water (about 1/2 a bowl full) into the TM bowl and a good splash of white vinegar.  Cook on varoma temperature for 5 minutes - this cleans the bowl out really well - but just make sure you let it cool down before you whip the egg whites.

*** TIP 3 - I used liquid colouring - others had used gel - I think the gel is the way to go - adding the liquid makes your macaron mixture a little too runny - I ended up with macarons that ran together and looked a little like the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland!!!

**** TIP 4 Another tip I learnt along the way was to secure your baking paper to the tray by placing four tiny dollops of the macaron mixture onto the tray and then securing the paper to these (they then act as "glue").



For my cream filling I wanted to make a "Fruit Tingle White Chocolate Ganache".  I got the basis for the ganache from the Thermomix Everyday Cookbook - I then added 4 packets of fruit tingles that had been ground to a powder.

Fruit Tingle White Chocolate Ganache
Adapted from Thermomix EDC Cookbook

4 packets of fruit tingles
100g white chocolate, broken into pieces
80g cream
1/2 cap pink food colouring

Pulverise the fruit tingles by processing on speed 9 for 10 seconds.  Set aside.

Place the chocolate into the TM bowl and grate for 30 seconds on speed 8.

Add the cream and cook for 2 minutes at 50 degrees on speed 5.

Add the crushed fruit tingles and the food colouring, and mix on speed 5 for 5 seconds.

Place ganache into a piping bag.  Pipe onto the macaron, top with the second macaron.

Macarons will keep quite well in the fridge for up to a week (if they last that long!!!)

So while I was not entirely happy with my first attempt at macarons - they were not a complete failure.  The Fruit Tingle White Chocolate Ganache was a success - really tingly on the tongue - this of course got less as time went on - after a couple of days - not so tingly!!!

Just as a side note - using the tip about cleaning the TM bowl with vinegar before whipping egg whites - (thanks Andrea) worked a treat, and my second attempt at Raspberry Bliss Cake (my birthday cake) was a success!!!

So Dear Readers what is the strangest flavour mixture that you have ever concocted?  Do tell.

Cheese and Ham Rolls and Hot Cross Buns

Even when you try and get an easy lunch on the run with the kids it can still add up dollar wise.  The other day I stopped at the local Baker's Delight as "The Darlings" were hungry and they wanted Cheese and Bacon Rolls.  At $2.70 each they are not exactly cheap.

I recently read on The Opies Family Food blogsite how she had  made Cheese and Bacon Rolls with success, and as I am gaining more and more confidence with baking bread using the Thermomix,  I decided to have a go at making them myself.  Really not hard at all.  Only problem was that I had no Bacon - so I substituted Ham.

Cheese and Ham Rolls
Original recipe from Forum Thermomix

Makes 8 Rolls

7g Yeast
2 tsp caster sugar
280g warm water
480g bakers flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbs olive oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
grated tasty cheese
100g shaved ham, cut into small pieces

Pace the yeast, sugar and warm water in the the Termomix Bowl.  Mix for 20 seconds on speed 4.  Allow to stand for approximately 10 minutes, or until frothy.

Add the salt, flour and oil.  Process for 5 seconds on speed 7.  Set dial to closed lid position and knead on interval setting for 1 minute 30 seconds.

Set aside in a lightly oiled bowl, in a warm place for 1 hour.

Punch down the dough and knead lightly until smooth.

Divide the dough into 8 portions.  Place on baking paper on a baking try.  Cover with lightly greased cling wrap.  Allow to prove again for 30-40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C.

Brush with the lightly beaten egg, then top with ham, then grated cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through and golden.

So while we are in the baking mode - why not make some Hot Cross Buns as well....

Hot Cross Buns
From Thermomix EDC Cookbook

250g warm milk
500g bakers flour
2tsp salt
70g butter
45g sugar
1 egg
15g yeast
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
100g sultanas
70g currants

Place the milk into TM bowl and cook for 50 seconds at 90 degrees on speed 1.

Place remaining ingredients into the bowl, excluding the sultanas and currants, and mix for 6 seconds on speed 7.  Set dial to closed lid position and knead for 2-3 minutes on interval setting.

Add the sultanas and currants and mix for 10 seconds on speed 5.

Put in a warm place to prove for 1-1/2 hours.  Dough should approximately double in size.

Shape into rolls approximately dinner roll size.  Place the buns close together on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.  Cover and let prove for a further 10-15 minutes.

Pipe with crosses - recipe follows

Cross Mixture

80g plain flour
pinch salt
1 tsp light olive oil
100g water

Place all ingredients into TM bowl and mix to combine for 30 seconds on speed 4 to obtain a thick consistency.  Place into a piping bag - (or a small ziploc bag that you cut a small corner from).  Pipe crosses onto the buns.

Bake in oven that has been preheated to 220 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden.

Brush with sugar syrup while still warm.

Sugar Syrup

2 tbs water
2 tbs sugar

Place sugar and water into TM bowl and cook for 2 minutes at 100 degrees on speed 4.

So how much money did I save baking these myself???  Well $2.70 x 8 = $21.60 and a dozen hot cross buns?? Well my school was selling them for $13 per dozen as a fund raiser!!!!

Aren't I the clever little spend thrift??  So tell me Dear Readers what ways do you like to save money?  Do you bake, or do you make all your own food rather than buy Take Away?

Raspberry Bliss Cake

Many years ago a friend commented that there was a particular cake shop that made a particular cake that she liked.  Me being me, decided to investigate said cake, and attempt my version of it.  Now I have never tasted the original cake - but only gazed longingly at it, and based on her description - this is what I came up with.  I have made this recipe many times over the years - and it is always a winner!!

That was however, to change this time!!  Now I know that I sing high praises of the Thermomix - I love it in oh so many ways - but this time it failed me dismally.  I only had to beat egg whites - it can't be that hard - Thermie has huge beating power - should be a walk in the park.  Now I know that you will probably tell me that perhaps I had a speck of yellow in the whites - or the bowl was not clean - or....?  But I swear I did everything right.  I even looked up in the Thermomix Cookbook how to beat egg whites - and here is where I think it's a little weird.  They actually wanted you to beat the egg whites, and have the temperature set at 50 degrees (strange??)  Look - new machine - I will do as instructed.  Dismal failure!!! I ended up with a warm white soupy mixture.

Tossed that out - looked on google for a solution - and yes several other people have said 50 degrees is too much - lower the temperature to 37.  Another 4 eggs - and I am still not happy with the mix - but I'm going to run out of eggs at this rate (particularly seeing as Mr. CCC had just come to make his breakfast!!)  The whites were fluffy - but just not as fluffy as I have had them previously.  So read the recipe - I don't think I will advocate using the thermomix other than for the chopping of the nuts and chocolate, and the whipping of the cream.  Please, if any of you out there have experience with this let me know the secret.

Raspberry Bliss Cake

4 egg whites
1 tsp white vinegar
200g sugar
50g ground roasted hazelnuts
100g white chocolate, finely chopped

To decorate
whipped cream
2cups frozen or fresh raspberries
grated dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 150 degrees.

Grease, and line with baking paper 2 x 18cm springform pans.  Grease the paper lightly.

Beat the egg whites with the vinegar until soft peaks form, then gradually add the sugar, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is thick and shiny.  Gently fold in the chocolate and hazelnuts.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pans.  Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until they are hard.  Turn off the oven, leaving the door slightly open, allow the meringues to cool in the oven.

Lightly dust serving plate with icing sugar.  Place one meringue cake on the icing sugared plate.

Top with whipped cream that has been flavoured with vanilla and sugar.  Top the cream with raspberries.  Place second meringue on top of the cream and berries.  Top the cake with more whipped cream and decorate with raspberries and grated dark chocolate.

This cake can be enjoyed either served straight away - the texture will be more crunchy - or you can assemble ahead of time - and allow the cream to soften the meringue - either way it is a delicious cake.  A real stunner - and always a favourite.

As an aside -  I am entering this as my post for the CookBook Challenge.

This fortnight's theme is eggs - being Easter I am sure there will be many talented people out there making all forms of chocolate eggs.  I say based on all the eggs I used for this cake - this is my take on the "egg theme".  Now I have to come up with a way to use all of those yolks!!!

Torta Caprese (Flourless Chocolate Cake)

The theme for this fortnight's Cookbook Challenge was "Celebration".  So what defines a celebration?  Does it have to be an actual event?  Can it simply be the Celebration of Food?  Can it be the Celebration that it is Friday?

Well I pondered on this one for quite some time - and really didn't come up with an answer.  I am therefore going to enter two entries as my Celebration theme.  One is the recipe that I made last week Barramundi with Asian Broth and Sweet Potato Mash - as that simply was a Celebration of Tastes!! The other recipe is for Torta Caprese as I made this for a friend's Birthday - so that is an actual Celebration!!

This is the first time that I have made a flourless Chocolate cake in the Thermomix - let me tell you it was so easy.

Torta Caprese
(Flourless Almond Cake)
From Thermomix EDC Cookbook

250g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
250g almonds
250g sugar (I used caster)
150g butter, at room temperature
6 eggs
1 tbs baking powder
1 tbs cocoa powder

Topping

100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
80g cream

Preheat oven to 180C (non fan)

Grease, and line the base of a 22-24cm springform pan with baking paper.

Place the chocolate into the TM bowl and grate for 5-10 seconds on speed 8.  Set aside

Place the almonds in the TM bowl and mill for 4-6 seconds on speed 6.  Add to the chocolate.

Place the remaining ingredients into the TM bowl and mix for 20 seconds on speed 7.

Add the chocolate and almonds and continue to mix for 30 seconds on speed 6.

Place the mixture into the prepared pan.  Bake for approximately 1 hour.

Allow to site in baking pan for 5-10 minutes, then remove, and place on a rack to cool.

Once the cake has cooled it is time to make the frosting.

Place the chocolate into the TM bowl and grate for 5 seconds on speed 8.

Add the cream and cook for 2 minutes at 50 degrees on speed 3.

Cover the cake with the topping, allowing it to run down the sides.

Serve with whipped cream that has had a small amount of caste sugar and vanilla added to it.



There you have a cake worthy of a 50th Birthday Celebration!!!!  Happy Birthday Jan!!!


As I had to take this somewhere I had a hard time trying to keep a piece from the marauding hordes so I could take a photo - sorry!!!

Cuppa Anyone?

When it's raining outside what else is there to do, but bake and blog!!

With the rain we are having, you certainly don't want to go out to the shops to pick up ingredients. Luckily just this week I had done a clean out of the pantry, and I knew exactly what I had on hand.   A quick look through the cookbooks for inspiration, and I'm off!

Sometimes when you bake you get that little niggle of insecurity in the back of your head - "will this actually work?"  Well one of these slices I had made before, so I knew with certainty that it would work - but as I assembled it - the question still loomed.  You see this slice you don't actually mix it - you just layer the ingredients on top of each other and then you bake it!  How easy is that?  I did modify the recipe slightly to account for the ingredients that I had on hand!

No Bowl Choc Bit Slice
Adapted from The Women's Weekly Cakes and Slices Cookbook

90g butter, melted
130g weet bix, crushed to fine crumbs (any biscuit crumbs will work)
250g choc chips
1 cup shredded coconut
390g can  condensed milk

Preheat oven to 180C.

Grease a 30cm x 20cm slice tin, cover base with baking paper, grease paper.

Pour the melted butter into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle evenly with the weet bix crumbs, then top with the choc chips,

then the coconut.

Drizzle the condensed milk over the top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until evenly golden.  Cool in the pan before cutting.

This next slice is just like an Anzac Cookie - but in slice form!!!

Cornflake Honey Slice
Adapted from The Women's Weekly Cakes and Slices Cookbook


2 cups cornflakes
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/3 cups desiccated coconut
3/4 cup caster sugar
130g butter
2 tbs honey

Preheat oven to 180C.

Lightly grease a 30cm x 20cm slice tin, cover base with baking paper, grease paper.

Combien the cornflakes, oats, coconut and sugar in a large bowl.  Melt the butter, then add honey to the butter.  Stir the butter mixture into the dry ingredients.

Place the mixture into the prepared pan, and smooth down firmly with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden.  Stand for 15 minutes before cutting, cool completely in the pan.

Do not allow it to cool completely before cutting - as it goes quite hard!!  Trust me on this one - I forgot all about it (too busy blogging) - it set pretty hard!

Sit back, have a cup of tea, and enjoy the fruits of your labour!

So Dear Reader how did you spend your Sunday afternoon?  Hope it wasn't raining for you!

Choc Chip Shortbread Slice

It's Sunday - so if you are looking to make yourself a little treat to have with a cuppa later this afternoon - or you are looking for a lunchbox filler for next week - this recipe is for you!!  Quick, easy, and oh so yummy!!

Shortbread is always popular in this house.  At Christmas time I make bucket loads of the stuff!!  (If you look in the Baking section to the right you will find my usual Christmas recipe.)  This recipe though, seemed so much easier - no fiddly little individual shortbreads - but all the same ingredients - so what could be better? I am going to give you both the recipe as it appears in Super Food Ideas, and my Thermomix version.

Choc Chip Shortbread Slice
From Super Food Ideas March edition

250g butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup choc chips
1/2 cup white choc bits


Preheat oven to 140 degrees fan forced.  Grease an 18cm x 28cm slice pan.  Line base and sides with baking paper - allowing a 3cm overhang on all sides.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Stir in the flours.  Stir in the choc chips.

Press mixture over the base of the prepared pan.

Using a small knife cut the slice into squares (this makes it easier when it is baked - and prevents a lot less crumbling!!).

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and just firm to touch.

Cool completely.  Cut into squares.

Thermomix Version

250g butter, cubed
130g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
240g plain flour
95g self raising flour
110g choc chips
110g white choc bits

Place the cubed butter into the TM bowl.  Process at 50 degrees, for 10 seconds on speed 8.

Add the sugar and vanilla, and process for 10 seconds on speed 8.  Scrape down the bowl and repeat.

Add the flours, process for 10 seconds on speed 4, scrape down the bowl and repeat.

Add the choc chips, process for 20 seconds on reverse speed 1.

Press into prepared pan, and follow directions as above.

So go on - make yourself a little treat to have this afternoon - you deserve it after all that hard gardening, watching sport, housework, or whatever it is you get up to on a Sunday afternoon!!!!

Rainbow Slice

You know there is only so much they can do with recipes!! Don't you find that often times when you look over the list of ingredients they look suspiciously like other recipes that you have seen before!  When I was checking out the chocolate slices that were featured in the March edition of Super Food Ideas I was hit with a sense of deja vu.  The ingredients in the Rainbow slice were almost the same as the Chocolate Weet Bix slice that my mum has been making for more than 40 years!!!  The only difference was that there was no flour in this recipe, more weet bix - oh and they added an egg!  As the original recipe is still a huge hit with my kids I thought I would "road test" this new version!

Rainbow Slice
From Super Food Ideas - March edition

12 weet bix, finely crushed
1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
3/4 cup brown sugar
200g butter, melted
1/2 cup coconut - I used shredded
1 egg, lightly beaten
150g tub rainbow choc chips

Chocolate Icing
3 cups icing sugar mix
2 tbs cocoa powder, sifted
50g butter, melted
milk

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.  Grease an 18cm x 28cm slice pan.  Line base and sides with baking paper, allowing a 3cm overhang on all sides.

Combine the weet bix, cocoa powder, sugar, butter, coconut and egg in a bowl.  Press the mixture over the base of the prepared pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until firm to touch.

As the slice is cooling, make the icing by combining the icing sugar, cocoa and melted butter in a bowl.  Add just enough milk to make the icing a spreading consistency.  Using a hot knife spread the icing over the top of the slice.  Sprinkle with the choc chips, pressing them into the icing to make sure they are secure.

Set the slice aside for 2 hours to cool completely, then cut into squares.

This slice is a sure fire lunch box winner!!! (If it lasts that long!)

The verdict on the "new" version.  "Was a little too oily for my liking!" (To be read in Manu Feildel's accent please!)

Cake with a Chocolate Heart

Don't you hate how in Blog Land life is always rosy.  Meals are always achingly picture perfect, and everyone is happy!

Well I am here to tell you that life is not always so.

This week has been a week of dismal failures.  Sure it started out well with the Valentine's Feast on Monday - but things took a decided down hill turn after that.

As all my regular readers will know I have recently acquired a Thermomix - I have been steadily getting more confident using it - trying new things and getting accustomed to how it all works.  Last week I made some lovely sweet and sour meatballs - no I didn't blog them because I thought well - it's only sweet and sour meatballs, and if you don't have a TM well the recipe was pretty pointless.  Buoyed on by how well they turned out though I was anxious to try Swedish Meatballs - which I have made in the conventional manner and were a surefire winner!!!  Not so with the TM version!!!  Man those puppies took forever to cook - perhaps in the TM's defence I had overcrowded the varoma, but looking on the Thermomix Form (ps this is a great place to learn more about what the TM can do) I was not the only one to experience this particular problem.

These were the Sweet & Sour Meatballs - they were great!!

No photo taken of the Swedish Meatballs - they didn't even look pretty!!

OK failure # 1.

Next thing I attempted was to make a Marble Cake for "The Darlings" when they came in from school.  All things went well - was careful not to swirl the batter too much and just end up with a mottled coloured cake.  It sat there on the bench - proud and beautiful waiting for the first incision into it's multicoloured heart.  First piece - and it wasn't swirled enough!!!  D2 was kind enough to tell me though that it looked like the cake had a Chocolate Heart!  So from hereon in it will be referred to as the Cake with the Chocolate Heart!! (small success!!).

Almost failure #2.

By this stage I was getting pretty desperate - I needed a win to blog about.  Thinking about how lovely the mousse (and the leftover "mousse sausages") were on Monday I decided to have a go at making my own sausages - and steaming them in the varoma - much more healthier than pan frying!  What flavour to make?  I know Pork, Apple and Macadamia.  Headed off up the road to purchase all the necessary ingredient, and set about making them - all looked good.  Was even pretty chuffed about how good they looked all rolled up in their cling wrap casings ready for steaming.  Put as they say - the proof is in the pudding!!

Now we all know that sausages never claimed to be healthy fare - but there are those out there that do claim that theirs are low/er in fat.  Let me tell you - they are lying!  A sausage without fat is a dry boring, mouth circling bit of sawdust!!!  Even the dog tried to bury his leftovers!!!

The mashed potato was the saving grace - did I tell you the TM makes a lovely smooth creamy mashed potato???

I will not even begin to tell you how I made them, or what I put in them, as I do not want to be responsible for any Heimlich Maneuvers that may be deemed necessary after the consumption of these!

So order to feel a little bit better about this week's offerings from the kitchen here is the recipe for the Cake with the Chocolate Heart - see if you can replicate it!!!

Cake with the Chocolate Heart
From EDC- Thermomix Cook Book

300g butter, softened
270g Sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
5 eggs
370ml self raising flour
70g milk
1 tbs cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 180C.

Grease a fluted ring pan/bundt tin

Place butter into TM bowl and mix for 1 minute on Speed 5.

Add 250g of the sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix to combine for 45 seconds on speed 5

Add the eggs one at a time through the opening in the lid and mix for approximately 15 seconds on speed 5.

Add flour, 40g of the milk and blend for 20 seconds on speed 5.

Place 2/3 of the mixture into the prepared pan.

Add the cocoa powder, remaining 20g of sugar and remaining 30g milk to the rest of the mixture and mix for 5-10 seconds in speed 5.

Place the chocolate mixture over the white mixture and slightly swirl with a fork (I used a skewer!!) to create a marble effect.

Bake in the oven for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Dust with icing sugar to serve.

D2 did love it - so as long as he is happy I guess that is all that matters - he thinks Mummy made him a cake with a heart in it (of course I did Darling!).

So what should I make for dinner tonight now - I live in fear of abject failure!!!

So tell me (please) Dear Readers do you often have a string of failures - please tell me you do - even if you don't - just to make me feel better!!!

Valentine's Day Recipes

So how was your Valentine's Day?  I hope you had a lovely meal with your loved one somewhere.

We had a quiet night in at home.  As promised, here are the recipes from last night's dinner.

For starters we had Souffle Oysters.  I am not a huge fan of raw oysters, so I always tend to cook them some how.  I am kind of tired of the usual of Oysters Kilpatrick, so decided to make Souffle Oysters this time.  Years and years ago I had a go at making these, but for the life of me I couldn't remember where the recipe was (don't you hate when that happens?).  So after several google attempts, and not finding the recipe I wanted here, is what I I ended up making (I think it was kind of close to the one I made many moons ago!!!)

Souffle Oysters


Serves 2

12 oysters on the half shell
2 tbs finely grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg, separated
2 tbs whole egg mayonnaise
1 tbs snipped chives
squeeze of lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard

Prepare a small baking try by either spreading rock salt on the tray or by placing a piece of foil that you have crinkled up on the tray (you want a decent amount of crinkles to hold the oyster shells in place!!)

Place the oysters on your prepared baking tray.

Combine the parmesan, egg yolk, mayonnaise, chives, lemon juice and dijon mustard in a small bowl.  Mix well, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In a separate small bowl beat the egg white until stiff peaks form.  Fold 1/3 of the beaten egg white into the parmesan mixture, until just combined.  Fold in the remaining egg white, being careful not to mix it too much and break up the air bubbles.

Spoon 1 -2 teaspoons of the souffle mixture onto each oyster shell.

Place the oysters under the grill, and grill for approximately 3 minutes, or until the topping is lovely and golden.

So how were they - delicious!!!  not overly cooked, but not raw either.  The lovely light cheesy souffle topping was just what I was searching for!

For the main I wanted to try something a little different, and decided to try steamed salmon (in the Varoma). The recipe actually had the salmon being stuffed with a salmon mousse, but I wanted to vary it a little, so I gave it a prawn and salmon mousse filling!

Salmon with Prawn and Salmon Mousse Stuffing with Curried Mango Sauce
Adapted from Full Steam Ahead - Thermomix Cookbook

Serves 2


Mousse Stuffing
180g green prawn meat *
60 g salmon (these were the off cuts from evening out the fillet pieces) *
15g butter, softened
200g cream (30% fat)
2tbs snipped chives
salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch freshly ground nutmeg

Place the salmon pieces and prawn meat into the TM mixing bowl.  Mince for 15 seconds on speed 5.
Add the cream, salt and pepper, nutmeg, chives, and cayenne pepper.  Mince for 15 seconds on speed 6.

Transfer mousse mixture to a bowl.

* You can either use approximately 250g of salmon, or prawn meat for the mousse, or do as I have done and make a combination.  You will have slightly more than is needed for stuffing the fillet, but wait.... and see what I did with it!

Salmon


I purchased 2 x large tail pieces, skinned

Trim the tail pieces so that they match each other exactly in size, and you have a nice even sized pieces of fish.

Spread out a large piece of cling wrap on the kitchen bench.

Place one fillet on the cling wrap.  Spread the fillet with a generous amount of the mousse.  Place the second fillet on top of the mousse.  Wrap the cling wrap tightly around the fish, making sure that you have completely enclosed the fish.

Place the wrapped salmon fillet into the Varoma receptacle.

Now I hear you asking what I did with the left over mousse mixture???

Lay out another piece of cling wrap.  Place the mouse onto the wrap, and roll it into a sausage shape.  Place in the Varoma along with the salmon.

Curried Mango Sauce
250g of fresh mango pieces
50g brandy
1/2 tsp curry powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
300g fish stock
200g cream (30% fat)
100g plain yoghurt
2 tsp cornflour

Now here is the beauty of cooking with the Thermomix.  You can steam your fishand vegetables, and cook your sauce all at the same time (while you are still sitting at the table having a glass of wine!!!).  There are two levels to the Varoma - on the bottom level you have your fish, and the top level the vegetables that you are serving with the fish.  Leave the vegetable layer out for the first 2 cooking stages.

Place the mango pulp, brandy and salt and pepper into the TM mixing bowl.  Cook for 5 minutes/Varoma/Speed 1.

Add the stock, place the Varoma (with the fish inside!!) into position and cook for 20 minutes/Varoma/Speed 1.

Set the varoma aside.  (Keep covered) Add the cream through the opening in the mixing bowl lid, place the varoma back in place, with only the vegetable layer in place.  Cook for 5 minutes/90 degrees/Speed 1.

Add the yoghurt that you have combined with the cornflour, blend for 30 sec/speed 10.  Season if needed.  Add both levels back to the varoma, and cook for an additional 4 minutes/varoma/speed 1.

Carefully remove the fish, and unwrap from the plastic.  Cut neatly into two serving portions.  Unwrap the mousse "sausage" and slice up and serve along side the salmon.

Serve the salmon with potatoes and steamed vegetables of choice.

The reason I split up the vegetables and the fish was that last time I cooked the vegetables in the varoma for the length of time the recipe specified I found the vegetables too soft for my liking - you may alter this if you like.

Now of course if you do not have a Thermomix - do not despair.  You can make the mousse filling in a food processor - and steam the fish in a similar way using other steaming methods.

Now onto the piece de resistance!!!  Dessert.  I pondered long and hard over this one - I was going to make my favourite Creme Brulee - but Precious wanted to bake cupcakes for her new beau - so we compromised, and split one batch of Red Velvet Cupcakes between us - and had fun making them together.  I had seen many and various recipes for these floating around the internet - but this is the one we tried to adapt to the Thermomix.

Red Velvet Cupcakes
Adapted from recipe found at joyofbaking.com
Makes approx 12-13 (you want a "spare" to sacrifice for crumbs!)

200g plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 grams cocoa powder
60g butter, at room temperature
180g white caster sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tbs red liquid food colouring
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp bi carb soda

Cream Cheese Frosting
250g crem cheese, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
110g icing sugar, sifted

I will give you both methods for making these - the regular version and in bold the TM method.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (non fan forced)

Prepare muffin tray with liners.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.

In the bowl of electric mixer (TM) beat the butter until soft. (1.30 minutes 50 degrees - Speed 4).   Add the sugar and beat for 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy (30 seconds speed 5).  Add the egg and beat until incorporated. (10 seconds speed 3).  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. (5 seconds speed 6).

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food colouring.  With the mixer on low speed (speed 3) alternatively add the flour mixture, and then the buttermilk mixture to the bowl.  Do this in three additions, ending with the flour mixture.

In a small cup combine the vinegar with the bi carb soda.  Allow the mixture to fizz, and then quickly mix into the cake batter. (10 seconds speed 6).


Now they said to work quickly - but we couldn't and it didn't seem to make much of a difference. Divide the batter amongst your prepared muffin cups.  Smooth the tops.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool the cakes on a wire rack until completely cool.

To make the cream cheese frosting place the cream cheese in the bowl of your electric mixer (TM - with butterfly attachment) Beat the cream cheese until smooth (20 seconds speed 4) scrape down the bowl. Add the vanilla and icing sugar, and beat until the mixture in nice and smooth (20 seconds speed 4).  You may need to add more icing sugar to get the right consistency.  Now you can either pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes (but we found this took way too much frosting!!) - or you can use a spatula knife.

Crumble your "sacrificial" cupcake and top the frosting with those lovely red crumbs!!

So how were these lovely little red cakes?

Pretty darn good ........

Even the taste tester said so!!!!

So I hope you enjoyed your Valentine's Day as much as we did.

.... and in answer to the question that I know you are going to ask.... no "The Darlings" did not partake of this meal with us - I fed them earlier - on 4 ingredient pasta!! So everyone was happy last night!!!

I apologise if I have not given exactly accurate directions with the TM - but it got a little frenetic at times in the kitchen yesterday while we were baking!!!

As you all know I am signed up for the 2011 Cookbook Challenge.  This fortnight's theme was LOVE!!!  So last night's meal I thought fit pretty well into that theme!!!  Go check out the site to see what others have been making.