BEGINNING CHRISTMAS PREP! aaarrgghh!

I hate to say it, but there are only around 10 weeks until Christmas and of course as all stores minds turn to high retail profit margins, all cooks minds turn to what they can produce that is tempting, delicious and enticingly different.

Well I have a couple of answers hopefully and so am starting a new category, ‘The Twelve Recipes of Christmas’…so by the time the big day comes, you should have your menu’s completely sewn up and to raving ‘oohs and ahhs’ from those at your table on the day! I am cheating and adding a few in that I have already tried and tested and are on here now, but all in all, there should be a few new ones on your ‘to do’ list.

So tonight’s offering was a lovely dessert (you knew I had to start with that didn’t you??)
Cherry, Orange and Almond Tart.

NEED:
1 quantity Almond Pastry from the Thermomix recipe book. (See below)
100g sugar
zest and juice 1 orange (around 75g juice)
40g cornflour
680g jar pitted cherries
1/2 tsp almond essence
100g flaked almonds

DO:
Make pastry and push into large pie plate. Freeze until use.
Place sugar and zest into TM bowl and pulverise on speed 9 for 10 seconds.
Add juice, cornflour and drained juice from cherries.
Whiz together on speed 8-9 until blended then cook at 80 degrees Celcius for 7 minutes on speed 3-4.
It should be thickened and clear, like a jelly consistency.
Place drained cherries into prepared pie base, pour cooked syrup over the top, then sprinkle the flaked almonds on top.
Cook for 45 minutes at 160 degrees celcius or until set in centre.
Cool and serve warm or cold with…(what else) a dollop of whipped cream!

(This recipe is almost precisely the recipe that is found in the Everyday Cookbook provided with each Thermomix purchased in Australia. I have changed it only marginally.)

Almond Pastry
NEED:
30g sugar
30g almonds (unblanched)
210g Plain flour
130g hard chopped unsalted butter
1 tsp mixed spice
sea salt to taste
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2-3 tbspns cold water
DO:
Make icing sugar from sugar by pulverising on speed 9 for 10-15 seconds. Set aside
Put almonds into TM bowl and mill for a few seconds on speed 8.
Add all ingredients except water and mix on Interval speed until a dough starts to form.
Add water through lid as required until you have a ball of dough.
Use as instructed.