Dark Chocolate Cardamom Kiss

You know me, LOVE ice cream, particularly home made…and when there are about 4 ingredients…even better! (Well that’s if you don’t include the dipping ingredients.)

A little fiddly. I’ll be honest…but soooo cute! Impressive, if that’s what you’re after, and really, with a little patience, NOT that hard…just like I said, fiddly!

So a few tips;

• Make the ice cream well in advance of dipping and make sure you have made the small balls and frozen them separately for at least 24 hours.
• Use food handling gloves for easy rolling of the ice cream into balls.
• Place each ball into a mini muffin tin…its amazing how much easier that makes it!
• Do each colour separately and replace the un-dipped balls into the freezer between preparations!

The recipe…

NEED:

400g coconut milk

500g whipping cream

75-80g honey

4-5 cardamom pods

DO:

Place all ingredients into Thermomix bowl and scald for 15 minutes at 80oC on speed 3. Allow mix to cool completely before removing cardamom pods and placing into ice cream churner. Follow manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately or freeze until solid and form balls as required. Dip as desired and serve as finger food dessert.

Of course if you have no ice cream churner…not a problem. Freeze mix in ice cube trays and then simply place cubes into your Thermomix and whiz up for around 30 seconds or so until thick and rich and creamy! Return to freezer and then continue with rolling and dipping if desired as directed.

To dip, use around 50g chocolate, or white chocolate and melt with 1 tsp of coconut oil until liquid…add flavours/colours as desired, toss ice cream balls through each batch individually (work fast) and return to freezer immediately. If you are rolling kisses into anything after coating, be doubly quick. (coconut, coloured sprinkles, crushed pistachios, etc etc)

Each 50g chocolate will coat approximately 4 walnut sized ice cream balls. The total recipe will yield around 30-40 balls…I confess I only did half the mix, we ate the rest drizzled with passionfruit pulp…it is everything ice cream should be; the whitest, creamiest, fluffiest mouth taste ever.

Pictured are dark chocolate rolled in coconut, lime zest in white chocolate, frozen raspberry in white chocolate, plain dark chocolate. As you can see, to roll on top of dipping adds dimension. I would recommend only 1-2 per serving, but of course…everyone WILL want to try them all! Sorry, that’s just how it is!

Christmas Ice Cream Torte

I know that sounds crazy to my northern readers, but as the temperature starts to head into the 30′s (Celcius that is), our thoughts down under turn to Christmas, and ways to keep the feasting cool and casual, around the pool or water somewhere, somehow…what better conglomeration than Ice Cream and Christmas Pudding? Great in the centre of your Christmas table or really charming as individual serves, this recipe is a beauty, if I say so myself. More of a torte than a Christmas pudding, a piece d’resistance after a stunning meal, and a must to start off my Christmas ramblings for 2009. Hard to believe how fast the year has gone, but lets stay away from that topic shall we? SO with no further ado, let the cooking begin…2009 Christmas here we come!

Christmas Ice Cream Torte

NEED:
1 recipe Raspberry Coulis from Everyday Cooking for Every Family (Thermomix book)

230g butter shortbread biscuits (I recommend Walkers for the butter content.)

55g toasted blanched almonds

55g sugar

2 eggs

300g chilled cream

½ tsp rosewater (optional)

50g craisins

50g shelled pistachios

150g each pink and green Turkish delight, cubed (available at specialty stores)

DO:

Make Raspberry Coulis and cool.

Pre heat oven to 180ºC. Line the base of a 13cm spring form pan or for individual tortes, butter a muffin or friand tin and set aside.

Place shortbread biscuits and almonds into clean Thermomix bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 10.

Push into pan and bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Place sugar into clean and dry Thermomix bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 10. Insert Butterfly.

Add eggs and cook for 6 minutes at 60ºC on speed 3.

Pour into separate bowl and chill.

Pour cream and rosewater into Thermoimix bowl and whip for 10-20 seconds on speed 4 until soft peaks form. Fold by spatula into chilled custard and then fold through remaining ingredients except Coulis.

Pour into base and then pour Coulis on top. Stir through with a skewer to create a marbled effect.

Freeze for 4 hours or more before serving.  Garnish unmoulded torte with fresh berries, mint leaves and additional pistachios or Turkish delight pieces as desired, and dust with icing sugar.

General Tips

To assist with serving, place in fridge 20 minutes before unmoulding and slicing.

Honey Pecan Ice Cream

Well you may have noticed a few changes around here…not least of which is the stunning new site which is still getting altered bit by bit by my very helpful nephew Luke! (Thank you) Of course, being the almost complete computer illiterate that I am, there may be more errors than not, but I believe it has all been brought over from the other site and should look better, feel better and of course, therefore BE better than ever before! So…please enjoy. I have also changed (finally), the name of my site, which was a little dated according to my very helpful fellow foodie Matt and hopefully this will find its mark! Same recipes, same chit chat, but much prettier and easier to navigate. I actually have a new home kitchen to show off on here as well, but that will wait for another day when I have had the professional photo shoot!

Today, as I languished in long awaited sunshine, my thoughts naturally turned to ice cream, and as we have had a recent honey harvest, I knew a honey ice cream would be a real treat…honey and pecan to be precise, so brace yourselves…one serving of this will never do, and it is so easy that I’m almost embarrassed to call it a recipe!

NEED:
3 eggs
75g fresh honey
300g milk
300g ice cold whipping cream
150g toasted pecan nut pieces

DO:
Place eggs and honey into Thermomix  bowl and blend for 1 minute on speed 3.
Add milk and cook for 7 minutes at 90oC on speed 4. Cool completely.
Place cream into Thermomix bowl and whip for 20-40 seconds until holding stiff peaks.
Fold through nuts and cooled custard by adding all to the Thermomix bowl and gently stirring together on Reverse + speed 3.
Place into metal tray or bowl and freeze for several hours until solid. Soften in fridge for around 20 minutes  before serving.

Not very sweet, creamy and oh those toasted pecans…very adult ice cream…the kids will stay away in droves, but that is the idea after all!

Scoop the pistachio's

I know I pretty well switch between a bread recipe and an ice-cream recipe lately, (as my hips can attest) but because I missed a whole month of our summer, I am feeling downright summery on this 35oC day (95oF)! That and the chance to play with my friends DeLonghi Ice Cream churner, means that sorry folks, another ice cream recipe, making it two in a row…which surely can’t be all bad right? ‘An ice-cream churner?’ I hear the Thermomix die hards cry. Yes…it is possible without, but I really wanted that creamy, churned gelato effect, and thank you DeLonghi, we got it! Plus green is the theme this week anyway right?? So here we have it all covered – Pistachio Ice Cream, from scratch! Apologies for my photo, it really WAS green, I’m serious…well, more ‘olive’ or even ‘sage’ I guess, but that’s still green…? St. Patrick never knew the difference either I’m told!

NEED:
200g shelled and blanched pistachios
1 vanilla bean
500g milk
210g caster sugar
3 large eggs
230g whipping cream
1 tsp almond essence

DO:
(To blanche pistachios, pour boiling water over the top, leave for 1 minute and then squeeze out of their skins…fiddly but necessary!)
Place pistachios and vanilla bean into Thermomix bowl and mill for 15 seconds on speed 10.
Add milk and blend until smooth and green! (About 2 minutes on speed 10).
Add sugar and eggs and cook for 9 minutes at 90oC on speed 4.
Allow to cool until temperature registers 50oC. Remix for a few seconds just to bring together and then add cream and almond essence. Blend for 10 seconds on speed 7.
Cool completely…I mean fridge cold, then pour into churner and follow manufacturers instructions for churning.
This does benefit from being left out of the freezer for 10 minutes before serving as it is quite hard…but that is only if you manage not to eat the entire load as it finishes churning…at which point it is stunning both in flavor and texture!
Fluffy, creamy, pistachio green, the texture of gelato, the fat of ice cream…mmmmnnn, going to have start wearing elasticized waist bands on posting days real soon!

Lime Lemon Posset with Raspberry Mayo

Lime, Lemon Posset fresh from freezer

Inspired by my trip to New Zealand and the Wai Restaurant’s Executive chef and owner Martin James demo to all us Thermomix enthusiasts, I knew a Rasberry Mayonnaise could be done, and it was worth the effort…it was just getting it up here that proved the sting! I have been more than busy, the Vegetarian Book for Thermomix Australia is out and available for sale by the end of the month…and full of my blood, sweat and tears I might add! (Well, no blood, it is vegetarian after all!) We also rushed a Lunch Box ideas booklet, and I mean rushed, my son’s all American wedding was amazing plus I demo-ed and sold Thermomix to a professional chef and company in Vegas, but travelling around the globe is off my list if we are talking economy! ‘Business class or nothing’ she cries!

Not strictly a Posset, not strictly an ice-cream, nor a custard, and definitely Possum free, (‘Possum’ Australian vernacular, term of endearment, largely used by old ladies…yes that would be me!) this dessert was wonderful teamed with a raspberry mayonnaise I concocted from my own Raspberry Oil (another posting yet to come). So…what is a Posset you ask?
Apparently an historic dessert or in some instances alcoholic drink, usually involving cream, eggs, flavorings and heat…I have added lemon, lime, heat and then frozen it. Delicious, light yet creamy and thoroughly more-ish. If you are on a diet, forget it, you can’t trim this one down…
NEED:
50 grams sugar
zest and juice 1 lemon, and 1 lime
3 whole eggs
600 grams whipping cream

DO:
Place sugar and zests into Thermomix bowl and mill together for 30 seconds on speed 9.
Add eggs and cream and beat together for 30 seconds on speed 7.
Cook for 7 minutes at 80oC on speed 4.
Cool to room temperature then freeze for 2 hours.
Scoop mix into TM bowl and beat for 1 minute on speed 2.
Add juices through hole in lid with blades rotating and beat a further 3 minutes on speed 4.
Freeze and repeat the beating at least one more time, twice if possible before serving with Raspberry Mayonnaise.

TO make mayo; cook 350 grams raspberries with 30 grams sugar for about 5 minutes at 80oC on speed 2.
Strain seeds by pushing through sieve.
Place strained mix back into TM bowl and then with lid in place, pour up to 350 grams raspberry oil onto lid with MC in place.
Beat for 2-3 minutes on speed 9 until all of the oil has dripped through into the bowl.
Check for consistency, which should be about the same as mayonnaise, then beat more if required.
Keep in fridge and serve as accompaniement to desserts…(or just eat it by the spoonful as desired!)
Now…I do have a truckload of that mayo left and my hips simply can’t handle it by the spoonful….hmmn, I will keep you posted, I’m sure there is a recipe solution out there somewhere!

Well a New Year is upon us, so are a few extra kilos and the remains of Christmas folly…dozens of candy canes hanging on the tree. So in a fit of candy thrift (something that doesn’t happen to me very often, nothing lasts that long!) and with the temperature hovering around 35oC (Yes dear Northern Readers, we are talking 95oF) ice cream seemed a great option. With little time remaining in my morning, this is what we got…and not bad if I say so myself, in fact, ‘mint’ actually!

NEED:
120+grams candy canes (mint ones and note to self; fully unwrapped!)
600 grams whipping cream
330 grams cultured buttermilk
270 grams full cream milk
4 eggs
170 grams caster sugar
35 grams cornflour
1 tsp each peppermint and vanilla essence

DO:
Place candy canes into Thermomix bowl and chop for ONE second on speed 6. (We want pieces, not dust)
Set aside.
Insert Butterfly attachment and whip cream for 20-40 seconds until starting to stiffen. Soft peaks. Set aside in same bowl as candy canes and fold through. Place in freezer.
Make custard with all remaining ingredients for 8 minutes at 80oC on speed 4.
Cool in water bath until room temperature is reached.
Blend through whipped cream mixture for 20 seconds on speed 5 and freeze for several hours.

An additional candy cane as a garnish would have been perfect, but alas, we used them all in the ice-cream, which as I write has been completely eaten…{sigh}

After a hearty telling off (see Comments on “CALL FOR COMMENT!!”) I am truly chastised and contrite, back in the saddle and dreaming up my favourite…Dessert, what’s more Ice Cream…and Licorice to boot. What more could a Recipe Developer with a sweet tooth ask for? Three great loves rolled into one!

I’ve been meaning to put this together since acquiring my newest gadget, Thermomix, but have resisted till now. SO in honor of returning to the blogging minority, here is my recipe for Licorice Ice Dream…yes Dream! Check out those little chunks of licorice! This is soooo yummy, there should be a law against it!

NEED:
250 grams sugar
6 egg yolks
360 grams milk
360 grams whipping cream
pinch sea salt
200 grams licorice pieces
additional 600 grams whipping cream

DO:
Make caster sugar in Thermomix, with sugar by pulverising on speed 9 for 10-15 seconds.
Add yolks, milk and first lot of cream.
Cook for 10 minutes at 90oC.
Add licorice and salt and stir on speed 2-3 until licorice starts to melt a little and combine.
Bring speed up slowly to around 7-8 and beat for 30 seconds.
Pour into cold tin, allow to come to almost room temperature and freeze overnight.
In clean dry TM bowl, whip remaining cream until soft peaks form (around 30-40 seconds).
Place frozen mixture into TM bowl and blend with whipped cream for 30-40 seconds on speed 6-7.
Re-freeze for several hours. Makes around 2 litres of excellent textured ice-cream.

This recipe would be easy (enough) to duplicate with a good strong arm (for the custard part), a mixer/blender and an icecream maker…so go ahead, email me and order your Thermomix now!

OK, I know ice cream has very little to do with Steam Oven Cooking…well nothing in fact, but MERCY it was good! I have been a bit obsessed with the old Thermomix, whipping up entire meals for thousands in seconds, and because of unseasonal sunny weather, the ice-cream idea just beckoned…and well, I am a star, what can I say? Get a load of this, but remember, NOT INSTANT…unless you get a flask of Liquid Nitrogen, you’ll be waiting overnight for this taste sensation.

NEED:
3 whole eggs
500 grams whipping cream
250 grams milk
200 grams dark chocolate (I used Cadbury Old Gold)
200 grams caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
pinch salt

DO:
Place chocolate in Thermomix bowl and chop on Speed 8 for 10 seconds. Set aside.
Break eggs into bowl and using butterfly whisk, beat until lemon in color. (Speed 4)
Add caster sugar, a little at a time until all blended. Remove butterfly.
Add all remaining ingredients, including chopped chocolate.
Cook for 5 minutes at 80 degrees on speed 5.
Pour into large metal loaf tin.
Place in freezer for approx 2 hours or until frozen around the edges.
Put into Thermomix bowl and beat for 30 seconds on Speed 9.
Return to loaf pan and return to freezer overnight.
You can beat it again if you would like it to be a lighter mixture…but I personally like a ‘heavy’ icecream.

SERVE: Scoop into bowls or waffle cones and work at not eating it all in one sitting! This amount should serve 6-8 generously.

I now am going to add toasted almonds, macadamias or whatever, replace the dark chocolate with white, add cherries, or peanut butter ganache, replace half the cream with a bought custard…oh the mind boggles! Clearly I need to get more acquainted with the gym, that I have been so lax with of late!

USED: