We have been on a bit of a pizza kick at work. I am happy to say I have never been off my pizza kick. Always loved it, always will. I have a fantastic pizza stone that is unrivalled. It is ceramic with tunnels running from front to back and seems to produce a superior product. (Or maybe I’m just a damn fine pizza cook!) Anyhoo, I don’t have any recipes for pizza up here…a grave error, (Recipe? Bread dough, slap on a sauce, topping and cheese and we’re done, right?) and of course, when it comes to this site, the first pizza I come up with is for dessert. Not traditional, but certainly worth the effort. Enjoy!

NEED:

Starter;

1tsp sugar

1tsp granulated yeast

160g bakers flour

220g cold water

pinch sea salt

Base;

1 egg

250g buttermilk or milk

30g butter

400g bakers flour

olive oil

DO:

Place all starter ingredients into Thermomix bowl and mix for 10 seconds on speed 7. Scrape into non plastic bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Leave overnight at room temperature. (Cool is fine!)

The next day, place all of starter and remaining ingredients (except oil) into Thermomix bowl and mix together for 6 seconds on speed 6. The dough will appear sticky. With dial set to closed lid position, knead for 2 minutes at Interval speed.

Turn out onto oiled Silpat mat and knead into tight ball by hand. Place into oiled glass bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap so it is airtight. Allow to double, again, a slow rise in a cooler temperature will give you a nicer crumb in the finished base.

Gently tip dough out onto baking paper or Silpat mat and divide into 3 equal pieces. Push each piece into desired shape with finger tips so as to dimple the top of the dough. Do not roll out or stretch out…allow the elasticity in the dough to work for you.

Top with variety of toppings. Bake by sliding pizza straight onto preheated pizza stone and cook until golden and bubbly. (Raspberry, lime option will have a lot of caramelised sauce) Serve immediately with lashings of mascarpone cream cheese or double cream or possibly ice cream.

I did two on this occasion (see below) photographed both and in a flu induced haze, deleted them both off my SD card before saving them, thus the singular pic. Did a cheesecake cherry topping at work…and luckily took that pic at work, so all safe and sound on my desktop, so have included that in the trio. All three were delicious and did not last long.

Topping One;

Press a few raspberries into the base, add thinly sliced lime. Drizzle with grapeseed oil and sprinkle the whole thing generously with organic raw sugar. When eating the lime slices can be removed, tho I quite enjoyed the crunchy caramelised skins.

Topping Two;

Sprinkle base with cranberries and dark mini chocolate nibs. Be quite liberal. Drizzle entire pizza with organic maple syrup.

Topping Three;

Cherry Sauce NEED:
60g sugar
670g jar morello pitted cherries
30g cornflour

DO:

Place sugar into Thermomix bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 10.
Insert basket into Thermomix bowl and pour whole jar of cherries in. Remove basket (with cherries) and set aside.
Add cornflour to Thermomix bowl and cook for 4-5 minutes at 100ºC on speed 4. Set aside.

Lemon Cheesecake NEED:
80g sugar
Zest and juice 1 lemon
2 eggs
500g cream cheese

DO:
Place sugar and zest into Thermomix bowl and mill together for 10 seconds on speed 10.
Add remaining ingredients and blend together for 10 seconds on speed 7. Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat.

ASSEMBLE:

Divide dough into two portions and roll out each separately on a piece of baking paper.

Place first pizza onto pizza stone and bake for approximately 7-8 minutes or until starting to brown slightly. The pizza may puff up as there are no toppings, but this is not a problem.

Remove from oven and generously spread half of the cheesecake mixture onto the pizza.

Drizzle with half of the cherry sauce, top with a few of the reserved cherries and return to the oven for 3-4 minutes or until lemon cheesecake topping has set. Serve immediately and make a second one….cos you’re going to need it!

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!

Well this post had to happen sooner or later…and I guess it’s officially sooner! I have managed to go through all my posts and look what I found! I could start a tart and pie shop, clearly! Any potential partners out there, send me a message and I’m ready to go!

First up in my self imposed round up, and most recently added, the free form tart with fresh apricots and cherries can be found here. Tart (in the true sense of the word) sweet, a little nutty, and so EASY!

Then there was the fresh fig and honey tart, with a touch of marzipan…and just to add a dimension, toffee topping!

Of course, no Australian food blogger could have a complete site with out the good ole Meat Pie post…enjoy!

Simple, fruity, great pastry…what more could you want in a fruit pie? Well vanilla bean of course. One of my faves…(aren’t they all?)

If you come here often, you will know that Lemon is almost as good as chocolate to me…thus the Lemon Olive Oil Tart…which if you never cook anything else from this site, you must do this one…promise me now!

Got no time? Need dessert quickly? This is the one for you…no pastry, but a flan none the less…and a little international as well!

Oh that’s right…you know how I said the Lemon Olive oil tart was my fave?? Maybe not, maybe it’s this one…Buerre Noisette….Burnt Butter is my new fascination at the minute, seriously good stuff…calories worth eating!

Kind of a cross between a cheesecake and a sweet pie, this will become a family favorite…it would be in our house, if I allowed myself to make it again! Some pies should only be eaten once…for the sake of the arteries that is!

Never shie away from a fruit you don’t know…put it in a pastry shell and voila, easy dessert…(and completely delish!)

Another Lemon slash cheesecake slash pie cross worth eating…(again…aren’t they all??)

OK OK, Chocolate meets almonds head on…and they both WIN! Chocolate pastry, chocolate filling (with almond frangipane) topped with chocolate ganache…can’t really go wrong if you are a chocolate lover!

Now for a rare look at a savoury option…hang on to it whilst you can, there may never be another!

Strawberries, Luscious Lime, crispy pastry, a true summer tart…try it today!

Sorry, but there’s more and of course chocolate is involved…easy peasy, chocolate squeezy!

And here comes another traditional tart…or pie…The quintessential Lemon Meringue Pie.

I could of course keep going, and was in fact surprised (though why I don’t know!) by the sheer number of pastry delights on here…I stopped here as there are many others, but they are less recent and perhaps not as well done as I would like them to be. (Time for an upgrade or two I suppose!) Cut to the chase I hear you cry…recipe recipe recipe….OK!

So to today’s offering…you wouldn’t believe it…chocolate again, pecans are the nuts of choice and not my recipe, but stunning in every way…lactose free, unless butter bothers you. All the components of decadence required by chocolate and nuts and the best darn pastry a Thermomix can mix!

Adapted from Willies famous recipe, it is a chocolate pecan tart. Now before you shriek at the sheer number of sugar grams, remember I was using pure cacao and I have to say, it was a chocolate hit like no other. (Being Easter weekend, I know what I’m on about here folks!)

NEED:

Pastry:

100g raw sugar

200g plain flour

100g unsalted butter frozen and cubed

2 egg yolks

1tsp vanilla essence

Filling:

180g pure cacao (Or reduce sugar and use 70% dark chocolate)

50g unsalted butter

75g caster sugar

160g pure maple syrup

3 eggs

100-120g pecan halves

DO:

Pastry:

Preheat oven to 190oC and butter a 23cm loose bottomed flan tin. Set aside.

Place sugar into Thermomix bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 10.

Add flour and butter and mix together for 6-7 seconds on speed 8.

Add vanilla essence and yolks and mix for a further 6-7 seconds on speed 6 or until pastry forms soft balls.

Tip out onto floured Silpat mat and bring together with hands into large disc shape. Roll out using floured rolling pin and line prepared flan tin. Place in freezer for at least 15 minutes. Remove, line with baking paper and weights (rice, beans or proper pie weights) and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove weights and bake a further 5 minutes until pastry is no longer shiny. Remove and cool slightly before filling with prepared filling.

Filling:

Place cacao into Thermomix bowl and mill for approximately 10 seconds until powdered.

Add butter, sugar, and maple syrup to Thermomix bowl and melt for 6 minutes at 50oC on speed 1.

Add eggs through hole in lid and beat in for 30 seconds on speed 8. Scrape down sides of bowl if necessary and repeat. You will have a thick mousse like consistency.

Place pecans into prepared pastry case, scrape filling on top and spread with spatula. Bake a further 10-15 minutes until set in centre. Chill completely before serving with lashings of cream…kind of necessary due to the dense nature of pure cacao.

Rhubarb Strawberry Pie

Blink and its gone!

(Don’t care what the vanilla has ‘bean’…what is it now??) I am on my first day of leave and the fragrance of a Rhubarb and Strawberry Pie with Vanilla Bean Pastry is wafting through the air as I write. It is almost done and smells absolutely divine…supposedly serving it tomorrow…but that smell is mouth watering, so we shall see! The strawbs are well and truly in at the farm near me and we love it! We probably spend an inordinate amount on strawberries, but no one is complaining, least of all me! The rhubarb was so stunning at the markets that I could not help myself, what beautiful colors!
I had planned to post my raw chocolate truffles, (yes Helen, just for you!) but that rhubarb seduced me! As we power up towards Christmas…going to need to pull out all the stops…also re doing my website, so stay tuned for some big beautiful changes soon! Oh ~ and by the way, I won the judging competition, my answers were as close to the professionals as possible, (whatever that means!!) I have yet to pick up my hamper of goodies…will keep you posted! SO: to the very delicious pie.

NEED:
600-700g rhubarb washed and chopped
100g sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 punnet strawberries hulled and halved
Pastry;
50g sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
200g cold butter cubed
380g plain flour
a little ice cold water as needed

DO:
Place rhubarb, sugar and vanilla bean into Thermomix bowl and add a little water to Thermomix bowl. Cook for 12 minutes at 100oC on Reverse + speed soft. Remove vanilla bean, dry and reserve for another use. Allow to cool completely.
Make pastry by placing sugar and 1/2 vanilla bean into Thermomix bowl and milling together for 10 seconds on speed 10.
Add butter and flour and mix for 10 seconds on speed 6 until resembles bread crumbs and is starting to come together.
Add water through hole in lid while you continue to mix on Interval speed. As soon as the dough starts to form a ball, stop and remove pastry from bowl onto lightly floured baking mat.
Divide into two, a bigger portion for the base and roll out to line a deep pie dish. (20-23cm diameter)
Place in freezer for 20 minutes.
Fill with cooked rhubarb and stud with strawberries. Roll out top and crimp edges. Cut a small cross in the center of the pie to allow steam to escape and cook in pre heated 190oC oven for 30 minutes until golden. Your pastry will have a peppered look, which is a result of the vanilla bean. If you prefer not to have that look, use vanilla extract instead.
It is a deliciously short pastry, and yes, we made it to Sunday before eating the pie, and eaten cold, the pastry was simply like eating a shortbread with a sweet but tangy filling…food superlatives escape me!

As you can see, there was not a lot left as soon as the first cut was made…would have fancied a piece of that tomorrow, but my fellow resort goers will thank me as I lay around the pool next week…yes just rubbing it in! I’M ON LEAVE!

Slice-O-Choc!

Just as I get nominated (and voted for many times…thank you!) I run into so much work that I have no time to create, let alone blog about creating! So in a feeble attempt to keep the banner high, this is a blog about more than just a recipe…its my current claim to fame. This morning I had the opportunity of getting up VERY early and making the trek to the Royal Showgrounds as one of the selected few on radio 6PR’s competition to be a cheese and ice cream judge at the Perth Royal Show. Imagine starting your day chomping down on 10 cheeses of excellence and 4 ice creams! All winners in their own right and all delicious to me…John Watson, the chief Dairy judge each year was there to take us through our paces…and make no mistake, it was harder than just wolfing down lactose laden delights!
We had to consider Body, Texture, Aroma, Content, obviously Taste was in the mix. I have to say that the cheese I selected as my winning choice (a Raclette) was outstanding amongst the outstanding-ness! Now I just have to wait and see if I picked the same winner as the judges…and as for ice cream, NOTHING beats my Panforte ice cream of recent testing (if I say so myself)…watch for that in the 2010 Calendar.

And speaking of 2010, they invited me back…so watch out…I’m destined to become the Dairy Queen…hmmn that has a certain ring to it!
Now to the recipe of today…Gluten Free, and guilt free if you consider the amount of antioxidants in dark chocolate and then look at the numbers below…who said chocolate cake (and berries) isn’t healthy? Protein rich…(I know I’m clutching at straws here…), you gotta love it! Its like a big slice of chocolate truffle. Whats not to love?

Dark Chocolate Torte with Berry Glaze.

NEED:
200g couverture or dark chocolate
250g unsalted butter
15g cocoa powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder or coffee substitute
5 large eggs
110g caster sugar

DO:
Line the base of a small springform pan.
Place chocolate and butter into Thermomix bowl and mill for 8 seconds on speed 6.
Melt together for 5 minutes at 50oC on speed 1. Add cocoa and espresso and beat together for 4 seconds on speed 6.
Cool slightly.
Add eggs and sugar and beat for 20 seconds on speed 5-6.
Pour into prepared pan.
Process in steam oven 1 hour.
Cool completely on wire rack.
If you have no steam oven, try steaming in Varoma for 1 hour and then finish off in fan forced oven for 20 minutes at 180oC.

SERVE:
Make glaze with 150g chocolate or couverture, 100g berries of choice and a dash of brandy (optional).

Place all into Thermomix and melt together for 4 minutes at 37oC on speed 1.
Pour over cake, serve with extra fresh berries and cream.

If you can manage to just have one piece, please tell me your secret!
Enjoy!

Forest Berry Tart

Browned butter just sounds delish doesn’t it?
This tart was so yum, that it disappeared within minutes of arriving in the work kitchen…an all time record perhaps. Glad I nabbed a slice at home!
The berries could be fresh or frozen but need to be quite tart, (pardon the pun) to off set the buttery, sweet texture of pastry and filling combined.
Please don’t complain about calories on this one, just have a sliver and enjoy, AND with more cream if at all possible!

NEED:
Pastry:
95g unsalted butter cubed
75g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
250g plain flour
Filling:
120g caster sugar
2 eggs
70g unsalted butter
35g flour
2 tbsp vanilla extract
Enough frozen or fresh mixed berries to cover base (around 300g)
DO:
Preheat oven to 175ºC and butter a loose bottomed flan tin.
To make pastry, place butter into TM bowl and melt for 4 minutes at 60ºC on speed 2.
Add icing sugar, vanilla and flour and with dial set to closed lid position, mix on Interval speed for 20 seconds until it resembles wet crumbs.
Push into flan tin and bake for 15 minutes or until golden and puffed up. Cool.
Without cleaning bowl, insert Butterfly and place sugar and eggs into TM bowl then beat for 4 minutes at 37ºC on speed 3.
Meanwhile, brown your butter by heating it in a light coloured saucepan stirring occasionally until it turns a nutty brown colour. Do not over brown, err on the side of not brown enough. It will smell very fragrant and delicious, without any overtones of burnt!
Set aside.
Complete the filling mixture by adding flour and vanilla to TM bowl and mixing for a further 20 seconds until well blended. Remove Butterfly before adding browned butter through hole in lid for 30 seconds with the blade turning on speed 3-4.
Sprinkle cooked and cooled pastry base with berries, spread filling topping over, using spatula to even out if necessary and then bake for a further 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden.
Serve cold for best presentation.

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!

Friand with Glaced Orange Slice

For the uninitiated, these are a ‘posh’ muffin, and well worth every calorie! The oval shape helps the friand rise and a hot oven is essential. These are a must with fresh hot coffee for brunch…enjoy!

Friands

Ingredients

280g sugar

150g almonds

50g plain flour

5 egg whites

1tsp vanilla bean paste

½ tsp almond essence

120g melted butter

300g frozen or fresh berries of choice

Or: Glacéd citrus of choice

Icing sugar to dredge warm friands

Method

Place paper liners into 12 hole friand tin and set aside.

Preheat oven to 200ºC.

Place sugar, almonds and plain flour into Thermomix bowl and mill together for 10 seconds on speed 10. Set aside.

Place egg whites, vanilla bean paste and almond essence into Thermomix bowl and mix for 30 seconds on speed 4.

Add milled almond mixture. With dial set to closed lid position, add melted butter through hole in lid as you mix all ingredients together for 30 seconds on Interval speed.

Divide between prepared friand molds, top with fruit of choice and bake for 20-25 minutes until well risen and cooked. Leave in tin for 5 minutes before removing to cool. Dust with icing sugar whilst still warm.

Serve fresh with or without whipped cream.