Raspberry and Lime Spongey Mess

After an easy dessert? Got a sponge cake in the cupboard? (That was a joke…but you can run down to the shops right?) Most of this recipe can be quickly made and kept in the fridge for a desparate occasion…or go ahead, make a plan and make it as though you meant to…but either way? Delicious…go on, tell me all about it.

NEED:

Lime Butter;
Zest/juice 4 limes
120g sugar
160g unsalted butter , cubed
4 eggs

Berry Lime Coulis;
300g red berries of choice, fresh or frozen
65g sugar
Finely grated zest 1 lime
Juice 1 lime

Passionfruit Cream;

600g cream
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste
Pulp 2 passionfruit (grenadilla)

Assembly;
450g sponge cake, cubed
Additional raspberries to garnish

DO:

Lime Butter;

Place lime zest and sugar into mixing bowl and mill 15 sec/speed 10.

Add butter and chop 5 sec/speed 7.

Insert Butterfly and add all remaining Lime butter ingredients. Cook 10 min/80ºC/speed 4. Remove from bowl and set aside. Cool.

Make Lime Berry Coulis.

Place all ingredients into Thermomix bowl and cook 8 min/90°C/speed 1.

Blend 1 min/speed 6.

Strain through fine mesh sieve and refrigerate until use.

Whip chilled cream with sugar and vanilla in clean dry Thermomix bowl, with inserted butterfly 10-20 sec/speed 4.

Add passionfruit pulp and incorporate gently 4 sec/speed 4.

 Assembly;

Place cubes of sponge cake into large glass serving bowl, or several individual glasses. Drizzle with a little Berry Lime coulis. Dollop with Lime Butter and Passionfruit Cream. Repeat layering until all ingredients are used ending with cream. Garnish with raspberries. Serve chilled.

FIni Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse Tart

I know I can carry the chocolate thing too far sometimes…take for example the Crio Bru grounds in my Avocado dip…(don’t knock it until you try it!) But there really isnt a down side to a chocolate pastry base, filled with a chocolate mousse filling, and then, why not, to hell with the expense, top it off with some gorgeous berryness! This recipe was one I actually developed for the lovely Justine Schofield…if you are listening Jus, I am freelance now…busier than a cut snake, but hey, text me! (RecipesRittenRUs!!) It has subsequently been seen around various sources, so by now no means original…and even this is a tweak. But oh what a delicious one! Enjoy!

Chocolate Dough; 

NEED:

100g sugar

230g plain flour

120g unsalted butter, cold and cubed

35g Valrhona cocoa (or other high quality cocoa)

3 egg yolks

1tbsp iced water

DO:

Place sugar into Thermomix bowl and mill 10 sec/speed 10.

Add flour, butter and cocoa and mix 6 sec/speed 6.

Add egg yolks and water and mix 6-8 sec/speed 6-7 until a ball of dough forms.

Turn mixture out onto floured Silpat mat and push together with your hands. Form a flat disc, wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to chill.

Preheat oven to 180ºC.

Roll dough out to 3mm thick and line 8 individual tart tins, or a 23cm tin with pastry.

Trim edges and dock pastry with a fork all over the base. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes.

Blind bake for 15 minutes, remove beads and cook a further 10 minutes until crisp.

Allow to cool completely before filling.

Mousse Filling;

NEED:

150g good quality dark chocolate

50g milk

1 tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste

300g whipping cream

100g fruity Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries to garnish.

DO:

Place chocolate into Thermomix bowl and chop 10 sec/speed 8.

Add milk and vanilla and cook 2 min/50ºC/speed 1. Remove from bowl and set aside.

Without cleaning bowl, insert butterfly.

Place cream into Thermomix bowl and whip 10 sec/speed 4 or until soft peaks form.

Add melted chocolate back into Thermomix bowl and mix 3 sec/speed 4.

Pour EVOO onto lid with MC in place and incorporate 20-25 sec/speed 2.

Assemble by spooning mousse into prepared tart cases, topping with fresh berries and serving immediately.

Pasta Carbonara

It was bound to happen. In fact, I am amazed it didn’t happen sooner. Upon announcing that I was making pasta carbonara tonight for dinner, my (16yr old) son was pretty excited…why I wonder did I not do this recipe before?? Its a puzzle, but thanks to Julianne Block for asking the question…and magically, here it is! (Now Julieann, go sing my accolades far and wide!!)

YUMMY, and so easy, it just may become a staple…perhaps we might add it to the Dinner Spinner app…did you buy one yet? If not why not?

Get with the program kids. I mean, really…

NEED:

50g Parmesan, cubed

1 large brown onion, quartered (200g approx)

4 cloves garlic

300g speck bacon, cubed

200g Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced

620g liquid chicken stock OR equivalent water and stock paste of choice

2 tbsp Umami paste

300-400g long or short pasta of choice (100g per serving is an average!)

200g cream

Sea salt to taste (depends on saltiness of your speck)

Cracked black pepper to taste

Few Italian parsley leaves and or basil leaves to garnish

DO:

Place Parmesan into Thermomix bowl and mill 10 sec/speed 8. Remove from bowl and set aside.

Place onion and garlic into Thermomix bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 4.

Scrape down sides of bowl and add speck and mushrooms. Saute 10 min/Varoma/Reverse + speed 2.

Add liquid, Umami paste, and pasta and cook for time stated on pasta packet 100ºC/Reverse + speed 1.

Add cream, seasoning and herbs. Serve immediately with grated parmesan over.

Crio Bru Chocolate Truffles

You knew this had to come right? If there is Crio Bru Gelato, and Crio Bru Pavlova then clearly there needed to be Crio Bru Truffles…it was only a matter of time. They are easy enough, but chill the mixture in a flat tray for easier handling…and chill the whole mix inbetween if it gets too hard to work with. Either that, or just eat it out of the tray….skip that pesky rolling it into truffle stage; and go straight to the eating stage!

NEED:

200g cream

50g Vega Reál Crio Bru (you can use other flavors, but this is the strongest chocolate hit!)

40g coconut palm sugar or other sugar of choice

200g Margaret River Origin Chocolate of choice (I used Papua New Guinea, Trinitario beans 64%!)

Bits and pieces for rolling; chopped nuts, extra Crio Bru, and cocoa

DO:

Place cream, Crio Bru and sugar into Thermomix bowl and infuse 10 min/80ºC/speed 2. Allow to cool and infuse for around 10 minutes.

Add chocolate and reheat 5 min/80ºC/speed 2. Whip 30 sec/speed 3. Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat if necessary. Spread into a flat tray and chill for several hours. Press a piece of plastic wrap or baking paper down onto the surface of the chocolate to prevent a skin forming.

Use a small ice cream scoop or a melon baller to form small round truffles. Roll in bits of choice. Add an old chocolate box and you’re on your way to the wonderful Crio gift your family are all waiting for!

Crio Bru Pavlova Stack

I made this for my dear old dad’s birthday. I had been planning such a creation for while, ever since seeing a picture on Pinterest which I pinned (yes folks, yet another social networking thing I have become enamoured with!) So this is a bit of copy, but yet my own invention…Happy 80th father of mine!

NEED:

Pav Layers;

240g sugar

6 egg whites

1 pinch cream of tartar

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

25g Coco River Crio Bru granules

1 tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste

Filling;

2 tbsp sugar

900 mls cream (1 & 1/2 cartons)

25g Cocoa River Crio Bru granules

1 tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste

500g strawberries, sliced

DO:

Preheat oven to 140ºC. Line  3 trays with baking paper and mark 20cm circumference on each piece of paper. Set aside.

Place sugar into Thermomix bowl and mill 10 sec/speed 1o. Reserve 2 tbsp for cream filling.

NOW (may the Gods not strike me dead!!)….plug in your handbeaters…or kitchen aid and place the room temperature egg whites and cream of tartar into a clean dry non plastic bowl. Beat until foamy. Add vinegar to bowl.

Add milled sugar a little at a time until you have a stiff meringue and there is no longer any grains in the mix. (Test this by rubbing a little mixture between your finger and thumb.)

Fold through Crio Bru granules and vanilla bean paste with large sweeping motions, preferably with a metal spoon. Divid mixture between the 3 circles on prepared trays. Cook for 40-50 minutes until meringue is crisp and risen. Cool in the oven with door slightly ajar.

To make filling place all ingredients except strawberries into Thermomix bowl, insert Butterfly and whip for 20-40 sec/speed 4 or until soft peaks form.

To assemble, place a little dollop of cream onto centre of serving plate. Push one meringue circle onto the cream. This will hold it in place.

Spread that meringue with 1/3 cream mixture. Place a few sliced strawberries on top, then add the second meringue. Repeat with 1/3 cream and  strawberries, finishing with the final meringue, cream and strawberries.

Refrigerate and allow to soften a little for a few hours. (This will make it easier to slice.)

Pecan Dacquoise with Orange Chocolate Cream

Developed for the Celebrate and Bake cooking class menu, this is so delicious, that you will be making it again and again….and again! It is not difficult, but does take some planning. You should look at making it a few hours prior to serving as it improves over time, even better if you can make it the day before you serve it. This is also featured in my soon to be released BIG book For Food’s Sake, which I have been working on for the past wee while! So here you have a little sneaky peeky of what is to come. Hopefully you will all find one of the books under your tree this year, and more importantly, this on your Festive table this year, to great acclaim from all those whom you love!

NEED:

300g pecans

1 vanilla bean

300g sugar

zest 1 orange

6 egg whites

2 tbsp corn flour

1 tsp Heilala Vanilla bean paste

110g bag Crio Beans

600g whipping cream

2 tbsp good quality cocoa

A drizzle of Cointreau if desired

50g Orange dark chocolate (I used the fantastic Margaret River Chocolate version which has little bits of candied orange throughout…oh my!)

DO:

Toast pecans and vanilla bean on flat oven tray for 10 minutes by placing into a cold oven set to 200ºC. Set aside to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 160ºC.

Draw two x 18cm circles onto sheets of baking paper and place onto flat trays. Set aside.

Place vanilla bean into Thermomix bowl and a little of the sugar and mill 10 sec/speed 10. Remove from bowl and set aside.

Place cooled toasted nuts into Thermomix bowl and mill 8 sec/speed 8. Remove from bowl and set aside. Wipe out Thermomix bowl.

Place sugar and zest into Thermomix bowl and mill 30 sec/speed 9. Reserve 2 tbsp sugar for cream filling.

Insert butterfly. Add egg whites, cornflour and vanilla sugar into Thermomix bowl and beat 6 min/60ºC/speed 3.

Remove butterfly. Add milled nuts to Thermomix bowl and incorporate 20 sec/Interval. Finish folding through if necessary with spatula by hand. Divide mixture between circles on trays. Allow to rest for 10-30 minutes if you have the time, otherwise, don’t worry about it!

Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly before lifting with a large flat spatula off the paper. Cool completely on wire rack.

In clean and dry Thermomix bowl place Crio Beans and chop 3 sec/speed 6. Add reserved orange sugar, cream, and cocoa. Insert butterfly and whip cream till soft peaks form between 20-30 sec/speed 4. Top both dacquoise layers with this cream, bringing it almost to the edges. Do not completely scrape out the Thermomix bowl – in fact leave quite a lot of the cream in the bowl. Scrape all of it down so that it is around the blades.

Place chocolate into the bowl and melt 5 min/50ºC/speed 2. Drizzle over both layers, place one layer on top of the other, garnish with additional Crio Beans or toasted pecans.

Refrigerate for up to 1 day before serving. The cake will slice a lot more easily if it has been in the fridge for 24 hours. However; do not worry about it if you don’t have the time…it is just as delicious when eaten immediately, just more difficult to cut!

Fruity Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Another of the Celebrate and Bake class recipes that you may have missed…fantastic as a vegetarian main dish, or as a side dish to accompany all the usual at Christmas time. Make sure you charr the peppers, so a hot oven is essential…we managed to do them in a pizza oven in Mandurah, the BBQ in Newcastle with great results and of course in Sydney we had the luxury of the Kleenmaid Inspiration Gallery and so had our pick of the best ovens in the country. (I want a Butlers Pantry in my house!!…and the butler to go with it, but Kleenmaid don’t sell those!) I would say that most of the classes picked this as their favorite….other than the Speck and Salad Pizza, which recipe appears in my little book Dinner Spinner. If you haven’t ordered yours yet, please do so and then order them for all your thermomix owning friends/family/acquaintances and possibly neighbours…you won’t be disappointed…

NEED:

170g quinoa

1L water

Handful each fresh mint, basil and parsley

4 spring onions/shallots

½ tsp each ground cinnamon, allspice, paprika

100g dried figs

100g dates, pitted

40g craisins (dried cranberries)

70g pistachios

50g pine nuts

Sea salt to taste

Cracked black pepper to taste

6-8 capsicums, (peppers) in a variety of colours

EVOO as needed

Additional snipped herbs, toasted pine nuts to garnish

DO:

Place quinoa into simmering basket, insert into Thermomix bowl and pour water over the top. Cook 15 min/100ºC/speed 3. Remove quinoa and place into a large bowl to cool. Drain and dry TM bowl.

Place herbs, spring onions and spices into Thermomix bowl and chop

5 sec/speed 7.

Add figs and dates and chop 3 sec/speed 6.

Add nuts and seasoning and chop 3 sec/speed 4.

Preheat oven to 200ºC. Line a large baking tray with paper. Cut peppers in half and remove seeds and stalk carefully.

Stir nut and herb mixture into quinoa and mix well, adding a little EVOO to the mixture.

Stuff peppers with mixture and arrange on prepared tray. Drizzle with a generous amount of EVOO. Roast for 40 minutes or until capsicum skin is soft and filling is well cooked.

SERVE:

With a dollop of Minted Yoghurt, and garnished with additional snipped herbs and pine nuts.

Minted Yoghurt

Chop some fresh mint, add a pinch of sea salt and stir through some Greek-style yoghurt.

Crio Bru Ice Cream with Crio Beans

I am no award winning Azzura…believe me, but the thought of a rich chocolatey gelato on a hot day does things to me that just aren’t normal when discussing ice cream…or gelato as the case may be. Of course I have also been known to wax lyrical about another product which I can claim to have some links to; Crio Bru. ‘Brew the Bru’ is the catch phrase in my family every morning and now as my thoughts turn to hotter weather, I am thinking I may need other methods to get my daily Crio fix. What a wonderful way to eat something that’s good for you! Use the best cream, the best organic eggs, organic raw sugar…and of course, fantastic, amazing, healthy, superfood Crio Bru.

You can almost convince yourself this is better than oat bran! (I did say almost!)

NEED:

350g  heavy whipping cream
250g whole milk
75g Cavalla Crio Bru granules
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 tsp Heilala Vanilla Bean paste
5 large egg yolks
140g sugar
70-80g Crio Beans

DO:

Place cream, milk, Crio granules and cinnamon stick into Thermomix bowl and warm 8 min/70°/speed 2. Allow to infuse in the bowl for 30 minutes. Strain.

Return liquid to bowl and add all remaining ingredients except Crio Beans.

Cook 8 min/80ºC/speed 4.

Pour into flat tray and freeze minmum4 hours.

Break up into pieces and return to Thermomix bowl. Whip for 1 min/speed 6.

Add Crio Beans if using and blend 2 sec/speed 7.

Refreeze for several hours until solid.

Serve in large waffle cones and cue the Italian Opera playing in the background! (Really!)

Almond Peach and Apricot Tart

You may have noticed…I have been putting up a lot of  recipes based on the Dried Apricot Preserves. Its just that I am down to two kids at home and I have so much of the stuff, I need it out of the fridge…to make room for new future creations. No one is complaining mind you and personally I cannot ever go past the combo of Apricot and Almonds, added peaches because I saw they looked so wonderful and were new season,  and as you know, I am pretty big on tarts! Putting them all together was always going to happen…but now who is going to eat it?  (I am not willing to adopt, but pick ups are acceptable. BYO takeaway containers?)

Mind you as a breakfast it isn’t all bad. There’s fruit, almonds, eggs…its practically an omelette!

NEED:

Pastry;

75g blanched almonds, toasted and cooled

40g sugar

230g  flour

Pinch sea salt

60g cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp Heilala vanilla extract

1/2 tp almond extract

15-25g ice cold water

Filling;

600g firm-ripe peaches, halved, pitted, and each half cut into three

1 tbsp Amaretto

60g + 2 tbsp sugar

110g Dried Apricot Preserves

1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk

30g  cream

1 tsp  almond extract

1 tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste

DO:

Place almonds and sugar into Thermomix bowl and mill 10 sec/speed 10.

Add remaining pastry ingredients and mix 10 sec/speed 7. Push dough together on floured Silpat mat and form a flat disc. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Prepare the fresh apricots by drizzling them with the Amaretto, and tossing them with the 60g of sugar.

Place remaining filling ingredients, including the 2tbsp sugar into Thermomix bowl and blend for 10 sec/speed 7.

Preheat oven to 180ºC and roll pastry out to line a 20-22 cm flan tin with removable base. Blind bake for 15 minutes, remove baking beads and cook a further 10 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 170ºC. Line the cut peaches skin side up in the baked pastry case. Top with filling. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until filling is set. Serve in wedges with cream and/or ice cream (of course!)

Oh What A Tart!

Never one to  shy away from a tart…(you know that by now don’t you?) the beautiful strawberries that are out and about at the moment just beckon to me; So another tart. No apologies…suck it up…its tough, but someone has to keep you going to the gym! You’ll thank me…you will! (Oh, and Happy Birthday Number Four child…we thought of you as we ate this…missing you xx)

NEED:

Pastry;

40g raw sugar

Zest 1 lemon

Pinch coarse sea salt

190g flour

100g unsalted butter, cubed

1 tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste

1 large egg yolk

15g iced water

Mousse;

3 egg whites

Pinch cream of tartar

360g chilled cream

1 tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste

150g white chocolate, in pieces

Sauce;

500g strawberries

20g lemon juice, fresh

30g sugar

DO:

Pastry;

Place sugar, zest and salt into Thermomix bowl and mill 10 sec/speed 10.

Add flour, butter and VBP and blend 4 sec/speed 8.

Add egg yolk and water and blend 10 sec/speed 8.

Push dough into a disc on floured Silpat mat and roll out into large circle. Line a flan tin with removable base with pastry and place into freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Blind bake pastry case for 20 minutes. Remove beads and cook a further 10 minutes.

Cool.

Mousse;

Insert butterfly into Thermomix bowl. Place egg whites and cream of tartar into Thermomix bowl and whip 5 min/60°C/speed 3. Remove whites from bowl and set aside in a large bowl.

Place cream and VBP into Thermomix bowl and whip 20-30 sec/speed 4 or until soft peaks form. Remove butterfly and add cream to egg whites, leaving approximately 60g whipped cream in the base of the Thermomix bowl. Add chocolate to the Thermomix bowl and melt 5 min/50°C/speed 1. Scrape down sides of bowl and incorporate gently for a few seconds.

Cool chocolate slightly before folding egg whites, cream and chocolate together in large bowl by hand.

Spread into baked pastry case and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Strawberry Sauce;

Place 200g strawberries, lemon juice and sugar into Thermomix bowl and cook 7 min/70°C/speed 1. Blend 30 sec/speed 7. Push through strainer to remove seeds.

Slice remaining strawberries and arrange on top of mousse filling. Drizzle with the Strawberry sauce.

Chill until service.