I am missing a few accents in the title, this Swedish sandwich cake is actually spelt, Smörgåstårta and is of course a salute to all things sandwich…and so pretty! Which is why it appealed to me in the first place. I have (as some of you know) reached the ripe old and mature age of Grandy hood…and so there has been a baby shower and as we are expecting a little girl to be welcomed into the Holder family, the baby shower had to be appropriately pretty and this fit the bill exactly! Rather than fiddle around with patching loaves together to fit the round cake that I was after, I decided to make my own bread, so this is part one of Smörgåstårta, (cue the drum roll….) The Loaf!

NEED:

60g fresh yeast

200g brewed Crio Bru liquid

200g water

3 tbsp malt powder  as found in For Foods Sake

2 tbsp honey

400g wholemeal flour

400g bakers flour

3 tbsp Crio Bru dry granules (As opposed to reserved wet granules from your morning cuppa)

Pinch salt

DO:

Place yeast, Crio Bru liquid, water, malt powder and honey into Thermo bowl and warm 2 min/37ºC/speed 1.

Add half each of the flours and all the Crio Bru granules. Blend 15 sec/speed 6.

Add remaining flour a little at a time, kneading 1 min/Interval after each addition, to a total of 4 minutes. If your machine is struggling, remove half the dough, knead 2 min/Interval. Remove from bowl, repeat with remaining dough and knead the two amounts together by hand on a Silpat mat. Wrap tightly and allow to prove.

Line the base of a 23cm spring form tin with baking paper and grease the sides.  Shape dough into a large round and place into tin to rise. Preheat oven to 220ºC. Bake 20-25 minutes or until well risen, golden and sounding hollow when tapped. Cool completely before cutting into 3-4 layers. (This will depend on how much rise you managed to achieve!!)

I actually made this loaf the day before and then filled it and frosted it on the day of serving. I would definitely do it that way again and recommend you do the same if possible. OH, and the bread would be perfectly fine as just plain old bread…I confess I ate the crusts (which are removed for  Smörgåstårta and I smothered them in fresh butter, as I hi-hoed into making the sandwich!!) 

Part two, which consists of basic method of construction, fillings, and frosting is coming soon…stay tuned.

Lime and Raspberry Flan

Seriously I cannot go past the combo of Lime and Raspberries. Be it a dessert or a drink, count me in. My darling sis has a gorgeous lime tree that is laden with fruit right now, so lucky me! I get the fruits of her hard labours….of course she gets a little in return, like a slice of this (just one!)…I believe in Fair Trade, and this is exactly how it works!

Should you be looking for more Limey, Raspberry, Citrussy recipes, you can’t go past some of the desserts in the most excellent For Food’s Sake, which I am hoping you all have a copy of…if not, WHY am I here??? (Just asking!)

NEED:

Shortcrust;
260g plain flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
130g cold butter cubed
1 egg yolk
60g sour cream
1 tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste

Filling; 
Zest and juice 3 limes
200g sugar
3 eggs
130g sour cream
20g cornflour
200g frozen or fresh raspberries

DO:

Pastry;

Place flour, sugar and butter into Thermo bowl and mix 5 sec/speed 5.

Add remaining ingredients and mix 10 sec/speed 5.

Tip out onto floured Silpat mat and press into a disc.

Roll out to fit a 18-20cm flan tin with removable base. Do not trim edges. Place in
freezer for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180ºC and blind bake for 20 minutes. Remove baking beans. Trim edges neatly to
the rim of the flan tin. Reduce oven temperature to 160ºC.

Filling;

Place zest and sugar into Thermo bowl and mill 10 sec/speed 10.

Add remaining ingredients except raspberries and mix 10 sec/speed 5.

Pour filling into pastry shell. Bake for 40 minutes or until custard is just wobbly in centre.

Garnish with raspberries and dust with icing sugar and cool completely before serving with ice cream or whipped
cream.

Choc Molten Pots uncookedOozing Choc Molten Puddingsssss

Oozing Choc Molten Puddingsssss

Not kidding…these have truffles in the center…so if you are on a diet, don’t read any further. You will just be tormenting yourself. Yes, just call me the devil.

You don’t have to make the truffles, but you may want to…they add such a chocolatey hit to this already amazing dessert. You will never go back to boring old chocolate cake again…at least not on my watch! In the process of doing a desserts book (you did read that correctly) I have had many many desserts that I felt were wrong for the project, but not wrong in any other way. When I say ‘wrong’ I mean, too long, too complicated, too hard to write without the benefit of pics to explain…etc. Our new little project will be up and running soon, so stay tuned for all the versions of dessert you ever wished for, in one handy location! In the meantime, be getting on with this hey?

NEED:

1 pre made batch Crio Bru Truffles (well you only need 6 actually, so that’s the upside…you also get truffles at the end of it!)

Enough butter to grease 6 small ramekins

Enough premium cocoa to dust 6 small ramekins

150g sugar

50g butter

1 tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste

4 eggs

Pinch Murray River pink salt flakes

50g plain flour

350g dark chocolate, melted

DO:

Preheat oven to 200ºC and butter each ramekin very well. Dust generously with cocoa. Set ramekins aside on a baking tray.

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

Add butter and blend 10 sec/speed 4.

Add vanilla, eggs, salt and flour. Blend 10 sec/speed 5.

Add melted chocolate that has been slightly cooled. (I used microwave, but induction cooktop is excellent for melting chocolate as well. Of course it can be done in your Thermo, but it can be quite slow and you would need to do this first.)

Blend 10 sec/speed 4. Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat.

Divide mixture between the prepared ramekins. Push a truffle (without any nuts or other coating FYI) into the centre of each and cover with pudding batter.

Bake 10-12 minutes until still springy to  touch.

Use a knife to loosen outer edges of cake and turn upside down to serve.

Serve with cream, mascarpone or ice cream to taste. Dust with additional cocoa if desired. You can refrigerate these fully assembled, but uncooked until ready to serve. It is best to eat them hot, straight from the oven. They may take a little longer if being cooked straight from the fridge.

Aztec Hot Chocolate Shots….go steady!

Store this one away for a cold evening when the wind is howling and you feel as though you need to be warmed right through. Recently featured in all classes since For Food’s Sake was launched, it has been a BIG hit with the whole country, and now here you go…all yours for the asking! Once again starring the chocolatey-est chocolate, because it is pure chocolate, Crio Bru…your friend and mine…choose the dark chocolate you use carefully, try to get a 64% or higher…for the best flavour and highest nutritional value. (And then you can tell yourself it is a health food…really!)

NEED:

1 cinnamon stick

1 dried chilli (or less to taste)

Zest 1 orange, finely grated

100g palm sugar

100g Crio Bru granules

100g dark chocolate, in pieces

500g cream

200g milk

Pinch sea salt

DO:

Place cinnamon, chilli, zest, palm sugar, Crio Bru and chocolate into TM bowl and mill 15 sec/speed 10.

Add cream, milk and salt and cook 10 min/80°C/speed 2.

Strain and drink in small shot glasses. Try adding a vanilla bean in the first step for another flavour advantage…delish!

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

820g 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!