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Hazelnut Chocolate (Nutella) Cheesecake

Nutella Cheesecake

We’ve had a really busy week here to the point that it was late last night that I realised that Valentines day was TODAY. My kitchen was still stacked full of boxes, and while I’ve managed to make a little progress, I focused today on making space to bake a chocolate cake for our Valentine’s day dinner. As it turns out, however, the oven in our new house is gas, and has no markings! I’ve never baked in a gas oven before, and this didn’t seem to be the day to start experimenting!Nutella Cheesecake

Fortunately I had Saturday Kitchen on while I was unpacking and sorting, and Nigella Lawson came on and made her Hazelnut Chocolate Cheesecake, which looked simple and delicious. Below is an adaptation on her recipe. The basic recipe is the same, but I’ve Thermified it. This recipe, however, you’ll be able to make any even the most basic of food processors.

In Nigella’s recipe (If you read this, Nigella, I hope you don’t mind the first name basis!) she tops it with crushed hazelnuts, but I’ve topped it with cocoa powder, then decided that wasn’t striking enough, so sprinkled icing sugar over it. The icing sugar absorbs into the cake quite quickly though, so only dust with icing sugar when you’re ready to serve. The cocoa doesn’t absorb as easily. I think it would be lovely with fresh raspberries and strawberries in the summer too – or maybe some orange if you like the chocolate and orange combination.DSCN0761

This is absolutely delicious and it’s terribly rich, so a little goes a long way.

And lastly, before I get to the recipe, there is probably a much healthier way of doing this – by making your own hazelnut and chocolate sauce using this recipe here. But we’ve just moved house, and I was looking for a quick fix and I don’t feel (too) sorry.

Hazelnut Chocolate Cheesecake
Recipe Type: Desert
Author: Nigella Lawson, Thermied by Luschka
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 10
A rich and delicious desert, perfect for a special occasion, great when you’re short of time and even better if made in advance.
Ingredients
  • 250g digestive biscuits (substitute for egg free alternatives)
  • 75g soft butter
  • 400g Nutella
  • 500g cream cheese (at room temperature)
  • 60g icing sugar
Instructions
  1. Remove cream cheese from the fridge and bring to room temperature.
  2. Meanwhile, add digestive biscuits, butter and 40g Nutella to the food processor and mix till it resembles wet sand.[b] (30 seconds speed 5)[/b]
  3. Sprinkle over the base of a cake tray, and press down so that it creates a firm and solid base for your cheesecake.
  4. Put it in the fridge – Nigella says overnight, but an hour works fine.
  5. When the base is ready, add the cream cheese, Nutella and icing sugar and mix (with the butterfly) (speed 2, 30 seconds)
  6. Pour over the base,smooth the top and put in the fridge till you’re ready to serve.
  7. I use a[url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heart-Shaped-Springform-Great-Baking/dp/B004Z69LXW/”] springform tin[/url], gliding a knife around the edges to loosen first, then releasing and serving on the base.
  8. Once released, decorate the top and serve.
Notes
I think a little Frangelico liquer would be amazing with this, as would orange essence or even rum essence. For a ‘prettier’ presentation, try making it in individual ramekins.

 

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Orange & Almond Shortbread Biscuits

I’m feeling a little Christmassy and my brain is starting to tick over to all the tasty treats I can make as Christmas gifts. Last year we gave friends coconut ice and chocolate bark, and the adults received salt and sugar scrubs. I’m playing around with different recipes at the moment trying to figure out what we’ll do this Christmas.

almond-orange

I am loving the orange and almond combination at the moment, and thought they’d be great as shortbread, which they are, and somewhat delicious.

Orange & Almond Shortbread Biscuits
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Ingredients
  • 225g butter
  • 175g sugar
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 260g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
Instructions
  1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar until it is lighter in colour and fluffy in texture, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add the almond extract and salt, then the flour and orange zest and gently mix till it’s all combined.
  3. Pour out onto cling film and shape into a sausage and refrigerate for 30 mins.
  4. Remove from fridge and roll out the dough to about half an inch thick and slice into rectangles.
  5. Transfer onto a baking tray and continue until all the batter is used up.
  6. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes at 180C till golden brown.
  7. Leave to cool before trying to lift.
  8. Store in an airtight container.
For the Thermomix
  1. In the mixing bowl, place the butterfly whisk together with the butter and sugar speed 4/3 minutes. The butter should be light in colour and quite fluffy.
  2. Remove the butterfly and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix together 15 seconds/speed 5.
  3. Pour out onto cling film and shape into a sausage and refrigerate for 30 mins.
  4. Remove from fridge and roll out the dough to about half an inch thick and slice into rectangles.
  5. Transfer onto a baking tray and continue until all the batter is used up.
  6. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes at 180C till golden brown.
  7. Leave to cool before trying to lift.
  8. Store in an airtight container.

This recipe features in A Very Thermie Christmas, where you can find it and 50 other recipes perfect for a Thermomix assisted Christmas. Read more about it here.

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Thermomix Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe

Lemon Drizzle Cake

I love Lemon Drizzle Cake. I have tried so many different recipes to find one that I love, and I think I finally have it.  This recipe makes a beautiful sugary crust on top, while the cake stays moist and yummy. It’s lemony flavour goes throughout the cake, and is, quite frankly, delicious.Lemon Drizzle Cake

The benefit of doing it with the Thermomix is that it’s fast as can be – I made this and two other cakes and two breads in 90 minutes today!

Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe

I use a lemon zester for the skin as that’s easier for me than ‘peeling’ the lemon with a potato peeler to add the skins to the bowl. That said, I do use a peeler for a few bits for the top of the cake. I think that’s quite pretty.

If you don’t have a Thermomix, the original recipe is here. Below you’ll find it adapted for Thermomix, though you can do the same in any food processor, really – just use your beating fittings for the butter, and the mixing one to combine it all.

Lemon Drizzle Cake
Recipe Type: Cake, Thermomix
Author: Tana Ramsay (adapted by Luschka)
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
This cake can keep for 3 – 4 days, (if you can show that much discipline!) and freezes quite well.
Ingredients
  • finely grated zest 1 lemon (or finely peeled skin)
  • 225g sugar
  • 225g unsalted butter
  • 4 eggs
  • 225g self-raising flour
  • For the drizzle
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 85g icing sugar & extra to sprinkle
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
  2. In the thermomix, add the sugar, and thin slices of peeled lemon skin and mix sp5/20 secs. (I have a fantastic zester so it’s easier for me to just add the zest to the sugar than to try to peel the lemon first)
  3. Add the butterfly then add the butter and mix 1 min/speed 4 until pale and creamy – you may need to scrape down the sides half way through.
  4. Keep the blades running at speed 4, and add the eggs, then add the flour through the lid of the Thermomix bowl while it’s running – about 1 minute to add it all.
  5. Oil or line a baking tray and spoon the mixture in and level it out.
  6. Bake for 45-50 mins until a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  7. Mix together the juice of the lemon and 85g icing sugar. Pierce holes around the cake using a fork or knife edge) then pour the drizzle over the warm cake. Make sure to cover all the cake.
  8. The juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping. Sieve over additional icing sugar if you wish for the white colouring. Top with more grated lemon.
  9. Leave in the tin until completely cool, then remove and serve.

 

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Italian Breads With Giovanni Rana Pesto And Bolognese Sauces

I love food competitions and stretching my creative brain to include competition criteria, as it’s something that stretches me out of my comfort zone. Normally. The Giovanni Rana competition isn’t a huge stretch, since pasta isn’t a novelty in our home. Quite the opposite – it’s something we have loads of! What we don’t normally treat ourselves to, however, is pasta sauces. When I saw the Giovani Rana sauces, I decided that I had to try something that incorporated pasta sauces.

One of our favourite Italian food combinations is bread and oil (and vinegar). It brings to mind memories of late afternoons relaxing on the banks of the Arno river in Florence, Italy, dipping fresh breads from Mercato Centrale and sipping light red wines.

I decided to play with the breads and pasta sauces from Giovanni Rana, and see what I could come up with.

Ingredients

I used my Thermomix for both of these recipes, but you can choose any recipe or method you prefer, and add the ‘toppings’ to the finished product.  The two breads here are Pesto and Mozzarella Foccassia, and Bolognese Rosemary Bread. FBTopped

The Focaccia Bread I used was from the basic Every Day Cookbook. This is the recipe:

Italian Breads With Giovani Rana Sauces
Recipe Type: Bread
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Despite a very wet dough, this Focaccia recipe makes an airy and light bread. Add the toppings to the hot bread to allow them to melt in, and enjoy with salad or on it’s own.
Ingredients
  • 500g bakers flour
  • 2 teaspoons of dry yeast (or 1 sachet)
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • A pinch of sugar
  • 30g olive oil
  • 400g warm water
  • Sea Salt
  • Giovanni Rana Pesto Sauce
  • Capers
  • Mozzarella
Instructions
  1. Place water, oil, sugar, yeast, flour and salt into bowl and mix at speed 6 for 20 seconds.
  2. Knead for 2 minutes on Interval speed
  3. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough into the bowl. This is a very wet dough. Very wet.
  4. Leave to rise for at least an hour, till it’s doubled in size.
  5. Preheat oven to 220c
  6. Remove from bowl and shape onto a baking tray or stone bake tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
  7. Place in oven and cook for 10 – 15 minutes. Without removing from the oven, sprinkle with water, then cook for a further 10 – 15 mins or until golden.
For the topping
  1. Tear the mozzarella and spread over the hot focaccia. Drizzle the Giovanni Rana Pesto sauce over and top with capers. Make sure to add toppings to hot foccaccia so that it all sort melts onto and into the bread.
Non Thermomix Instructions:
  1. Add the ingredients to a bowl and mix using an electric beater until well mixed.
  2. Knead for 20 minutes by hand, or 15 minutes with a bread hook.
  3. Follow the same rising and resting instructions as above.
  4. Follow the topping instructions as above.

The Giovanni Rana Pesto is quite salty, with a very sweet ending, it’s delicious and perfectly suitable for this bread.

RHbread

The next bread is this Rosemary & Honey bread recipe, adapted to make my Italian Style Bolognese Bread.

Follow the instructions as written out up to and including step 4, but before twisting the bread, make a groove down the centre of each ‘braid’ and fill with sauce.

Honey & Rosemary Bolognese Bread

The Bolognese sauce from Giovanni Rana is ideal as it is quite firm out the tub and wont run all over. Gently ‘close’ the dough over the filling, and then ‘plait’ the bread as per the recipe.

RH2

Leave it to rise, and follow the Rosemary & Honey bread recipe again from step 6.

Your finished bread should look something like the one above.

Tear of a piece off each bread, serve with some salad, and have a lovely meal together – maybe not on the Arno, but all the Italian flavours in one meal, simply can’t go wrong.

*Giovanni Rana sent me £5 worth of vouchers to buy and try some of their products. We also bought a RAVIOLI SPINACI E RICOTTA filled pasta for dinner one evening, which took about four minutes to prepare – bonus on an ‘I’m not cooking tonight’! dinner. Opinions, thoughts and recipes are my own, except where otherwise stated. 

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Good For You Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

No bake chocolate macarroonsNo bake chocolate macarroons

I love chocolate way more than I should and a lot more than I wish I did. I’m always looking for ways to indulge the craving for cocoa without piling on the sugar, largely because when I do, my kids do and the whole harmony of the home kind of falls apart.

This recipe is originally from Oh She Glows|, but I’ve been playing with it to both adapt it to our tastes, and change the recipe for the Thermomix, meaning it’s in grams rather than cups, which makes it easier for me and my Thermie friends to use.

No bake chocolate macarroonsNo bake chocolate macarroons

I’m pretty sure you could be really flexible on it too – we made something similar from a cook book I had as a child, which used boiled sugar and tasted amazing, but added oats. You could probably add raisins quite successfully too, or other dried fruit. the options are rather endless. I imagine candied orange peel would make a perfect Christmassy – slash -winterry treat too.

Just remember that it’s held together by coconut oil, which means if it gets warm it’ll start disintegrating. They recommend freezing it over on Oh She Glows, but popping it in the fridge or in a lunch box with an ice block seems to work just fine for us.

No bake chocolate macarroons

Since this is no cook, no bake it’s perfect for kids to help with too.

Good For You Chocolate Macaroons
Recipe Type: Snacks, Sweets
Cuisine: Thermomix, Paleo
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 15 – 24
This recipe is an adaptation from another, and I’ve made a few changes to it. The recipe below includes the ingredients from the original recipe as optional extras. It’s delicious, but a little too much banana in my chocolate fix, though I do tend to make it that way for the children.
Ingredients
  • 50g Coconut Oil (1/4 cup)
  • 70g honey or syrup (1/4 cup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 30 – 50g cocoa powder (1/3 cup) (Cacao for Paleo)
  • pinch of fine sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
  • 150g shredded unsweetened coconut (1.5 cups)
  • (optional) banana
  • (optional) tablespoon chia seeds
Instructions
Regular Instructions
  1. Melt the coconut oil in a pot – this requires 37C, i.e. body heat, and is still considered raw, or uncooked.
  2. Add the honey or syrup and stir till it’s all mixed and liquid and remove from heat
  3. Add the vanilla extract
  4. (If using banana, mash it and add to the mix)
  5. Add 30g cocoa first then add the coconut
  6. (Add chia seeds if using)
  7. Stir till it’s all combined
  8. Taste the mix too see if it’s the right amount of chocolatey. If you want it ‘darker’ add more cocoa powder till it’s right for you. Mix again.
  9. Scoop out onto a tray, or into moulds and refrigerate until it hardens.
  10. Keep cool as it will fall apart if the coconut oil gets too warm.
Thermomix Instructions
  1. Put the coconut oil in the bowl, and melt 37C/Speed 1/ 20 Seconds
  2. Add the honey or syrup and mix 37C/Speed 1/ 30 Seconds.
  3. Add the vanilla extract
  4. (If using banana, add it now in three pieces, speed 5/10 seconds – make sure to put the MC in place!)
  5. Add 30g cocoa first then add the coconut
  6. (Add chia seeds if using)
  7. Mix speed 2/ 15 seconds
  8. Taste the mix too see if it’s the right amount of chocolatey. If you want it ‘darker’ add more cocoa powder till it’s right for you. Mix again speed 2/15 seconds.
  9. Scoop out onto a tray, or into moulds and refrigerate until it hardens.
  10. Keep cool as it will fall apart if the coconut oil gets too warm.

 

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Six Minute Soft Centered Chocolate Pudding Recipe

chocolate puddingIt’s yet another rainy afternoon here on the Hampshire/Surrey border and I am feeling whimsical. I’m remembering a time in our lives where we travelled a lot, and thinking about the future, all at the same time. I want to indulge my senses and my tastebuds and all I can think of is…. soft centred chocolate puddings.

This is an old Ainsley Harriot recipe I’ve made a hundred times. It’s perfect for dinner parties – we used to have those a lot too, once – as you can mix the batter and put them in ramekins and in the fridge. When your guests arrive, take them out of the fridge so they return to room temperature, and when dinner is done, put them in the oven for just six minutes and serve. It is always a talking-point desert. I don’t normally top them with chocolate swirls like in the picture, but you can, or a dollop of cream – whatever takes your fancy. They are pretty awesome.

Six Minute Soft Centered Chocolate Pudding Recipe
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
If you butter the moulds or ramekins before you pour the batter in, you should be able to turn them out onto a plate. I tend to serve them in the ramekins. It’s pretty enough.
Ingredients
  • 90g dark chocolate
  • 90g butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 extra egg yolks
  • 40g brown sugar
  • 15g self raising flour
  • (optional) cocoa powder to dust
  • (optional) cream and chopped hazelnuts to decorate
Instructions
Regular Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas 8.
  2. Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Add the butter and leave to melt.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks and sugar until thickened. Mix in the melted chocolate mixture, then sprinkle over the flour and quickly fold in .
  4. Divide the mixture between six moulds or ramekins.
  5. Make sure the oven is fully heated.
  6. Bake the pudding for 6 minutes until the outside is set but the centre is still soft.
  7. You may be tempted to leave it for longer than six minutes. It will make a nice enough chocolate cake, but you really need to take it out immediately and give it a few minutes to ‘rest’ before serving.
  8. Turn each pudding on to a plate, then gently lift off the moulds. Place a spoonful of cream on top of each pudding, sprinkle with nuts and dust with cocoa. Serve immediately.
Thermomix Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas 8.
  2. If you have two bowls, melt the chocolate and butter in one and do the rest in the other. If you only have one bowl, melt the chocolate and butter as above – in a glass bowl over a pan of water.
  3. Put the butterfly in the Thermomix and add the eggs, extra yolks and sugar. Whisk on Speed 4 for 90 seconds.
  4. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the bowl and add the flour. Whisk at speed 2 for 20 seconds.
  5. Pour the mixture between six moulds or ramekins.
  6. Make sure the oven is fully heated.
  7. Bake the pudding for 6 minutes until the outside is set but the centre is still soft.
  8. You may be tempted to leave it for longer than six minutes. It will make a nice enough chocolate cake, but you really need to take it out immediately and give it a few minutes to ‘rest’ before serving.
  9. Turn each pudding on to a plate, then gently lift off the moulds. Place a spoonful of cream on top of each pudding, sprinkle with nuts and dust with cocoa. Serve immediately.

 

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Flourless Grain-Free Dairy Free Almond Lemon Drizzle

Grain Free Dairy Free Almond Lemon DrizzleSince my gall bladder problems started, I’ve been focusing a lot on grain free recipes, but that means I really miss things like cake. Fortunately almond flour is easy to come by – I have a Thermomix, so I make it from whole almonds – and it’s good for gall bladder health too.

There’s a fair bit of sugar in this one. I want to try it with Rapadura, but my husband doesn’t like Rapadura so I don’t want to try it on a cake he has to eat.

I made these in a brownie pan, which I use for a lot of our snacks because they are then cut into squares and the children recognise them as snacktime treats. You can of course use a round pan or anything you fancy.

Also, I pour the drizzle over the hot cake so it will sink in. If you like it to look drizzled, you can wait till the cake is cool. 

Flourless Grain-Free Almond Lemon Drizzle
Recipe Type: Desert, Snack
Cuisine: Free From, Gluten Free
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 20
Ingredients
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom/5 cardamom pods
  • 1 1/2 cup (170 g) almonds or almond flour
  • 4 room temperature eggs, separated
  • 1/2 cup (100g) white sugar
  • 1 lemon’s zest
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon white or cider vinegar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 50g Powdered sugar
  • Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
Thermomix Instructions
  1. If you are using cardamom pods, put them in the Thermomix on reverse/speed 5/ 10 seconds. Remove the husks from the bowl, add the almonds. Speed 8/10 – 20 seconds to make almond flour.
  2. If you have a second bowl, now’s the time to use it. Otherwise pour the flour out and add clean the bowl thoroughly.
  3. Separate the egg whites and yolks.
  4. Add the whites to the Thermomix bowl. Put the butterfly in, and whisk at speed 2 for 15 seconds, then go up to speed 4 and whisk until they start to look firm (around 2 minutes)
  5. Meanwhile, add half the sugar to the egg yolks along with the lemon zest.
  6. Returning to the egg whites, when they form peaks, add a pinch of salt, and the vinegar. This will help the egg whites keep their form. Add the other half of the sugar gradually – over about 20 seconds. This whole egg white process shouldn’t take more than 3 minutes.
  7. Now for some manual work. You could do this in the Thermomix, but I love watching the transformation of the ‘flour’.
  8. Mix the egg yolk mixture into the almond mixture. It’ll be quite pasty and hard to work with.
  9. Add two dollops of the egg white in the mixture, and stir. Then add two more and stir again. As you stir the whole mixture will become amazingly light and fluffy. Keep adding egg white till it’s all mixed in.
  10. Transfer to your baking pan and put in the oven for 35 minutes.
  11. When there are 5 minutes left on the clock, cut your lemon in half and extract all the juice. Add the icing sugar and make a runny paste. When the lemon cake comes out of the oven, pour the sugary juice over it and leave to cool before tipping out the cake.
Regular Instructions
  1. If you are using cardamom pods, crack them open and remove the cardamom seeds. Crush them between two spoons or with a rolling pin (or use the ground cardamom spice!).
  2. Add to the almond flour.
  3. Separate the egg whites and yolks.
  4. Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until they start to look firm.
  5. Returning to the egg whites, when they form peaks, add a pinch of salt, and the vinegar. This will help the egg whites keep their form. Add half of the sugar gradually – over about 20 seconds.
  6. Add the other half of the sugar to the egg yolks along with the lemon zest.
  7. Mix the egg yolk mixture into the almond mixture. It’ll be quite pasty and hard to work with.
  8. Add two dollops of the egg white in the mixture, and stir. Then add two more and stir again. As you stir the whole mixture will become amazingly light and fluffy. Keep adding egg white till it’s all mixed in.
  9. Transfer to your baking pan and put in the oven for 35 minutes.
  10. When there are 5 minutes left on the clock, cut your lemon in half and extract all the juice. Add the icing sugar and make a runny paste. When the lemon cake comes out of the oven, pour the sugary juice over it and leave to cool before tipping out the cake.

 

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Grain-Free Gluten Free Almond & Black Onion Seed Crackers

Black Onion Crackers

These are such lovely crackers. You can vary the flavour to suite your tastes and the dip you’re using. This one as written is exquisite with Wild Garlic Dip. 

Keep them in the freezer and use as required, or keep them in an airtight container and use in a day or two.  You’ll find them very filling and absolutely delicious and nutritious.

 

Grain-Free Crackers
Recipe Type: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Grain Free, Gluten Free
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 30
The beauty of these crackers is that by changing the black onion seed and oregano, you can make pretty much any flavour cracker – olive, rosemary and thyme, or cheese, just to name a few.
Ingredients
  • (300g) 2 cups almond flour
  • 1 tsp black onion seed, onion powder or other preferred seasoning
  • 1/2tsp oregano
  • 1/2tp sea salt
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp filter water
Instructions
Thermomix Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C
  2. Put the almonds in the Thermomix Speed 10/ 10 seconds – you want flour, not butter!
  3. Add the black onion seeds, oregano and sea salt, mix Speed 4 / 5 seconds
  4. Add the oil, egg and water, and blend till all mixed (speed 4/ 10 seconds)
  5. Put the dough onto the baking try it’ll go into the oven on.
  6. The dough is quite sticky, so if you can, roll it out between two sheets of baking paper, or flatten by hand.
  7. Cut the flattened dough into squares and place in the oven.
  8. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, watching from about 10 minutes till the edges start going brown.
  9. Turn off the oven, and leave the door open, but leave the crackers to crisp up.
  10. Leave them on the tray for another half hour to cool down.
  11. Store in an airtight container. Can also be frozen,
Regular Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C
  2. Add Almond flour, black onion seeds, oregano and sea salt in a bowl, and mix.
  3. Add the oil, egg and water, and stir till well mixed.
  4. Put the dough onto the baking try it’ll go into the oven on.
  5. The dough is quite sticky, so if you can, roll it out between two sheets of baking paper, or flatten by hand.
  6. Cut the flattened dough into squares and place in the oven.
  7. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, watching from about 10 minutes till the edges start going brown.
  8. Turn off the oven, and leave the door open, but leave the crackers to crisp up.
  9. Leave them on the tray for another half hour to cool down.
  10. Store in an airtight container. Can also be frozen,

 

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Thermomix Lamington Recipe For Australia Day

Lamingtons

I totally intended to lay off the sugary and cake-y recipes for a while, but since it’s Australia Day this weekend, and we had a great Australia Day extravaganza for the kids today, we made Lamingtons. There are loads of recipes online, but I found this one intriguing since it used a lot less flour and wasn’t actually what I’d call a sponge cake. It was really, really tasty though. The original is from the Thermomix Forum but I made a few changes.Lamingtons

Upon reflection, I think this is a brilliant recipe if you are making it the same day you’ll be eating it. Normally Lamingtons are better with day old cake, but with this cake it doesn’t make a difference at all. It’s perfect for same day Lamingtons.Lamingtons

 

Lamingtons
Recipe Type: Desert
Cuisine: Australian
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 20
An easy Lamington recipe for the Thermomix.
Ingredients
  • 120 g brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 50 g melted butter
  • 120 g Self Raising Flour
  • Lamington Icing
  • 25 g unsalted butter
  • 160 g milk
  • 500 g icing sugar
  • 50 g organic cocoa
  • 2 cups Shredded coconut to coat
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 190C.
  2. Place sugar into mixing bowl and mill 10 sec/speed 10.
  3. Add eggs and insert Butterfly.
  4. Whip eggs for 7 min/50C/speed 3. It’ll form an almost meringue like texture, smooth and creamy (and delicious, just sayin’)
  5. Melt the butter in the warm oven and also butter a 20cm pan.
  6. Add the vanilla essence to the melted butter
  7. Add the butter mix to the Thermomix bowl, for 5 sec/speed 4.
  8. Remove Butterfly and add the flour.
  9. Mix the dough for 10 seconds on interval speed (dough setting).
  10. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 15 – 20 minutes.
  11. It should be springy to the touch.
  12. Cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto rack to cool completely, then freeze for 30 minutes before cutting.
To Ice
  1. Put butter and milk into mixing bowl and cook 2 min/80 C/speed 2..
  2. Add sugar and cocoa and blend for 20 – 25 sec/speed 4.
  3. Sprinkle coconut onto a tray, and pour icing into a bowl.
  4. Dip the cake pieces into the icing and make sure it’s totally coated. Put the cake onto the coconut, and toss it around so that it all is covered by coconut. If you hold it, it doesn’t receive an even coating.
  5. Place on a stone tray or in a glass bowl and leave to set.

 

 

 

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Tinker Bell’s Fairy-Wing Cupcakes

You know how a cupcake is a cupcake, and they all pretty much taste the same, right? No? Oh. Of course not. I’ve always loved our ‘usual’ cupcake recipe, but I have to tell you, we may have a new favourite. These “Tinker Bell Fairy Wing Cupcakes” from Issue 3 of the Disney Cakes and Sweets Magazine series are beautiful. We all loved them, and I’d  make them again with or without the fairy wing bit.

Easy Fairy Cakes

We substituted the caster sugar in this for Rapadura, just to cut some of the ‘bad’ out and replace it with something better. Even though the calorie count is about the same with the Rapadura, they aren’t empty calories. My husband, who does not like Rapadura at all, didn’t even notice and when I told him, was surprised. They are absolutely gorgeous.

(The stunning table decorations were from Zulily on a sale, but you can find them at Amazon too.)

Fairy Wing Cupcakes

 

Tinker Bell’s Fairy-Wing Cupcakes
Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Cakes
Author: Disney Cakes and Sweets
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 125g unsalted butter
  • 125g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 125g self-raising flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For the decoration
  • icing sugar
  • jam (raspberry recommended, we used strawberry)
  • 300ml double cream
Instructions
Original Instructions:
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C/375F. Put the butter and caster sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat together until really light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, stirring in a spoonful of the flour if the mixture show signs of curdling.
  2. Sift the flour into the mixing bowl, together with the baking powder. Fold it into the mixture. Stir in the milk and the vanilla extract.
  3. If using individual silicone cupcake cases, place them on a baking tray. Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the touch. Cool on a wire rack.
  4. Dust each cupcake liberally with icing sugar. Using a small, sharp knife, slice off the top of each cupcake so that you have a slight indentation left in each one – set aide the cut-off pieces. Spread a little jam over the indentation in each cupcake.
  5. Whip the double cream until soft peaks form and then use to fill a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe a swirl of whipped cream on top of the jam on each cupcake. Take the reserved cupcake tops and cut each one in half. Push two halves into the whipped cream on each cupcake. so that they look like fairy wings. Dust with a little extra icing sugar, if liked, and serve.
For the Thermomix:
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C/375F.
  2. If you’re using regular sugar, start with that, and beat on Turbo for two or three pulses.
  3. Put the butterfly in place, and add the butter into the mixing bowl. Beat together until really light and fluffy speed 4/ about 1 minute. You might have to scrape down the bowl half way.
  4. Add the eggs, flour and baking powder, milk and vanilla and mix speed 2/30 seconds.
  5. If using individual silicone cupcake cases, place them on a baking tray. Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the touch. Cool on a wire rack.
  6. Dust each cupcake liberally with icing sugar. Using a small, sharp knife, slice off the top of each cupcake so that you have a slight indentation left in each one – set aide the cut-off pieces. Spread a little jam over the indentation in each cupcake.
  7. Whip the double cream until soft peaks form and then use to fill a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe a swirl of whipped cream on top of the jam on each cupcake. Take the reserved cupcake tops and cut each one in half. Push two halves into the whipped cream on each cupcake. so that they look like fairy wings. Dust with a little extra icing sugar, if liked, and serve.

Issue 3 also contains Woody’s soft and chewy toffee, Minnie’s marvellous cookies, Lightning McQueen cake Baloo’s chocolate fudge cake, and Piglet’s snuffle truffles

I’m all about the healthy. We experiment with raw food, drink water kefir, and cook from scratch. I even make my own butter. But to be great 80% of the time, we allow ourselves a break 20% of the time. For the next while, we’ll share recipes from the Disney Cakes and Sweets magazine series. They are not  healthy. The name kind of gives it away. But that’s okay. Sometimes we adjust the recipes a little to fit in better with our style, and sometimes I use a Thermomix instead of following the directions.  As part of a balanced diet, we hope you ‘ll join us. We’ll have fun!
(If you prefer completely raw, healthy, but still delicious snacks, have a look at Bliss Balls For Beginners)