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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
 
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An easy Lamington recipe for the Thermomix.
Author:
Recipe type: Desert
Cuisine: Australian
Serves: 20
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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Soft Cherry And White Chocolate Thermomix Fudge Recipe

White Chocolate and Glace Cherry Thermomix Fudge

Charlotte, who contributes here from time to time, shared a fudge recipe on her Facebook page recently that, as a lover of both fudge and Thermomixes,I had to try. My first attempt following the recipe was only mildly successful, but for the second attempt I went with raw sugar, golden syrup and glace cherries and it is fantastic. So good, in fact that it has made it into the Christmas gift hampers for this year.White Chocolate and Glace Cherry Thermomix Fudge

If you have a last minute gift or party to cater for, these are so simple and totally worth it.

I use a brownie pan to pour it into, then cut using the guides, and cut each of those in four too, to bring them down to a snackable size.

We use Farmlea condensed milk to avoid using Nestle.

Soft Cherry And White Chocolate Fudge
 
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Delicious soft fudge, cut into bite sized squares to counteract the supreme sweetness. Thoroughly delicious though, and makes a big enough batch for gift baskets, or a party.
Author:
Recipe type: Sweets, Desert, Gift Basket
Cuisine: English
Serves: 54
Ingredients
  • 1 can Farm Lea condensed milk
  • 250g raw sugar
  • 25g golden syrup
  • 125g butter
  • 200g white chocolate
  • 100g glace cherries
Instructions
  1. Add condensed milk, sugar, syrup and butter to the Thermomix bowl.
  2. Cook without MC at 100C speed 3 for 8 mins.
  3. Scrape down sides if needed, then cook Veroma, 20 mins speed 3 still without MC
  4. Add chocolate and cherries and mix on speed 4, reverse blades for 20 seconds.
  5. Pour into brownie tray
  6. Refrigerate for 3 -4 hours, cut and store in airtight container.

 

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Sweet and Salty Popcorn

PopcornWho doesn’t love popcorn!? We love popcorn in our house. It’s one of those healthy snacks that feels like such a treat. Either for a family night in snuggling & watching movies, or for a lunch box or afternoon snack. Popcorn is always a winner. Although I have to admit I was getting bored with the same old salted popcorn, so what did I do? I added sugar of course! This recipe makes such a big batch that the sugar isn’t too ‘naughty’, unless you eat the whole batch.. hehehe.

This recipe would also make a great gift in a hamper for Christmas time. You can swap the salt for a sprinkle of cinnamon for that warm festive touch.

Sweet & Salty Popcorn
 
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Who doesn't love popcorn!? We love popcorn in our house. It's one of those healthy snacks that feels like such a treat. Either for a family night in snuggling & watching movies, or for a lunch box or afternoon snack. Popcorn is always a winner. Although I have to admit I was getting bored with the same old salted popcorn, so what did I do? I added sugar of course! This recipe makes such a big batch that the sugar isn't too 'naughty', unless you eat the whole batch.. hehehe This recipe would also make a great gift in a hamper for Christmas time. You can swap the salt for a sprinkle of cinnamon for that warm festive touch
Author:
Recipe type: Snack
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup Vegetable oil, I use refined coconut oil
  • ¼ cup Sugar, I use Rapadura sugar
  • ½ cup Organic popcorn kernels
  • Salt, I use pink Himalayan salt
Instructions
  1. Heat oil with 3 test kernels in large, deep, heavy pot with the lid on.
  2. Once the test kernels pop, your oil is hot enough. Add sugar, popcorn kernels & stir a bit, then cover.
  3. Shake pot every few seconds, it must be done so the sugar & popcorn won’t burn.
  4. Once popping has slowed, remove pot from heat and keep shaking until there’s no more popping.
  5. Tip into a BIG bowl. My biggest bowl isn't big enough so I use a wok!
  6. Use a big spoon to mix it up and add a couple pinches of fine salt.
  7. Break up any clumps, and let cool just enough to dig in!
  8. TIP: Now Is a good time to put some into snack bags for lunch boxes..so it's not all eaten at once!

 

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Rosetta’s Cute Coconut Ice

Issue 2 of the Disney Cakes and Sweets magazine brought with it some childhood memories for me. I remember making coconut ice as a child. I remember it including boiled sugar, however, which this recipe doesn’t, but maybe I’m confusing it with fudge?

No cook coconut iceIf you take away the serious sugar overdose in this recipe, coconut ice is a brilliant treat to get kids involved in. I haven’t made it in years – not since I joined the Nestle Boycot – but my husband found some Farmlea condensed milk recently and it’s reopened a world of sweet pleasures that were off limits unless I wanted to make my own condensed milk!

Anyway, traditionally coconut ice is pink and white, but I can’t seem to find a reason why. We decided to make ours red (which failed and look more pink than it should) and green to be all Christmassy. In future I’d rather do red and white and green and white. I think it would look better. Anyway, whichever colours you choose, here’s the recipe for you.

No Bake Coconut Ice
 
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The original recipe says to stir all the ingredients together with a wooden spoon. If you're not using a Thermomix, you're going to have to get in there with both hands. The kids love it. It's sticky and messy and tasty fun.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 16
Ingredients
  • 397g can condensed milk
  • 300g (11oz) icing sugar
  • 300g (11oz) desiccated coconut (we used organic)
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • food colouring of choice
Instructions
  1. Line or oil your baking tray. I use an awesome brownie pan for most things, and for this too.
  2. Pour condensed milk into a large mixing bowl and sift in the icing sugar.
  3. Add the coconut and vanilla essence or extract and mix together until well combined.
  4. If you're having a white layer, spoon half the mix into your baking tray and flatten out pressing down tightly. If you're having two coloured layers, split them into two bowls and add the required colours to each bowl.
  5. Mix well and add to pan, flattening till all the first layer is covered, and it's all flattened.
  6. Place pan in the fridge for six hours or overnight to set.
  7. Once set, turn out and cut the coconut ice into squares.
  8. If you use the brownie pan, cut it while still in the pan. This will make huge slices though, so use a knife to cut again.
For the Thermomix:
  1. Make your icing sugar first, if you're making your own.
  2. Add all but the colouring and mix on speed 2 for 30 seconds.
  3. Split the mixture into two, put one layer in the pan, then add the food colouring to one.
  4. Layer the next into the pan and leave to set in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
  5. Cut the set coconut ice into squares and enjoy.

Issue 2 also has recipes for a Winnie the Pooh Cake, cream-tea scones, fudge, florentines, 101 Dalmatians cake pops and Winnie the Pooh and friends silicone molds

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)

A Very Thermie Christmas 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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Fruity Chocolate Chunks Recipe

Fruit Chocolate ChunksI’m not really sure why I feel like I should apologise for loving the Disney Cakes and Sweets series? Is it because it’s Disney? Or because it’s sugary cakes and sweets? Who knows, but what I do know is that I’m not even sorry. I’ve been slotting our new arrivals into the accompanied binder today, and I am excited, not only to bake and make with my four year old, the way we used to before her sister was born, but also to develop and grow my own baking – and more specifically decorating – skills.

The first recipe we made from Cakes and Sweets were Minnie’s fruity chocolate chunks. We pretty much changed everything in the recipe, but hear me out. It was so good, we made it again and again.

The original recipe calls for white chocolate (yuk! sorry, but no). It also called for freeze-dried raspberries which we didn’t have on hand, so we used mixed peel instead, and it called for pistachio nuts, which again, I didn’t have, so we used hazelnuts instead. I’m sure their version would be fine, but ours was awesome!

We’ll be putting some of these in jars with a ribbon or two for Christmas gifts. I reckon it beats a box of bought chocolates hands down. This is also a brilliant recipe for children to help with too.

Fruity Chocolate Chunks
 
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Originally from Disney Cakes and Sweets, this recipe has been adapted to our personal tastes.
Author:
Recipe type: Disney Cakes and Sweets
Cuisine: Confectionary
Serves: 300g
Ingredients
  • 225g (8oz) good quality dark chocolate
  • 40g orange peel
  • 40g hazelnuts
Instructions
For the Thermomix:
  1. Lightly crush hazelnuts at speed 5/10 seconds
  2. Temper the chocolate to a perfect 37 degrees Celsius
  3. Sprinkle orange peel and hazelnut over a silicone pan. Pour the chocolate over it.
  4. Set aside for an hour to cool, then roughly crack into chunks. (Or if you have a chocolate bar mould you can use that instead.
Without a Thermomix
  1. Temper the chocolate in a double boiler, or in a glass bowl over boiling water.
  2. While it is melting, crush the hazelnuts lightly.
  3. Sprinkle orange peel over the hazelnuts and mixed them together in a silicone tray before pouring the perfectly tempered chocolate over it.
  4. Set aside to cool, then crack and enjoy.

Issue 1 also contains Giant Mickey Mouse cookies with a cutter, Honey cupcakes, marshmallow pillows, 101 Dalmations cake, passionfruit tarts, and part one of how to build a fairytale castle. 

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)

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Damson Jam / Damson Jelly Recipe

Damson Jam Recipe

Autumn bounty includes Damsons in the UK, and the trees are laden with them. People can’t get rid of them fast enough. The problem with damsons is that unlike, say, blackberries, you can’t eat them raw, so they often go unappreciated till they fall to the ground.

My daughter came home from a walk in the forest with her pockets bulging with damsons, so I decided to turn it into jam, something I’ve never done before.

Damson Jam / Damson Jelly Recipe
 
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Use equal parts of fruit to jam sugar, boil and store. Easy peasy Damson Jam. You can of course buy your Damsons, but half the fun is in the foraging!
Author:
Serves: 200ml
Ingredients
  • 200g Damsons
  • 250g (9oz) Sugar
  • 1 orange, washed
Instructions
  1. Wash damsons and drop them into your pot.
  2. Squeeze the juice of the orange out over it.
  3. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes till the fruit is soft. (20 mins/100C/speed 2).
  4. After 20 minutes, remove from the heat. It's useful at this point to remove all the pips. If you keep the orange in at this point, you'll have a slight marmalade undertone to the damson jam. I'm not a fan of marmalade, so I prefer to remove the orange before adding the jam sugar.
  5. Boil for another 20 minutes at 100C/212F.
  6. Remove from the heat and tip the pot slightly. If the jam looks like it is creating a wrinkle, remove from heat and pour into steriised jars to keep for later, or into a jam jar to start using straight away.
  7. If it doesn't seem to be wrinkly yet, cook for a further five minutes before dispensing into jars. Remember that damsons have a lot of pectin in them and will set as it cools.

 

 

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Healthy Chocolate Date Balls

There’s a brand of ‘chocolate’ bar that we love around here, but it’s pretty expensive. They put the ingredients and roughly the amounts on the back of the packaging though, so we’ve been trying to make them the same. I think we need some kind of cold pressing equipment to make them stick together as bars, but they work pretty well rolled into balls or made in a brownie pan.

chocolate date balls

The reason I love these for my children is that apart from the cocoa – and you can substitute it for cacao – there’s only fruit and breakfast oats in it. When my daughter refuses to have breakfast, she’ll have these, and I’m just fine with that on occasion.

Another bonus of  date balls, is that they are pretty versatile. Just add the basics, and the rest is up to you.

Put them on a pretty plate, and wrap a ribbon around, and you’ve got a lovely gift too.

For twenty more date ball ideas, check out Bliss Balls For Beginners.

Chocolate Date Balls
 
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These originated from Nakd bars, which I couldn't afford to keep buying. Looking at the ingredients on the back, we came up with an earlier version of these. They are delicious!
Author:
Recipe type: Snack,Treat, Healthy
Ingredients
  • 1 cup dates
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ½ to ¾ cup oats
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • Something wet: a ¼ cup apple juice or 2 tablespoons peanut butter, just enough to hold the batter together.
  • Optional extras:
  • You can add a variety of things – nuts, dried fruit, berries
Instructions
  1. Mix everything together in a food processor or blender.
  2. You want it well mixed, but not smooth.
  3. Either roll the batter into balls, then around a plate of coconut and place in the fridge.
  4. Alternatively spread it out on a baking sheet and refridgerate.
  5. Once set, cut into squares and enjoy.

Reposted from Diary of a First Child

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Four Thieves Vinegar

Healing VinegarFour Thieves Vinegar can be used both for food, and around the house for cleaning and decontaminating.  It can also be put in the bath or used medicinally.

Allegedly, Four Thieves Vinegar is so named after the four thieves who pillaged the homes of Plague victims but were not affected by the Plague themselves. When they were eventually captured, they would have been put to death for their looting, but were instead given their lives in return for their secret.  If you Google Four Thieves Vinegar, you’ll find a few variations on the ingredients. This is the one we use. It makes a pretty good salad dressing, if nothing else.

Four Thieves Vinegar
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dressing, Cleaning
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Place the herbs in a large sterile jar and top with the cider vinegar.
  2. Cover tightly and leave in a cupboard for six weeks, till it’s well infused
  3. Strain off the herbs and garlic and use the vinegar as needed.