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Cooking, Thermomix

.Thermomix Cooking: A gazillion chocolate chip cookies.

This recipe was from my sister (who got it from her friend, but it originated here, apparently).  It makes a truck-load of cookies.  And you don’t have to use your Thermomix for it, but I thought it would be handy to convert it over and give Thermomix instructions for you TM lovers out there.  The finished mixture is WAY too much to fit in the Thermomix, so you’ll need a massive bowl and strong muscles to mix everything together at the end, but the Thermomix does make light work of all of the grinding, creaming and beating.

These are my new favourite chocolate chip cookies.  I have to leave the whole nuts out so that the kids will eat them, and they love them too.  The best part is that I manage to squeeze a few healthier options (nuts, oats) into them and they are non the wiser.

Usually I’ll make up the mixture and bake a couple of trays then freeze the rest of the mixture in balls to bake later.  I always bag them in lots of 15 because that’s how many biscuits I can fit on one tray.  Great for quickly baking when I need something for school lunches or to give to a friend or take somewhere last minute.

The recipe does indeed make a gazillion cookies – About 120, depending on how big you make the balls.  I did have a whole heap of lovely, step-by-step instructions photographs to use in this blog post but accidentally deleted them from my camera (argh!)so you’ll just have to use your imagination!!

A Gazillion Chocolate Chip Cookies

490g rolled oats
200g dark chocolate
170g almonds
250g nuts (peanuts or cashews)
480g butter
220g raw sugar
230g brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
600g plain flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb soda
500g chocolate chips (milk, white or dark – or combination)
2 cups pecans (or other nuts) chopped

Place oats in Thermomix bowl.  Process into powder on speed 9 for 10 seconds.  Pour into big mixing bowl.
Place 200g dark chocolate into Thermomix bowl.  Grate on speed 7 for 4 seconds.  Pour into big mixing bowl.
Place almonds into Thermomix bowl.  Grind on speed 9 for 10 seconds.  Pour into big mixing bowl.
Place 250g nuts into Thermomix bowl.  Make into butter by processing on speed 7 for 10-20 seconds.  Leave in bowl.
Add butter, raw sugar and brown sugar to Thermomix bowl.  Cream together on speed 5 for 2 minutes, using spatula to incorporate.
Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix together on speed 5 for 30 seconds.
Add plain flour, salt, baking powder, bicarb soda, chocolate chips and nuts to big mixing bowl.  Mix dry ingredients together using a large spoon or spatula.
Pour creamed mixture from the Thermomix into the big mixing bowl.  Mix into dry ingredients using a large spoon or spatula.  Continue mixing until everything is well combined.

To bake cookies:
Drop tablespoonfuls of mixture onto baking-paper lined trays.  Allow room for spreading.  Bake in 180 degree celsius oven for 8-10 minutes.

To freeze mixture:
Drop tablespoonfuls of mixture onto baking-paper lined trays.  Fill tray, making sure that balls don’t touch.  Place in freezer for half an hour.  Remove and place balls into snap-lock bags.  Store in freezer.

To bake frozen mixture:
Take frozen balls from freezer and place onto baking-paper lined trays.  Allow room for spreading and sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.  Bake in 180 degree celsius oven for 8-10 minutes.

 

May 4, 2012
Cooking, Thermomix

.Thermomix Cooking – White Chocolate & Raspberry Tart.

A lovely friend shared this recipe with me on our last trip to Melbourne.  I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to try it out – it was scrummy!  And super quick and easy to whip up too.  A great crowd pleaser…even the kids were coming back for seconds!

(If you’re making it without a thermo, just use a food processor to make the pastry and melt the ganache over the stove or in the microwave – simple!)

White Chocolate & Raspberry Tart

Rich Shortcrust Pastry:
225g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar
125g butter
1 egg yolk
2 Tbs water
1/4 tsp lemon juice

Ganache Filling:
360g white chocolate
190g cream
+ 450g frozen raspberries (or you can use fresh)

To make Pastry:
Place flour, salt, sugar and butter into Thermomix.  Process on speed 6 for 10 seconds until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
Add egg yolk, water and lemon juice.  Knead on interval speed for 40-60 seconds or until mixture forms a ball.
Remove pastry from Thermomix, shape into a flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface.
Grease a loose-based flan or tart tin.  Line base and sides of tin with pastry.
Prick pastry with a fork, place a sheet of baking paper into the pastry case and top with dried beans or rice (I use dried chick peas).
Bake in moderate oven for 12 minutes.
Remove beans and baking paper and bake for a further 10 minutes.
Allow to cool.

To make Ganache:
Place white chocolate and cream into clean Thermomix bowl.
Melt together on 50 degrees, speed 2 for 5 minutes.
Pour ganache into pastry case and refrigerate overnight or until cold and set.  (It will not go totally hard, you should be able to make an indent with your fingertip.)

An hour or two before serving, top tart with frozen raspberries to allow time for them to defrost.

And you’re done! A super easy dessert that’s sure to impress 🙂

April 22, 2012
Cooking, Thermomix

.Apple Custard Teacake.

Fancy a bit of teacake anyone?  We have an abundance of apples from a friend’s tree at the moment and are looking forward to enjoying lots of apple delights…stewed with icecream, fruit leather, mufins…

This teacake gets a big thumbs up.  So moist and yummy.  Great for afternoon tea or even dessert.  You can mix the fruit up too…I think adding raspberries or blueberries would go down well, so would some fresh or canned peaches.

Apple Custard Teacake

For Cake:
150g butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 1/2 cups milk
3 apples, peeled cored and cut into 1cm pieces
1/3 cup coconut
1/4 cup raw sugar
300ml custard (ingredients and recipe below)

For Custard:
2 Tbs custard powder
55g caster sugar
250g milk
20g butter
2 tsp vanilla

To make the custard:
Place all ingredients in a small saucepan.  Cook, stirring over medium heat until boiled and thickened.  Set aside to cool slightly.
(I put it all in the Thermomix and cook on 100 degrees for 5 minutes on speed 4.)

To make the cake:
Heat oven to 160 degrees celsius.  Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin.
Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Add egg, beat until well combined.
Add flour and milk, fold in using a wooden spoon.
Spread half the cake mixture into prepared tin.  Arrange 2 of the cut apples over the top.  Sprinkle with coconut.  Pour custard over.
Spread rest of the cake mixture over the top.  
Sprinkle over remaining apple and raw sugar.
Cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until cooked through.

March 26, 2012
Cooking, Thermomix

.Thermomix Cooking – Vegie Burgers.

The recipe for these vegie burgers comes from this blog.  They are absolutely divine – lots of flavour and unexpected crunchy bits, plus they are good for you!  We had them with a side salad and relish, but they would be equally yum on some turkish bread or a good roll with salad.
 
Vegie Burgers

90g rolled oats
2-3 slices grain bread
1/2 onion
1 large clove garlic
1 Tbs olive oil
1 carrot
1 big handful fresh parsley
1 can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1 egg
70g sunflower seeds, toasted
60g slivered almonds, toasted
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp chilli
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper

Place oats and bread into TM bowl and process into crumbs on speed 9 for 10 seconds.  Remove from bowl and set aside.
Place onion and garlic into TM bowl and chop on speed 6 for 5 seconds. Add 1 Tbs olive oil and saute on 100 degrees, speed 1 for 1 minute.
Add carrots, beans and parsley to TM bowl and process on speed 8 for 10 seconds.  
Add egg and mix on speed 7 for 4 seconds.
Add sunflower seeds, almonds, olive oil, soy sauce, chilli, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper – mix on speed 4 for 10 seconds or until well combined.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Shape into 8 patties.  Spray pan with olive oil and cook for 3-5 minutes each side until well browned and cooked through.

February 25, 2012
Cooking, Thermomix

.Thermomix Cooking – Blueberry Cheesecake.

We went blueberry picking a few weeks ago.  It was loads of fun and sooo cheap – only $6 per kilo (as opposed to $25-$30 per kilo in the supermarket!) and soooo big and juicy and delicious.  So now we have a freezer full of them!  On my birthday, I was craving cheesecake so made a yummy blueberry cheesecake for our family birthday celebration on Sunday.  I found this recipe online and converted it to the thermo.  It was really easy and so tasty – far exceeded my expectations!  I used frozen blueberries, but of course you could use fresh aswell.

 
Blueberry Cheesecake

 For the base:
200g plain sweet biscuits
70g butter
2 tsp cinnamon
35g brown sugar

For the filling:
500g cream cheese
250g sour cream
140g sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs lemon juice

For the topping:
110g sugar
1 Tbs cornflour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
60g water
30g lemon juice
400g blueberries

To make the base:
Place biscuits in bowl, crush on speed 8 for 5 seconds.  Remove.
Place butter in bowl, cook on 100 degrees, speed 2 for 1 1/2 minutes or until melted.
Add crushed biscuits, cinnamon and brown sugar to melted butter.  Mix on speed 5 for 10 seconds or until combined.
Press into greased springform pan and chill in the fridge.

To make the filling:
Place all ingredients into bowl, beat for 15 seconds on speed 5 until just blended.  Pour into pan and bake in moderate oven for 25-30 minutes until sides of cheesecake are set, but centre jiggles when moved.  Cool for 1 hour at room temperature.

To make the topping:
Place 200g blueberries and all other ingredients into bowl.  Cook on 100 degrees, speed 2 for 6 minutes.  
Add remaining 200g blueberries, mix on speed 1 for 5 seconds.
Pour blueberry mixture over cheesecake.
Chill in fridge overnight.

 

February 15, 2012