Thermomix Date and Walnut Loaf

This Date and Walnut Loaf is an all time favourite with the Chef. I converted it for the Thermomix for the first time today, and it has been a big success. Delicious, and perhaps one of the quickest things to make... it comes highly recommended. It's great buttered for breakfast or with a coffee during the day. I've chopped the dates and walnuts to create a smooth consistency for fussy children, but if you would like a more chunky texture, chop for less time. You might notice that by the time I managed to take a photo, it's almost gone... that has to be a good sign!

Ingredients:
185g dates
30g walnuts
110g brown sugar
30g butter or margarine
pinch salt
pinch bicarb soda
250g water
230g self raising flour

Method:
1. Chop dates for 7 seconds on speed 7
2. Chop walnuts for 3 seconds on speed 7
3. Add sugar, butter, salt, bicarb soda and water and cook at 100 degrees, 3 minutes, reverse, speed 1 or until butter has melted and mixture has foamed.
4. Add flour and mix 5 seconds, reverse, speed 4. Scrape down sides of bowl if necessary, and mix for a few more seconds until flour has folded through.
5. Pour mixture into a loaf tin lined with baking paper and bake at 180 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes.

Thermomix Wholemeal Cheese & Vegemite Scrolls - double the love

The before shot...

 Scrolls are just about one of the easiest things to do in the thermomix and are great for lunches. Miss 5 loves finding cheese and vegemite scrolls in her school lunchbox, so today I attempted doubling this basic scroll recipe (with a few tweaks) so that I could make extra scrolls and pop them in the freezer to defrost later for quick lunchbox fillers.

The number of scrolls you make will depend on what size you roll your dough out to - I rolled mine out to an approximate 45cm x 30cm rectangle which gave me 18 large sized scrolls.

Ingredients:
200g whole wheat grain
500g bakers flour
360g warm water
3 teaspoons of dried yeast
2 good pinches of salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons oil (I use rice bran oil, but any would do)
Vegemite
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (or to taste)

Method:
Mill whole wheat grain for 1 minute on speed 9.
Add salt, bakers flour, yeast and sugar - in that order to prevent the salt deactivating the yeast.
Mix together for 15 seconds on speed 3.
Add water (make sure it's warm) and oil, mix together for 20 - 30 seconds on speed 8.
Turn dial to closed lid position and kneed (interval speed) for 2 1/2 minutes.
Remove dough and wrap in a silicon baking mat or place in an oiled glass bowl covered with glad wrap to prove for 30 minutes. I wrapped mine in a baking mat and popped it outside in the sun to help it along.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees and roll the dough into a rectangle. A 45cm x 30cm rectangle will give you approximately 18 large scrolls.
Spread vegemite over the dough to taste and evenly cover with grated cheese.
Starting at one end roll the dough up so that you have a log shape and cut into slices using a sharp knife.
Place the rolls flat and closely together on your baking mat or on trays lined with baking paper and allow to prove for a further 15 minutes. You might like to add a little extra cheese to the tops of the scrolls.
Cook for approximately 14 minutes.
To freeze, wrap each scroll individually with glad wrap, and then place in a snap lock freezer bag.

...and after

Ultimate Mars Bar Slice - Thermomix style

This slice really lives up to its name. It's quick to make, sweet, light and crunchy with a nice caramel chew... too good for words. We enjoyed this for Miss 2's birthday party lunch over the weekend. The Chef would marry me all over again for this. I suggest that you don't think about the calories and just enjoy!

Ingredients:
8 x 53g Mars Bars
50g butter
85g (1/4 cup) golden syrup
140g (4 cups) rice bubbles
200g milk chocolate
1 teaspoon vegetable or rice bran oil 

Method:
1. Roughly chop 5 Mars Bars in 1cm slices and place in thermomix bowl with butter and golden syrup.
2. Melt for 10 minutes on 50 degrees, speed 1. If your butter and Mars Bars haven't melted at the end of cooking, continue to cook until melted and smooth.
3. Add rice bubbles to bowl and mix on reverse, speed soft for approximately 5 minutes, or until chocolate mixture is evenly spread through rice bubbles.
4. Press rice bubble mixture into a lamington tin (20cm x 30cm base) which has been lined with baking paper that hangs over the sides.
5. Give your thermomix bowl a quick clean and dry. Place chocolate in bowl and grate for 10 seconds on speed 8.
6. Add oil and melt for 2 minutes at 50 degrees, speed 3 or for as long as you need to until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
7. Smooth melted chocolate over the top of the rice bubble mixture and top with thinly sliced remaining Mars Bars.
8. Refridgerate for approximately 2 hours or until set, remove from tin and slice into squares.

Mini savoury quiche

I had a dilemma this morning - the cupboard was bare. The fridge was looking pretty grim too. No bread, so no sandwiches for Miss 1 1/2's lunch. Today is a preschool day, so I couldn't face the prospect of dragging the kids in and out of the car anymore than I absolutely had to. I found some eggs, a bit of broccoli, half an onion, ham and some cream, so I decided (with thanks to the shortcrust pastry I have in the freezer) to make some mini quiche for lunch and hope for the best with Miss 1 1/2. Regular and Thermomix methods are below.

Serves: 24 mini quiche
Food Critic Rating: Miss 1 1/2 ate two for lunch with some rockmelon. Miss 5? Forget it! I won't even bother because pastry just isn't her thing. My hips wish that pastry wasn't my thing, but sadly it is... I've now had to hide them in the back of the fridge so that I'll stop eating them!

Ingredients:
3 sheets shortcrust pastry, defrosted
2tsp olive oil
1/2 brown onion
handful of shaved or sliced ham
small floret of broccoli
handful of grated cheese (cheddar or parmesan)
4 eggs
1/4 cup cream

Regular method:
Preheat oven to 180 - 200 degrees.
Finely chop onion, broccoli  and ham.
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, stirring until onion softens.
Add broccoli and ham to pan, cook for around 4 minutes until broccoli softens slightly. Allow to cool a little.
Lightly beat egg in a jug and whisk in cream. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut 24 circles from pastry using a glass and place in lightly greased patty pan trays.
Divide ham mix between pastry circles and sprinkle with a little cheese.
Carefully pour egg mixture into each pastry circle.
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes until quiches have set and are golden in colour.

Thermomix method:
Preheat oven to 180 - 200 degrees.
Place onion and oil in thermomix bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 6.
Saute at 100 degrees for 2 minutes on speed 1.
Add broccoli and ham and chop for 10 seconds on speed 6.
Cook at 100 degrees for a further 2 minutes on speed 1. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool a little.
Lightly beat egg in a jug and whisk in cream. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut 24 circles from pastry using a glass and place in lightly greased patty pan trays.
Divide ham mix between pastry circles and sprinkle with a little cheese.
Carefully pour egg mixture into each pastry circle.
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes until quiches have set and are golden in colour.

A work in progress...

Easy Banana Bread

I love this Banana Bread recipe. My Mum used to make this for us, and I make it for my girls - it's simple to make, really delicious and a great way to use up a couple of over ripe bananas. Another great thing is that I always have the ingredients in the pantry, and now that I've converted the recipe for the Thermomix, it's even quicker to make. Regular instructions and Thermomix instructions are below.

Serves: Makes one loaf
Food Critic Rating: Naturally Miss 1 1/2 loves this - it's sweet. Miss 5 is also a fan, but if cheese and biscuits are on offer instead, she'll go with them. The Chef prefers this recipe made with wholemeal flour.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup / 65ml milk
1 tsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar
2 ripe bananas (over ripe is even better!)
1 cup / 200g sugar (raw or white)
2 cups / 340g self raising flour
2 eggs (lightly beaten if not using thermomix)
60g butter (I use low fat margarine and it works perfectly)

Regular method:

Combine milk and lemon juice and set aside for 5 minutes.

Peel and mash bananas.

Add bananas, sugar, sifted flour, lightly beaten eggs, softened butter and combined milk and lemon juice. Beat on low speed until combined and then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour into a lined loaf tin and bake in a slow 150 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours

Thermomix method: 
Place milk and lemon juice in the thermomix bowl and set aside for 5 minutes.
Add bananas, eggs and butter and mix for 5 seconds on speed 4.
Add flour and sugar and mix for 20 seconds on speed 5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for a further 5 seconds on speed 5.
Pour into a lined loaf tin and bake in a slow 150 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Best ever pikelet recipe

Miss 1 1/2 adores pikelets and they make a quick and easy snack, so when I saw a half carton of buttermilk in my fridge this morning I decided that she was in luck. I love this recipe - it's quick, easy, low in sugar and the pikelets are beautifully light and fluffy.

Serves: Makes approximately 20 pikelets
Food Critic Rating: These are an all round family favourite, but Miss 1 1/2 goes crazy over them.

Ingredients:
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 lightly beaten egg

Method:
Place sifted flour and sugar in a medium bowl.
Combine beaten egg and buttermilk and then add to the sugar and flour, using a whisk, until a smooth thick batter forms.
Drop level tablespoons (this is the trick to keeping an even size) into a lightly oiled, heavy based frying pan. When bubbles begin to form on the surface, flip over and cook until golden brown.

Miss 1 1/2 enjoying morning tea

Thermomix Thursday: Ham & Cheese Pizza Scrolls

Ham & Cheese Pizza Scrolls

I've been playing around with different scroll recipes since our Thermomix made its arrival in the household, and I'm finally happy with this one. I like using whole wheat because I feel like I deserve extra 'good mum' points for using it, and the dough is really easy to work with. You can add any pizza style filling, or make classic vegemite and cheese scrolls using the same method. I whipped these up between breakfast and a feed for Very Little Miss, so they get extra points for being quick, but are so delicious that I've now had to hide them because they won't help me lose this baby weight.

Serves: Approximately 15 scrolls
Food Critic Rating: These received a big thumbs up from Miss 1 1/2 who inhaled two for lunch. Miss 5 ate hers, but said she would have preferred a vegemite sandwich. Crazy kid. The Chef was impressed.

Ingredients:
100g whole wheat grain
250g bakers flour
180g warm water
1 sachet of dried yeast (7g)
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon oil (I use rice bran oil, but any would do)
1/2 tub of tomato paste (or to taste)
100g ham, shredded (or to taste)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (or to taste)

Method:
Mill whole wheat grain for 1 minute on speed 9.Add bakers flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix together for 5 seconds on speed 3.
Add water (make sure it's warm) and oil, mix together for 6 seconds on speed 8.
Turn dial to closed lid position and kneed (interval speed) for 2 minutes.
Remove dough and wrap in a silicon baking mat or place in an oiled glass bowl covered with glad wrap to prove for 30 minutes. I use a Bosco Baking mat - it's fantastic, slightly larger and approximately half the price of a Thermomat.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees and roll the dough into an approximate 30cm x 30cm square.
Spread tomato paste over the dough and evenly cover with ham and cheese.
Starting at one end roll the dough up so that you have a log shape and cut into 2cm slices using your spatula.
Place the rolls flat and closely together on your baking mat or on trays lined with baking paper, sprinkle with a little extra cheese and allow to prove for a further 10 minutes.
Cook for approximately 14 minutes.
Eat - they are delicious eaten warm out of the oven!

Roll the dough into a 30cm x 30cm square

Place the rolls closely together to bake

Cover with tomato paste, ham & cheese