Thermomix Apple & Almond Cake

This a great cake for a morning tea, or when you fancy something sweet, but not too sweet. This was a particular hit with The Chef and Miss Two.

Ingredients:
190g self raising flour
110g almonds (I used blanched almonds)
60g brown sugar + 1 extra teaspoon
1 teaspoon cinnamon
70g butter, chilled and cubed + 10g extra, melted
1 egg
60g milk
2 red apples

 Method:
1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees (fan forced)
2. Quarter and core one apple, leaving skin on. Grate, 3 seconds speed 4. Set aside, rinse and dry thermomix bowl.
3. Add almonds to thermomix bowl and grind, 10 seconds, speed 7
4. Add flour, sugar and cinnamon to bowl and mix, 6 seconds, speed 4 or until combined
5. Add butter and mix, 5 seconds, speed 8. The mixture should resemble fine breadcrumbs
6. Add egg, milk and apple, mix 6 seconds, speed 5 or until mixture has just combined.
7. Spoon mixture into a loaf tin lined with baking paper and smooth with spatula.
8. Quarter and core remaining apple and slice thinly. Lightly press apple slices onto the top of mixture, and drizzle with melted butter and extra sugar.
9. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

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.

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.

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