ANZAC Biscuits

I have lost my tried and true recipe for ANZAC biscuits so after much cursing the universe I decided to start again. I dredged my memory and surfed cooking websites for reminders and decided to take it one step further and try it with the thermomix too!

Melt 125g butter and 45g golden syrup together at 70 degrees for 4 minutes at speed 1 or until liquid.

Add 160g plain flour, 110g rolled oats, 50g shredded coconut and 75g brown sugar. Mix at reverse speed 2 for 15 seconds then scrape sides and mix again at speed 2 for a further 15 seconds.

Pop the measuring cup with 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda in it on the lid and weigh in 30g boiling water then tip into the bowl and mix again speed 2 reverse 15 seconds.

Scoop dessertspoon sized portions out and roll into balls and place on a paper lined baking tray. Squish lightly with a fork to flatten then bake at 170 degrees (fan forced) until golden brown.

They are a little bit chewy in the middle which is how the Hillseys like them!

Eggy Hot Cross Buns

I hate to waste food, so I decided to use up some hot cross buns that were getting stale for an Easter breakfast.

Take 4 eggs, 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup buttermilk and blend in the thermo for 20 seconds speed 4.

Slice 4 large hot cross buns into 4 pieces, and put in a large shallow dish then pour over egg and milk mix.

Allow to stand for 10 mins gently turning slices over from time to time to ensure the mix soaks into the bread well.

Fry at low to medium heat until golden then serve drizzled with maple syrup.

Happy Easter!

Toblerone Ice Magic

Sweet inspiration struck last night when the kids asked for some dessert and I decided to use up some leftovers from the pantry!

Into the thermo went 135g of coconut oil, followed by 180g of broken up dark choc and a further 100g of toblerone again in small chunks.

I mixed at 50 degrees speed 3 for 5 minutes until it was melted and combined. Next we poured over vanilla icecream for a crispy choc coating once set- The slight hint of coconut with the Toblerone honey nuttiness is delish!

The rule of thumb for this is half the weight of coconut oil to chocolate so you can reduce or double batch in need. Next time I'm thinking of a hint of Cherry Ripe mmmmmm

Soul Food- Agedashi Tofu

I couldn't resist posting this even though my thermomix didn't join in the prep!

I love Agedashi tofu, and after a few too many beverages last night it's all I felt like for my lunch. I've been meaning to try making this at home and thanks to SBS Food safari I can now enjoy it whenever I like. I need to tweak the broth a little but on the whole I enjoyed this and will definitely make it again.

Follow this link for the recipe, and I added shredded nori rather than spring onions on the top.

http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/tofu-dashi-agedashi-tofu

Quince Tarts

Following on from my dulche du leche, here's a sweet treat to try.

We have heaps of quince paste at present thanks to my lovely neighbours Neil and Michelle who have had a bumper quince crop this year. The thermo is perfect for quince paste as no one wants to stir a pot on the stove for four hours!

Take 2 sheets of ready rolled puff pastry and using a scone/biscuit cutter cut 16 small rounds in each sheet.

Lay the first 16 on a baking tray lined with paper, and top each with 1/2 teaspoon of dulche du leche and 1/2 teaspoon of quince paste. Top with the remaining 16 rounds and press carefully to seal edges trying not to trap too much air. Brush with egg wash and bake at 200 degrees or until golden and puffed.

Dulche du Leche

I went to buy some dulce du leche today, and after checking out the large price tag for a small jar headed home to whiz some up in the thermo instead.

Take 1lt milk (I used skim), 250 raw sugar, 1tsp salt, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste and 1/3 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda.

Mix for 15 mins 100 degrees speed 3 to ensure sugar is dissolved.

Cook for two hours at 100 degrees stir speed- if it looks like bubbling over early in the cooking put your rice basket on the lid.

Reset for half an hour at 100 degrees but back at speed 3. After this time check and then keep going in 15 minute batches until it's really thick and dark caramel colored.

WARNING! Be patient! I put mine up to varoma in an effort to speed things up and lost half of it in a major boil over. Good things take time....

This is going into chocolate caramel salted tarts on the weekend. Delish!

Laksa Soup Easy Dinner

Happy New Year!

I have (again) resolved to return to my recipes. I use these as a reference and it saves me searching through my notes, cookbooks, magazine and newspaper clippings, apps, saved files and photos of recipes. What I am really saying is that's it's in my best interest too, but it's nice to share with a few friends what I love to eat.

In the spirit of that, here is my easy Laksa recipe, that I learned from a Malaysian friend nearly 20 years ago. It's a great midweek dinner and a reasonably healthy one. You can change that up by using real coconut milk if you'd prefer. This will serve 3 or 4 adults depending how hungry you are.

Please note that this recipe uses lots of ingredients from our Asian grocer- a great place to explore full of yummy ingredients and their veggies are usually fresher than fresh. The lady at our local shop on Palmerston street was also kind enough to share her fashion shopping tips with me today!

Take 2 tablespoons of laksa paste-use your thermomix to make it or buy a jar of paste. I usually buy the local Perth brand 'Hogans' it's better than I've been able to make! Sauté the paste in a large saucepan with a few tablespoons of chicken stock for a minute to soften and disperse the paste then add 1 cup of chicken stock, 1 chicken breast cubed, 1 cup raw shelled prawns, 8 fish balls cut in half and some Malay style fried tofu cut into bite sized squares. Bring to just simmering while stirring though. It won't look soupy just yet but drop to a very low heat while you get the next step ready.

Finely dice some Choi Sum or your favorite crispy green veg and tip into a sink or deep bowl of cold water to separate the grit out. Scoop out with a sieve to drain the water then add to the simmering mix, stir through and then pop the lid on and turn the heat off for now.

Next cover Hokkein noodles in a large bowl with boiling water. While these soften and separate, rinse 4 large handfuls of fresh bean shoots in a sieve under cold running water.

Back to the saucepan, add a large can of carnation coconut flavoured evaporated milk (sub in coconut milk if you want the full cream version) and turn the heat on to bring to just under a boil. Drain Hokkein noodles and portion in large soup bowls according to appetite. Top each bowl with a handful of bean shoots- be generous these melt when you pour on the hot soup.

Just before the soup reaches the boil, ladle evenly into the bowls over the noodles. If you like boiled eggs add some quartered up too. Top with fried shallots, and serve with soup spoons, chopsticks for the chunky pieces and a cold drink to cool the spices. Yum!