Feeding the Funky Bunch: Fruity Puff Bars

One of my favourite blogs, Full Little Tummies (written by a Thermomix loving Mum in Tassie) has gone! Checking the blog today I saw that all posts have been deleted! Not sure what’s happened – she hasn’t blogged in a long time but I regularly went to her site for recipes. In a Thermomix Recipe Swap I’m part of on Facebook there has been a few upset cooks who can’t access their favourite recipes. I was ridiculously happy to find that I was so excited when I first discovered Full Little Tummies that I copied and pasted recipes into a Word Doc. Thank goodness! I’ll blog my favourites here – I’d always intended to share them but just hadn’t gotten around to it.

First up are these Fruity Puff Bars which are an absolute winner in my house. They are delicious, freeze well, add a bit of zing to any lunch box and are way better for you and the kids than any shop bought bar packed with additives, preservatives and who knows what ingredients. Thank you to Chelsea of Full Little Tummies wherever you are for this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 110g butter
• 90g rapadura
• 70g honey
• 1 tsp homemade vanilla essence
• 90g puffed brown rice
• 40g organic shredded coconut
• 70g dried sultanas, cranberries or chopped dried apricots

Method:

1. Place butter, rapadura, honey and vanilla essence into TMX bowl
2. Heat at 100C, 6 min, Sp 3
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix 20 sec, Rev Sp 3
4. Scrape mixture into a baking tin lined with baking paper (mine is 30cm x 25cm x 5cm) – if you leave the baking paper a bit longer than the tin you can use it to lift out the slice
5. Spread out mixture and press down very firmly with your hands or the back of a spoon
6. Refrigerate (at least 2 hrs) and slice into bars when firm
7. To freeze simply slice then pop in a resealable bag or container in the freezer. They don’t stick together or, if they do, easily come apart.

These bars do go soft in hot weather. My kids don’t mind and just eat them out of a bowl or from their lunch box with their fingers. I’ve read that people have replaced some of the sweetners with melted marshmallow to hold them together but I haven’t tried this. In summer my kids are even happy to crunch on these straight from the freezer!

Feeding the Funky Bunch: Persian Lamb

It’s cold and chilly in Perth at the moment, so the perfect time to whip out a few slow cooker recipes. This persian lamb was originally a Neil Perry recipe that a friend cooked us for dinner one night. I’ve since changed it here and there, and now converted it for TMX and slow cooker. The result is a delicious, thick and spicy dish with melt-in-your-mouth lamb. Best to cook this one while you’re out all day as the smell is divine! I like to serve this with cous cous (which only takes a few minutes to prepare) and roast vegetables, however it is also good with steamed veg and rice. If you are short on time just roughly chop some slow cooking veggies like pumpkin, carrot and potato, and throw it in the slow cooker with the lamb. For best results this dish needs a good 8-10 hours in the slow cooker.

Ingredients

• 500g diced lamb shoulder
• 2 brown onions
• 20g butter
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1tsp pink salt
• 1tbs thermomix vegetable stock concentrate
• 100g dried prunes
• 1tsp raw sugar
• 75g lime juice (approx 2 limes)
• Pinch of saffron threads
• 120g water

To serve

• Large handful of fresh mint
• Roasted almonds or pistachios
• Steamed or roasted vegetables
• Cous cous or Rice

TMX Method

1. Turn slow cooker on to warm up
2. Peel & quarter onions, place in TMX and chop 5 sec, Sp 5
3. Add butter and cook 100C, 3 min, Sp 1
4. Add ground spices and salt, cook 100C, 3 min, Sp 1
5. Add prunes and chop 5 sec, Sp 5
6. Add stock, sugar, lime juice, saffron & water
7. Cook 100C, 3 min, Sp 1
8. Pour 2/3 of mixture into slow cooker, then add lamb (fresh or frozen), then pour remainder of sauce over the lamb
9. Cook 8-10 hours
10. Serve on cous cous or rice with vegetables and garnish with fresh mint and chopped almonds or pistachios

Non-TMX Method

1. Turn slow cooker on to warm up
2. Peel & chop onions
3. Roughly chop prunes
4. Heat butter in a frypan and add onions
5. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 min until onions are softened
6. Add ground spices and salt, cook stirring over medium heat for another 1-2 min
7. Add stock, prunes, sugar, lime juice, saffron & water to pan
8. Cook over medium heat for 5 min
9. Pour 2/3 of mixture into slow cooker, then add lamb (fresh or frozen), then pour remainder of sauce over the lamb
10. Cook 8-10 hours
11. Serve on cous cous or rice with vegetables and garnish with fresh mint and chopped almonds or pistachios

Feeding the Funky Bunch: Coffee Cake

I recently made this coffee cake for my husband to take to work and share with his co-workers. It received rave reviews (!) so I decided to share the recipe here for everyone to enjoy. Unfortunately I forgot to snap a pic before I sent it off to work with him, but will try to remember to take some photos next time I make it. This coffee cake recipe is based on a simple cake recipe from an old cookbook of my Mum’s.

Ingredients

Coffee Cake

• 175g butter
• 175g raw caster sugar 
  
• 3 eggs
• 175g self-raising flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1tsp vanilla essence
• 1tbs milk
• 1tbs liquid coffee*

Coffee Icing

• 125g butter
• 300g icing sugar
• 2-3tbs liquid coffee*

*Liquid coffee: add 3-4 tbs of boiling water to 5tbs of good quality instant coffee and mix to dissolve. Basically try to use as little boiling water as possible to dissolve the coffee.

TMX Method – Coffee Cake

1. Pre-heat oven to 170C
2. Place raw sugar in TMX and blitz 3 sec, Sp 9
3. Add butter and mix 20 sec, Sp 4
4. Place bowl on top of TMX and weigh in flour and baking powder
5. Turn TMX to Sp 4 and alternately add egg and flour/baking powder through the lid as follows
6. Add one egg and mix 10 sec, add a generous tablespoon of flour/baking powder and mix 10 sec, add second egg and mix 10 sec, add another generous tablespoon of flour/baking powder and mix 10 sec, add the third egg and mix 10 sec, add another generous tablespoon of flour/baking powder and mix 10 sec
7. Add the rest of the flour/baking powder and mix 20 sec, Sp 4
8. Open TMX and scrape down sides if necessary
9. Add liquid coffee*, vanilla essence and milk
10. Mix 20 sec, Sp 4
11. Spoon into patty pans or greased & lined ring tin

Baking times

• mini cupcakes: 15-20 min (1tbls/20ml mini patty pans)
• cupcakes: 20-25 min (2tbls/40ml patty pans)
• ring tin: 30-35min

TMX Method – Coffee Icing

Allow the cake/s to cool completely before icing.

1. Place butter and icing sugar in TMX
2. (You can make your own icing sugar in TMX – raw sugar blitzed 20 sec, Sp 9 – but I find it nearly impossible to get rid of the slight graininess of the sugar. If you buy icing sugar ensure it doesn’t have any additives or anti-caking agents added)
3. Mix 30 sec, Sp 4
4. Add 2tbs liquid coffee* and mix 20 sec, Sp 4
5. Taste and add extra liquid coffee* for a stronger flavour

Non-TMX Method – Coffee Cake

1. Pre-heat oven to 170C
2. Cream butter and sugar by hand or in electric mixer
3. Weigh flour and baking powder into a separate bowl
4. Mix in the eggs one at a time by hand or electric mixer, following each with a generous tablespoon of flour/baking powder also mixed in well
5. Add the rest of the flour/baking powder and mix well by hand or electric mixer
6. Add liquid coffee*, vanilla essence and milk and mix well by hand or electric mixer
7. Spoon into patty pans or greased & lined ring tin

Baking times

• mini cupcakes: 15-20 min (1tbls/20ml mini patty pans)
• cupcakes: 20-25 min (2tbls/40ml patty pans)
• ring tin: 30-35min

Non-TMX Method – Coffee Icing

Allow the cake/s to cool completely before icing.

1. Cream butter and icing sugar by hand or with electric mixer
2. Add 2tbs liquid coffee* and mix well by hand or electric mixer
3. Taste and add extra liquid coffee* for a stronger flavour

 

Feeding the Funky Bunch: Burnt Butter, Macadamia & Marmalade Biscuits

This is one of my most beloved Maggie Beer recipes. I have made it for years and just recently converted it for TMX. The biscuits are a delicious shortbread with the richness of macadamias, the bitterness or the burnt butter and the sweet tartness of marmalade. They are just divine. Be warned though, the dough needs to rest in the fridge for 1-2 hours to firm up before you can bake it so start early if you want them for afternoon tea!

Ingredients

• 50g butter in a small pot for melting
• 100g butter for dough
• 75g caster sugar
• 200g plain flour
• 30g rice flour
• 70g macadamias
• 75g (1/4 cup) orange marmalade

TMX Method

1. Place 50g butter in small pot and cook over medium head for 1-3 minutes until it turns nut brown. Set aside to cool.
2. Place 75g macadamias in TMX and pulse with Turbo 2-3 times
3. Set macadamias aside
4. Place 75g raw sugar in TMX and blitz Sp 9, 3 sec
5. Add 100g butter and mix Sp 4, 30 sec
6. Add rice flour & plain flour
7. Set dial to Closed Lid position and Knead 40 sec
8. Add marmalade & macadamias
9. Set dial to Closed Lid position and Knead 40 sec while pouring in burnt butter
10. Place 2 separate pieces of gladwrap on the counter
11. Divide dough in 2, placing one lot on each piece of gladwrap
12. Shape each into a 4cm thick log – I shape mine as a kind of rounded rectangle, or you can shape into a roll – and wrap tightly in gladwrap. You can refine the shape a bit when the dough log is wrapped up.
13. Place on a tray in the fridge for 1-2 hours (can leave overnight)
14. Pre-heat oven to 180C
15. Unwrap dough and slice into 1.5cm thick biscuits
16. Place on lined tray and bake 10-12 minutes
17. Cool on wire rack before serving

Non-TMX Method

1. Place 50g butter in small pot and cook over medium head for 1-3 minutes until it turns nut brown. Set aside to cool.
2. Roughly chop macadamias & set aside
3. Cream 100g butter and caster sugar by hand or with electric mixer
4. Add rice flour & plain flour, mix in well by hand or with electric mixer
5. Stir in marmalade, macadamias & cooled burnt butter
6. Place 2 separate pieces of gladwrap on the counter
7. Divide dough in 2, placing one lot on each piece of gladwrap
8. Shape each into a 4cm thick log – I shape mine as a kind of rounded rectangle, or you can shape into a roll – and wrap tightly in gladwrap. You can refine the shape a bit when the dough log is wrapped up.
9. Place on a tray in the fridge for 1-2 hours (can leave overnight)
10. Pre-heat oven to 180C
11. Unwrap dough and slice into 1.5cm thick biscuits
12. Place on lined tray and bake 10-12 minutes
13. Cool on wire rack before serving

P

Homemade: Wholemeal Bread

For the past few months I have been making my own bread. Just a simple wholemeal loaf in a rectangular tin to use for toast and sandwiches. This recipe seems to be really reliable. I make it every second or third day and I haven’t had any failures yet. I’ve opted to measure a few of the ingredients in ‘teaspoons’ rather than grams as I find the TMX scales isn’t quite sensitive enough for ingredients like yeast and salt.

Ingredients

• 350g lukewarm water – use in 2 lots: 100g and 250g
• 3tsp dry yeast
• 20g honey
• 250g white baker’s flour
• 250g wholemeal flour
• 2tsp pink salt

Method

I use a 450g rectangular loaf tin which I bought from All About Bread. It measures approx. 12cm wide and 27cm long.

1. Place 100g water, yeast and honey in TMX
2. Blitz 5 sec, Sp 7 with MC on
3. Leave for 5min with TMX lid and MC on to allow yeast to activate
4. Open TMX and see mixture has risen and bubbled
5. Add both flours then salt (it is important to avoid the salt touching the yeast so put flour in first)
6. Mix 5 sec, Sp 7
7. Pour in 250g water and Knead with lid in closed position for 2 min
8. Place dough in large bowl and leave in a warm place covered with a tea towel. Allow to prove for 60-90 minutes
9. After proving pre heat oven to 220C
10. Punch air out of the dough and knead by hand on a floured bench for 5 min. Alternately pop the dough back in cleaned TMX and knead with lid in closed position for 2 min
11. Place kneaded dough in loaf tin, cover with tea towel and allow to prove for a further 60-90 minutes
12. Bake for 20-25 min
13. Turn out onto a cooling rack and check bread is cooked by tapping on the bottom of the loaf. It should sound hollow. If not, pop back in the oven for 5 min and check again

I keep any stale bread or uneaten heels in the freezer then blitz to make wholemeal breadcrumbs

Have a look at Thermomix Tips for how to clean the dough off the TMX bowl & blades easily

Feeding the Funky Bunch: Apple Tea Cake

My friend L made this cake for me years ago and I immediately asked for the recipe – it was so delicious! This has to be one of the quickest cakes to mix up and throw in a tin for a lovely morning or afternoon treat. It does take about an hour in the oven though so make sure you plan ahead for the baking time.

Ingredients

• 1 & 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 1 cup sultanas
• 125g melted butter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 2 cups grated apple (skin on) (approx 2-3 apples)
• 1 cup caster sugar

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C
2. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together well
3. Pour into a greased and lined loaf tin (it’s quite a ‘wet’ mixture)
4. Bake 55-60 min

Feeding the Funky Bunch: Raspberry & Apple Cupcakes

I baked these gorgeous little cupcakes for afternoon tea today and my friend G is dying to get her hands on the recipe, so here it is! Originally from a Woman’s Weekly Cookbook, these little cakes are really moist and tasty. They freeze well for lunch boxes and make a great after school treat.

Ingredients

• 125g butter
• 1tsp vanilla essence
• 165g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 225g (1 & 1/2 cups) self-raising flour
• 100g (1/2 cup) milk
• 150g fresh or frozen raspberries (I’ve only ever used frozen)
• 200g apple (approx 2-3 apples) – peel and quarter apples for TMX, peel and dice apples for non-TMX

Thermomix Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced
2. Place 165g raw sugar in TMX and blitz 3 sec, Sp 9 to form caster sugar
3. Add butter and vanilla essence and cream with sugar 20 sec, Sp 4
4. Add eggs and beat 20 sec, Sp 4
5. Mix in flour and milk in two batches – 125g flour, 10 sec, Sp 3; 50g milk, 10 sec, Sp 3; 100g flour, 10 sec, Sp 3; 50g milk, 10 sec, Sp3
6. Scrape down bowl and mix for a further 6 sec, Sp 4
7. Use a spatula to help pour the mixture into a separate bowl – don’t scrape too diligently as the apple will help clean the TMX bowl
8. Place peeled and quartered apple in TMX and chop 3-5 sec, Sp 4
9. Use a spatula to scoop apple into the bowl with the cupcake mixture and stir through well by hand
10. Add raspberries last and gently stir through until just mixed (don’t mix too much or the raspberries will bleed throughout the mixture)
11. Spoon into cupcake size (2tbs/40ml) patty pans (makes 24)
12. Bake 25-30 min
13. Allow to cool in cupcake pan for 5 minutes before placing on wire rack to cool

Non-Thermomix Method

1. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla essence by hand or with electric mixer until pale and creamy
2. Beat eggs in one at a time
3. Stir in sifted flour and milk in two batches – 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup milk
4. Stir in peeled and diced apple
5. Add raspberries last and gently stir through until just mixed (don’t mix too much or the raspberries will bleed throughout the mixture)
6. Spoon into cupcake size (2tbs/40ml) patty pans (makes 24)
7. Bake 25-30 min
8. Allow to cool in cupcake pan for 5 minutes before placing on wire rack to cool

Feeding the Funky Bunch: Tiny Teddies & Co

Arnotts Tiny Teddies appear to have universal appeal to children of all ages. I prefer not to buy commercial biscuits so except for the odd packet of Tiny Teddies from a party bag or as a treat on holidays they generally don’t make an appearance in my cupboard. However, with a few cute cookie cutters and a very simple recipe you can easily whip up a batch of your own little biscuits at home. I’ve found that these keep well in an air-tight container for up to a week and they’re a big hit with the kids.

The basic recipe is the Foundation Biscuit Mixture from the Nursing Mothers Association Cookbook (a must have in any kitchen!) and I’ve added a TMX version below.

Ingredients

• 125g butter
• 125g castor sugar
• 1 egg
• 125g self-raising flour
• 125g plain flour
• For chocolate biscuits omit 1 tbs of plain flour and replace with 1 tbs cocoa powder

TMX Method

1. Pre heat oven 180C
2. Place raw sugar in TMX and blitz 3 sec, Sp 9 to make castor sugar
3. Place castor sugar and butter in TMX and cream 20 sec, Sp 4
4. Add egg and mix 10 sec, Sp 4
5. Add flours and knead, closed lid position, 2 min
6. Roll dough on a floured surface to approx 3mm and cut out shapes
7. Place on lined baking tray and bake 12-15 min

Non-TMX Method

1. Pre heat oven 180C
2. Place castor sugar and butter in mixer and cream together
   
3. Add egg and mix thoroughly
   
4. Add flours and mix to a smooth dough
5. Roll dough on a floured surface to approx 3mm and cut out shapes
6. Place on lined baking tray and bake 12-15 min

I have this great set of cookie cutters – the small cutters slot inside the round cutter and are interchangeable, or can be used on their own. It is ‘Baker’s Secret’ Brand which I purchased at Myer a few years ago. Unfortunately I can’t seem to find them online but i’m sure there are similar products at good homewares stores.

 

 

 

 

 

Feeding the Funky Bunch: Gingernut Biscuits

I made a batch of these biscuits for play group last week they were a big hit. They have that gingerbread flavour that my kids love, but are a bit quicker to make than gingerbread people. Inspired by Quirky Cooking’s Crunchy Gingernut Cookies, these are a softer biscuit with a crunchy outside.

Ingredients

• 400g plain spelt flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp pink salt
• 140g rapadura
• 180g butter
• 90g molasses
• 1 egg

Method

This recipe makes approx 45 biscuits. I often place half the dough in the freezer to defrost and bake when needed.

1. Pre heat oven to 180C
2. Place flour, baking soda, ground spices, salt and rapadura in TMX
3. Mix 10 sec, Sp 6
4. Add softened butter, molasses and egg
5. Mix 30 sec, Sp 6
6. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls, place on lined trays and flatten gently with two fingers
7. Bake 10-12 minutes

Little People: Arancini Balls

After posting this recipe for one of my family’s favourite risottos, I thought I should share my favourite way to use left over risotto. Arancini balls are simple to make and great for kids dinner, lunch boxes and party food. They work best with left over risotto that has sat in the fridge overnight or has been frozen and defrosted.

Ingredients

• Portion of left over risotto (works with any risotto)
• 1 beaten egg for every 400-500g risotto
• 1 more beaten egg
• 1 cup plain flour
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• Rice bran oil 

Method

1. Mix beaten egg through left over risotto
2. Take 2tbs risotto mix and shape into a ball
3. Roll in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs
4. Refrigerate for 30min if you have time
5. Shallow fry in hot rice bran oil and place on paper towel to drain
6. Eat hot or cold