Salted Caramel Brownies

SaltedCaramel copyThe combination of salty and sweet is so good. It really is. Have you ever tried tipping your Maltesers into your box of popcorn at the cinema to make salty Maltesers and chocolate tasting popcorn?? Sounds odd, but really – trust me – give it a go! This recipe is a rather decadent take on the sweet/salt combination. Definitely one for special occasions only – very rich and very chocolatey. If you have left over caramel sauce it is great on ice-cream, or in smoothies, or straight out of the jug…..

Salted Caramel Brownies
 
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Recipe type: Baking
Serves: 16 slices
Ingredients
SALTED CARAMEL
  • 110g brown sugar
  • 75g cream
  • 75g butter (salted if you have some in the fridge - if not unsalted is fine)
  • ½ tsp rock salt
BROWNIE
  • 200g butter
  • 200g chocolate (I use milk cooking chocolate, but you can substitute with dark if you prefer)
  • 80g brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla
  • 60g plain flour
  • 2 Tbsp cocoa or cacao
Method
CARAMEL
  1. Place all ingredients into the Tmx bowl and cook 8 minutes, varoma temperature, speed 2.
  2. Pour sauce into a bowl or jug and put into the fridge. It will look quite runny, don’t worry, it will thicken as it cools. Let it cool in the fridge while you prepare the brownie mixture - wait until the colour changes to a lighter brown and it is quite thick.
BROWNIE
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grease and line a lamington tin with baking paper. Extend the paper above the sides to make it easier to remove the brownie after cooking.
  2. Melt the butter, chocolate and sugar in the Tmx for 3 minutes, 70 degrees, speed 1.
  3. Add eggs and vanilla and mix speed 3, 30 seconds.
  4. Add flour and cocoa and mix again at speed 3 until just combined (about 10 seconds)
  5. Pour into prepared tin (the mixture is very runny)
  6. Use approx a third of the caramel and drip/drop/drizzle it over the top of the brownie mixture. I also add some extra salt ground on to the top of the mix before baking (because I really like the salty taste - you can skip this though).
  7. Bake for 25 minutes or until JUST set. Don’t be tempted to overcook it, leave it in the oven just long enough so that the cake tester comes out clean but the brownie is still soft and gooey.
  8. Once it comes out of the oven drizzle another third of the caramel over the top while it is still warm.
  9. Let cool in the tin before cutting into squares to serve. Serve with the remainder of the sauce drizzled on the top of each slice and extra salt flakes. Use as much or as little caramel as you like - it is very rich so small squares are plenty!

 

Date & LSA Muffins

DateLSAMuffins copyThis makes a mega batch – 18 standard sized muffins. Eat half and freeze half – or just eat them all 😉
LSA is a mixture of ground linseed, almond and sunflower seeds. You can purchase it from the health food section of the supermarket. It gives these muffins a lovely nutty flavour and slightly crunchy texture.

Date & LSA Muffins
 
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Recipe type: Baking
Serves: 18 muffins
Ingredients
  • 50g butter
  • 75g sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 160g buttermilk (or normal low-fat or skim milk if you don’t have buttermilk)
  • 90g natural yoghurt
  • 330g SR flour
  • 140g pitted and chopped dates
  • ⅓ cup LSA
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Sugar for sprinkling on the top
Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and prepare muffin cases or grease muffin pan
  2. Weigh dates into Tmx bowl and chop by pulsing the turbo button 3-4 times.
  3. Cream butter and sugar speed 6, 10 seconds.
  4. Add eggs, milk, yoghurt, vanilla and combine speed 5, 5 seconds.
  5. Add flour dates and LSA and combine gently interval speed, 20 seconds or until just mixed through. Don’t be tempted to over mix. The mixture needs to be just combined. Use the spatula to assist if needed.
  6. Spoon into muffin cases, sprinkle extra sugar on top and bake in moderate oven (180 degrees) for 15-20 minutes.
Notes
The mixture is very sticky and dough like, it’s a bit stiff to work with but makes a yummy muffin when cooked!

 

Ginger & Pear Cake

Ginger&Pear copyThis cake has a lovely gentle flavour thanks to the preserved ginger. The pear adds a delicious moist touch. Very yummy served warm with cream. This is quite light compared to other ginger cake recipes that have golden syrup and ginger spice as ingredients (which are also very nice – Just different! I have one of these recipes that I also make often, I will share it soon)

Ginger & Pear Cake
 
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Recipe type: Baking
Serves: 16 slices
Ingredients
  • 185g butter
  • 125g preserved/glacé ginger
  • 2 pears peeled and sliced thinly
  • 180g sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 200g plain wholemeal flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
Method
  1. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin (I use a 25cm silicone kugelhopf mould for this recipe - my favourite for baking cakes as it cooks really evenly and makes it easy to slice). Preheat oven to 180 degrees
  2. Combine butter and sugar in Tmx bowl speed 5, 10 seconds.
  3. Melt the butter and ginger mix at 90 degrees, 2 minutes, speed 1.
  4. Add sugar, then egg and mix speed 3, 5 seconds.
  5. Add flour and baking powder speed 4, 5 seconds be careful not to over mix. You want it to be just combined at this stage
  6. Scrape the sides of the bowl down and add the pear on reverse speed 2, 3 seconds.
  7. Pour into prepared tin or mould and bake at 180 degrees, 45 minutes, or until firm and golden, I always test with a skewer also.

 

No-Bake Apricot Slice

No_BakeApricot copy

No-Bake Apricot Slice
 
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Recipe type: Baking, Sweet Treats
Serves: 20 slices
Ingredients
  • 100g marshmallows
  • 200g dried apricots
  • 1 packet Milk Arrowroot biscuits
  • 1 tin Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 2 Tbsp desiccated coconut
  • 150g cooking chocolate for topping
Method
  1. Grease and line a lamington tray with baking paper (extending above the long sides)
  2. Place marshmallows and apricots into Tmx bowl and chop speed 7, 10 seconds (until they are in small chunks). Remove from bowl and set aside.
  3. Place biscuits into bowl and crush into crumbs, speed 7, 7 seconds.
  4. Add marshmallows and apricots back into the bowl with coconut and condensed milk. Set lid to Closed Lid position and combine at interval speed for 1 minute (or until mixed through).
  5. Press mixture into tray and smooth down. Set in the fridge until firm (You can also place into the freezer if you need to speed things up).
  6. Once firm drizzle with melted chocolate and place back into the fridge until chocolate has set before slicing into serves.
MELTING CHOCOLATE
  1. Break chocolate into chunks and place into Tmx bowl.
  2. Chop for 5 seconds, speed 8
  3. Melt for 50 degrees, 5 minutes, speed 1.

 

Kit Kat Cheesecake Slice

KitKat copyCheesecake. Kit Kat. Flake chocolate. Need I say more?

Kit Kat Cheesecake Slice
 
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Recipe type: Desserts, Baking
Serves: 20 slices
Ingredients
  • 3 x 90g Kit Kats
  • 50 g butter
  • 375g cream cheese
  • 90g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 300ml sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 2 Flake bars
Method
  1. Grease and line a lamington tin with baking paper. Extend paper 2cm above edges.
  2. Place butter into Thermomix bowl and melt 90 degrees, 2 minutes, speed 1.
  3. Add Kit Kats, crush 10 seconds, speed 5-6. Tip the Kit Kat & butter mixture into prepared tin and press evenly over the base. The mixture is quite sticky, use the back of the MC to smooth down. I find that leaving it for about 10 minutes at room temp to cool down a bit helps to make it a bit more spreadable. Once spread in the tin put in the fridge for an hour or until firm.
  4. Don’t worry about cleaning the bowl. Add cream cheese and sugar and beat 20 seconds, speed 5.
  5. Add eggs combine 5 seconds, speed 5.
  6. Add sour cream and vanilla and gently mix through for 15 seconds, Reverse, Spoon Soft.
  7. Pour over prepared base
  8. Sprinkle with crushed Flakes and swirl through with a skewer.
  9. Bake in a moderate oven 40-50 minutes (this can vary depending on your oven, you will know it is cooked when it stops wobbling. It still looks a bit ‘spongy’ when it first comes out of the oven but it sets as it cools) Cool completely before cutting.

 

Rhubarb, Apple & Custard Muffins

RhubarfMuffin copyRhubarb and apple are a match made in heaven. Add custard to the flavour mix and….yum!
These are delicious warm or cool. If eaten warm add some more rhubarb on the top to serve.
As a variation I have also made these with a small teaspoon of cooked rhubarb dolloped on the top of the batter before cooking – this adds an extra hit of rhubarb tang, delicious!

Rhubarb, Apple & Custard Muffins
 
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: Baking, Muffins
Serves: 12 large muffins
Ingredients
  • 100g butter
  • 280g SR flour
  • 40g custard powder
  • 80g raw sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
  • 220g milk
  • 150g (1/2 cup) stewed rhubarb (see below)
  • 2 apples
  • Stewing the Rhubarb: Chop 400g rhubarb into 5cm chunks and put into Thermomix bowl with 50g sugar and 30g water. Cook 100 degrees, 7 min, Reverse, Spoon Soft. Check often to see how it is going. It can turn to mush quickly! I like it with a few lumps left in. This makes a lot more than what the recipe needs, but it is worth cooking a full quantity and then you can use the leftover for pie, crumble or on top of the cooked muffins.
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line a 12 hole muffin pan with paper cases.
  2. Peel and dice apples into small chunks
  3. Place butter in the bowl (no need to rinse out after the rhubarb has cooked).
  4. Melt 90 degrees, 2 minutes, speed 1.
  5. Add all other ingredients to butter except rhubarb and apple. Mix 30 seconds, speed 4-5.
  6. Add rhubarb and apple and mix 10-15 seconds, speed 1-2, using spatula to combine.
  7. Spoon into muffin cases and bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

 

Lemon Curd Crumble Slice

P1050851 copy

 

Don’t assume that this is fiddly to make – this slice is very quick and easy to create in the Thermomix and the result is divine (especially if you are a lemon curd addict like me). I have also made a great apple version of this slice – simply replace the lemon curd layer with steamed apple slices.
This is lovely served warm with custard as a dessert or eaten as a slice. It is very easy and gives a very impressive result.

Lemon Curd Crumble Slice
 
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Recipe type: Cake, Slice, Baking
Serves: 16 slices
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
  • 60g lemon juice
  • 60g butter
  • 110g sugar
  • 1 egg

Base & Crumble
  • 220g SR flour
  • 130g desiccated coconut
  • 90g sugar
  • 185g butter
  • 1 egg
Method
Lemon Curd
  1. Place all ingredients into the Thermomix bowl and cook at 100 degrees for 5 minutes on speed 4 (tip: when squeezing lemon juice leave the MC in place and squeeze directly onto the lid, the juice dribbles in the bowl but the MC catches the pips)
  2. Remove from bowl once cooked and set aside (it may look runny at this point but it will thicken slightly on standing)

Base and Crumble
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees
  2. Lightly grease and line a lamington tray with baking paper - extend the paper 2m above both long sides.
  3. Place butter into Thermomix bowl and melt at 60 degrees, 2 minutes, speed 4.
  4. Add dry ingredients and egg. Beat 30 seconds, speed 5.
  5. Press half the mixture into prepared tin (use the base of the MC to smooth it in)
  6. Cover the base with the lemon curd (then lick the bowl yum!)
  7. Crumble the remaining mixture over the top, it doesn't matter if the crumble is not perfect, rustic is good!
  8. Cook for 35-40 minutes or until golden on the top.Cool in the tray and then slice into even squares.

 

Favourite Chocolate Cake

ChocCake copyThis the ‘go-to’ chocolate cake recipe in our house. It is simple (one of those great chuck it all in and mix recipes), makes a large cake and has just the right amount of chocolatey-ness!

Our Favourite Chocolate Cake
 
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Recipe type: Baking, Cake
Serves: 20 slices
Ingredients
  • 250g SR flour
  • 150g sugar
  • ½ tsp bicarb soda
  • 25g cocoa
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 220g milk
  • 130g vegetable oil (non flavoured oil)
  • 2 eggs
Method
  1. Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin (this makes a large cake so I use a tin with high sides)
  2. Place all ingredients into Tmx bowl and mix 40 seconds, speed 4-5.
  3. Pour into prepared tin and bake at 180 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Test with a skewer towards the end of the cooking time to check if done.

 

Lemon Tea Cake

LemonTeaCake copy
There is nothing new about this recipe – I have cooked a few versions but this one from my Mother-in-Law is a winner. So simple but so good!

Lemon Tea Cake
 
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Recipe type: Baking
Ingredients
  • 200g SR flour
  • 125g butter
  • 100g sugar
  • Juice of one lemon (or two if they are small)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 110g milk
  • Juice of one extra lemon and ¼ cup of sugar to pour over the top once cooked
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grease a loaf tin.
  2. Place flour and butter into Tmx bowl and rub together speed 6, 10 seconds.
  3. Add sugar, lemon juice, salt, eggs and milk. Mix speed 5, 10 seconds.
  4. Pour mix into loaf tin and bake at 180 degrees for approximately 1 hour (test towards end of cooking time and test with skewer to check if cooked).
  5. While loaf is cooking combine extra lemon juice and sugar in a mug. When the loaf comes out of the oven spoon the lemony-sugary mix over the top while it is hot.
    Allow to cool in the tin before turning out and serving.