Chai Spiced Hot Cross Buns

I love Chai in any form and I love home made Hot Cross Buns.  So what better marriage than Chai spiced hot cross buns.  My favourite is a Chai Spice mix of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom.  In fact just like variations of chai you can play around with the spices (freshly ground is best) and I’ve even infused the warm milk with some leaf chai tea.

Chai Spiced Hot Cross Buns

I use the Everyday Cookbook version of Hot Cross Buns as a base and reduce the sugar to about 10g of rapadura making them a great snack for the kids.  And there's plenty of other variations to try.  With or without citrus, a handful of cocoa nibs, a hint of espresso, wholemeal, with or without crosses...    All delightful and hard to resist straight from the oven with homemade butter of course.

And these are so delicious you'll want to make them all year round so just omit the cross and you won't feel guilty a bit.
 

 

Easter is early this year so what are you waiting for? Start baking!

Chai Spiced Hot Cross Buns

250g milk

70g unsalted butter

10g rapadura sugar

1 free range egg

½ tsp salt

10g dry yeast

100g wholemeal bakers flour

400g bakers flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground cardamom

80g sultanas

70g currants

• Place milk into Thermomix bowl and heat for 1 minute at 90° on speed 1
 
• Add butter and sugar and mix for 10 seconds on speed 2
 
• Place remaining ingredients excluding sultanas and currants and knead for 2 minutes on Interval Setting
 
• Add sultanas and currants and knead for a further 1 minute
 
• Wrap in Thermomat or place in a covered bowl and leave to prove in a warm place for 2 hours to approximately double in size
 
• Break off 1/3 cup size pieces, shape into rolls and place on a lined baking tray and let them prove for a further 30 minutes (we like them small in size as they go further!)
 
• Pipe with crosses if desired (a mix of 80g flour, pinch salt, 1tsp oil, 100g water in a piping bag or zip lock bag with the end snipped off)
 
• Bake in a preheated oven at 220° for 15 minutes
 
• Brush with sugar syrup (a mix of 1 tbls rapadura sugar and 1 tbls hot water) while still warm

 

Enjoy!

Indulgent Dark Chocolate Brownies

 

 

While most of my recipes I write about a health motivated, some are just pure indulgence and make a very special treat.  I was off to visit a friend with her first new baby today and which new mum doesn’t like chocolate!  So I went in search for the best Thermomix Chocolate Brownie and I found it!  This recipe is based on a Thermomix Recipe Community version called "Extreme Brownies", but with a lot less sugar, quality chocolate and a few other tweaks the result was a killer!

Indulgent Dark Chocolate Brownies

300g rapadura or raw sugar

1 tsp baking powder

60g organic cocoa

100g plain flour

200g unsalted butter roughly chopped

Pinch of salt1 tsp coffee granules
200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa - broken into pieces)

3 free range eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 160C
• Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin and set aside
• Place sugar into Thermomix bowl and mill 4 seconds on speed 9
• Add baking powder, cocoa and flour and mix 5 seconds on speed 9
• Remove from bowl and set aside
• Place butter and salt into bowl and melt for 3 minutes at 60° on speed 2
• Add chocolate, vanilla and coffee and combine for 10 to 15 seconds on speed 4 until roughly combined.  If there are still some small chunks that’s ok as it adds some chocolate chunks to the brownies
• Leave in mixing bowl and allow to cool to 37°
• Add flour mixture and eggs and mix for 10 seconds on speed 3 or until just combined
• Scrape down sides of bowl if required
• Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake for 1 hour or until top appears baked and a skewer comes out with a few crumbs attached
• Allow to cool completely in the tin

Enjoy with even more indulgent cream or ice cream and a sprinkle of raspberries!

 

Crunchy Munchy Honey Cakes

Something to make you smile!

 

Children really are so precious.  Sometime we forget how precious they are until something goes wrong.  Then we’re pulled straight back by the strength of our parental bonds and our hearts simply pour out our love for them with an earnest wish to keep them safe and well...

 

Miss Summer recently came across this recipe for Crunchy Munchy Honey Cakes on a very old episode of the Wiggles she’s borrowed from the library.  When she later recited most of the recipe to me I couldn’t resist but to help her whip them up. A quick Google for the remainder of the Wiggles  recipe, a few tweaks and variations for the Thermomix and the result was quite scrumptious.

Mr C, get well soon as these are coming your way x

Crunchy Munchy Honey Cakes

Crunchy Munchy Honey Cakes

100g butter cubed

50g  (1/4 cup) honey

3 cups muesli or cornflakes (I used a combination)

120g (1 cup) self-raising flour

60g (1 cup) coconut

30g sultanas

3 tablespoons milk

• Preheat oven to 180°
• Place honey and butter in Thermomix bowl and melt for 2 minutes on 60° at speed 2 or until melted
• Add remaining ingredients and mix on Reverse speed 2 for 20 seconds or until combined
• Roll into balls the size of walnuts and place on a greased baking tray
• Bake for 15 - 20 mins or until golden brown
• Cool on trays then enjoy
• Tip: For a non Thermomix version simply melt butter and honey in a saucepan over a low heat then add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.

Raw Strawberry Cheesecake

Raw Strawberry Cheesecake

We've been berry picking and are in berry heaven! I can't believe we've never been before especially when there are so many berry farms within an hours drive. Now we have and there's no turning back.

 

You can imagine little blueberry Finn when he stepped between the first row of blueberry bushes. Not many were making it to the bucket. But with some team work the bucket was soon full (and he finally said "no" to a blueberry!) so we moved onto the strawberries.  It was like finding plump red fairies under the gorgeous green leaves. I think veggie daddy was getting the most excited and the strawberry bucket was soon overflowing. The kids were all berried out and ready for a blueberry milkshake, blueberry ice cream and blueberry buckle. Time to balance with a little savoury so we popped into the veggie barn next door for plenty of locally grown supplies.  What a gorgeous way to spend the morning as a family. And we'll certainly be back.

So what to make...

I recently saw this gorgeous Raw Strawberry Cheesecake on the Thermomix Recipe Community so today I knew this was the was to celebrate all things strawberry.  It's delicious, quite rich and hard to believe it's not full of sugar and cream cheese.  In fact, I think's it's way better the alternative.


Raw Strawberry Cheesecake

250g macadamia nuts (I used 150g macadamia and 100g almonds)
100g dates
45g coconut
400g cashews soaked for at least 1 hour then drained
juice and pulp of 2 large lemons
50g Agave nectar
100g coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch sea salt
80g water
1-2 punnets fresh strawberries

Base 

• Place macadamias, dates and coconut into Thermomix bowl and blend for 30-40 seconds on speed 6 until well combined and forming a moist dough
• Press into lined 20cm spring form cake tin and place in freezer

Filling

• Place all remaining ingredients into Thermomix bowl and blend together until smooth and creamy for 1 minute on speed 7
• Pour on top of base and set in the fridge over night
• Remove from cake tin and decorate as desired!

 

Thai Green Tofu Curry

Ahh, memories of Thailand... It was our honeymoon nearly 5 years ago... our first truely relaxing holiday (pre children naturally)... in the seaside towns of Krabi and Koh Samui... lazing by the pool... a bit of adventure with kayaking, elephants and underwater exploration...  and most importantly, simple, authentic, delicious food.

Gourmet vegetarian feast in a shanty on the river

 
So any recipe that can take me close to that memory (as well as being quick and easy to feed the kids after work) is more than welcome in my home.

 

I found the original version on mythermomixhints and tweaked it by making it vegetarian with tofu instead of chicken and soy sauce instead of fish sauce.  I reduced a few of the elements as I wasn’t sure how it would be for the kids but I can assure you it was just right.  And was enjoyed by all.

Thai Green Tofu Curry

50g cashew nuts
1 Green Chilli de seeded
2 cloves of garlic
1 Lemon Grass stem roughly chopped
2 Coriander roots with stems
2 pairs Kaffir Lime leaves
20g rice bran oil (or olive oil)
440g tin organic Coconut Milk
2 tbsp soy sauce (or fish sauce if you prefer)
1 tbsp palm sugar
350g firm tofu cubed
Assorted veggies (eg; 1 carrot julienned, ¼ red capsicum, handful green beans, ½ zucchini, ½ broccoli chopped)
a few thai basil leaves
Handful bean shootsCoriander leaves to garnish

Steamed Jasmine rice to serve (see Thermomix EDC)

 

• Place nuts in bowl and mill for 5 seconds speed 9 then set aside
• Chop chilli, garlic, lemon grass, coriander root, kaffir lime leaves Speed 7 for 10 seconds
• Scrape down and add oil and sauté 3mins on 100 degrees at speed 1
• Add coconut milk and cook for 4 mins at 100 degrees on speed 1
• Blend 20 secs on speed 9 for a smoother sauce
• Add  tofu and vegetables and cook for 7 mins at 100 Degrees, reverse, speed soft (I prefer to pan fry tofu in a little oil seperately to give it a golden, crisper coating)
• Add sauce, basil, sugar, bean shoots and ground nuts  and cook 2 mins at 100 degrees reverse speed soft
• Serve with steamed rice and garnish with coriander

Enjoy!

Pumpkin, Chickpea and Zucchini Pesto Scrolls

Pumpkin, Chickpea and Zucchini Pesto Scrolls

 

As many of you may know Veggie Daddy has been busy building something in our backyard.  No it’s not the 2^nd veggie patch which we adore, but a rather large structure he adores called a skateboard ramp.  Call it a mid life crisis, call it what you want but I think I have been very generous in letting this become part of our garden even with the removal of trees, time taken every weekend, etc, etc..  Veggie daddy has been skateboarding for about 25 years and feels that this way he can enjoy it with the kids – he’s just a big kid himself.

Daddy's litle helper



Testing the ramp out with daddy



 

 

 

 

 

The kids have loved watching the ramp being built and helping when they can.  Even I was up there helping bend plywood today!  The kids are also having fun riding bikes up and down and it looks like it will be an extension of our outdoor style of living.

So what better lunch to whip today than Pumpkin, Chickpea and Zucchini Pesto Scrolls that everyone could eat on the run.  Special thanks to my Thermie cousin who pointed out this great recipe by Arwen on the Thermomix Recipe Community.  I tweaked it a little by using sweet potato today instead of pumpkin and made my own Zucchini and Basil pesto from the bountiful garden.  The extra nutrition from the chickpeas is great and they make about a dozen good sized scrolls.  Which is handy because it’s hard to stop at one!

 

Pumpkin & Chickpea Bread Dough

 

100g dried chickpeas

100g pumpkin (or sweet potato) roughly chopped

400g bakers flour

20g olive oil

1 tsp salt

300g lukewarm water

20g pepitas

8g dried yeast

 

Pesto

40g Parmesan cheese cubed

1 clove garlic

1 bunch fresh basil

60g cashew nuts

60 zucchini roughly chopped

30g extra virgin olive oil

80g cheese grated extra

• Add chickpeas to Thermomix bowl and mill for 1 min at speed 10
• Add pumpkin and process for 5 secs on speed 5
• Add remaining ingredients and mix 5 secs on speed 5 then set to closed lid position and  knead for 2 minutes on dough setting.  Add a little flour if needed
• Remove dough and wrap in thermomat or in a covered oiled bowl for about an hour or until doubled in size
• Meanwhile make Zucchini pesto
• Place parmesan cheese and basil into TM bowl and chop for 5 secs on speed 8
• Add all other ingredients & process for 10 seconds on speed 8
  
• Shape dough into a large rectangle
• Gently stretch and shape dough into a long rectangle about 1.5cm thick on mat or floured surface
• Spread with pesto, sprinkle with grated cheese
• Carefully roll from long edge to form a long roll then cut into approximately 12 pieces
• Arrange in 2 springform tins lined with baking paper and allow to rest again while heating oven to 220°
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and hollow sounding when knocked

Best eaten straight from the oven.  Enjoy!

Lentil Bolognese

After a fanatastic camping holiday what better way to enjoy the trip home than with a stop at a delightful country town cafe. We stumbled across Alfreds Cafe in Euroa.  An eclectic yet boutique cafe with delicious food and five star service. Walking in with kids all a little shabby post camping, we were warmly welcomed with a high chair, colouring books and kids menu.

Enjoying lunch at Albert's Cafe in Euroa

 

Veggie mum and dad enjoyed a very satisfying coffee followed by a smoked salmon, Milawa brie, preserved lemon tart and zucchini and haloumi fritters. We couldn't resist the cake selection and chose the orange almond cake to share on the drive home. Incredibly light for an almond cake with the unmatchable flavour of whole orange. Any drive along the Hume would be enhanced by Alberts Cafe in Euroa.

licking the every last piece of cake crumbs...

So we got home rather late, needed a quick and reliable dinner, and I was pretty keen to get my hands back on the Thermomix dials.  Was better than a trusty Lentil Bolognese.  It’s one of those favourites that you can use whatever veges you have on hand or prefer and the lentil can be pre cooked dried green lentils or straight from a tin if time is calling you.  Any pasta if fine but the kids love spaghetti and topped with some fresh parmesan cheese you can’t go wrong.



Lentil Bolognese with Spaghetti

Lentil Bologese

 

40g parmesan cheese cubed

1 onion

1 clove garlic

20g olive oil

1 carrot

1 zucchini

1 handful of mushrooms

¼ red capsicum

1 tin lentils drained

1 tin tomato

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp vege stock concentrate

50g red wine or water

Handful of fresh herbs eg basil, oregano or 1 tsp dried herbs

• Add cheese to Thermomix bowl and chop for 4 seconds on speed 6 then set aside
• Add garlic and onion to bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 6
• Add oil and sauté for 3 minutes at 100° on speed 1
• Add roughly chopped carrot, zucchini, mushrooms and capsicum and chop for 4 seconds on speed 7
• Add all other ingredients (if using fresh herbs leave for last 5 minutes) and cook for 15 minutes at 100° on Reverse speed 1
• Meanwhile cook your favourite pasta to your liking then serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese

Enjoy!