White Chocolate Buttercream

White Chocolate Buttercream 

I'm not a fan of buttercreams, I prefer the silky smooth Ermine Frosting but when making the spectacular Mirror Glazes you need a firmer buttercream and this one is brilliant, it has white chocolate and thickened cream, it sets firmly and is a great base for the Mirror Glaze. You can also use this as a frosting for cakes and cupcakes. Ermine Frosting and Mirror Glaze recipes can also be found through the search function on this blog. This buttercream is perfect to pipe flowers with Russian piping tips, but you will need to halve the amount of cream.
Update: Recently I've been using chilled butter and mixing Sp10:1-2 mins, the mixture will form a ball at first then become smooth and creamy. I've found using chilled butter gives a much better consistency for piping.

Note: Australian cup and spoon measurements used. 1 cup = 250mls. 1 tablespoon = 20mls.
1 teaspoon = 5mls
Note: You can substitute dark chocolate instead of white to make chocolate buttercream.

200 gms white chocolate. Melted in microwave and cooled to room temperature 

230 gms unsalted butter chilled

240 gms icing sugar mixture 

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

20 mls thickened cream or omit cream if using this buttercream with a Russian piping tip.

Insert Kneading Blade. Stopper in 

Add butter, icing sugar mixture and vanilla extract. Sp10:1 min 30 sec scraping bowl with spatula after 15 sec. (This may take longer depending on how soft your butter is). Mixture should be soft and creamy and paled in colour. 

Add cooled white chocolate. Remove Stopper. Sp10:15sec scraping bowl with spatula after 10sec. 

Add cream Sp10:5sec. Remove blade and stir through with spatula. 

Add gel colours if desired and mix through with spatula.
Frosting might need refrigeration before piping. 

Pipe or spread Buttercream on to cake or cupcakes and refrigerate until firm. 

Raspberry Jam

Raspberry Jam

Tefal Cuisine Companion is perfect for making home made jam. This raspberry jam does not need pectin, grated apple or gelatine to set the jam. It has 2 ingredients only, frozen raspberries and sugar and is absolutely delicious. This jam is not overly sweet and perfectly compliments sweet cakes which are topped or frosted with a sweet frosting or chocolate ganache. 

Note: I only make small amounts of this jam for cakes. You can increase the quantity to 500 gms frozen raspberries and 320 gms sugar and cook for an extra 5 mins or until syrupy. This jam keeps well when refrigerated.

300gms frozen raspberries
210 gms sugar
Insert mixing blade
Stopper out but place paper towelling over hole in lid to prevent splattering.
Add raspberries and sugar
Sp3:120deg:15mins
Check if jam is set to your liking (jam will continue to set upon standing).
Strain through sieve to remove seeds by stirring and pressing down with a metal spoon.

Lamington Sponge Roll

Lamington Sponge Roll

Lamingtons are an iconic Australian miniature cake dipped in a chocolate glaze and rolled in coconut. Instead of making individual little squares of cake I've made a Lamington sponge roll.  Who can resist a light as a feather sponge rolled around home made raspberry jam (recipe follows) and cream then covered in a chocolate glaze and dessicated coconut. Tefal Cuisine Companion makes light work of the sponge and raspberry jam. It's important to warm your chilled eggs in warm water for 5 minutes before whisking in the Cuisine Companion, this increases the volume of the whisked egg and makes for a light as air sponge.
Dessicated or flaked coconut can be used.

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Lamington Sponge rolls rolled in moist coconut flakes on left and dessicated coconut on right. 

Note: Australian cup and spoon measurements used. 1 cup = 250 mls. 1 tablespoon = 20 mls.

1 teaspoon = 5 mls. 

Note: I've used eggs from an 800 gm carton of 12 eggs. 

Note: Place eggs in warm water 5 mins before whipping.

Sponge

Grease and baking paper line a 33cm x 23 cm lamington tray. I also grease the paper. 

Turn oven on to 170 deg fan forced. 

10 gms butter diced

40 gms milk

2 eggs placed in warm water 5 mins before whipping

80 gms caster sugar

75 gms S.R. flour

Place butter and milk in heatproof bowl. Microwave on low heat setting until butter is almost melted, stir with spoon until fully melted. Set aside stirring occasionally. 

Insert whisk in CC. Stopper out. 

Add eggs and caster sugar. S8:14mins 

Sift S.R. flour into CC bowl. S4:5sec. Use silicone pastry brush to brush flour off whisk.

Select S4:10sec pouring butter/milk mixture through hole in lid. Remove blade and gently fold through with spatula any unmixed flour. 

Pour into prepared tin.  Bake 12 mins or until sponge springs back when tested. Do not open oven door for the first 10mins.

Place a tea towel on a wire cake rack. 

I use a knife to cut around the edges of the sponge before turning out.
Turn out onto tea towel.

Roll from short end and leave until completely cold. 

Gently unroll when cold and spread with raspberry jam and whipped cream.

Roll in chocolate glaze then roll in dessicated or flaked coconut. 

Chocolate glaze recipe below.

Chocolate glaze. 

40 gms dark chocolate 

120 gms boiling water

160 gms icing sugar mixture 

55 gms cocoa

10 mls milk

Dessicated coconut sprinkled into baking dish. 

Break chocolate into individual squares, place chocolate into heatproof bowl, pour boiling water over chocolate and stir or whisk until smooth.

In large bowl sift icing sugar and cocoa

Add chocolate/water mixture to sifted icing sugar and cocoa, add milk and whisk until mixture is smooth. Pour into baking dish. Roll log in icing until well covered, then roll in coconut. Refrigerate until set. 

Double this recipe if making individual cake lamington squares.

Raspberry Jam

300gms frozen raspberries

210 gms sugar

Insert mixing blade

Stopper out but place paper towelling over hole in lid to prevent splattering.

Add raspberries and sugar

Sp3:120deg:15mins

Check if jam is set to your liking (jam will continue to set upon standing).

Strain through sieve to remove seeds by stirring and pressing down with a metal spoon.

Raspberry Jelly Cake Topping

Raspberry Jelly

This is a tart raspberry jelly that I top sweet cakes with, especially my gluten free chocolate cake with raspberry mousse filling. It is the perfect balance to any cake with a sweet filling and so easy to prepare with frozen raspberries in the Tefal Cuisine Companion. 

Raspberry Jelly Topping

Note: Australian cup and spoon measurements used. 1 cup=250mls. 1 tablespoon=20mls.
3 gelatine leaves
Enough water to cover gelatine leaves
200 gms frozen raspberries
1/4 cup water extra
1 & 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar
Soak gelatine leaves in cold water.
Insert Ultrablade. Stopper out.
Add frozen raspberries, 1/4 cup water and caster sugar. Brush any sugar off blade with pastry brush.  Sp3:70deg:2min. Or until sugar is dissolved. Scrape bowl with spatula.
Sp3:95deg:1min 30sec.
Squeeze excess water from gelatine leaves and add to bowl with raspberries. Sp4:40sec.
Strain mixture through wire mesh sieve into heatproof bowl and set aside until mixture is the consistency of a light syrup.
Place cake to be topped with the raspberry jelly syrup into a loose bottomed cake tin. Pour the raspberry syrup into the centre of cake and tilt cake from side to side to spread syrup to outer edges. Refrigerate until set. You may have to repeat tilting the cake to evenly distribute the jelly whilst it's setting in the fridge.

Raspberry Cream Mousse

Raspberry Cream Mousse

This is a delicious raspberry cream that I use to fill cakes and to pipe decorative borders. I use frozen raspberries which are available all year round.  I first make a raspberry syrup in the Tefal Cuisine Companion then when the syrup has cooled to room temperature I pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes before I whip cream until stiff peaks form and gently fold the cooled raspberry syrup through the whipped cream. I then pop back in the fridge until the raspberry cream is of a spreadable and piping consistency. This may take 1 to 2 hours.

Raspberry cream mousse filling and piped border

After folding syrup through the stiffly whipped cream.

Note: Australian cup and spoon measurements used. 1 cup=250 mls. 1 tablespoon =20mls.

10 gms powdered gelatine
1/4 cup boiling water
300 gms frozen raspberries
165 gms caster sugar
600 mls thickened cream
Pour boiling water into small heatproof bowl, start stirring vigorously with a fork, add gelatine quickly and keep stirring for another 10 seconds to dissolve gelatine. Set aside.
Insert Ultrablade. Stopper out.
Add frozen raspberries and caster sugar. Sp3:70deg:2 mins or until sugar dissolves. Scrape bowl with spatula.
Sp3:95deg:5mins adding dissolved gelatine through hole in lid after 4 minutes. Strain mixture by pressing with spatula through wire sieve to remove seeds.
Set aside to cool to room temperature. When ready to whip cream place cooled raspberry syrup in fridge for 10 minutes.
Whip thickened cream in the Cuisine Companion with Whisk inserted and Sp6 selected or use a  stand mixer until firm peaks form.
Gently fold in cooled raspberry syrup 2 tablespoons at a time until combined.
Refrigerate until mixture is of a spreading and piping consistency.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Flourless and Nutmeal Free Chocolate Cake

This is a rich and dense flourless and nutmeal free chocolate cake. It does require folding through with spatula after being mixed in the Cuisine Companion so as not to deflate the mixture. I always place eggs in warm water for 7 minutes, this helps to maximise the volume when whisking.  I prefer to bake this cake using 2 x 20 cm loose bottom cake tins which makes it easier to remove the cakes from the tins once baked. This cake forms a light crust when baking and is ready when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. I have used a raspberry mousse filling in the centre of the cake, around the outside  and also for the piped border and a tart raspberry jelly on top. Both recipes can be found by typing 'raspberry' in the search function. Take this cake out of the fridge 20 minutes before serving.

Note: Australian cup and spoon measurements used. 1 cup = 250 mls, 1 tablespoon = 20 mls. 

Grease and line bottoms of 2 x 20cm round loose bottomed cake tins.
225 gms unsalted butter
255 gms dark cooking chocolate
6 eggs. Place eggs in warm water for 7 minutes.
210 gms caster sugar
1 tspn vanilla extract
75 gms cocoa sifted into Cuisine Companion bowl
Pinch of salt
Melt butter and chocolate on med/low in microwave. Stir with metal spoon until smooth. Set aside.
Insert whisk. Stopper out.
Add eggs and sugar. Sp8:16mins or until pale and doubled in volume.
Add vanilla, salt and sift cocoa into bowl Sp4:15sec
Add chocolate/butter mixture Sp4:20sec.
Remove whisk and GENTLY fold mixture with spatula to finish off. Mixture will have a mottled appearance.
Pour into cake tins and bake at 170deg for 20mins or until done when tested with skewer.
Cakes won't rise very much and will settle after baking.

Mexican Pasta Mince

Mexican Pasta Mince

All the Mexican flavours that we love in a pasta dish. So quick and easy in the Tefal Cuisine Companion. I love to serve with shredded cheese, guacamole, lime and chilli aioli and sour cream. I also like to bake this dish as a cheesy pasta bake.  After cooking in the Cuisine Companion place into  greased casserole dish, top with grated cheese and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is golden. 

Note: Australian standard cup and spoon measurements used. 1 cup = 250 mls. 1 tablespoon = 20 mls 

1 small onion quartered 

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

500 gms minced beef

1 sachet Taco seasoning 

470gms boiling water

1 400 gm tin crushed tomatoes 

220 gms small shell pasta or macaroni 

1 jar salsa

1 400 gm tin corn kernels drained
1 small tin red kidney beans drained and refreshed under cold running water 

2 tablespoons red capsicum diced

Shredded cheese

Insert Ultrablade. Stopper in.

Add onion and garlic. Pulse 20 sec scraping bowl with spatula after 10 sec. 

Add olive oil. Stopper out.
Slow Cook P1:4min. Scraping bowl with spatula as required.

Add mince. Slow Cook P1:8min. Scraping bowl with spatula as required.

Insert Mixing Blade 

Add Taco seasoning. Slow Cook P1:2min. 

Add pasta, boiling water and tomatoes, stir through with spatula.
Slow Cook P2:22mins. Place paper towelling over hole in lid to prevent splattering 

Add salsa, corn, red kidney beans and capsicum. Slow Cook P2:10mins. Stirring through with spatula as required.

Serve with shredded cheese or empty into casserole dish, top with shredded cheese and bake 170 deg for 20 mins or until cheese is golden. 

Spanish Chorizo and Vegetable Soup

Spanish Chorizo and Vegetable Soup 

This soup is one of my favourites. I love the way the paprika infused chorizo blends with the flavours of the vegetables, herbs and Parmesan. A real delight served with crusty home made bread and so easy to make in the Tefal Cuisine Companion. 

1 medium onion quartered

1 tblspn olive oil
200 gms chorizo diced
3 large carrots diced
2 sticks celery diced
1 large potato diced
700 gms passata
650 mls chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
1 x 400 gm can cannellini beans, drained and refreshed under cold running water.
Parsley, chilli, rocket, Parmesan and olive oil to serve.
Insert Ultrablade. Stopper in.
Add onion. Turbo 4 sec. Scrape sides of bowl with spatula.
Repeat above until onion is finely chopped.
Insert Stirring Blade. Stopper out.
Add olive oil.
Slow Cook P1:5mins. Scrape sides of bowl with spatula as required.
Add chorizo.
Slow Cook P1:7mins. Stopper out. Scrape sides of bowl with spatula as required.
Add carrots, celery, potato, passata, stock and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.
Slow Cook P2:100 deg:60mins (stopper in Maxi position) adding cannellini beans for last 10 mins.
Serve with chopped parsley, chilli, rocket, Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil to taste.