Linzer Biscuits

Linzer Biscuits 

An Austrian classic biscuit combining almond, cinnamon and raspberry jam. The Tefal Cuisine Companion mixes the dough in seconds and can make the jam in under 20 minutes using frozen raspberries and sugar. The jam recipe can be found by typing raspberry jam in the search function. I coated the bottoms of the biscuits with chocolate for an extra taste sensation. 

I used special Linzer biscuit cutters but any cookie cutter can be used and the middles can be cut out with a smaller cutter or a piping tip. 

Makes approx 24 completed Biscuits. 

230 gms Unsalted Butter softened
1 large Egg

40 gms Almond Meal

85 gms Brown Sugar 

360 gms Plain Flour

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

Raspberry Jam
Icing Sugar Mixture
Dark Chocolate melted (optional)

Insert Kneading Blade. Stopper out.
Add all ingredients in order listed

Sp10:30sec or until mixture forms a ball. 

Divide in 2 and shape into discs, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate one hour. 

Roll or pat out first disc on lightly floured silicone sheet or board (you may need to lightly flour your rolling pin) to about 3/4 cm thick and cut out 5 cm rounds. Use a small spatula to remove the rounds from the silicone sheet and place on paper lined baking tray. 

Roll out second disc as above and cut out centres with a small cookie cutter, piping tip etc. 

You can re roll the off cuts to make more biscuits. 

Bake at 160 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until just beginning to turn light golden around the edges. Leave biscuits on baking trays for 10 minutes to firm up before transferring to cooling racks.
Spread melted chocolate on bottom of biscuits if liked. Leave to set then spread 3/4 teaspoon of jam on biscuit bases. Sift icing sugar mixture over biscuit tops and place over raspberry jam filled biscuit bases. 

Cream Cheese

Homemade Cream Cheese

This cheese is similar to a ricotta style cheese I make in the Tefal Cuisine Companion but by adding cream you have the most delicious soft cream cheese that can be used for cheesecakes etc. at a fraction of the cost. This is a very mild cheese but you can add some Greek yoghurt to give the cheese a slight tang.

1 litre full cream milk

300 mls thickened or pure cream

40 gms white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Greek yoghurt (optional)

Insert Stirring Blade. Stopper out.
Add milk and cream

Sp3:100deg:20mins 

Sp3:1min adding white wine vinegar through hole in lid

Rest 10 mins then gently pour curds into tea towel lined mesh sieve over large bowl. (Reserve  whey). Strain for 2 minutes then place in clean bowl, and set aside for 1/2 hour.  Add enough  reserved whey to just cover cheese. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to use drain any excess whey. Add yoghurt (optional)
Blend until smooth using Ultrablade, Mini Bowl or stick blender.

Mirror Glaze without using a Thermometer

Mirror Glaze without using a Thermometer  

We've all seen the spectacular cakes covered in glossy mirror glaze. These cakes are truly breathtaking and the designs and colours are limited by your imagination.  I've adapted this recipe to be made without a thermometer and the best part is it doesn't dull when refrigerated. In fact I think it gets glossier when brought to room temperature after refrigeration. The Tefal Cuisine Companion is perfect for making this extraordinary glaze. You will need a cake covered 1/2 cm thick with the white chocolate buttercream which can be found by typing 'buttercream' in the search function. The buttercream has to be super smooth and the buttercream iced cake has to be refrigerated at least 4 hours or overnight before glazing.

Note: It is important to use a good quality white chocolate. I use Cadbury White Chocolate Melts.

Note: Have all ingredients weighed and ready before starting the recipe. This is important so you don't lose any heat in the bowl by stopping to weigh ingredients.
Note: The final mixing time will depend on how many colours you will be using. One colour will need 1 hour 10 mins, 2 to 3 colours will need 1 hour.

15 gms Powdered Gelatine
80 gms Water
100 gms Water extra
200 gms Caster Sugar
200 gms Glucose Syrup
200 gms Cadbury White Chocolate Melts
150 gms Condensed Milk
Gel Food Colouring

Bloom gelatine in 80 gms water. To bloom gelatine add water to small bowl and start stirring the water vigorously with a fork, whilst stirring vigorously add the gelatine quickly and keep stirring for a further 10 seconds. There should be no lumps of undissolved gelatine. Leave to bloom.

Insert Mixing Blade. Stopper out.
Add 100 gms water, caster sugar and glucose.
Sp3:70deg:5mins scraping bowl with spatula after 2 minutes.
Sp3:100deg:1min.
Tear bloomed gelatine into about 8 pieces and add to bowl.
Sp3:1min or until dissolved.
Add white chocolate and condensed milk.
Sp3:3mins.
Sp8:30sec.
Sp1:1 hour 10 mins if using 1 colour or Sp1:1 hour if using 2 to 3 colours.
Pour the glaze into bowl/s, or if using one colour you can pour into 2 litre capacity glass jug, add gel colouring and mix with spoon. Break up any bubbles with the back of the spoon.
Support cake on upturned steamer bowl or upturned cake tin (slightly smaller than cake) placed in baking dish. Pour Glaze over cake through fine mesh sieve to catch any bubbles making sure the top and sides of cake are covered.  Do not touch or use anything  to smooth the cake. Leave to drip for 5-10 minutes then use a spatula or knife to remove any drips from the bottom of cake by pushing the drips under the cake. To remove cake to serving plate slide a large cake lifter under cake, place on serving plate and using a metal spatula lift the cake gently to remove the cake lifter.

Custard Cream Biscuits

Custard Cream Biscuits 

These delicious custard flavoured biscuits are the perfect treat to have with a cup of tea or coffee for morning or afternoon tea. The Tefal Cuisine Companion mixes these to perfection in a few seconds. I often freeze half the dough so I can have fresh home baked biscuits when friends drop in. The custard filling can be mixed in the Cuisine Companion or just mixed or whisked by hand.

Biscuits

100 gms Unsalted Butter softened

40 gms Caster Sugar

100 gms Plain Flour 

25 gms Custard Powder sifted

25 gms Cornflour sifted

5 mls Milk

Insert Kneading Blade. Stopper out. 

Add all ingredients except milk. 

Start Pastry P1 adding milk through hole in lid if mixture hasn't come together after 1 minute.

Knead for a few seconds on lightly floured board or silicone sheet, roll into a log, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for an hour. 

Slice into 1cm rounds, place on paper lined cookie trays and bake at 160 deg for 10-12 minutes or until edges are light golden. Leave on trays for 10 minutes then place on wire racks to cool. 

Custard Filling 

150 gms Icing Sugar sifted

45 gms Unsalted Butter softened

20 gms Custard Powder sifted

15 mls Milk

Add all ingredients to mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. 

Assembly

Place custard filling in zip lock bag, cut a hole in corner of the bag and pipe filling on half of the biscuits. Place remaining biscuits on top of custard filling and store in airtight container.

Jelly Cheesecake Slice

Jelly Cheesecake Slice

One of the all time best no bake desserts is cheesecake. Making it into a slice is the perfect way to serve cheesecake. You can have a slice for dessert or morning tea or pop one into your lunchbox. It is popular all over the world with nearly every cuisine having a version of this luscious cake. The best part is it is so easy to make in the Tefal Cuisine Companion. You can even make your own cream cheese (recipe follows) in the Tefal Cuisine Companion.

Biscuit base:

200gm plain biscuits (Granita or Marie etc)
20gm shredded or desiccated coconut
150gm unsalted butter, melted (I melted in microwave)
Insert Ultrablade. Stopper in.
Crush biscuits using pulse button until done with internal steam basket inserted.
Add coconut and melted butter. Stopper out. Internal steam basket removed.
Sp3:30sec or until combined.
Press into baking paper lined 20cm x 30cm slice tin (make sure baking paper extends over sides of tin to enable easy removal of slice)

Cheesecake layer:

1/4 cup boiling water
10 gms gelatine powder
250gm CC made cream cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
395gm condensed milk
300mls thickened cream
1/2 tspn vanilla extract
Pour boiling water into small heatproof glass, start stirring vigorously with fork, add gelatine quickly and keep stirring until gelatine dissolves. Set aside stirring occasionally until cooled to room temperature.
Insert Kneading Blade. Stopper out.
Add cream cheese, Speed 11 until smooth, scraping down sides with spatula every 10 seconds.
Add condensed milk, Speed 10 until fully combined, scraping down sides and around blade with spatula every 10 seconds.
Insert Whisk.
Add cream and vanilla extract.
Speed 6 for 1 min 30 or until mixture thickens. Scrape down sides with spatula every 20 seconds.
Start Speed 6 for 20 seconds whilst pouring gelatine mixture through hole in lid.
Remove whisk, give a light stir with spatula and pour onto biscuit base.
Refrigerate until set.

Jelly topping:

1 packet Aeroplane mango jelly
1 packet Aeroplane pineapple jelly
2 passionfruit
Combine both jelly powders in measuring jug, make up to 500mls with  boiling water and whisk until combined.
Set aside on bench top to cool for 30 mins,
Stir in passionfruit pulp and refrigerate for approx 20 to 30 mins until it is the consistency of thick syrup.
Pour over cheesecake mixture.
Refrigerate until set.

Cream Cheese

1 litre full cream milk

300 mls thickened or pure cream

40 gms white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Greek yoghurt (optional)

Insert Stirring Blade. Stopper out.
Add milk and cream

Sp3:100deg:20mins 

Sp3:1min adding white wine vinegar through hole in lid

Rest 10 mins then gently pour curds into tea towel lined mesh sieve over large bowl. (Reserve 1 cup whey). Strain for 2 minutes then place in clean bowl, and set aside for 1/2 hour.  Add enough  reserved whey to just cover cheese. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to use drain any excess whey. Add yoghurt (optional)
Blend until smooth using Ultrablade, Mini Bowl or stick blender.

Mini Black Forest Cakes

Mini Black Forest Cakes 

Mini versions of one of my favourite cakes. Chocolate cakes brushed liberally with Kirsch, filled and topped with fresh whipped cream and cherries then rolled in grated chocolate. Perfect for a special afternoon tea or whenever you need a treat. The Tefal Cuisine Companion mixes the chocolate cake effortlessly, grates the chocolate if you have the grater/shredder attachment and whips the cream. I have used tinned black cherries (not morello cherries) because fresh cherries are not in season. Fresh cherries can also be used. 

Makes 24 mini cakes.

Grease and paper line 2 32x22cm Swiss roll baking tins

Kirsch

200gms Dark Chocolate grated and chilled in fridge

2 tins Black Cherries in syrup drained reserving 2 tablespoons of liquid
600mls Thickened Cream whipped until stiff peaks form

Chocolate Cake

340gms Caster Sugar

280gms Self Raising Flour sifted

70gms unsweetened cocoa powder sifted

Pinch Salt

2 Eggs lightly beaten with fork

250gms Buttermilk

110gms Canola Oil

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

240mls Boiling Water

Insert Whisk. Stopper in. 

Add caster sugar, self raising flour, cocoa and salt. 

Sp6:20sec. Brush blade with pastry brush. 

Add beaten eggs, buttermilk, canola oil and vanilla extract. 

Stopper out.
Sp7:1min 15sec adding boiling water through hole in lid and scraping bowl with spatula after 1 minute.
Divide evenly between baking tins and bake at 170deg for 15-20mins or until done when tested.
Cool on wire racks
When cool use small round cookie cutter to cut 24 rounds from each cake and brush each round with Kirsch or a mixture of reserved cherry liquid and Kirsch to taste.

Assembly

Whip cream. There will be enough cream for the filling, for spreading around the outside of cakes and to pipe on top. 

Slice 24 cherries in quarters. 

Spread a layer of whipped cream on 24 cake rounds, top with the sliced cherries and place the remaining 24 cake rounds on top Kirsch side down. 

Spread more cream evenly around sides of cakes and roll in grated chocolate. Pipe cream decoratively on top of each cake and top with cherry. 

Vanilla Custard Cream Slices

Vanilla Custard Cream Slices

This has been voted the best vanilla custard cream slice by friends and family. No one can resist the combination of thin puff pastry sheets filled in the middle with creamy custard and whipped cream then topped with glacé icing. The Tefal Cuisine Companion mixes and cooks the custard to perfection. You can also make the puff pastry and whip the cream in the Cuisine Companion. I baked the puff pastry sheets first, then made the custard in the Cuisine Companion. Whilst the custard was cooling I glacé iced one of the cooled pastry sheets and left to set before pre slicing into 12 pieces. To assemble place uniced pastry sheet in bottom add cooled custard , refrigerate until cold, whip cream and spread evenly over custard and rearrange the 12 pre sliced iced pastry sheets on top. Refrigerate before cutting. 

Note: I have used eggs from an 800gm carton of 12 eggs

You will need a 20x10cm loaf tin lined with overhanging baking paper to help remove the slices from tin. 

Note: These are best made the day before serving to allow the custard to set.

Puff Pastry Layer

1 sheet puff pastry. 

Using loaf tin as guide cut 2 pieces slightly larger than base of loaf tin. Place the 2 puff pastry sheets on baking paper lined tray. Cover with baking paper and place another baking tray on top. Cook at 175deg for 10mins, carefully remove top baking tray and paper, turn over pastry sheets, cover again with baking paper and tray and cook a further 8 to 10mins, remove top baking tray and paper and cook a further 1 to 2 mins or until light golden. Leave to cool on wire rack. Trim puff pastry sheets to fit inside loaf tin. 

Custard

8gms gelatine powder
50 gms water

Bloom gelatine by adding water to small bowl and stirring vigorously with fork whilst adding gelatine quickly and keep stirring until mixture is smooth. Set aside to bloom. 

600mls thickened cream (250 mls for custard 350mls for whipped cream layer)

250mls milk

1 tspn vanilla extract

80gms caster sugar

40gms cornflour sifted

4 egg yolks (freeze whites for pavlova etc)

Insert Whisk. Stopper in. 

Add 250mls thickened cream, 250mls milk, vanilla extract, caster sugar and cornflour

Sp8:1min 30sec using pastry brush to brush off any sugar or cornflour on whisk after 30 sec. 

Add 4 egg yolks

Sp8:30sec. 

Stopper out 

Select Dessert:6mins. or until custard has thickened and is smooth. 

Tear bloomed gelatine into about 8 pieces and add to custard in bowl. 

Sp4:1min 30sec or until the gelatine has dissolved and mixed through.
Place custard into glass or ceramic bowl and refrigerate until cooled covering with cling wrap and pressing cling wrap onto surface of custard to prevent skin forming.

Glacé Icing

200gms sifted icing sugar

40mls milk

1 to 2 drops red food colouring

Mix together until smooth and ice one of the cooled, trimmed pastry sheets and leave to set. 

To Assemble 

Place uniced pastry sheet in base of loaf tin, add custard and refrigerate until cold. 

Whip cream until soft peaks form and spread over cooled custard layer. 

Cut iced pastry sheet into 12 equal pieces using long sharp knife dipped in hot water and dried between each slice. 

Reassemble the 12 slices on top of whipped cream. Leave to set for a few hours then remove and slice through all layers using the top as a guide.

Minestrone

Minestrone 

One of the classic vegetable pasta soups of all time. Especially delicious served with some crusty Italian bread. This is a family favourite and has been enjoyed by my family for over 40 years. Hope you enjoy it too. The Tefal Cuisine Companion does the chopping, stirring, and cooking for you, and if you have the shredder/slicer attachment you won't have to manually dice the vegetables. You can cut the carrot, celery and zucchini into sticks then using the thick slicer attachment feed the vegetable sticks through the feeding tube and within seconds you'll have your veggies diced. 

Note: Australian cup and spoon measurements used. 1 cup = 250 mls. 1 tablespoon = 20 mls. 1 teaspoon = 5 mls.

1 onion peeled and cut into quarters
1 garlic clove
1 green capsicum cut into large chunks
125 gms bacon diced
3 celery stalks diced
2 carrots diced
2 zucchini diced
1 tin crushed tomatoes
100 gms small pasta shells
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Pinch sugar
2 tablespoon fresh basil chopped or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable stock
1 tin red kidney beans drained and refreshed under cold running water
Insert Kneading Blade. Stopper in.
Add onion and garlic Sp11:15sec. Scraping bowl with spatula after 10 seconds
Add capsicum. Sp11:10sec. Scraping bowl with spatula after 5 seconds
Insert Mixing Blade. Stopper out
Slow Cook P1:5mins. Scraping bowl as required
Add diced bacon. Slow Cook P1:10mins. Scraping bowl as required
Add all other ingredients EXCEPT stock and kidney beans
Add stock to maximum level marked in CC bowl
Stopper in and set to maxi
Sp3:100deg:10mins or until boiling then
Sp2:100deg:20mins
Add kidney beans
Sp2:100deg:10mins
Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, chilli and fresh herbs to taste.

Choc chip pecan and fruit no bake slice

Chocolate Chip, Pecan and Fruit No Bake Slice

This is an old family favourite. The combination of chocolate chips, pecan and fruit is delicious. This recipe is also so versatile, you can change ingredients and add ingredients. If you don't have pecans you can add more raisins or apricots or some white chocolate chips.  And the best part is it's no bake. 

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

1 teaspoon = 5 mls. 

Prepare slice tin 30x20cm by lining with baking paper overhanging the sides to make it easy to remove slice from tin. 

125 gms butter melted and at room temperature 

200 gms condensed milk

1 cup pecan nuts
250 gms malt biscuits 

125 gms dark chocolate chips

1 cup chopped raisins 

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots 

250 gms dark cooking chocolate 

1 teaspoon vegetable oil 

Insert Ultrablade. Stopper in. 

Add pecan nuts. Pulse 15 sec or until pecans are chopped. Remove from bowl and set aside. 

Add malt biscuits. Pulse until crushed. 

To crushed malt biscuits in CC add chopped pecans, dark chocolate chips, raisins, apricots, melted butter and condensed milk. 

Stopper out 

Sp5:30sec or until combined. Remove Ultrablade and stir through with spatula. 

Press into slice tray and refrigerate. 

Melt 250 gms dark cooking chocolate in microwave, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Pour over slice and refrigerate until set. 

Remove slice when set and slice with sharp knife dipped in hot water. 

Petit Fours

Petit Fours

These melt in the mouth cream filled petit fours would be perfect for a special afternoon tea or just a treat at anytime. The Tefal Cuisine Companion makes light work of preparing the sponge batter and white chocolate buttercream. The white chocolate buttercream recipe can be found using the search function in this blog. 

Pink iced petit fours 

After smoothing white chocolate buttercream 

Filled with whipped cream

Note: Australian cup and spoon measurements used. 1 cup = 250 mls. 1 tablespoon = 20 mls.
Note: I used eggs from an 800 gm carton of 12 eggs.
Note: Place eggs in warm water for 6 mins before whipping.

Sponge. 

Grease and paper line 33cm x 23 cm lamington tin. 

15 gms butter

60 gms milk

3 eggs. Placed in warm water for 6 mins before whipping. 

120 gms caster sugar

113 gms Self Raising flour

Place butter and milk In heatproof bowl. Microwave on low heat setting until butter is almost melted. Stir until melted. Set aside stirring every now and then whilst preparing sponge batter. 

Insert whisk in CC

Add eggs and caster sugar. S8:15mins.

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 or butter/milk mixture. 

Pour mixture into lamington tin. 

Bake 170deg for 10-15mins or until done when tested. Do not open oven door for the first 10mins.

Cool on wire rack. 

Whip 300mls thickened cream until stiff peaks form. 

Using small cookie cutter cut into individual small cakes. 

Split in half and sandwich with cream. Refrigerate for 20 mins. 

Make white chocolate buttercream.  

The recipe can be found by using the search function in this blog. 

Spread buttercream roughly on sides and top of cakes. Refrigerate 30 mins.   

Using a spatula dipped in boiling water smooth buttercream around sides and tops of cakes.  Refrigerate 1 hour. 

Make glacé icing and spoon over cakes sitting on lightly oiled wire rack over a baking dish. Leave to set. 

Glacé Icing 

500 gms icing sugar sifted

85 gms milk

1-2 drops gel food colouring 

Stir sifted icing sugar, milk and colouring together in large bowl until smooth and the consistency of thick honey adding more icing sugar or milk if necessary.

Decorate with melted chocolate if desired. 

Lemon Tarts

Lemon Tarts with Cream Cheese Pastry

I love anything made with lemons, the fresh tart flavour especially when teamed with a light cream cheese pastry and whipped cream is a taste sensation. The Tefal Cuisine Companion makes light work of this pastry and lemon filling. 

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

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

Cream Cheese Pastry 

170gms cream cheese softened

170gms butter softened

10gms sugar

270gms plain flour

Insert kneading blade. Stopper out. 

Add all ingredients. Pastry P1:2mins. Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. 

Grease a 24 hole mini muffin tin. 

Roll pastry out to approx 3mm thick. Cut out rounds large enough to fit bottom and sides of mini muffin holes. 

Refrigerate. 

Lemon Filling 

115 gms lemon juice

210gms caster sugar

3 large eggs

80gms sour cream

Insert whisk. Stopper in. 

Add all ingredients 

Sp6:2mins

Fill pastry shells nearly to the top and bake at 170deg for 20 to 25 mins or until filling is set and pastry is cooked. Leave in tin for 5 mins before transferring to cooling rack. Serve with whipped cream.