Savoury Soda Bread

I love a savoury bread and I especially love a bread that requires no proving or kneading and can be ready within an hour to serve with a homemade soup for lunch or served warm spread with butter for afternoon tea. This bread has cheese and spring onions added to the dough but anything can be added,  for example olives, cooked bacon, jalapeños or herbs and spices. The Tefal Cuisine Companion mixes all the ingredients in under 2 minutes and baking only takes 30 minutes. I have used
wholemeal  and plain flour but all plain flour or bread flour can be used.

Makes 1 small cob.

Preheat oven 220 degrees. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Ingredients 

100 gms Wholemeal Flour

175 gms Plain Flour

3 gms Salt

7 gms Baking Powder

45 gms Butter softened and diced 

200 gms Buttermilk 

5 gms Sugar 

60 gms Spring Onions or brown onion chopped finely

45 gms Cheddar cheese grated

Extra Buttermilk for brushing on top of dough before baking

Method

Insert Kneading Blade. Stopper out.

Add all ingredients in order listed except extra buttermilk.

Pastry P1: 1 min 30 sec or until mixture starts to form a ball. Scrape bowl with spatula as required.

Remove dough from bowl and shape into a cob by rolling dough between your hands.

Place on paper lined baking tray and flatten to 5 cm high.

Brush top with extra buttermilk.

Place in preheated oven and reduce temperature to 210 degrees.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until dark golden and cooked through.

Place on wire cooling rack until warm.

Serve spread with butter if desired.

Creme de Menthe Liqueur Truffles

These Liqueur Truffles are coated in tempered chocolate and are a delightful home made gift for someone special or a treat for yourself. Both the truffle mixture and tempered chocolate are easily made in the Tefal Cuisine Companion and you can use any liqueur you desire. I have used Creme de Menthe today but have used different liqueurs in the past, I have even soaked glacé cherries and Morello cherries in Brandy, drained them thoroughly and encased them in the truffle mixture before coating in tempered chocolate.

Note: I used 45% cocoa chocolate for the truffles and coating.
Note: To dip truffle balls in chocolate I used a fork and scraped any chocolate clinging under the fork with a small metal spatula before sliding the coated truffle off the fork with the spatula onto paper lined baking tray. Any excess chocolate attached to the truffles I broke off when set.
Note: Tempered chocolate starts to set at room temperature so you must work quickly when dipping the Truffles in the chocolate. You can gently reheat your chocolate if needed.

Truffle Mixture

300 gms Chocolate broken into squares 

180 gms Thickened cream 

50 gms Creme de Menthe or to taste

Insert Stirring Blade. Stopper out.

Add chocolate.

Sp3:60deg:4 to 5 min or until chocolate has melted.

Start Sp8:30sec. adding cream then Creme de Menthe through hole in lid.

Remove blade and stir mixture through with spatula.

Place in a small bowl and refrigerate until firm.

When firm roll into balls and place on paper lined baking tray. 

I weighed my truffle balls and got 22 at 20 gms each.

Refrigerate until firm.

Tempered Chocolate 

400 gms Chocolate broken into squares divided 

Insert Stirring Blade. Stopper out.

Add 280 gms chocolate.

Sp3:60deg:4 to 5 mins or until melted.

Add remainder 120 gms chocolate.

Sp5:2min 30sec only

Remove any unmelted chocolate squares and place melted chocolate in heatproof bowl.

Dip Truffles in chocolate and place on paper lined baking tray to set.

Lime, Chocolate and Chilli Cheesecake

Recently I had some limes and a packet of Tim Tams to use up so I made a creamy lime cheesecake with a Tim Tam biscuit base. I added a hint of chilli to the biscuit base and the result was a lime, chocolate and chilli cheesecake that has been a great success with my neighbours and family. The Tefal Cuisine Companion crushed the biscuits and mixed the cheesecake mixture to a beautiful smooth and creamy texture.

20 cm Springform Pan

200 gms Tim Tam Biscuits

30 gms Butter melted

Pinch Cayenne Pepper or to taste

1/4 cup Boiling Water

10 gms Gelatine Powder 

250 gms Cream Cheese chilled and diced

395 gms Condensed Milk 

85 gms Lime Juice strained (about 3-4 small limes)

600 mls Thickened Cream
10 drops Green Liquid Food Colouring (optional)

Biscuit Layer

Insert Kneading Blade. Stopper in.

Add Biscuits.

Sp12:1min 30sec or until crushed.

Place crushed biscuits into glass or plastic mixing bowl.

Stir in cayenne pepper.

Add melted butter and stir through biscuits until well combined and moist.

Press mixture into the base of springform pan and refrigerate.

Rinse Kneading Blade and CC bowl in cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towelling.

Cheesecake Layer

Pour boiling water into small heatproof bowl, 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
Add cream cheese, Speed 11 until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl with spatula every 15 seconds.
Add condensed milk, Speed 10 until fully combined, scraping down sides of bowl and around blade with spatula every 15 seconds.
Insert Whisk.
Add lime juice, cream and green liquid food colouring.
Speed 7 for 1 to 2 mins or until mixture thickens. Scrape down sides with spatula every 20 seconds.
Start Speed 6 for 15 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.
Decorate as desired.

Butter Cake

This recipe produces a light, delicate and fluffy buttercake unlike some buttercakes which can be dense and a bit dry. I think it's a cross between a sponge and a buttercake which lends itself to being filled with cream and topped with buttercream or ganache, made into a multi layered cake or just left plain.

Note: I've used eggs from an 800 gm carton of 12 eggs.
Note: If making lamingtons use 5 eggs, 250 gms Butter, 250 gms Caster Sugar, 250 gms Self Raising Flour and 1 & 1/4 tspns Baking Powder

Pre heat oven 160 deg fan forced. Grease and paper line 20cm round baking tin or swiss roll tin if making a multi layered cake or lamingtons.

4 Eggs
200 gms Butter softened and diced
200 gms Caster Sugar
200 gms Self Raising Flour
5 gms Baking Powder

Insert Kneading Blade
Add eggs
Sp5:10sec
Add all other ingredients in order listed
Sp6:15sec to combine ingredients
Sp11:1min 30 or until mixture is smooth, scraping bowl with spatula as required

Spoon mixture into baking tin and smooth surface with spatula.

Bake 25-30 mins or until done when tested. I baked in a Swiss roll tin for 28 minutes. A cake tin will take a little bit longer.

Cool on wire rack.

Decorate as desired.

Cream Puffs

Choux pastry is very versatile and so simple to make in the Tefal Cuisine Companion. This recipe uses 2 eggs and makes 12 to 16 small cream puffs. You can double the recipe, adjusting the mixing times as required if you want to make more puffs or to make eclairs. I've filled my cream puffs with Creme Diplomat and blackberry jam and topped with melted chocolate. Before baking I lightly sprayed water over the choux pastry to stop the pastry drying out too quickly in the oven and this helped the choux pastry to puff up more and the centres to cook.

Note: Add beaten eggs 1/4 at a time until mixture is smooth, thick and glossy. You may not need all
of the egg.

60 gms Plain Flour
15 gms Cornflour
60 gms Unsalted Butter diced
5 gms Caster Sugar
2 gms Salt
110 gms Water
2 Eggs lightly beaten with fork

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Sift flour and cornflour together and set aside.
Insert Kneading Blade. Stopper out.
Add butter, sugar, salt and water.
Sp3:90deg:4mins or until mixture boils.
Add sifted flours.
Sp6:1min.
Remove lid and let rest 5 mins.
Replace lid.
Sp6:30sec.
Start Sp:7 adding 1/4 of the beaten eggs through hole in lid, mix 15 sec before adding the next 1/4 of beaten egg, mix another 15 sec before adding another 1/4 of beaten egg and mix a further 15 sec. Check if pastry is smooth, thick and glossy. If not, add the remainder of the beaten eggs and mix 15 sec.
Pipe rounds onto prepared baking sheet, lightly spray with water and bake 20 minutes or until a dark golden brown. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR whilst puffs are baking.

Pierce cooked puffs with a skewer to release steam and place on cooling rack to cool.
Fill and decorate as desired.
If using Creme Diplomat, slice puffs in half,  pipe creme diplomat onto bottom layer and refrigerate until firm before placing tops of puffs over the filling.

Creme Diplomat 

245 gm Thickened Cream
270 gms Milk
1 teaspoon pure Vanilla Extract
80 gms Caster Sugar
40 gms Cornflour Sifted
4 Egg Yolks
200 gms Thickened Cream extra
Insert Whisk. Stopper in.
Add 245gms thickened cream, milk, vanilla extract, caster sugar and cornflour.
Sp8:1min 30sec.
Add egg yolks.
Sp8:30sec.
Set Dessert: 6-7mins or until custard has thickened. Stopper out.
Place custard in heatproof bowl, cover with cling wrap pushing cling wrap onto surface to prevent skin forming and place in refrigerator to chill.
Whip extra Thickened Cream until stiff peaks form (I used a stand mixer. If using CC to whip cream, wash bowl and whisk after whipping cream, rinse in cold water and dry thoroughly).
Insert Ultrablade. Stopper out.
Add chilled custard.
Sp8:15sec or until custard is smooth. Scraping bowl with spatula as required.
Insert Whisk. Stopper out.
Add 1/3 quantity of whipped cream.
Sp5:5sec. Repeat twice with remaining cream.
Remove whisk and fold through any unmixed cream with spatula.
Refrigerate until firm enough to pipe.
If using to fill cakes or slices, pipe or spread Creme Diplomat onto bottom layer of cake or slice and refrigerate until firm before topping with top layer of cake or slice.

Flourless Chocolate Bundt Cakes

These gluten and nutmeal free chocolate bundt cakes are the most delightful moist, dense chocolate cakes I've ever tasted. There are only 3 ingredients, eggs, chocolate and butter and the Tefal Cuisine Companion whips the batter to perfection in a matter of minutes. The cakes are cooked in a Bain Marie which gives them the most light texture and they're perfect to serve with whipped cream and fresh berries for dessert or afternoon tea.


Note: I used a mixture of 45% cocoa and 70% cocoa chocolate to give a perfect chocolate balance, neither too sweet nor too bitter.
Note: I use eggs from an 800 gm carton of 12 eggs.
Note: It's important to use good quality Cooking Chocolate. Plaistowe or Cadbury

L

Place oven rack one level down from centre. Preheat oven 160 deg fan forced. Generously grease 4 mini bundt tins and place bundt tins in baking tin measuring approximately 30cm x 20cm.

Flourless Chocolate Cake Batter

4 large Eggs placed in warm water for 7 minutes
180 gms 45% cocoa Cooking Chocolate (Plaistowe, Cadbury or Nestle)
50 gms 70% cocoa Cooking Chocolate (Plaistowe, Cadbury or Nestle)
115 gms Butter softened

Insert Whisk. Stopper out.
Add eggs
Sp8:10mins
Whilst eggs are beating place chocolates in microwave safe glass bowl and melt in microwave on med/low temp and then add very softened butter and stir to combine. Set aside stirring from time to time.
After eggs have completed beating.
 Start Sp4:30sec pouring combined melted chocolate and butter mixture through hole in lid.
Remove whisk and gently fold through with spatula.
Pour batter evenly into prepared mini bundt tins.
Place in preheated oven and carefully pour boiling water up to 3/4 of the height of the baking tin.
Bake 20-25 mins or until tops of cakes are firm to the touch.
Remove bundt tins from Bain Marie and leave for 10 mins on cooling rack before turning out to cool completely. Cakes will settle whilst cooling.
Decorate as desired.
I left my cakes to cool, then refrigerated for 1/2 hour before spooning chocolate glaze over cakes, decorating with whipped cream, chocolate curls and serving with raspberries.

Chocolate Glaze

170 gms 45% cocoa Cooking Chocolate 

90 gms 70% cocoa Cooking Chocolate 

1 teaspoon Canola or Vegetable Oil

Melt chocolates in microwave on med/low heat and stir in oil until combined.

Spoon over chilled bundt cakes placed on a wire rack and leave until chocolate sets refrigerating if necessary.

Sourdough Pizza Crust

I love pizza but sometimes I'm disappointed in the crust. A lovely customer I met at work gave me this fermented pizza crust recipe and although her instructions and ingredients were a bit vague she was very insistent that I leave it on the bench top for 12 to18 hours and then refrigerate for a day or two before use to bring out the sourdough flavour. The Tefal Cuisine Companion mixes the dough to perfection in a matter of minutes and the dough is then placed in a large oiled lidded plastic container to ferment.

Note: This recipe made 2 x 33cm pizza crusts.
Note: I bake my pizzas on a pizza stone in my Weber BBQ. After 15 minutes I remove the tray and place pizza directly on stone to complete baking.

1/4 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
200 gms Bread Flour
325 gms Plain Flour
10 gms Salt
20 gms Olive Oil
300 gms Warm Water

Insert Kneading Blade. Stopper out
Add all ingredients in order listed.
Select Pastry P1:2mins30sec. Do not allow to continue to proving function.
Remove dough and place in a large lidded plastic container which has been brushed with olive oil.
Leave on bench top for 12-18 hours or until doubled in volume with lots of air bubbles then refrigerate for 1 to 2 days before use to bring out the sourdough flavour.
When ready to use, preheat oven 220 deg and place pizza stone in oven.
Divide the dough in half and place on oiled 33cm pizza trays.
Using the tips of your fingers pat out the dough starting from the middle and patting out to the outer edge of pizza tray, if dough keeps shrinking leave for 5-10 minutes before resuming.
Top dough with ingredients of choice, drizzle with olive oil and bake in hot oven until done.