We hate to mention it again, but yes, if you haven't already noticed, it IS that time of year and your Thermomix is probably working overtime.
Some wonderful recipes came in for December's Monthly Mouthful, and seriously, the hip measurement couldn't stand another such bounteous month. Rather than cook everything that sounded fantastic (which was virtually every recipe that came in!) we have tested a couple, added one of Grace Mazur's excellent recipes (not up for a prize) and then put up a couple more untested, for you to try! So cooking is compulsory, voting is optional and eating is a must. The recipe with the most votes will win their own copy of George Calombaris' The Press Club recipe book.
Firstly from Grace, the very easy yet decadent, (don't get breath tested after this one!);
Mascarpone Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
150g dark chocolate broken into pieces
45g milk
500g mascarpone cheese
2tbsp icing sugar
2tbsp plum jam (or any jam of choice)
30-40g brandy
few mint leaves to garnish
Fresh or frozen berries of choice for garnish
Method
Place chocolate and milk into TM bowl and melt together for 4 minutes at 80oC on speed 3. Cool down slightly.
Add remaining ingredients (except garnishes) to TM bowl and combine for 30 seconds on speed 5-6.
Refrigerate for at least 1/2 an hour before serving in individual glasses or bowls with garnishes of choice.
Thanks to Catherine Day for this one who has been sending in awesome recipes all year long, and honestly Catherine, they were all competition worthy! This has been receiving the big thumbs up from all the office staff, in their eyes the clear winner so far!Wicked Celebration Fruit Salad
Ingredients
130g pink and white marshmallows (1/2 pkg)
300g cream
30g butter
60g sugar
2 large eggs
425g tin pineapple pieces with juice
2tbsp sherry, Cointreau or Grand Marnier
1 jar Morello pitted cherries drained
2 oranges, peeled and segmented
Method
Use a pair of scissors to half marshmallows. Set aside.
Insert Butterfly into TM bowl and add cream. Whip until holding stiff peaks, between 20-30 seconds on speed 4. Add to marshmallows.
Place butter, sugar, eggs and juice from pineapple (approximately 160g, add cherry juice if under that amount) and cook for 6 minutes at 90C on speed 4. Add alcohol and allow to cool.
Prepare oranges, and fold all together. Allow to chill overnight if possible.
To really impress: Collect a few violet or rose petals, dip in beaten eggwhite and allow to dry. Dust with caster sugar and scatter over top of salad prior to serving.
This is from a mystery contestant, and the reason they are a mystery is because we cannot find who sent it in! (So if it was you, please claim it and possibly the prize as well!) Moist, chocolatey, homey and all gone at the office!
Almond/Hazelnut Choc Muffins with Ganache
Ingredients
100g almonds or hazelnuts
140g sugar
150g chopped butter
80g brown sugar
1tbsp strawberry jam
230g water
60g cocoa
1tsp baking soda
2 eggs
Method
Preheat oven to 160C.
Generously butter or line a 12 hole muffin pan. Set aside.
Place almonds/hazelnuts into TM bowl and mill for 8 seconds on speed 9. Set aside.
Place sugar into TM bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 10.
Add butter, brown sugar, strawberry jam and water and cook for 3 minutes at 100C on speed 1. Allow to cool.
Add remaining ingredients to TM bowl (including milled nuts) and blend together for 20-30 seconds on speed 6.
Divide between muffin pans and bake for 15-20 minutes until springy when touched in the center.
Cool completely before icing with ganache.
Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
200g dark chocolate broken into pieces
120g cream
Method
Place chocolate and cream into the TM bowl and cook for 3 minutes at 90C on speed 1. Beat for 5-6 seconds on speed 8. Refrigerate uncovered, spread ganache on top of muffins and garnish with a toasted almond or hazelnut.
An untested (by me) recipe from the ever resourceful and accurate Jeff Brady, so we are confident this will work exactly as expected. (As I have a penchant for anything frozen, this is on my personal list Mr. B!)
Glace Choc Dream
Ingredients
4 eggs, separated
400g cream
2tbsp liqueur of your choice (Grand Marnier, Kahlua, Frangelico, etc)
150g mixed candied peel or glace fruit of choice
90g chocolate, dark, milk or white roughly chopped
Optional – 60g honeycomb or a Violet Crumble bar, roughly chopped
Method
Place sugar into TM bowl and mill for 30 seconds on speed 9. Set aside.
Insert Butterfly. Place egg whites into TM bowl and whip for 3 minutes at 37C on speed 4, adding the sugar gradually, one teaspoon at a time through the hole in the lid.
Remove meringue from bowl and set aside.
Without cleaning bowl, and with Butterfly still in place, add yolks, cream and liqueur to TM bowl and whip for about 30-40 seconds on speed 4. Gently fold this through the meringue mixture using the spatula.
Again without cleaning the bowl but without the Butterfly, add chocolate to TM bowl and melt for 3 minutes at 50C on speed 1. Add fruits to TM bowl and mix through for 5 seconds on Reverse + speed 5. (If adding honeycomb, do so now with the fruit.) Spread mixture onto ThermoMat to cool slightly before adding to meringue and cream mixture. Stir through.
Line a pudding bowl with plastic wrap, pour mixture into bowl and freeze overnight.
To serve, dip bowl briefly into hot water, slide a knife around the edge and tip out onto serving plate.
Garnish with berries, additional glace fruit, chocolate curls, more whipped cream or all of the above!
And last but not least, also untested by the TM test kitchen, from Laura Kempt, another excellent Thermomixer;
Grenadine and Pistachio Souffle
Ingredients
15g gelatine granules
60g warm water
4 eggs, separated
Pinch cream of tartar
130g sugar
250g double cream
150g raw pistachio kernals
130g grenadine syrup
Method
Butter and sugar a 1L pudding bowl or ring mould and set aside.
Place pistachios into the TM bowl and coarsely chop for 4 seconds on speed 3. Set aside.
Place grenadine into TM bowl and heat at 50ºC for 2 minutes on speed 1 . Sprinkle gelatine on top and beat for 20 seconds on speed 6 .
Pour into a small heatproof bowl and set aside.
Insert the Butterfly into clean and dry TM bowl and add the egg whites and cream of tartar.
Beat without MC in place for 3-5 minutes at 50ºC on speed 3 until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Rinse and dry TM bowl and reinsert clean Butterfly.
Place cream into the TM bowl and beat on speed 4 until stiff. (Between 20-40 seconds depending on freshness of cream). Set aside.
Add egg yolks and sugar to the TM bowl with Butterfly and whisk for approx. 40 seconds on speed 3 until light and fluffy.
Remove Butterfly and return all other ingredients to the TM bowl. Fold together for 10 seconds on speed soft.
Finish folding through with spatula if necessary.
Pour mixture into prepared mould and place in the refrigerator. Leave to set for 2-3 hours.
When firm, turn mould out onto a decorative plate. Garnish with fresh or glace fruit of choice.
There you have it, plenty to be getting on with! Cook, Eat and Vote via comment on here by around the 2nd week of January and we will have that terrific book winging its way to the lucky contributor before you even can think, 'Happy New Year'. We will start up our Monthly Mouthful again in the New Year, so stay posted. In the meantime, from all of us here at Head Office, please enjoy and have a safe and Happy Christmas.
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