Thermomix Jaffa Cake

What do you do when you've gone crazy and bagged a bargain with heaps of cheap good quality mandarins? There aren't that many recipes spring to mind, but I thought that I could change the oranges in the old-faithful boiled orange and almond cake for mandarins and add some chocolate pieces. Brilliant. How original??

Well, not very as it turns out. A check of the old 'net shows that somebody has been here before me!!!

Oh well, never mind. They didn't do it in a Thermomix.

The proportions and timing are not set in stone. The size and juiciness of the mandarins and the vagaries of your oven will need to be taken into account.

Good Luck.

Boiled Mandarin, Almond and Chocolate Chip Cake

Ingredients:

5 mandarins, washed
Water
250 g almonds
250g Sugar
5 eggs
1tsp Baking Powder
100g chocolate chips



Method:

Place the whole mandarins (with skin on) into the Thermomix basket and place 1000ml of water into the TM bowl. Cook for 10 minutes at 100°C on speed 3. Drain off the water and replace with another 800ml water cook for 40 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 4. Remove the basket from the TM bowl and allow mandarins to cool. When cool enough to handle, slice in half and remove any pips.

Lightly dry TM bowl and add almonds. Grind for 10 seconds on speed 8. Scrape down almonds from side and repeat for another 10 seconds. Add mandarin pieces to TM bowl and blend for 10 seconds on speed 5. Add sugar, eggs and baking powder and blend for 30 seconds on speed 5.

Lastly, place chocolate chips into TM bowl with mixture and mix for 10 seconds on reverse speed 5.

Pour into greased 20cm springform cake tin. Bake at 180°C for approximately 45 minutes, until nicely browned and either firm to touch or a skewer comes out clean. It may require an extra 10 - 20 minutes depending on your oven, size of mandarins, etc.

When cool dust with icing sugar (made by grinding A1 sugar in TM bowl for 10 seconds on speed 9), chocolate shavings (if you are a diehard chocolate fiend) and serve with whipped cream.

Second of the Pair of Pears - Saffron

Well the Varoma has been in overdrive since it arrived home and pears are flavour of the moment.



This recipe has been adapted from a book published by Murdoch Books entitled “Spice Market” by Jane Lawson. The back cover of the book has a photo of a pear with a toffeed saffron syrup. It looks delicious and good enough to eat straight off the page.



I first met Jane on a trip to Spain, which was to research Spanish cuisine for her book "Cocina Nueva". ( Now also in paperback). She has a great passion for food and I recommend her books for great ideas ( the photos are fantastic too) . She has been involved in many of the food related titles from Murdoch books recently.



The cream for the photo was whipped in the Thermomix also. It is a great machine.





Poached Pears in Saffron Syrup

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp saffron threads
1 Tbsp water
1 vanilla bean, split lengthways & cut into 4 pieces
200g sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
500g water
4 pears, peeled and cores removed from underneath with a corer or parisienne spoon
500g water for steaming

Method:

Place the saffron threads in 1 Tbsp water and leave for 1 hour to allow them to soften.

Put half of the saffron threads and their soaking water, the vanilla bean pieces, sugar, lemon zest and 500 g water into the Thermomix bowl. Cook for 5 minutes at 100°C on speed 2 to dissolve the sugar and develop the flavour of the poaching liquor.

Place the pears in a bowl that fits into the Varoma and cover with the poaching liquor. Place a lid or plastic film over the bowl.

Add 500ml of water into the Thermomix bowl (there is no need to clean it) and place lid on and Varoma over lid. Steam the pears for 20 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 3. You may need to move the pears in the poaching liquor to ensure they are evenly coated with liquor and cooked. Cook until tender when tested with a skewer.

Once cooked, carefully remove from the syrup with a slotted spoon, place in Thermoserver or oven to keep warm.

Empty the water from the Thermomix bowl and lightly clean. Pour the poaching liquor into the bowl and put lid on. Cook for 15 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 3 without the Measuring Cup in place to allow the syrup to reduce and thicken slightly. Add the remaining saffron threads and mix for 30 seconds on speed Soft to incorporate the threads.

Serve the pears with the sauce spooned over and some whipped cream on the side.

A Pair of Pear Recipes in the Varoma

Pears are in season and great eating at present so a couple of recipes that have been modified from books on hand to cook in the Thermomix.

Although many out there in blogosphere don't like food processors, I will press on with trying to convert you. These pear recipes have been done solely in the Thermomix.

Firstly, a take on an old favourite from a Paul Bocuse cookbook for pears in red wine.

I would suggest a light red such as Brown Brothers Cienna and Cabernet or Dolcetto & Syrah. You don't want a strong gutsy cabernet or zinfandel here, a mild peppery shiraz would be interesting.

Pears in Red Wine

Ingredients:
2 pears, peeled, halved and cored and held in acidulated water
(water with juice from half a lemon)
300 gr red wine
300 gr water
200 grams sugar
juice of half an orange
juice of half a lemon
1 Vanilla pod, split and scraped to release the seeds
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves


Method:

Put all the ingredients except for the pears in the TMX bowl. Cook these for 10 minutes at 100°C on speed 2. Place the pear halves in a bowl that easily fits into the Varoma. Pour the mixture from the TMX bowl in to cover the pears. Add 500ml of water to the Thermomix bowl (there is no need to wash it out !!). Carefully place the varoma on top of the TMX.

Set the Thermomix to cook for 15 - 20 minutes (depending on the size & ripeness of the pears) at Varoma temperature on speed 3. You may need to turn the pears during cooking to ensure that they cook evenly and that the wine permeates them completely.

The pears should still be al dente when removed from the Varoma and allowed to cool covered in their cooking liquor. Again make sure that the pears are moved to allow good penetration of the wine mixture.

For service you can slice the pears if you are feeling creative, or turn them belly up and fill the core with cream whipped up in that wonderful machine we know as the Thermomix and Italians call a Bimby (no not bimbo).

Bon Appétit mes amis. Tomorrow, Pears in Saffron Syrup.