Cheese & Garlic Biscuits

I was playing around with some leftover ingredients the other day and made these super yummy savoury biscuits. They are so good, and perfect timing as lately I've been craving savoury more than sweet.  These freeze really well, all they need is a 30second nuke in the microwave and they are ready to go!

Cheese & Garlic Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 400g of SR flour
• 150g herb & garlic butter (homemade) - cold and roughly chopped
• 200g cheese, grated
• 320g sour cream
• 200g milk 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• Sweet paprika (optional for topping)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and have a silicone baking mat ready (or a lined baking tray).
2. Place flour and butter into thermo jug and blitz on speed 8 for 5 seconds.
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix speed 6 for 10 seconds.
4. Then knead for 1min (mixture will be quite sticky but kneading will bring it altogether)
5. Spoon mixture into rustic looking dobs on a silicone baking mat and brush tops with some milk and if you want sprinkle some sweet paprika on the tops for a bit of extra flavour.
6. Bake for approx 25-30mins (depending on how big you made them).
7. Serve and enjoy them warm or allow to cool completely and store them in a container in the freezer.

Note: if you don't have herb & garlic butter just blitz up 3-4 garlic cloves and some herbs of choice before adding the flour and use plain butter.

ENJOY!  :-)

Parmesan Chia Crackers and Beetroot & White Bean Hommus

I realised I had only put this cracker recipe up on my facebook page but not here on the blog for easy searching. Silly me! Well here it is, my go-to super easy Parmesan Chia Cracker recipe for all those like me with a major savoury cracker addiction.  I normally pair it with this vibrant Beetroot White Bean Hommus Dip. Yum Yum!!!!!  

Parmesan Chia Crackers

Ingredients:

• 30g parmesan
• 30g butter, soft or melted (plus extra for brushing)
• 155g flour of choice (1 cup) I have made these with white, wholemeal and spelt flours
• 20g chia seeds
• 1 tsp salt
• 80-120ml water (depending on your flour)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees and get a silicone baking mat ready.
2. Place parmesan in thermomix bowl and mill on speed 10 for approx 10 seconds.
3. Add butter, flour, chia seeds and salt to jug and start mixing it on speed 5 while gradually adding the water (you don't want to use too much).  The dough needs to resemble a heap of tiny little balls.  You want it combined, but not wet and sticky, making it easy to roll out.
4. Roll out dough on a silicone baking mat, score into desired shapes (I use a clean playdoh plastic roller cutter as you should never use metal cutting blades on silicone mats!).
5. Brush the top with a little bit of melted butter and bake 20mins or until slightly browned (time will depend on the thickness of your crackers).
6. Allow to cool completely before storing in air tight container in cupboard.

Beetroot & White Bean Hommus

Ingredients:

• 800g beetroot (fresh or canned/drained)
• 400g cannellini beans, drained
• 200g sunflower seeds
• Juice from a lemon
• 2 tsp ground cummin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• Pinch of salt & pepper

Method:

1. Blitz everything together until you achieve your desired consistency on speed 6.
2. Add more spices to desired taste if need be.

We even use this dip as a spread on hamburgers too!

 

ENJOY!  :-)

Individual Pavlovas

I was cleaning up the fridge a bit today and found 2 egg whites that were leftover from earlier in the week.  So I popped them on the counter to bring them to room temp and this afternoon I made us some yummy individual pavlovas.  I used a mixture of 2-3 different recipes so I thought I better note it down so I remember for next time, while I was at it, why not share it!!!  Oh my first TM5 recipe... super excited!  LOL

Oh and the best part of this recipe is you don't need to wait til you have 8 egg whites to have this yummy dessert, just make smaller ones...  yum yum!!!!

Super glossy and silky meringues!

Nice and crunchy outside and soft and chewy inside!

Individual Pavlovas
Makes 3 small ones

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites (room temp)
• Super tiny pinch salt
• Super tiny pinch cream of tarter
• 100g icing sugar 
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1/2 tsp vinegar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Toppings of choice: whipped cream & fresh fruit

Method:
I have a container of pre-milled icing sugar ready, but if you don't have any, mill your sugar first, set aside and clean your bowl, blades and lid really well as you need it to be clean and dry.  Then ensure you have all ingredients ready as you need to add things during the process so be prepared.

1.  Preheat oven to 150 degrees and get a silicone baking mat ready.
2. Place butterfly attachment into the bowl and add egg whites, salt and cream of tarter and set timer for 8 minutes, 37 degrees and speed 4, don't walk away!
3. Whip these first ingredients for 3 minutes and then start gradually adding the sugar thru the top then allow to whip for another 3 minutes.
4. In the last minute add the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla.
5. Using a flexible spatula, scoop out the super glossy mixture and create 3 small individual rounds on the prepared silicone mat.
6. Reduce oven temp to 120 degrees and bake for approx 45mins.
7. Remove and allow to cool then top with whipped cream and fresh fruit of your choice.

ENJOY!  :-)

Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

I made these cookies as a little treat. They are nice and soft and super tasty!  I'm not a huge fan of hard or crunchy cookies so these were perfect for me. Plus they are gluten free for those avoiding gluten and refined sugar free for those doing sugar free September (apparently rapadura in small doses is ok). 

Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

Ingredients:

• 55g butter, soft
• 60g rapadura
• 115g cream cheese, soft
• 1 egg
• Splash of vanilla
• 20g buckwheat flour (I always have some groats pre-milled and ready to use)
• 40g coconut flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 60g frozen raspberries

Method:

I just used my trusty handheld egg beaters for this recipe. 

1. Preheat oven to 180° and line a tray with a silicone mat or baking paper.
2. Beat together butter, rapadura and cream cheese until well combined.
3. Add egg and vanilla and beat again for a few seconds.
4. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until everything is well combined.
5. Gently fold thru the raspberries with a spoon so they are not over mixed.
6. Place balls of mixture onto prepared tray and place in fridge for 5mins.
7. Press down gently with a fork to slightly flatten the balls then bake for 15mins or until browned.
8. As they are soft cookies, allow to cool before removing from the tray.

 ENJOY!  :-)

Coconut Cacao Brownies

After a bit of tweaking I have a new and improved version of my brownie, a sugar free version!!!!  I have made this version a few times now and its really yummy, especially with the optional topping of my homemade mixed nut spread.  This slice (excluding the topping) is gluten free, sugar free and dairy free!  Triple bonus points LOL!!!!

Coconut Cacao Brownies 

Ingredients:  

• 160g almonds or meal (I even use the almond pulp leftover from making almond milk)
• 3 egg whites
• 175g date paste (see my homemade recipe here)
• 60g coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp bi-carb soda
• Pinch of salt
• 40g cacao powder
• Splash of vanilla
• 20g coconut oil
• 150ml water
• OPTIONAL TOPPING: I use homemade mixed nut chocolate spread as the icing

Method: 
You can use handheld egg beaters if you don't have a thermo-cooker.

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grease/line a slice tray (I use a silicone slice form, much easier to get slice out of!).
2. If you are using whole almonds, mill them into meal and set aside.
3. Using a bellini or themomix insert butterfly attachment and whip egg whites and date paste for 3mins on speed 4.
4. Remove butterfly and add all remaining ingredients and mix together for 20 seconds on speed 5. Scrape down sides and repeat if need be. 
5. Pour into slice tray and bake for 15-20mins (may still seem a bit soft to touch but will firm up upon cooling)
6. Allow to cool down slightly before turning out onto a board.
7. OPTIONAL: Once completely cool, top with homemade chocolate spread and coconut of choice (flakes or desiccated)

ENJOY! :-)

Sweet & Salty Cream Cheese Banana Custard Slice

A few weeks ago I was craving something sweet (as always LOL) so I opened the fridge to see what I had, only to find a little bit of this and a little bit of that.... so I popped on my thinking cap and went to work inventing something...  As I'm typing this I'm still unsure what to call them, other than absolutely delicious!

Apologies in advance for my lack of quantities, I wasn't actually expecting to have such a great outcome and so I didn't write it down, but it worked and I really wanted to share it with you.  So here goes....

Sweet & Salty Cream Cheese Banana Custard Slice

Ingredients:

• a handful of pretzels
• a few plain sweet biscuits
• couple Tbsp melted butter
• approx 130ml thickened cream
• approx 3 Tbsp cream cheese
• approx 1/2 cup leftover vanilla bean custard
• 2 small over ripe bananas

Method:
I just used my trusty cheapo egg beaters for this job as it was only small.

1. Crush up the pretzels & biscuits then mix in the melted butter and press into muffin tin to form the bases.  I used my rectangular muffin tin for something different.
2. Whip the cream until just starts forming soft peaks.  
3. Add remaining ingredients and beat until well combined.
4. Pour over the bases and freezer for about an hour.
5. Eat as is or serve with a dollop of salted caramel (luckily I had a few tablespoons of it left in the fridge for just such an occasion!)

Just goes to show that a few leftover ingredients can make something new and amazing.  Hubby loved it so much I have to try and re-create them now.  When I do, I shall pop back and edit the quantities for future reference.

ENJOY! :-)

2 flavours of Savoury Bliss Balls

In my attempt to have a few more savoury snacks this week I came up with these 2 versions of savoury bliss balls because I wanted to use up some ingredients I had on hand.  Hubby was a bit werided out at first but he really enjoyed the sweet pototo ones on a wrap with some shredded chicken for his lunch today.  I had the Pear ones wrapped in some baby cos with some tuna. Plus they are great on their own.  They would make a nice snack idea on a nibbles tray at a BBQ or party with some hummus or sweet chilli dip! Added bonus is they are nut free unlike most bliss balls so these would be great in the kids lunchboxes!!!

These are also a perfect way to use up leftovers from dinner.  Got to love no wastage!  I had a lot more pear to use up than sweet potato so I ended up with more balls from the pear mixture, you could increase the quantities easily enough depending on the amount you have on hand. 

Sweet Potato & Feta Bliss Balls
Ingredients:

• 50g seed mix (pepita & sunflower seeds)
• 100g cook & cooled sweet potato (steamed best, boiled might make it super wet and mushy)
• 85g feta
• 120g cooked & cooled cous cous
• 10g sweet chilli sauce (more if you want to spice it up!)
• Salt & Pepper to desired taste preference

Method

1. In bellini, thermomix or food processor, blitz the seeds so they are ground up a bit. I did speed 8 for 5 seconds, do a bit more if you prefer less texture.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix on speed 5 for 10-15 seconds.
3. Roll into balls and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Pear & Feta Bliss Balls
Ingredients:

• 75g seed mix (pepita & sunflower seeds)
• 200g pear flesh with skin on (remove core)
• 85g feta
• 200g cooked & cooled cous cous (plus extra for rolling)
• 10g sweet chilli sauce (more if you want to spice it up!)
• Salt & Pepper to desired taste preference

Method

1. In bellini, thermomix or food processor, blitz the seeds so they are ground up a bit. I did speed 8 for 5 seconds, do a bit more if you prefer less texture.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix on speed 5 for 10-15 seconds.
3. This is a wet mixture so I popped it into the fridge for 20mins to set a bit first.
4. Roll into balls and roughly roll in the extra cooked cous cous then store in an airtight container in the fridge.

I would imagine the shelf life in the fridge would only be a few days depending on your expiry date of the feta etc.  

ENJOY!  :-)

Frozen Raspberry Bounty Slice

Last week I had a little bit of coconut cream that needed using up and then I remembered I still had all the leftover coconut pulp in the freezer that I hadn't done anything with.  In my aim to have 'no wastage' I came up with something to use up both of them!

Now that its starting to warm up a bit, this is a nice refreshing frozen treat to keep handy.

Frozen Raspberry Bounty Slice

Ingredients:
Layer1

• 250g coconut pulp*
• 160g homemade coconut cream
• 30g raw honey
• Splash of vanilla

Layer 2

• 150g frozen raspberries

Layer 3

• 130g coconut oil
• 30g cacao powder
• Splash of vanilla
• 60g raw honey

Method:

1. Layer 1 - Mix all ingredients together and lay out into a silicone form or slice tray lined with parchment paper. (my coconut pulp was frozen so I used my bellini, if not frozen just mix in a bowl)
2. Layer 2 - Blitz frozen raspberries until semi smooth and spread across top of coconut layer (no need to wash bellini jug inbetween if you already used it for layer 1)
3. Layer 3 - Melt coconut oil in microwave safe bowl, add remaining ingredients, stir and cook for 1min in microwave to ensure all mixed and melted together really well.  Allow to cool for a few minutes then pour over top of raspberry layer and freeze for a few hours to allow set.

Once set, remove from tray and slice up.  Keep in an airtight container in freezer and enjoy a cold refreshing treat whenever you want!

* If you don't have any coconut pulp leftover from making your own coconut milk/cream, you could use shredded coconut and blitz it up with rest of layer 1 ingredients to make the base.

ENJOY!  :-)

5 Minute Sugar Free Chocolate Mug Cake

I don't know if this happens to you but it happened here tonight. Dinner is over, kitchen is cleaned and basically 'closed' for the night and then you feel like something sweet to eat. Sound familiar? Don't feel like making a huge mess? Me either! So enter the famous mug cake to the rescue!!!!

I've done a few of these over time but this one I made in honour of Sugar Free September for those that are doing a wonderful thing for their bodies and cutting out sugar.  I'm not actually participating but am trying to limit sugars where I can and wanted to share some 'sugar free' inspiration throughout the month.  So here goes...  My 5 Minute Sugar Free Chocolate Mug Cake.  Takes 2 mins to prep and 3 minutes to cook...  seconds to devour!!!!  (apologies for the really bad photo, night photos aren't anyone's friend)

5 Minute Sugar Free Chocolate Mug Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp SR flour
• 1 heaped Tbsp date paste (see here for my recipe how I make mine)
• 1 Tbsp cacao powder
• 1 egg
• 2-3 Tbsp natural yoghurt, depending how runny your yoghurt is (love homemade no sugar natural yoghurt it rocks!)
• Splash of vanilla (again I make my own vanilla essence)

Method:
This is really hard so pay attention.... just kidding!

1. Add everything to a large mug and mix together really well ensuring no dry spots left around bottom of mug.
2. Microwave for 3 minutes on high.
3. Serve immediately.  Goes really well with a large dollop of coconut cream.

ENJOY!  :-)

Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce

If you are on a calorie counting mission or not wanting to eat anything naughty, I advise you to look away now...  Otherwise read on at your own risk!  I did warn you!!!!

One of my favourite flavour combinations at the moment is peanut butter and caramel. Not so much by hubby, so if I wanted some I just mix a spoon of each into my homemade ice cream but when I ran out of caramel in the fridge I knew I was going to try something new when I made some more.

Enter my peanut butter caramel... just because I can!  Trust me its really good.  Its not totally smooth because I used my homemade peanut butter which has a slight texture to it, but it doesn't matter, it tastes so darn good a little bit of nut texture is not the end of the world. Hubby even likes it!!!!

So far Ive used the sauce to mix into ice cream with some crushed maltesers (again just because I can) and I heated it up and poured over some buttermilk pancakes on the weekend. Would also be good on individual steamed chocolate cakes or even a new sauce idea for my Apple Pie Fries too!!!  It is definitely one for the 'treats' list.  A little bit of naughty every now and then keeps life interesting.

Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

• 50g butter
• 50g milk
• 50g cream
• 60g honey
• Splash of vanilla
• 100g rapadura
• 60g peanut butter

Method:

1. Place all ingredients into Bellini or Thermomix bowl and cook at speed 3, 80 degrees for 7mins.
2. Pour into glass jar and store in fridge once cooled.

ENJOY! :-)