Strawberry Dream cocktail

You should know by now I have a thing for frozen cocktails. If there's a way for me to make a classic cocktail frozen, I will. I know it's very girly of me but I love these sweet, frozen cocktails. This is one that The Boy made up. He wanted to use the Strawberries and Cream Baileys we had so he came up with this deliciousness. The Boy calls this his Cocobanaberry Dream Cocktail. I'm just going with Strawberry Dream. Not as exotic I know, but it's easier to remember.

Brandied strawberry tarts with fresh whipped cream ... in the Thermomix

Anyone who knows me and knows my cooking abilities will know that dessert is not my strong suit. I suck at baking and I always struggle with trying to figure out what to make and serve for dessert when we have company.

Recently, we had some friends coming over for dinner and after a while of thinking, I had managed to figure out starters and mains but dessert still eluded me. I even posted on Facebook asking my friends to offer suggestions (I got some good ones!).

Then I looked into the fridge and found that I had a lot of strawberries waiting to be eaten and I thought that I would do something simple like fresh strawberries and cream, but that just seems like such a cop out.

Next, I decided that I would marinate the strawberries to give it a little something interesting to just fresh strawberries. This quickly evolved into the idea of perhaps a strawberry tart.

I'd like to point out that I have never made this dish before at that point and was rather nervous about the whole thing, but decided to be adventurous. I was experimenting on dinner guests, which I generally don't like to do, but these friends were our neighbors and well, they've seen me in my pajamas so an experimental strawberry tart would not be too terrible.

Here's what I did to make the tarts:

Ingredients:

• 500g strawberries halved
• 1/2 cup of spirits, rum, brandy or any sort you like
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 sheets of puff pastry, defrosted, halved
• 1 egg
• A dash of milk

Instructions:

• Halve the strawberries and put them into a large bowl.
• Pour in spirit, brown sugar and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly. Cover in cling wrap in put in fridge to marinate. After a few hours take out, stir, cover again and put back in fridge. Best if marinated overnight but if not, 4 to 6 hours is good.
• When ready to cook, thaw out two sheets of puff pastry. 
• Heat oven to 200°C.
• Halve the puff pastry sheets and fold over the edges on all sides to make a 1cm rim. Make an egg wash with the egg and milk and paint over the rim of the pastry.
• Place strawberries (without the liquid marinate) into the middle of puff pastry - divide equally between the 4 serves.
• Put into oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the sides are golden brown.
• Serve with freshly whipped cream.

And of course, the cream was just quickly whipped up in my trusty Thermomix.

Ingredients:

• 250 ml Whipping Cream
• 40 grams Caster Sugar

Instructions:

• Speed 3, 1 Minute 15 seconds, Butterfly  - Place the ingredients in the TM 31 bowl and mix per settings.

If you find the cream is not thick enough, just whip it for an extra 15 or 30 seconds, but be careful not to over-whip it or you will end up with butter.

I'm very pleased to say that the tarts turned out to be delicious. Served with the whipped cream, which got all melty from the hot tart, it was just divine. The Boy loved it and our guests asked for spoons so they could scoop up the melted cream that had mixed with the brandy mixture from the strawberries. Very tasty!

If you do make this, be sure to post pictures for me to see either on Instagram - be sure to tag me with @langshipley or on my Daz In The Kitchen Facebook page.


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Homemade strawberry jam ... in the Thermomix

As you may have seen in a previous post, I made butter and buttermilk scones in the Thermomix and that became part of a completely homemade Devonshire Tea.

Of course, with any Devonshire Tea, one needs strawberry jam and so I used the Thermomix to whip up some of that.

It has become a bit of a ritual for us but when we decide we want Devonshire Tea, I will make up scones, jam and whipped cream in the Thermomix. It's all so quick and easy, so if you have a Thermomix, this is something that is easy to whip up, fresh and perfect for company.

The thing I love about making up some jam in the Thermomix is that it makes up a small enough serve that I have jam for a few serves and then I'm done. The next time I need more jam, 20 minutes in the Thermomix and viola! more fresh jam!! It's so simple.

I remember when we lived in the mountains and had an orchard. We would have so much fruit that we would not know what to do with it. I tried making my own jam and would end up with jars and jars and jars of it that I would not be able to finish. Then, we made some friends who would sell jam in the local markets and offered our fruit to them in exchange for some jars of jam they made, but even then, we would end up with jars and jars.

The Thermomix way is perfect. A single serve of jam every time.

I have to say that I have grown to quite love fresh, homemade strawberry jam. The taste is divine.

This is a very simple recipe that I found on one of the Thermomix recipe communities, though I don't recall exactly which one. It's so amazingly simple and yet delicious.

Here's the RECIPE for the jam:

Ingredients:

• 1 package strawberries (250g punnet)
• 1 granny smith apple, quartered and peeled
• 120 grams sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste (or Extract)

Instructions:

• Add to thermomix bowl all ingredients.
• Cook for around 20 min/varoma/speed 1 (longer if you want thicker)- yummo!
• Blend for around 30 seconds / speed 4 if you want it smooth – quick, easy, DELICIOUS! Store in a sterilised glass jar in the fridge and with this quantity of sugar, will keep well for 1 month+ (if it lasts that long!)

* Makes 1 small jar

This jam, of course, is a total hit with The Boy. He has enjoyed slathering gobs and gobs of it onto the scones that I've made to go with it for a lovely Devonshire Tea. I have even made a (very amateur) video on it, which I will link below.

If you decide to make this, with or without the Thermomix (though I don't know how without - probably plenty of standing and stirring!), do let me know. Be sure to post pictures for me to see either on Instagram or on my Daz In The Kitchen Facebook page.


© This work is copyrighted to Invest-Ex and Destiny's Fortunes Pty Ltd

Find me around SOCIAL MEDIA:
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Strawberry and raspberry sorbet ... in the Thermomix

It's been particularly warm the last few days and the day before yesterday was downright sizzling with temps reaching about 38dC (over 100dF).

We are keeping cool by having salads and cold treats from the fridge and freezer.

We decided to make some sorbet so that we could enjoy a cold, cold treat in the evening.

This is my strawberry and raspberry sorbet RECIPE, which I've lifted from the standard Thermomix Everyday Cookbook and then modified to suit my taste.

Ingredients:

• 150g sugar
• 500g strawberries
• 500g frozen raspberries
• 200g ice
• 1 egg white

Instructions:

• Put sugar into Thermomix and mill for 10 seconds on speed 9.
• Add strawberries, half the frozen raspberries and egg white into bowl. Slowly turn the speed dial to speed 10 and blend for up to 30 seconds until everything is smooth.
• Add the remaining frozen raspberries and the ice. Use the spatula to assist in incorporating the ice into the first batch of sorbet. Slowly turn the speed dial to speed 10 and blend for 30 seconds.
• Use a spatula to mix the sorbet around and blend at speed 10 for another 30 seconds until the sorbet is smooth and the consistency you like it to be.

When blending the second time with the ice, sometimes the blades can get stuck as air pockets get created in the bowl. If this happens, stop blending, open the top and use the spatula to mix the sorbet and ice around till it settles and the air pockets are not there anymore, then continue blending as usual.

This makes enough for 2 large takeaway containers of sorbet.

This tastes absolutely delicious and very berry-ish but not too tart.

It's also a great dessert when served on a bed of dark chocolate ganache.

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