Best Ever Ginger Snaps.

Dan Lepard calls these Spicy Chestnut Ginger Christmas Biscuits.   I have changed the name because I had to replace he Chestnut flour with ground Almonds,  and they are simply the best ginger biscuits that i have ever made.   Dan's recipes are always good.
The recipe made 52 teaspoon size dough scoops.

Ingredients
120g butter
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
6 teaspoons ground ginger
180g dark brown sugar
40 g treacle
40g Golden Syrup
1 egg
160g plain flour
80g chestnut flour,( I used Ground Almonds)
1 teaspoon of carbsoda

demerara sugar to roll dough in.

Method.
make room in fridge so TMX bowl will fit.
Place into bowl ,butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes ,ground cloves , ground ginger , dark brown sugar,golden syrup and treacle.
Mix for 7 minutes,40 degrees, speed 3.  scraping down after each 2 minutes.
Allow to cool,
Add egg and mix 30 seconds speed 4.
Add flour ground Almonds or chestnut flour, and carbsoda.
Knead until fully incorporated.
Place in fridge until ready to bake. (the dough is a lot easier to handle if cold.)  I left it in the fridge for 4 hours

Preheat oven to 160 C or 140 FF
line 3 baking trays with baking paper.
Scoop heaped teaspoon size balls and roll in the demerara sugar and place on trays.  press gently in the centre.
Bake for 25 minutes.  they will puff up and then sink flat with cracks on the surface.
cool on trays.
store in an air tight tin.

Ciabatta Photo

Ciabatta, Paul Hollywoods recipe, adapted to TMX.

This recipe is from Paul Hollywood's book Bread.  It has a light crunchy crust and flavoursome soft crumb.
You need to allow 9 to 10 hours to make these 2 loaves.
6 hours for the first mix.
2 to 3 hours for the next step
30 minutes before baking and 30 minutes to bake.

Ingredients

400g strong bread flour,I used Laucke which has salt and sugar added.
7g. fast acting dried yeast
300 g cool water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
( 7 g of salt if NOT using mix)
Fine Semolina for dusting.

Baking tray,
and
20 cm square x 12 cm high plastic container with lid.

Method

In a bowl, mix 200g flour
1/2 the yeast and 200 mls of water.
Mix and beat well with a wooden spoon.
cover and set aside for 6 hours.

Tip into TMX and add remaining yeast, flour, water and salt if using.
Knead 4 minutes.

Tip into the well oiled container and cover with lid.
( it is important that the container is square as this help with the shaping in the next step)
Allow it to rise  2 to 3 hours until it fills the container. ( my container was 23 cm square so I let it rise to 3/4 fill the container)

Heat oven to 220 C or 200C FF.

Being careful not to knock out all the air, tip the contents of the container on to a well dusted silmat or bench, the dusting mixture should be 1/2 Semolina and 1/2 flour.
Cut in half with a well floured knife.

Stretch slightly , to fit the baking tray by pulling on the ends.
Dust the tray with the Semolina/flour mix.
Lift careful on to tray leaving room between loaves.  i did this with aid of a large spatula.
Dust top lightly with Semolina mix.

Cover with plastic and let stand for 30 minutes.

 Remove plastic and bake for 30 minutes.

If you have a light and glass door on your oven, you can watch it rise. It is quite amazing.

Strata

This recipe, adapted to TMX, is from Pam Anderson's book, 'cook without a book'.
It can be served as a main course with salad or as a side dish.
It is a savoury Bread and Butter Pudding.
There is no meat in the dish, but if you feel like it you could add crispy bacon with the top veggies.

This is a 1/10th serve, so you could make 1/2 recipe.  However it does reheat well in oven or microwave.

Ingredients

320g tasty cheese
1 cup of sliced green onions or 1 cup sliced leek,  softened in microwave or in pan with a little butter.
2 cups of milk
6 large eggs
salt and ground black pepper
good grind or pinch of nutmeg
1 long Baguette, cut into 1/4 inch rings
1 1/2 dessertspoons of olive oil,(use to cook veggies if required, optional)
350g vegetables of choice. See list below.

Method

Place cubes of cheese in TMX bowl and zap for a few seconds, until about the size of rice grains. set aside.
Place eggs , milk, salt , pepper and nutmeg into TMX bowl and mix, speed 7 for 10 seconds. ( leave in Bowl)
either steam or gently cook veggies until still crisp.
Brush a large oven proof dish with butter or cake release.(.to determine size of dish take 3/4 of sliced bread , divide into 2 piles and fit one 1/2 into the base of oven dish.) You will be making 2 layers of bread.
Start layering
place one layer of bread on base of dish,
spread 1/2 the onion or leek over bread
sprinkle 1/3 go cheese over
pour 1/2 the egg mix over.
DO THIS LAYERING AGAIN
place veggies over top egg layer and sprinkle last 1/3 of cheese over top.
Cover with glad wrap and place a small flat tin to weigh down the bread into the mix.
Place a couple of unopened tins on top for extra weight.

the Strata can be baked within 30 minutes or placed in fridge and baked the next day.

Select a couple of the veggies, all except cherry tomatoes should be par cooked.

cherry tomatoes
mushrooms ,sliced
Asparagus
Capsicum peppers
Red onion in slices
or what you have in fridge.

Cauliflower and Asparagus soup with Horseradish Cream.

This Horseradish Cream can be added to any potentially bland soup to give it a lift.

If using fresh Horseradish place discs into TMX bowl and grate , speed 7 for 20 seconds.
DO NOT LIFT LID AND LOOK IN AND SNIFF. THE FUMES ARE OVER POWERING.
If using grated horseradish in a jar, proceed as per instructions.

For every measure of horseradish, use double the amount of Sour Cream.  light good.
Example
1/4 cup of grate Horseradish, 1/2 cup of Sour Cream.
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon chopped chives, optional.
Place Horseradish, Sour Cream and mustard into TMX bowl and mix 5 seconds, speed 4.
Mix Chives in by hand if using.

Notes
Although traditionally served with roast beef, the cream is also nice stirred through soup.
Also nice with a roast veggie panini.

Brioche Bun

This savoury recipe can be made into buns or a loaf.  It can be made sweet by adding some honey or a tablespoon of sugar. The original recipe is from Paul Hollywoods book, Bread. I have converted it to TMX. It is particually suited to the TMX as it is a very rich soft dough. 
The buns freeze very well.
I made 8 large buns, and 6 smaller ones. 
It cost 30 cents for the ingredients for each bun. 

Ingredients
500g bread flour. (I used Laucke crusty white bread mix)
1 teaspoon salt if not using mix. 
10 g dry yeast
170g warm milk
4 medium size eggs, plus 1 extra for the egg wash mixed with 1 dessertspoon milk.
250g butter, room temperature, cut into 5 slices.

Set oven to 180 C

Method
Add 4 eggs and warm milk , mix 5 seconds/ speed 5.
Add flour, knead for 5 minutes adding 1/5 of butter each minute. 
Set aside or leave in bowl to double.
Generously flour a sill at and tip dough on to it. 
Flour top and gently press onto a round shape, 1 1/2 cm thick.
Select a cutter the size required and cut circles of dough . 
Place carefully on a tray(s)  covered with baking paper, brush with egg wash. Cover with plastic and allow to almost double. 
Brush again with egg wash and bake for 10 minutes.
Cool on wire rack. 

Notes. 
Because the dough was so soft I placed the large buns in crumpet rings.  However I feel this is not really necessary as they rise quickly holding their shape. 
There are a multitude of fillings that are suited. 
Crab, or lobster, on grilled bun coated with mayo, few slices of Spanish red onion and lettuce. 
Heated or grilled bun with coleslaw and chicken schnitzel. 
Heated bun with mayo, avo and schnitzel. 
Used for French bread
As hamburger or hot dog rolls.

Rhubarb Tart

This recipe is adapted to TMX from Alain Ducasse's book, ' Nature'. It is simple and delicious.
Ingredients
Fresh Rhubarb, washed and cubed. 250 to 300g
1 sheet of ready rolled Puff Pastry.
100 g castor sugar
90 g yoghurt
45 g ground Almonds
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 thin discs of green ginger.

Set oven to 200 o C

Method
Cover Rhubarb with 50 g of caster sugar and let stand for 15 minutes to draw out some of the water.

Lay one sheet of Puff pastry on a baking paper lined baking tray.
Roll the edges in and pinch corners.
Prick base with fork
Line base with baking paper and cover with baking beads or dried beans.
Bake 20 minutes, 200

Drop ginger on to blades spinning, speed 7, 15 seconds. Scrape down

Add Into TMX Bowl
Yogurt, 90g
Ground Almonds, 45g
1 egg
20 g caster sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
. Mix speed 4/ 10 seconds.

When base has cooled and baking beads removed, fill base with almond mixture, spreading evenly to edge.
Drain Rhubarb and scatter evenly over Almond mixture.
Sprinkle with remaining 30 g sugar
Bake at 180 o C for 20 minutes.

Serve warm or cold

Notes,
Apricots, Nectarines or Peaches could replace the Rhubarb.
Serves 4 generously
Could leave the ginger out and add cinnamon.
Almond filling and Rhubarb can be prepared the day before.
Original recipe has 250 g of Puff Pastry. I prefer the thin and crispy using 1 sheet.
This is a photo of the second Tart I made.  I added Raspberries as the Rhubarb was pale.

« Last Edit: Today at 09:49:48 pm by achookwoman »