Rum and Raisin Banana Cake

Best banana Cake ever, says DH.  I had given up making banana cake as they somehow always seem to taste the same.  This one doesn't.  This is not what it is called in "Country Living" where the inspiration came from.  There it is called, Coffee, Banana and Cardamon Loaf.   I have adapted it to the TMX and made other minor changes.
Ingredients
225 Raisins
150 mls hot water
2 generous teaspoons of good quality Instant Coffee
2 Tablespoons of Rum
110 g butter softened
140g Dark brown Sugar
generous teaspoon of ground cardamon
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, ( 180 peeled weight)
225 Self raising flour
1/4 teaspoon of Bi carb soda.

Set  Oven to 180 o or 160 FF.
Method
In a bowl, place Raisins , coffee and Rum and pour boiling water over and stir.
Collect together rest of ingredients and line a loaf tin.
Into TMX bowl place butter, sugar ,eggs  .and cardamon
Mix speed 5 for 1 1/2 minutes.
Scrape down sides and mix, speed 5 for 15 seconds
Add banana and mix speed 5, 20 seconds.
Add carb soda and flour and mix on KNEAD until incorporated.  Just a few seconds.
Add raisin mixture  and mix for 5 seconds, or until mixed through.
Scrape into lined baking dish.
Bake for 1 hour, testing and for further time if needed.

Ice if required
275g. Icing sugar
2 teaspoons of Rum
1 teaspoon of coffee dissolved in a little boiling water.  Enough water to make asoft but not runny icing.

Herbed Sour Dough Rye Noodles

This is a most unusual recipe for pasta,  but it certainly works and is much more versatile than I expected.  It can be a base for both simple and complex sauces. 
I have adapted the recipe , to TMX, from one found in  "the Nourished Kitchen", by Jennifer Mc Gruther.
Need to start the simple process the day before needed.
Will make 6 generous serves.

Ingredients
2 cups of bread flour
1 cup rye flour
a good handful of fresh herbs , such as parsley, dill and chives.
3 whole eggs
1 cup of sour dough starter

Method.
Add fresh herbs to TMX bowl and mince on speed 7 for 7 seconds
Add eggs, mix, speed 5, 5 seconds
Add starter and flours and knead for 4 minutes.
Leave in TMX bowl and stand over night in a warm place.

Next morning,  remove from bowl and divide into 3 equal portions.
 Form into disks. ( each disk will make pasta for 2 generous serves.).
let sit on bench for 15 minutes before folding through pasta machine.

Process as for any pasta and boil in salted water until it rises to the top of the water.
Cooks in about 4 minutes.
Strain and place in bowls and top with sauce.
I made a sour cream sauce with garlic and crab.

Sour Dough, Rye and Wholemeal Full Flavored Loaf.

I wanted to make a wholesome loaf of bread.  This loaf fits the bill but with the added bonus of being FULL of flavor.  It is slightly sour as the Rye and Sour Dough predominate, but if you have a savory palate,  you will like it.   If you like things a bit sweeter,  then add 1 Tablespoon of Golden Syrup, Honey or molasses to the dough.
Remember that Sour Dough Bread cannot be hurried.

Ingredients
400g  of active Sour Dough Starter
300g Rye flour
200g Wholemeal flour.( I used Laucke BioFort Golden Wholemeal)
250g warm water
If you do not use Laucke flour that has sugar and salt added, then add 1 teaspoon of each.
Optional, 1 level Dessertspoon of Honey, Golden Syrup or Molasses.

Method
Place all in TMX bowl and Knead for 4 minutes.
Leave in bowl and allow to double in a warm place. Mine took 17 hours.  My starter was not fully active and it sat in a cool room over night.
Sit bowl back on base and knead for 1 minute.
Turn out on to a well floured Sil Mat and fold over several times.
Roll into a sausage shape and place fold down in a lined tin.
Spray with water.
Cover with a plastic shower cap or plastic wrap.
Place in warm spot to rise and double.  (there will be very little oven bounce)mine took 2 1/2 hours in front of combustion stove.
It is ready for baking when small bubbles or holes appear on top of dough.
Spray with water and sprinkle with seeds.
Bake in center of oven, 200 O for35 minutes. Turning half way.
Remove from tin and place back in oven 15 minutes .

I test with Thermometer , 200 F, if cooked.  If not give it another 5 minutes in oven and test again.
cool on wire rack. 
it will slice into thin slices without crumbling

The best taste test is a thin slice with very good sweet butter.

Savoury Brioche Couronne.

This recipe is particularly suited to the TMX as it is a very soft dough.  I have adapted Paul Hollywoods's recipe from his lovely book , Bread.
It is expensive to make but would serve 10 to 12 as part of a meal.  It freezes well and reheats to a crisp crust.  Paul also provides a salad that can be made with left over Couronne.
I have given the complete recipe,  however when I make it again, will make 1/2 the recipe, or 2 small Crowns.

Ingredients

500g strong white bread flour, extra for dusting, ( I used Lauke Crusty Whit Mix so didn't add extra salt)
10 g salt , if not using Mix
10 g fast acting dried yeast
170 Mil's, tepid milk
4 medium eggs
250 unsalted butter at room temperature,  cut into 5 slices and then in 1/2 again.
8 to 10 slices of Parma ham or Prosciutto
3 or 4 , 125 g balls of Mozzarella
Small handful of basil leaves, torn not chopped
1 medium egg for brushing
Handful of freshly grated Parmesan.

Method

Place eggs and warm milk into TMX, mix 5 seconds/ speed 5
Add yeast, mix, 2 seconds/ speed 5
Add flour and salt ( if using ), kneed 5 minutes adding 2 cubes of butter at one minute intervals.
Tip mixture into a large oiled bowl and cover with a sheet of plastic or large shower cap.
Place in a warm spot, ( between 20 / 25 o C. ) this could take more than 1 hour to double.

Dust silmat generously with flour and tip dough on to mat.  Don't kneed dough.
Push dough into a large rectangle, about 1 1/2 cm thick. This will just about fill the mat.
Lay the ham over the dough, break the mozzarella into pieces and scatter over ham.
Scatter basil over filling.

Heat oven to 200 o C

Take the long  side and roll like a Swiss roll.  I used a plastic spatula to assist with the rolling.
Cut the roll down the length.  DONT CUT ON THE SILMAT.     I slipped a hard plastic sheet under the roll to cut.
Turn exposed cuts to face up.
Hold ends in each hand and twist in opposite directions until a long twisted rope is made. (40 to 50 cm long).
Place long twisted rope onto lined baking tray.  Form into a circle and pinch ends together.
Some of the filling will be exposed.  This is good.
Brush with beaten egg and cover with plastic to rise to double. 1 to 1/2 hours.

When risen, brush again with egg wash and place in oven.
Bake 25 minutes,  watching that it doesn't get too brown.
Leave to cool on oven tray or serve warm.

Notes
I am not very good at forming shapes and this was a bit of a challenge as the dough is very soft.
One of those stiff plastic sheets that are sold for cutting fish/ vegetables/ chicken  is good for moving the dough around.

This might seem a long process but is really quite simple.

I will certainly make it again.

A small Easter gift to everyone. Kids big and small.

One batch of vanilla Ice cream will make 16 of these tasty morsels.
Ingredients
600 mls of cream
250 mils milk
3/4 cup of cater sugar
1 large milk chocolate Easter egg
8 Caramello Eggs, cut on half.
16 medium size patty pans.
16 small foil covered eggs for decoration

Method
Mix top 3 ingredients to gether in TMX for 30 seconds/speed 5
Freeze in Ice ream maker, adding broken up large egg in last 2 to minutes
Scoop into patty cases
Push in 1/2 a Caramello egg into each cop
decorate with foil egg
Freeze in large plastic container , with lid, in single layer.

Sour Dough, Hot Cross Buns

This recipe is best if started the day before.
It makes 16 substantial buns that are loaded with fruit.
The dough is very soft, so well suited to the TMX.  The dried fruit added at the end of the first kneed absorbs some of the moisture in the dough.
The glaze is non sticky .
Ingredients

500 g Bakers/bread flour, (I use Laucke Crusty White)
450g Sour Dough Starter
250 g milk
90g butter
40 g sugar
40g peel,  or grated rind of one orange
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
100g sultanas
150g dried cranberries
50g currants

method

I have updated the method section of this recipe.  13/3/18

Prior to starting to make Buns, activate starter.  This could take up to 7 hours in cold weather.


Add egg and sugar to TMX bowl, mix speed 5 / 5 seconds
Heat milk and butter until just warm,  on stove or in Microwave, then add to TMX bowl.
Mix speed 7 for 30 seconds.
Add flour, Sour Dough starter , Peel and spices.  Kneed for 3 minutes
tip into large bowl.
Tip fruit on top of dough and stir and fold in with large spoon.
Spray with water and cover with shower cap or plastic film.
Set aside in a warm place and allow to double, probably overnight is best.
Mine took 15 hours in a temperature of 13 o C.

This proving works best if you have 2 ovens.
HEAT OVEN FOR 15 MINUTES AT 100 o C, Turn off.
HEAT LARGE OVEN DISH WITH WATER ON STOVE WHILE FORMING BUNS
Tip contents of bowl on to well floured silmat and kneed by hand for 5 minutes. Add flour as needed until the dough is no longer sticky.
Divide in half and roll into a long sausage , cut into 8 even pieces.and form into round buns.
Make sure no fruit is sticking out on the top as it will burn.
place on a lined baking tray.
repeat with second piece of dough.
Spray with water.
Brush with egg and sugar glaze
Place tray with buns in warm oven that has hot water in bottom of oven.
 After 30 minutes remove from oven and brush with egg and sugar glaze again and then pipe crosses on buns.
Return to oven to double.

If you don't have a double oven, prove buns over a sink of hot water , on the tray and cover sink with tablecloth.  make sure the cloth doesn't tough the buns.   I stand 4 tall drink bottles at each corner to protect buns.

Bake in Preheated oven at 200 o C FF for 10 minutes,  turn tray, then bake 15 minutes at 190 o FF.  If not brown on top , bake for another 5 minutes at 200 o FF.
If browning too fast, cover with foil.
When baked and removed from oven,  brush again with egg and sugar mix.
Cool on rack.

Piping mix
80 g flour
100g water
1 teaspoon of salt and oil.
Mix until smooth.
Place in small plastic sandwich bag with SMALL hole in corner.

Non sticky glaze
1 egg
2 teaspoons of milk
1 dessertspoon of caster sugar.
Mix 30 seconds speed 5.



Notes
You can reduce the dried fruit if you wish or even replace with different fruit.
Could be made into 20 smaller buns.
By placing buns closer together they will rise more.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT NOT TO HURRY THE TWO RISINGS AS THIS WILL RESULT IN A VERY HEAVY BUN.

Green Tomato and roasted Walnut Salad

This recipe is adapted from the April/ May Dish Magazine.  The dressing can be made in the TMX but the green vegetables are best if sliced on a mandolin or with a very sharp knife.
It is nice to be able to use veggies from the garden and the Green Tomatoes and Zucchini are both the last of the season.
I have doubled the dressing ingredients as it is particularly nice and could be served with any salad.
This makes 6 generous serves.

Salad

2 large and 2 cherry green tomatoes
1 small fennel bulb, fronds trimmed off and saved, (I used a large stick of celery)
1 Lebanese cucumber or 1/2 a small telegraph cucumber
1 medium Zucchini
1/2 teaspoon of each,  sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Zest of 1 Lemon.
1/2 cup on Walnut pieces, roasted.

Dressing

2/3 cup of Creme fraiche, ( I used sour cream )
4 tablespoons of Olive oil
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar( I used Apple cider vinegar).
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of honey

Method

Dressing
Add all ingredients to TMX bowl and mix on speed 5 for 5 seconds.

Salad

Shave all vegetables into a large bowl and toss with salt and pepper . If making ahead, add salt and pepper just prior to serving.
Arranged on a large platter and scatter with, fennel fronds, lemon zest and walnuts.
Drizzle with some of the dressing.

Note
I served this salad with fish in egg and bread crumbs and TMX mashed potatoes.