Hi all,

Last night I cooked dry spaghetti in the TM for the first time.  When it came time to drain the cooked spaghetti out of the jug, a lot of it had wound itself tightly around the blades and was very difficult to remove as the jug and blades were still very hot.

I have never had a problem with cooking small pasta shapes in the TM but am tempted to go back to doing long pasta on the stove after last night's experience.  Is there a trick to cooking it so that it doesn't get all caught up around the blades as it cooks?

Hi all,

I quite like the EDC shortbread myself (and find it so easy) but decided to give this recipe a go seeing as I had all of the ingredients in the cupboard.  It is a wetter and stickier dough than the EDC version but it worked out pretty well and was very popular with hubby and my daughter so I thought I would share!

ALMOND SHORTBREAD -   adapted from Marie Claire Cooking by Donna Hay

Makes - 20 (according to recipe)...I got 24.

Ingredients
250g hard butter, cut into cubes
75g icing sugar (3/4 cup)
5g vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
250g plain flour
100g blanched almonds
extra icing sugar for dusting

Preparation
1.  Toast the almonds in the TM bowl for 10 minutes at Varoma temperature on Reverse + Speed 1.
2.  Chop the almonds for 8-10 seconds on Speed 7 until almond meal and set aside.  If desired, rinse the bowl to cool it down before Step 3 so butter doesn't begin to melt.
3.   Place butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract into TM bowl and mix for 10 seconds on Speed 6 to combine.
4.  Add flour and almonds to bowl.  Set dial to closed lid position and mix for approximately 1 minute on Interval Speed until a smooth dough is formed.
5.  Tip mixture onto floured board and lightly knead to bring together (dough will be quite wet and sticky).  Refrigerate for at least 5 minutes (I did 15) or until dough is firm.
6.  Preheat oven to 160°C.
7.  Press mixture evenly with palm of hand into cake tin and flute edges if desired.
8.  Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until pale golden brown.
9.  Mark top into portions while still in baking tray.
10.  Wait until shortbread is cooled before transferring to a wire rack and sprinkling with icing sugar (don't transfer whilst still warm as the shortbread will break apart).

Tips/Hints
The original recipe suggests taking 2 tablespoons of dough at a time and rolling into crescents.  You then place them on baking trays lined with non-stick paper and cook for 15 minutes or until shortbread is golden (personally I found the dough too wet and sticky for this).

members' comments

johnro - Such tasty morsels Asha - the star shaped shortbread I used 200g plain flour and added 110g rice flour as well as the almond meal (an oops moment occurring when I blitzed a combination of blanched and flaked almonds while thermie was still in counterclock -).  The heart shaped variety used the posted recipe but I found that I needed to add an additional 60g flour as it was too sticky - didn't bother to refrigerate, just rolled between baking paper and cut shapes!!!!  Thank you for the recipe.

cookie -  they are really nice. I put mine into a slice tin and dotted the top with a fork before it cooked, and also marked the lines where I would cut it. While it was still warm I cut it but left it in the tin. It's lovely. I added 50g more flour and it was reasonably firm.

Hi all,

This is the first recipe that I've had a go at converting as I am still a Thermomix newbie but it worked pretty well so I thought I would share!  I hope I have set it out in the right format.  Sorry for the crappy photo...you can see that this one is slightly overcooked but I have adjusted the recipe accordingly (my oven is just too efficient...even my consultant said so as we almost burnt the bread at my home demo)!

POTATO AND SALMON PARCELS -   - Taken from The Ultimate Potato Cookbook (Family Circle Step-by-Step)

Serves - 4

Ingredients
750g floury potatoes, peeled and cubed into small pieces
40g butter
60g cream
120g cheddar cheese
210g can red salmon, flaked
1 tablespoon dill (can use fresh or dried)
Bunch spring onions, roughly cut into medium pieces (I had 60g)
3 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry
beaten egg, for glazing

Preparation
1.   Grate cheddar cheese for 6-8 seconds on speed 8 and set aside in a separate bowl.
2.   Chop dill and spring onions for 2-3 seconds on Speed 7.  Set aside in a separate bowl and rinse TM bowl.
3.   Place potatoes into TM bowl and cook for 15-20 minutes at 100°C on Speed 1.
4.   Move potatoes to sides of bowl and insert Butterfly.  Add the butter and cream and mash for 15-20 seconds on speed 3.
5.   Remove butterfly and add the cheese, salmon, dill and spring onion to the potato in the TM bowl.
6.   Mix on Reverse + Speed 2-3 for 30 seconds or until ingredients are all combined.
7.   Lightly grease two oven trays and preheat oven to 180°C.
8.   Cut each pastry sheet into four squares and divide the mixture among the squares (approximately 1/4 cup in each).
9.   Lightly brush the edges of each square with beaten egg and bring all four corners to the centre to form a point, pressing together to make a parcel.
10. Put the parcels on the greased trays and glaze with beaten egg.
11. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.  Make sure to keep an eye on them whilst cooking as the filling will start to spill out if they are overcooked.

Tips/Hints
You can brush these with melted butter before baking for an extra buttery taste.
You may find you have leftover potato mixture.  You can use extra pastry and make more parcels if desired or save the rest and make Salmon Patties.

Hi everyone,

I am a mum of 1 with another on the way from Melbourne, Australia and after having a home demo last week I ordered my Thermomix yesterday!

I can't wait to get started and am particularly looking forward to using it for baby food in a few months time.  No more splattered vegetables all over the kitchen as I try to break them down with a hand blender.

I look forward to getting to know you all as my journey with Thermomix begins!