Thermomix Christmas gifts Archives - One Girl and her Thermie

Christmas Gifting – Honeycomb

Christmas is around the corner and homemade Christmas gifts are a great cost-saving and a way to show you care. Here’s a recipe for Honeycomb made in the Thermomix and the cost saving you can have compared to buying it.

Whether you call it honeycomb, hokey pokey or cinder toffee, this Thermomix recipe is amazing.

Ingredients

1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda, sifted
300 g white sugar
1080 g water
20 g honey or golden syrup
50 g vinegar

Preparation

To guarantee the success of recipes using Sugar Stages, please follow the exact quantity and description for all ingredients. The recipe should also be cooked immediately after placing the sugar with the other ingredients in the mixing bowl.
Line a square cake tin (18 x 18 cm) with baking paper (paper should be approx. 5 cm higher than the tin – see Tips) and place on a heat-resistant surface.
Sift bicarbonate of soda and set aside. Place sugar, 80 g water and honey into mixing bowl and start Sugar Stages without measuring cup.
Immediately add reserved bicarbonate of soda around the blades and quickly stir with spatula until mixture foams up, taking care not to over mix. Transfer immediately into prepared cake tin. Using spatula, remove any mixture from the mixing bowl rim to be able to close the lid correctly for pre-cleaning.
Place 1000 g water and vinegar into mixing bowl and start Pre-clean.
Allow to cool completely to room temperature and break into pieces. Store in a sealable container at room temperature (see Tip). Use as required.

Hints & Tips

This lovely treat looks similar to real honeycomb. Bicarbonate of soda is the secret to achieving an airy texture. Stirring it in at the last minute is the reason for its namesake appearance. Honey is used to flavour the caramel. Honeycomb is great to decorate with and it is also good added to other desserts. Break the honeycomb into pieces or crush it and sprinkle over ice cream, for example.
Honeycomb cannot be left out in the open for an extended length of time, as it will draw moisture from the air and become sticky. Store in snap lock bags or wrap in plastic wrap and place into a sealable container for up to a week. However it is best eaten soon after it is made. Dipping honeycomb pieces into melted chocolate helps extend shelf-life by a few days.
Extending the baking paper up the sides of the cake tin encourages the honeycomb to rise.

Nutrition per 1 portion

Calories 445.3 kJ / 106.3 kcal
Protein 0 g
Carbohydrates2 6.2 g
Fat 0 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Fibre 0 g
Sodium 830.4 mg

Get this recipe on Cookidoo https://cookidoo.co.uk/recipes/recipe/en-GB/r437218

Christmas Gifting – Amaretti

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Christmas is around the corner and homemade Christmas gifts are a great cost-saving and a way to show you care. Here’s a recipe for Amaretti made in the Thermomix and the cost saving you can have compared to buying it.

Amaretti di Saronno refer to a type of amaretto, a bitter-sweet flavored macaron, that is traditional to Saronno, a comune of Lombardy, Italy. It is one of many types of traditional amaretti, but the only one made with apricot kernels.

Ingredients

oil, for greasing
2 egg whites, from large eggs
2 tsp honey
1 pinch fine sea salt
180 g ground almonds (see tip)
150 g caster sugar
100 g dried mixed fruit (e.g. apricots, cherries, prunes), quartered
100 g mixed whole nuts (e.g. pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts)
icing sugar, for dipping

Preparation

Preheat oven to 190°C and lightly grease a baking tray.
Insert butterfly whisk. Place egg whites, honey and salt in mixing bowl then, without measuring cup, whisk 2 min/speed 3.5. Remove butterfly whisk.
Add ground almonds, sugar, dried fruit and nuts then stir 20 sec/reverse/speed 2.
Using wet hands, shape tablespoons of mixture into small, rough balls and dip half of each ball in icing sugar. Place on prepared tray, icing sugar side up, and bake for 10-12 minutes (190°C) until just golden.
Leave on tray to cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve or package up to give as gifts.

Hints & Tips

The literal translation of these Italian biscuits is ‘the little bitter ones’ as they were traditionally flavoured with bitter almonds. Plain almonds work just as well, and you can grind your own with Thermomix®. Prepare a batch and give as gifts, or serve alongside coffee or dessert wine to add some Italian flair to your Christmas meal.
To grind your own almonds, place 180 g blanched almonds in mixing bowl before starting the recipe and grind 10 sec/speed 10. Transfer to a bowl then clean and dry mixing bowl thoroughly before beginning the recipe.
In step 3, add 50 g dark or white chocolate chips

Nutrition per 1 piece

Calories 442.3 kJ / 105.7 kcal
Protein 2.8 g
Carbohydrates 11.8 g
Fat 6 g
Saturated Fat 0.6 g
Fibre 1.6 g
Sodium 22 mg

Get this recipe on Cookidoo https://cookidoo.co.uk/recipes/recipe/en-GB/r85060

Christmas Gifting – Florentines

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Christmas is around the corner and homemade Christmas gifts are a great cost-saving and a way to show you care. Here’s a recipe for Florentines made in the Thermomix and the cost-saving you can have compared to buying it.

A Florentine biscuit is a sweet pastry of nuts and fruit. Florentines are made of nuts and candied cherries mixed with sugar melted together with butter and honey, cooked in an oven.

Ingredients

50 g pistachio nuts, unsalted, shelled
30 g walnut halves
75 g unsalted butter, diced
75 g Demerara sugar
15 g double cream
1 pinch salt
30 g dried cherries, halved, quartered if large
60 g mixed candied peel
50 g dried cranberries
60 g flaked almonds
150 g dark chocolate, small pieces or callets

Preparation

Preheat oven to 180°C and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Place pistachios and walnuts in mixing bowl then chop 3 sec/speed 7. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Place butter, sugar, cream and salt in mixing bowl then melt 3 min/Varoma/speed 1.
Add cherries, candied peel, cranberries, almonds and reserved chopped nuts then mix 10 sec/reverse/speed 3.
Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture (approx. 20 g each) into a ball using hands, place on prepared trays and flatten out as much as possible, leaving 5 cm between each to spread. Bake for 8-10 minutes (180°C) until golden then leave on tray to cool completely. Meanwhile, clean and thoroughly dry mixing bowl.
Place chocolate in mixing bowl, grate 5 sec/speed 8 then melt 4 min/50°C/speed 2.
Spread chocolate evenly over one side of each florentine and leave to set completely (see tip). Store in an airtight container until needed.

Hints & Tips

Florentines often have a wavy pattern on the chocolate. If desired, once chocolate is firm enough to hold its shape (30-60 minutes), use a fork to draw wavy lines across the chocolate.

Nutrition per 1 piece

Calories 531 kJ / 127 kcal
Protein 1.7 g
Carbohydrates 12 g
Fat 9 g
Saturated Fat 4 g
Fibre 1.5 g
Sodium 12 mg

Get recipes on Cookidoo here, https://cookidoo.co.uk/recipes/recipe/en-GB/r754184

Christmas Gifting – Thermomix Chocolate Truffles

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Christmas is around the corner and homemade Christmas gifts are a great cost-saving and a way to show you care. Here’s a recipe for Chocolate Truffles made in the Thermomix and the cost saving you can have compared to buying it.

Ingredients

300 g dark chocolate, small pieces or callets
100 g milk chocolate, small pieces or callets
300 g double cream
20 g unsalted butter, diced
1 pinch fine sea salt
4 tsp brandy

20 g desiccated coconut
20 g cocoa powder
80 g pistachio nuts, unsalted
80 g roasted hazelnuts

Preparation

Truffles

Place dark chocolate and milk chocolate in mixing bowl then grate 10 sec/speed 8.
Add cream, butter and salt then melt 5 min/50°C/speed 3. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula then melt again 1-2 min/50°C/speed 2 until smooth. Set scales to zero then remove 350 g mixture to a bowl (scales will show -350 g) and set aside.
Add brandy and mix 6 sec/speed 3. Transfer to another bowl, cover and label each bowl then set aside in fridge until just firm (approx. 2 hours). Meanwhile, clean mixing bowl and prepare coatings.

Coatings

Place a bowl on mixing bowl lid, weigh in coconut and set aside. Place another bowl on mixing bowl lid, weigh in cocoa powder and set aside.
Place pistachios in mixing bowl and chop 2 sec/speed 6. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Place hazelnuts in mixing bowl and chop 2 sec/speed 6. Transfer to another bowl and set aside.

Assembly

Once chocolate is just firm, take approx. ½ heaped Tbsp mixture at a time and roll into balls, then roll in coating of choice. Place in gift boxes or wrap in cellophane to give as gifts.

Hints & Tips

These rich, indulgent truffles wouldn’t look out of place in a chocolatiers window, and they are deceptively simple to make when you have a Thermomix®! Stored in the fridge until ready to package up, these make a beautiful gift for your friends and family; simply adjust the flavour and coatings according to their tastes.
Adjust flavourings according to taste. Orange extract, peppermint extract, almond extract, Cointreau, Kahlua or cherry brandy also work well.
The coatings can be varied too; try chopping different types of nuts, freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries.

Nutrition per 1 piece

Calories 350 kJ / 84 kcal
Protein 1 g
Carbohydrates 4 g
Fat 7 g
Saturated Fat 4 g
Sodium 10 mg

Get this recipe on Cookidoo https://cookidoo.co.uk/recipes/recipe/en-GB/r491297

Tasty Thursday: Christmas Gifting Video

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Recording of my Tasty Thursday workshops; a regular slot where I offer themed virtual demonstrations of Thermomix TM6. This week, I was delighted to be joined by my friend and TM5 owner, Kerry New.

Please find below the recipes we cooked together. It was nice to share the call with someone else and I thoroughly enjoyed working with Kerry, my dear friend. She’s received her TM6 after our video call and I believe delighted with the upgrade.

Hot Orange on a stick https://cookidoo.co.uk/recipes/recipe…
Caramel Fudge https://thermobliss.com/the-best-ther…
Chocolate Body Scrub https://onegirlandherthermie.co.uk/ch…
Irish Cream http://thermofun.com/thermofun-bailey…
Berry Liqueur https://cookidoo.co.uk/recipes/recipe…

If you would like to book a demonstration or find out more, please contact me on Ankita@onegirlandherthermie.co.uk or call/text/ WhatsApp me on 07977 563537.

Thermomix Soy Candles

2 Comments / Non-food

I first made these Thermomix soy candles after reading the amazing blog by Petra at The Road to Loving my Thermomix. I love the versatility of what I can make in my Thermomix.

Who doesn’t love decorating their home or apartment with a beautiful candle? They add warmth and light to every space and just generally make your home feel cozier. The only problem? They don’t last forever and can be a little pricey. A lot pricey. I’m a big fan of Jo Malone or Molton Brown candles but one candle can set you back a whopping £50. Yes, £50 for one candle. So for any of us who want to have the luxury but spend a little less, there’s always a way to do it more cost-effectively.

You can make homemade candles with a few supplies and a little bit of know-how. Chances are you have a lot of the things you’ll need already at home. Another bonus of making your own candles is that you can control what goes into them. If you’re sensitive to fragrance, you can leave it out. If you’re concerned about keeping the air in your home as clean as possible, you can choose to use soy wax. Although there are many different types of candles, they all contain three main components: wax, a wick, and a container.

Wax
Wick
Container
Fragrance and color (optional)

I tend to advocate using soy wax. Soy wax is a natural, renewable resource. Soy wax is biodegradable and cleans up with plain old soap and water (again a good thing as I’m using my Thermomix to melt the wax). Soy wax has a lower melting point than paraffin wax and because of this, soy candles will burn slower or longer than paraffin candles. Soy wax burns with zero petro soot, creating petro soot free candles.

Benefits of soy wax

Soy wax is derived from a vegetables, (soy beans), while it’s counter partner, paraffin wax is derived from petroleum (a refined a gasoline product).
Soy wax is a natural, renewable resource.
Soy wax is biodegradable and cleans up with plain old soap and water.
Soy wax has a lower melting point than paraffin wax and because of this, soy candles will burn slower or longer than paraffin candles.
Soy wax burns with zero petro soot, creating petro soot free candles. Paraffin candles burn with petro-soot.

After making your first candle, you can get more adventurous and try making different types of candles, just be sure to choose the appropriate wax and wick for a more advanced project. Want a more personal touch? You can customize your candle even further by choosing a fragrance or essential oil to scent your candle—the variations of candles you can make are limited only by your imagination and your willingness to experiment.

From simple projects like basic container candles and votives with wick pins to more complex creations like beeswax rolled pillars and dipped taper candles, there’s no shortage of craft projects you can do with a bit of wax, a heat source, and some time.

It’s incredibly easy to make your own soy candles at home. Although it’s simple to make average candles, customizing your wax, wick, fragrance, and container choices will yield spectacular results. Not only will you save money making your own, but you can also give these beauties as gifts during the holidays (or any time!). Happy making!

N.B. The soy candles in the picture have been coloured red with food colouring and scented with a Christmas spiced essential oil, ready to be given as gifts this Christmas.

Disclaimer – Thermomix® is a cooking appliance intended to be only used for food preparation.

Vorwerk, the manufacturer of Thermomix only advocates making food items in your Thermomix. As a user, I know how versatile the Thermomix is and as a result, blog recipes like this which are non-food such as these candles, beauty products, children’s craft, etc. I also have multiple Thermomixes and multiple TM bowls, so I can safely use separate bowls for making these without any cross-contamination. The bowls do wash and I recommend a hot vinegar or lemon wash to ensure no cross-contamination of any of the ingredients, but if in any doubt, don’t make them.