Super Kitchen Machine (Thermomix)

Just a little video slideo featuring a delicious and super easy pie. With the addition of Chocolate-Nut Ganache topping this recipe is great for casual times or as a special birthday treat.

Our recipe is adapted from one found in the Canadian Harrowsmith Cookbook from years ago.  Last weekend I was in a big hurry to prepare a much requested Birthday Pecan Pie and some party treats for later in the evening. Short of time, I was forced to cheat the clock by using frozen pastry and happily, no one was the wiser.

Cheatin’ Pecan Pie
This amount of filling is ample! Easily makes one 9″ deep-dish pie or 24-30 small tarts. If making one large pie it’s advisable to partially bake the shell first, but I don’t do this with the tarts — just fill from frozen.

Ingredients:

100 g. sugar
75 g. butter (make your own!)
225 g. corn syrup
3 eggs
160 g. pecan halves or pieces, or a mix of both
1 tsp. vanilla

Ingredients:

- Boil together sugar, syrup & butter in bowl for 8 minutes on Varoma at speed 1
- Add eggs, pecans and vanilla on top of boiled syrup and process for 6 seconds at REVERSED speed 4 to mix
- Pour into pastry.
- Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes.
- Cool before enjoying.

Chocolate-Nut Ganache Topping (Like Nutella but without the label)
Use the recipe for Hazelnut-Chocolate Spread found on page 148 of the Thermomix cookbook “Everyday Cooking … for Every Family.” (This book is also known as the EDC.) This recipe works perfectly every time and the entire cookbook is well worth having on your Thermomix bookshelf. Depending on how you tweak the recipe, it can easily become a true “Ganache”. I’m allergic to hazelnuts, so I usually substitute almonds with great results. You may also want to add a tablespoon of strong brewed coffee, or a few drops of almond essence, or some freshly grated ginger. One of my most successful variations simply included a few pieces (15 g.)  extra strong organic candied ginger. The version below uses less sugar than the original, for those of us who prefer things that way…

Ingredients:

55 g. sugar
60 g. almonds (or hazelnuts)
100 g. plain chocolate, (or semi-sweet chocolate chips)
70 g. soft butter
100 g. milk

Method:

- Pulverise sugar in Thermomix bowl for 10 seconds at speed 8.
- Add nuts and chocolate and mill together for 15 seconds at speed 8.
- Scrape back down into bowl with spatula.
- Add butter and milk and heat for 6 minutes at 50°C at speed 3 or until mixture is smooth.
- Pour onto cooled pie and allow time for the spread to cool and set. Place any leftover Nutella-like ganache in sterilised jars. Keep extra in fridge for 2-3 weeks.