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DIY Clotted Cream In The Slowcooker Or Crockpot

Clotted Cream

My brother and sister-in-law came to visit from Australia a few weeks ago, and as you do when people come to visit from not-England, you do the very English thing  of taking them for afternoon tea… although I advise that you should first find out if they wanted a high tea or cream tea because they are very different. If you’re expecting a three-tiered tray of triangled sandwiches, pretty dainties and sparkles, getting a plate with two flat scones and a dollop of jam and/or cream is somewhat disappointing, delicious as it is when you were expecting it.

Clotted Cream Anyway, I digress. We got to discussing clotted cream, as you do, and how it’s made and my brother set me the challenge of making clotted cream in the Thermomix®. It turns out you can’t in a TM31 because you can’t switch the movement of the blades off. I have someone testing it on the yoghurt function of the T5 at the moment, so we’ll see how that works out, and let you know.

In the meantime however, this incredibly simple recipe – can you call it a recipe if it’s one ingredient? – can be easily adapted whether for a slow cooker or an iPot or whatever you use. The important thing, really, is that you need to put it in something that can be kept still for three hours, and the greater the surface area, the better. Also realise that a 600ml pot of double cream only gives you about 100ml of clotted cream, so have some ideas on hand for what to do with the remaining cream that is similar to buttermilk, and make it sooner rather than later as it won’t last long.

The clotted cream itself will last for 3-5 days in the fridge.

Homemade clotted creamI’ve seen recipes online for clotted cream that I’m pretty sure are actually sour cream – cream and lemon juice – that is not traditional clotted cream. Clotted cream is thick cream obtained by heating milk slowly and then allowing it to cool while the cream content rises to the top in coagulated lumps.

You can also use clotted cream instead of butter on toast, perfect with jam, or instead of ice cream on hot puddings – or with ice cream if you’re so inclined. I have used it to top chocolate mousse and steamed puddings, as in the pictures.

DIY Clotted Cream In The Slowcooker Or Crockpot
 
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Ingredients
  • 600ml cream (also 600g)
Instructions
  1. Pour the double cream into your slow cooker and put it on the lowest setting. On mine this is warm (as compared to low or high). It's roughly 70C.
  2. Leave the lid off to allow air exposure and leave for 3 - 4 hours.
  3. Switch the heat off and leave for another hour.
  4. Move the pot of cream very gently to the fridge making sure not to break the surface or shake it in any way.
  5. Keep in the fridge overnight, then scoop the top thick layer off carefully, putting that in an airtight container and use the remainder as buttermilk in bread or scones which you can then top with your clotted cream!

Don’t have a slow cooker? Pick one up from just over £10!

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Aubergine And Anchovy Tapenade

To like this recipe, you are going to have to like aubergines and anchovies, although the flavour combines really nicely in such a way that you don’t really taste much of either – it’s more a third, new flavour. I think so anyway, and I really love it.

This goes well with the obvious things like crackers, but it’s also a good filling for baked potatoes or sandwiches. I had initially wanted to make a bagna cauda soup, but didn’t have enough aubergine, so converted mid-recipe to a tapenade instead.

Aubergine-Anchovy
Also, aubergine, egg plant, whatever you call it, is ridiculously hard to photograph in any half decent way!

 

Aubergine And Anchovy Tapenade
 
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Remember the anchovies are pretty salty, so be careful when adding more salt!
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Recipe type: Tapenade, Dip, Filling
Serves: 350g
Ingredients
  • 300g aubergines
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 20g olive oil
  • 6–10 anchovy fillets
  • 30g single cream
  • Salt and black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 190C
  2. Halve the aubergine/egg plant and drizzle olive oil over the top. Place in the oven for 35-40 minutes till it's soft.
  3. Cool slightly then scoop out the aubergine, discarding the skin.
In the Thermomix®
  1. Add garlic, sugar, olive oil and anchovy fillets into the bowl. Add the aubergine.
  2. Mix speed 4 for 10 seconds. It shouldn't be puréed, just mixed together. It's better if you can keep some of the texture.
  3. Add the cream, salt and pepper and mix for 5 seconds on speed 3, making sure it's all mixed together.
  4. Scoop into a serving dish and serve with crackers or vegetable croutons.
In a blender
  1. Add garlic, sugar, olive oil and anchovy fillets into the bowl.
  2. Depending on your blender start slowly till you have a roughly chopped texture. Add the aubergine and cream, salt and pepper and blend till it's all combined.
  3. Scoop into a serving dish and serve with crackers or vegetable croutons.

Hope you enjoy this delicious, naturally salty dip!

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Lemonade Scones

When I was living out in Australia a few years ago, my brother had a friend who brought scones round one day. They were the lightest scones I had ever had, and I had to have the recipe. I’ve made these hundreds of times and recently a friend asked me if I had the recipe on the blog. I realised I didn’t, so here it is Sam, just for you.

Lemonade Scones2

This is a 3-ingredients scone – okay, four, but salt doesn’t count. The self raising flour and salt are the dry ingredients, and the cream provides the fat you’d normally get from crumbling butter into the mix. The lemonade gives you the rise, since it reacts to the baking powder in the flour, and the bubbles airate the whole mixture, I guess.

You must not overmix this recipe, or you completely knock the air right out of it and end up with flat cakes – still tasty, but not quite afternoon tea quality.

Lemonade S

Whether you a jam first or cream first scone eater , you’re bound to love how light and fluffy these scones are.

Lemonade Scones
 
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Light, airy and easy to make scones - enjoy!
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Recipe type: Thermomix®
Serves: 15
Ingredients
  • 400g self-raising flour
  • 240g double cream
  • 190g lemonade
  • pinch of salt
Instructions
Regular Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 200C
  2. Sift the self raising flour, cream and salt in a mixing bowl.
  3. Add the lemonade and mix briefly till it's all mixed together. Literally till it's JUST mixed.
  4. It's REALLY important not to over mix or your scones won't rise.
  5. Remove from the bowl, and lay out on a tray. Pat it down to an even 2cm height.
  6. Use a cutter and press down, and straight back up again - don't twist the cutters as you don't want to squeeze the air out.
  7. Carefully lift the scones onto a tray
  8. Brush with milk (use the back of a spoon if you don't have a pastry brush)
  9. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, till golden
Thermomix® Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 200C
  2. Place the self raising flour, cream and salt in the Thermomix® bowl.
  3. Add the lemonade and mix speed 4, 5 - 10 seconds. Literally till it's JUST mixed.
  4. It's REALLY important not to over mix or your scones won't rise.
  5. Remove from the bowl, and lay out on a tray. Pat it down to an even 2cm height.
  6. Use a cutter and press down, and straight back up again - don't twist the cutters as you don't want to squeeze the air out.
  7. Carefully lift the scones onto a tray
  8. Brush with milk (use the back of a spoon if you don't have a pastry brush)
  9. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, till golden


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4 Minute No Bake Lemon/Lime Fridge Cake Recipe

4 minute, no bake, creamy lemon/lime fridge cake

Inspired by a recipe in the Thermomix® Owners UK group on Facebook, and blending the idea with one of my favourite deserts, South African Peppermint Crisp Pie, I came up with this idea for a citrus-summer desert that can be made ahead of time – the day before is ideal, but you could technically eat it straight out the bowl too.

If you eat it immediately it’ll be lighter, but the next day it’s more of a creamy ‘set’ desert. It’s fantastic, quite frankly.

In this recipe I’ve used lime juice, which is what I have, but you could use lemon too. In the South African version there’s also a ridiculous amount of chocolate added, but really this recipe doesn’t need it.

For biscuits I’ve used NICE biscuits, but really, any kind of digestive, shortcake or butter biscuits will do. NICE biscuits are a bit coconutty though, which adds a nice flavour.

I don’t think there’s a ‘wrong’ way to do this desert. Add more condensed milk if you want it sweeter, add more lemon or lime juice if you want it more tart. Either way, it’s delicious, it’s light, it’s summery, and it is oh.so.simple. I’ve whipped the cream in my Thermomix®, but of course,  you can whip it any way you like.

4 Minute No Bake Lemon/Lime Fridge Cake Recipe
 
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Light, summery, and superbly easy, this no bake fridge cake won't add to the summer heat but will bowl you over with it's simplicity.
Author:
Recipe type: Desert, Pudding, Sweet
Serves: 9
Ingredients
  • 500g of double cream (you can use whipping, but adapt the whipping time!)
  • 120g condensed milk
  • 80g lime juice
  • 1 packet of biscuits
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, lay a layer of biscuits side by side, loosely covering the surface.
  2. In a food processor, whip the cream until it stands at stiff peaks (Thermomix®: about 40 seconds/speed 4 with a butterfly whisk) Don't over-whip
  3. Add the condensed milk and lime (or lemon) juice, whisk briefly to mix. Again, don't over whip
  4. Scoop half the cream mixture on top of the biscuits
  5. Lay another layer of biscuits on the cream mixture
  6. Top off with the rest of the cream.
  7. Spread the mixture so that it is flat, then cover and refrigerate.
  8. The longer you can leave it the better. I like to make it a day in advance, but a couple of hours is sufficient
  9. Decorate with fruit

I hope you love this recipe!