HotMix Pro Recipes: Kingston Truffles, perfect for Mother's Day

One of my most favouritist and easiest sweets I like to make that is always a crowd pleaser is Oreo truffles. Everyone loves them and I so wish that I invented them, but alas its a borrowed idea and basically I make them over and over using my favourite cream biscuits, because naturally I unfortunately have many of them!

I particularly enjoy the Arnott's Kingston. This chocolate cream is sandwiched with what can only be described as mini butternut biscuits. Many of us know that butternuts are perfect for a no bake base for cheesecakes and other slices. So why not use them for a truffle?

What you will need:

2 packets Kingstons
125g Philly cream cheese
200g quality chocolate ( I used Cadbury melts)

Method

1. Put Kingstons in HMP with blades on speed 8 for 20 secs.
2. Add cream cheese and mix with blades on speed 5 for 20 secs. Scrape sides and mix a further 15-20 secs or until mixture is smooth and creamy.
3. Leave mixture in bowl if you want and refrigerate for 20 minutes or freezer for about 10mins.
4. Using a spoon roll mixture in balls and put into either mini muffin trays or on baking tray. Put back into fridge or freezer while you melt chocolate.

5. I use mini muffin trays as I find these easy to keep the truffle where I want it and its easy to cover them with chocolate. I use a spoon to drop chocolate over the biscuit balls. Otherwise you can use a skewer and dip balls in chocolate. Refrigerate until set.

Store truffles in a container with a lid in refrigerator for up to 7 days or freeze.

These are easy to make and would make a perfect treat for your mum! Best of all, you can make these truffles with any kind of biscuit, but cream biscuits are best:) Enjoy!

HotMixPro Review Part 3, The Recipes

Hi to all! I have finally organised some time to get some recipes up. As I mentioned in my last post, I will gradually add recipes so please check back often. Now you will have to forgive me for some of the photos I will be posting. Not too long ago, I took a drink from my water bottle and put it back in my handbag, to discover a couple of minutes later that I hadn't screwed the lid back on properly and a good 400ml of water was trapped in my bag and pretty much everything except my purse got destroyed, including my much loved digital camera:( So I was very upset about that but more so because I could only blame myself, which was upsetting!!! Anyway, I have been taking some pictures on my Iphone 3 which isn't the best, until I either get a new one or borrow my mums, which ever comes first!!

I have really got used to using my HMP and it really is an amazing machine. There are some appliances that I haven't touch since I started using my HMP, which really goes to show how versatile the machine is.

The first recipe I want to share with you really shows how amazing the HMP Gastro model really is. A lot of people ask me why I would want a cooking machine that goes up to 190C, what is the point? Well, if you have ever stood at stove stirring constantly to make caramels, or toffee, or caramel for caramel popcorn, or praline for that matter, you will love what you can achieve with the HMP Gastro. Not only do you not have to stand at your stove top stirring consistantly and constantly, you also don't have to concern yourself with a cany thermometer or if you don't use one of those, you don't have to worry about when you reach soft, or hard crack stage or worry about burning anything because its all done for you in the machine. Set the temp, the speed and then walk away, its that simple!

Honey Comb

1 1/2 cups (335g) white sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) honey
1/3 cup (80ml) water
2 tbs golden syrup
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g dark chocolate, chopped Line deep dish tray with baking paper 1. Add sugar, honey, water, and golden syrup to machine. Mix on speed 1( or no speed) and set to 154C wait temp. Make sure the stopper/centre lid is in place, if its not in place for the full cooking time the toffee won't crystalise properly and it will be useless. * 'Wait temp' basically means that you set the tempature you want the mixture to reach and the machine will gradually reach that tempature and then the machine will stop. 2. Pour mixture into a stainless steel bowl and add the bicarb of soda and mix with a wooden spoon and make sure it is mixed well but quickly. 3. Pour into the prepared tray and leave to cool which can take up to a couple of hours. 4. Melt chocolate and pour over honey comb and smooth over top. Once it sets, break honey comb into pieces and enjoy. I personally didn't add chocolate, our family love it without:) Its so simple to do and takes very little time. Its perfect for a treat or to make up for a gift:) The next recipe is the answer to a lot of mum's prayers on how to get the kids to eat veges. I have made this for my kids several times now and not once have they asked me what I put in it. So for me its a winner!! Vegeful Spaghetti Bologanese 1 carrot  1 capsicum 1/2 red onion 1/2 tbs minced garlic 1 zuccini 1 tomato 250g lean minced beef, or pork, or chicken 1 jar tomato pasta sauce salt and pepper to taste 500g pasta cooked seperately to packet directions grated cheese Directions 1. Chop each of the vegetables into a couple of pieces and add to machine with garlic and chop on speed 4 for 10 secs. You can cook the pasta at this stage. 2. Add a small amount of oil and cook on 70C using speed 1 for about 2 mins. 3. Break up mince and add to machine and cook on speed 1, 85C for about 15mins. 4. Add jar of tomato pasta, salt and pepper, and mix through on speed 2 for 2 minutes on 85C. 3. Add bologanse to pasta and top with cheese and serve. Its a winner and you can clean up while it cooks! You can add any kind of vegetables you like. For our big family, I actually make this up with 400-500g of mince and it makes enough for the meal and left overs. That's it for now, but stay tuned for more recipes:)

HotMix Pro Part 3

I just wanted to let you all know, that I am still working on my part 3 installment and hope to get some recipes up soon. I will be on a well deserved trip away with my family for Easter and upon my return, since its school holidays, I will have some free time. This time will allow me to get some recipes up for you all to see the versatility of what the HMP can do. If you are familar with the Thermomix TM 31, you can pretty much make the same recipes in the HMP, with a few tweeks. So if you aren't sure what the HMP is capable of and if you are wanting to know what kind of recipe books are available, at this stage the HMP website is your best resource to get you started. You can by all means use the Thermomix recipe books to give you an idea on what else you can achieve once you get used to using the HMP but you can also incorporate your own recipes aswell, which is what I like to do. To tempt you into returning, the recipes that I will post will include my version of Tex Mex Chicken salad, risotto, vege quinoa salad, spaghetti bol - that is full of veges and your kids will never know! For the sweet tooth I will post macarons, custard, sugared almonds, honey comb, and caramel popcorn, to name but a few. They won't come out all in the one post, I will add recipes a little bit at time. Thanks to all who read my reviews and I hope these recipes will give you more reasons to consider the HMP Easy or Gastro.

HotMix Pro vs Thermomix TM 31 part 2

So in my last post I farewelled the Kenwood Cooking Chef as an option. I do use the HotMix Pro Gastro machine and I want to share some comparisons of the Vorwerk Thermomix TM31  and why I think the HotMix Pro at the end of the day is the winner for me.

I will say first and foremost. All the thermal cooking machines that I have mentioned in all my posts are good machines. What I assume a lot of you are here for is what is the best machine. There is a lot of things I need to tick boxes for when looking for the best cooking machine. I have been researching this topic for quite sometime now and I am very critical. I ask a lot of questions and have drilled thermomix reps like crazy and likewise for HotMix Pro. The price of these machines are not everyday pricing. You have to know what you are spending your money on and you have to know why you need to spend the money. So, naturally your choice has to be the best choice.

Here are is what the Thermomix TM 31 looks like:

Here is the HotMix Pro Gastro:

With your TM 31 machine you get a 2L bowl, the Varoma, which for steaming, you get a spatula, a paddle for things like whipping cream. You also to my understanding, if you hold a party for your friends a bowl that keeps foods either hot or cold for up to 4hours. There might be other things I am missing, but my critique today is purely about the machine.

One thing I do like about the TM 31 is the bowl is that is has a wide base. I like wide base bowls and glasses in general, because I think they are easier to clean. That being said, its not the be all and end all! Its just a good feature.

The HM Pro bowl looks like this:

What I don't like about the TM 31 bowl is the bottom attachment.

There is a lot to get off to take out the blades to clean the bowl out. On the HotMix Pro there is no bottom attachment or heating prongs. All you have to do is take the button 'nut' off by unscrewing it, remove blades and you can clean bowl or pop it into the dishwasher, its easy as!

I want to show you what you will see on the front of the TM 31 machine. The temperatures and the other dials etc.

As you can see, there is a lot going on here!! It's a bit busy, and I have heard it takes some time getting use to working it. In comparison to the HotMix Pro Gastro, there is one LCD screen, with easy push buttons for speed, temperature, time, up and down, menu program (will explain later), start/stop, pulse/turbo.

The highlighted screen is a welcome bonus with the Gastro model.

A few things that I like about the HotMix Pro Gastro, is the fact that the bowl can be fitted either in a left hand position of a right hand position.

You will also notice in this last picture, that the lid clips on either side of the bowl and can be lifted up if you wish to add more items quickly. I really like this feature. I like that you don't have to take the lid off completely if you want to check something that can't be done through the lid hole.

You will notice from any of the above pictures that there is no 'Varoma' style add-on for the HotMix Pro machines. Thermomix pride themselves on this feature. I do have to admit, its a good feature. Its a healthier cooking option. However, if you have never had a TM 31 machine and already steam your food in another way, then you can keep doing this. Its just an added bonus for the TM 31 but I don't believe it should be your deciding factor between the two machines.  You can cook sous vide in the HotMix Pro which is just as healthy as steaming. If you are unsure of what sous vide is check it out here.  You can cook prawns using the sous vide method in a HotMix Pro machine on 51C within 30mins, which is amazing! This is also why cooking using 1C increments is so useful and important in making amazing food and dishes at home.

One feature that the HotMix Pro machines do not have, is the inbuilt scales. Again, this is a feature that Thermomix pride themselves on. It's a good feature. For a novice in the kitchen that either never used scales or doesn't like using them, I can understand why you like this feature. However, I don't personally like the inbuilt scale option, and its a personal thing. I like to measure my ingredients separately and I like to make any measurement mistakes outside the bowl where it can be easily corrected. I have discussed this point with other foodie friends who don't own either machines and they have surprisingly agreed, that measuring the ingredients separately would be the better way to go.  That being said, my TM 31 using friends swear that the in built feature is one of the best things about their machine. Again, its personal and I really don't think it should be the reason why you make a decision over one machine or the other.

So what should your decision making be based on? I believe it should be performance. Both machines perform well, to a certain extent. On an even playing field you can only compare the two machines when their features are equal. The HotMix Pro excels beyond the TM 31 in speed and temperature.  It is a faster machine, and because you can increase the temperature by 1C increments and the fact that the temperature cooks as a max temp of 190C, it beats the TM 31 hands down! It is a superior machine and if you are serious about your cooking its the better machine. Its kinda like comparing  the top 10 fastest sports cars. They all look and sound good, but you have to know or research the specs to know the what the best really is!

The higher cooking temperature allows you to make things like candied nuts, nougats, pralines, toffees etc. If any of you know what its like to stand at a hot stove stirring constantly for up to 20minutes to achieve caramels or nougat, then you will be able to celebrate with me know that this machine does this for you! How bliss!!

In my opinion the HotMix Pro machines are the better machines. If you are serious about your cooking and would love to be able to cook dishes in a variety of ways, just like the top chefs do, then you need to choose the best machine, which is the HotMix Pro Gastro.  If you are not as serious but still want the best machine the meets your cooking level, then the HotMix Pro Easy is your machine. The price of the HotMix Pro Easy is not much different to the Thermomix TM 31. The HotMix Pro Gastro model more expensive, but you are paying for a quality machine.

In my next instalment, I will share with you some recipes that you can achieve with the HotMix Pro Gastro machine.  If you have any questions, or comments, please don't be shy in sharing your thoughts below.

HotMix Pro vs Thermomix TM31 vs Kenwood Cooking Chef Part 1

I will be writing some posts about the comparisons of the above machines. Since I started using the HotMix Pro, I have discovered some interesting comparsions that I desire to share with you all. I have decided to do this in parts, because there is a lot of information I would like to share with you and I don't want to overwhelm you in one post. I will begin this review with basic comparisons of the the three machines. The second part will be are more intense comparison of the Thermomixer TM31 vs the HotMix Pro machine. I will show you photos of what each machine looks like and my pros and cons for each machine. Lastly and most importantly, as I have a HotMix Pro  I will show you what you can achieve with it and why I think its the better machine than the Thermomixer TM 31

It seems from the response on my posts and the talk else where that the above three cooking machines are the ones that most people are talking about. Naturally, for those that care to know, TM 31 gets a lot of recognition and discussion because it targets the mum-chef market via party plan. The demonstration party shows you how to make an entree, main, salad, bread rolls, and dessert all in the one machine within the hour. Its rather impressive and most women are in awe of the machine by the end of the demonstration and impulsively begin thinking or rationalising how and why they need the machine day/night or when they will hold their own party to take advantage of the gifts they supply if you do so. However, one should be conscious of whether this truly is the only machine like this available in the market. Once upon a time Thermomix was loving the attention and sales because there was nothing else really like it on the market, either in party plan or commercially. However I am please to inform you all, that Thermomix needs to worry because they are no longer lone rangers on the market. There are more machines popping up that compare and even are better than the TM 31. I have written a few blog posts already about thermal cooking machines so please feel free to take a look at those. Once you have done that sit down with your cuppa and read on to see what else is available.

I have had the pleasure of using the HotMix Pro and I love it!! HotMix Pro is fairly new to the Australian market. The Hotmix Pro machines are designed and made in Italy, so you can be assured of quality. The TM 31, is German designed, but made in France. Since using this machine I have discovered there are many great features that make HotMix Pro better than the TM 31 and the Kenwood Cooking Chef.

I won't harp on too much about the fact that you don't have to have a party to purchase a HotMix Pro machine. Just contact them(in your own country) and they will get you in contact with your local state rep. The NSW rep is Ralph Goodwin, who is lovely and will help you out with no worries at all. Stewart Fruhwald is the Natioanl/Victoria contact and you can also purchase HotMix pro in New Zealand. All other countries can make enquiries via the worldwide page at www.hotmixpro.com.

HotMix Pro provide two different machines depending on your needs. The two models are HotMix Pro Easy, and HotMix Pro Gastro. To get an idea of the difference between the two Hotmix models you need to work what you need it for.  If you are a home chef and are considering a Kenwood Cooking Chef or a Thermomixer TM 31, then the HotMix Easy model is for you. However, if you own a restaurant, catering business etc then the Gastro model is more on your end of the market. That being said, there is nothing stopping the home chef purchasing the Gastro. If cooking is your passion, there are some great features on the Gastro that would benefit you, however it is a little more expensive.  I have done a basic comparison checklist to give you an idea on what each machine offers and for what price.

Hotmix Pro Easy Max Temp: 25-130C Motor: 1200W RPM: 10000 Bowl Capacity: 2 Litres Price : $1895 + GST	TM 31 Max Temp: 37-100C Motor: 500W RPM: 10200 Price: $1939
HotMix Pro Gastro Max Temp: 25-190C Motor: 1500W RPM: 12500 Bowl Capacity: 2 Litres Price: $2395 + GST	Kenwood Cooking Chef Max Temp: 20 - 140C Motor: 1500W (1100W induction cooking system) Bowl Capacity: 6.7 Litres (3 L for cooking) Price: $1999

From first glance, they all seem fairly comparable except for the fact that the HotMix Pro machines and the Kenwood Cooking Chef have a more powerful motor in comparison to the TM31. To truly compare the HotMix Pro machine with the TM 31 I used a TM 31 recipe book and I discovered I was using lower speeds on the HotMix pro and getting the same results and in some cases mixing or grinding in shorter time and cooking on lower temperatures because I can change the temperatures by 1C.  You will also notice that the maximum temperatures are much higher in the HotMix Pro machines compared to the TM 31. I feel it very important to emphasize that the increments of temperature on the HotMix Pro machines go up by 1C which is important in achieving results for some recipes such as caramelising sugars. Textures and tastes of meals can be enhanced if you have control over how your food is cooked and this is something that the TM 31 can not do. 

For me the major draw card for the Kenwood Cooking Chef was the capacity bowl and the fact that you can cook a larger sized meal in the one bowl and make 6L of ice cream in the one bowl at the one time. However the main draw back for the Kenwood is that you are limited to what you can achieve with the machine by what attachments you do or don't have. If you want to juice your fruit, you have to buy an attachment. If you want to grind, that's another attachment, if you want to make a smoothie or milkshake, again its another attachment. The point of the other machines is that you have it all in the one machine.  I am not sure that the Kenwood's blender attachment could achieve grinding ice , wheat or,  sugar in the same speed and fineness like the other machines could either. So this is where I must say adieu to the Kenwood Cooking Chef! I am sure you are a great and fascinating machine, but you can't compare in as many ways as the others do.

So now I am down to the Thermomixer TM 31 and the HotMix Pro machines. This is where it gets intense and specific. My next installment will have photos and because I have used both machines, I can tell you what the pros and cons are for each.

THERMOCHEF vs Thermomix TM31 vs HotMix PRO

I was just reading through some recent comments on my blog and noticed some new names popping of new machines that appears to be in the market to compete with the Thermomixer. I was so excited because, for me now there is more to choose from with machines that are comparable. Without anothre thought, I quickly order take out for dinner and began researching!! Kids love it when I am researching {wink}.

So from what I can gather, not seeing a Thermochef in the flesh as yet and limited, for now, and not having near as many demos on Youtube compared to Thermomixer. I am intrigued. It think the biggest draw card at this stage is definately the price. Its around $800AUD with a 2 year warranty. Wow! What a delight to be able to have an amazing cooking machine for less than $1000. The moment I laid eyes on this machine, I straight away thought of the Thermomixer TM21. Yes, they seemed to have copied this model fairly well, although the Thermochef is stainless steel in apprearance. The thermomixer has a stainless steel jug but the rest of it is a hard plastic. The size of the jug is the same as the thermomix, so for me, still not a bonus. I would love a 3 or 4 L jug please! It weighs your food, to the side. The Thermomix does it in the jug. Does it matter? Not sure really, I would say it would come down to a personal preference. If you have not had a thermomixer before you would not no the difference.  The controls are a touch pad, not a dial. Not thinking this a big issue in the long run. The Thermochef has a steamer much like the thermomixer, but not is stainless steel and not plastic like the one on the Thermomixer. Could this be a safety issue? Youtube has a few demonstrations, one in particular is for pumpkin soup, and for me, it was not too bad. My only thought was that perhaps the Thermomixer would have made the soup silky smooth, but this is only a minor thing and as I don't actually own a thermomixer can't comment on this outcome.  The more I read, the more I wanted to know. So I decided to head over to the Thermomix forums to see what the guys and gals over there think of this. Naturally, there are some fairly defensive comparisons. I have to wonder, are they a little annoyed that there is something available at the fraction of the cost? There are some differences, for sure. Only one could assume it would not be exactly the same for that price. A lot of comments on the forums were, " You can what you pay for" and " I am worried because its made in China".
Let's think for a moment about what the price of a Thermomixer would actually be if it was sold in a mainstream department store or other large outlets? Would it actually be the same price? I personally, think it would not. I would say it would be more like $1200-$1500. The price you are paying for a Thermomix also includes the demonstrators commission. Generally speaking if something is being sold via party plan, it generally is much more expensive than if it was sold in the shops. The point I am making here, is that the cost of $800 is what it is, because it needs to appeal to all consumers, so it doesn't necessarily mean, that you are getting an inferior product. The machine is also assembled in China, but it has been designed in Switzerland. Who doesn't have things made and assembled in China? There are many machines,appliances, whitegoods etc that are designed in European, American, and Australasian countries but assembled in China.Just because something is assembled in China, doesn't mean it is less valuable, or not good. They assemble to the design.  I also understood that the TC(Thermochef) is a little slower and doesn't reverse.I'm not to worried about it being a little slower. It still grinds, crushes ice, and mills. In regards to the reverse action, for an avid and loyal Thermomixer user, I could see why this would be an issue. However, for someone that doesn't know any better, I couldn't see it being a problem. Why do you NEED to have the reverse action?  What I got from reading the forum thread, was basically the Thermomixer lovers will stay true to their machines. Why not, they paid a bundle for them, I would too. I would be a little shocked if you turned your back on this great machine for the TC. I think the market for the TC are for those (like me) that have struggled to purchase a Thermomixer because of the price. The TC will do almost everything a TM31 can do. The TC from what I can gather from the internet would be a better purchase than a Viatmix and even a Kenwood Cooking Chef as its a bit smaller and more compact than the Kenwood Cooking Chef.  If I could have the capacity bowl of the Kenwood Cooking Chef and the machine of a Thermomixer for the ThermoChef price, all the boxes would be ticked and I would sing its praises!!!

I am very keen to see a ThermoChef in action. For the kinds of things I would like to make, I think it would suit me very well. I still prefer to use my slow cooker because it has a capacity for my family. But the TC will make things like custards, sorbets, sauces, breads, drinks, mill, spice mixes, cook rice, steam and so on. It makes sense to me to check it out for that price, I can definately justify it. My husband once said, " If the Thermomixer was under $1000 it would be ok." I wonder if he will remember this conversation??!!!

Check out the ThermoChef and see what you think. At the end of the day, its up to you, you are paying for it.

A comment was left mentioning a HotMix Pro. Natutally, curiousity got the better of me and I Googled it. This machine looks and sounds amazing. Like a Thermomixer, but perosnally I thought it looked a lot sleeker in style and definately better in function. I read the details on the website and basically realised that his is a commerical product with a commercial price. A site that I found was selling them for 1850GBP, which for us aussies is approx $2500AUD. So a little more expensive than a Thermomixer but a much better machine in my opinion. I'm curious to know if they will have a domestic version soon? It wouldn't take much to make a domestic version, and provide this market with more competition. Check out some of the demos on youtube, but word of warning use "HotMix Pro System" as your search request!!
If anyone knows more about the HotMix Pro system, would love to hear from you.

Well, there you go, what I know about the ThermoChef, Thermomixer TM31, and the HotMix Pro System. Three great cooking machines and I hope you consider my opinion and research yourself or tell me your own experiences with any of these machines. I am still yet to decide on and purchase a cooking system, but I will definately blog about it when I do!