Christmas again - win a book

Well it's Christmas again and time to get everything ready for the New Year/New Decade. It really doesn't seem that long ago that we were worried about the Y2K bug and now we are leaving the Noughties.

I have spent some time adding some of the blogs that have developed during the last year to our list.

There is so much activity at the Thermomix Forum that we have neglected this site.

There are more blogs starting up each month and so lots of new ideas.

Tenina continues to have the Monthly Mouthful competition at Thermomix Australia and we need your help to support her. To encourage people to vote we are giving away a copy of "Lotus: Asian Flavours" signed by the author, Teague Ezard.

All you have to do is check out the December Monthly Mouthful post and make a Comment - You DO NOT have to vote for any of the dishes, just make a comment.

After the competition has closed one of the comments will be chosen at random - not based on content - and the winner will receive the book.

The following recipe is one that was given to me last year to post here, but I hadn't taken a photo and Christmas came and went, so I forgot about it. There is another version on the Forum Thermomix site too by Ingrid in the UK - so it must be good.

Based on a recipe from Delia Smith’s Christmas. This is a luscious and luxurious dessert, so only small helpings.

Chocolate Truffle Torte

Ingredients:

75 g Amaretti biscuits

600 ml whipping cream

450 g cooking chocolate (70% cocoa), cut into chunks

5 tablespoons liquid glucose

125 g Grand Marnier, Rum, Whisky or Amaretto

Cocoa powder for dusting

Method:

Grease a 23cm springform cake tin with oil, and then place a circle of baking paper in the base.

Place biscuits in TM bowl and crush for 30 seconds on speed 9. Spread these over base of the tin.

Insert Butterfly over blades and place cream in TM bowl. Beat for 20 seconds on speed 4 or until it starts to thicken, it does not need to be firm. Remove to a large mixing bowl and set aside in the fridge. Remove Butterfly.

Without cleaning the TM bowl, place the chocolate into the TM bowl and chop for 10 seconds on speed 7. Scrape down the sides and top and add the liquid glucose and liqueur and then melt the chocolate for 3 minutes at 50°C on speed 1. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then add some of the lightly whipped cream. Mix for 15 seconds on speed 3.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then add some of the lightly whipped cream. Mix for 15 seconds on speed 3. Carefully fold chocolate mixture into the remaining cream in the large bowl.

Once mixture is smoothly blended, spoon into prepared cake tin and tap gently to even the mixture out. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, use a knife to loosen the edges of the torte and undo the springform sides. Place a serving plate on the torte and turn upside down, so that the amaretti biscuit crumbs are now on top. Dust with sifted cocoa powder.

It may be prepared a couple of days before serving and freezes well.