Author: Karen Claassen

Hi and welcome to my blog! My name is Karen and I love cooking simple, uncomplicated, flavourful food. My cooking is inspired by seasonal ingredients, punchy flavours, an awareness of sustainability and of course by the likes and dislikes of my family and friends that sit around my table as well as you, the virtual guests around my table! I am a chef, recipe developer and food stylist and generate my own content. I am also completely addicted to recipe books, of which I have an extremely large collection but the essence of my food is about celebrating life and all the fabulousness that we can add by creating good food. Thank you for reading my blog. Please keep on giving me feedback and may your kitchen, as mine, be filled with joy and the best tasting food!
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Baked Custards

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Baked Custards
Baked Custards

125ml granulated sugar
5ml instant coffee dissolved in 30ml boiling water
385g can of condensed milk
340ml can of evaporated milk
3 eggs
2,5ml salt

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and set 6 ramekins in an ovenproof dish that is at least 7cm deep.
Place a small saucepan on medium-high heat and pour in the sugar and coffee.
Swirl (do not stir!) the saucepan until the sugar has dissolved.
Now bring the mixture to the boil and turn the heat down to medium.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Divide the mixture amongst the ramekins.
Set aside so that it can harden.
Add the condensed milk, evaporated milk, eggs and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Place a fine sieve over a jug and pour the mixture through.
Divide the mixture evenly between the ramekins.
Place the oven dish with the ramekins in the oven and pour enough boiling water into the pan to come two-thirds up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake for 30 minutes. The custard should be just set, with the centres still wobbly.
Remove from the oven and stand for 15 minutes.
Take the ramekins from the oven dish and set aside to cool.
Place the custards in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours.
Loosen the custards from the sides of the ramekins with a small knife and invert on plates to serve.

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Green Olive Tapenade

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Green Olive Tapenade

250ml green olives, pitted
2 anchovies, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
60ml fresh parsley, chopped
60ml olive oil
15ml capers
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
45ml lemon juice

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend together.
Check whether you’re happy with the texture.
Taste and season with salt, lemon juice and black pepper if needed.
Serve on toasted baguette or crackers as a canapè.

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Coconut Milk Crêpes

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Coconut Milk Crêpes

250ml flour
1,2ml baking powder
2,5ml salt
250ml coconut milk
125ml water
62ml sunflower oil
2 eggs

Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Add the coconut milk, water, oil and eggs to a large jug and whisk together until the eggs are incorporated.
Turn the mixer on a low speed and slowly drizzle in the liquids.
Keep going until all has been added.
Set the mixer on its highest speed and whisk for 2 minutes.
Take the bowl from the mixer and check whether there are any lumps in the batter.
If there are, set a sieve over a large bowl and pour the batter through.
Cover the batter with a tea towel and set aside for one hour.
Place a crêpe pan on medium-high heat, wait for it to heat up and then add a few drops of oil.
Spoon some batter into the pan and swirl around to evenly distribute and cover the pan surface.
Cook for about 2 minutes, flip over and cook another minute or so.
Serve the crêpes warm with honey and a squeeze of lemon.

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Pulled Brisket with gnocchi and gremolata

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Pulled Brisket with gnocchi and gremolata

1kg brisket, fat on
2 onions, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, chopped
1 x 400g tin of diced tomatoes
240g tomato purée
60ml Worcestershire sauce
60ml apple cider vinegar
20ml wholegrain mustard
30ml brown sugar
10ml smoked paprika
store bought gnocchi

Preheat your oven to 160℃.
Add the onion, garlic, carrot and tinned tomato to a food processor and blitz until it is a thick saucy mixture.
Pour in the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, sugar and paprika and blitz again.
Add 5ml salt and stir through.
Decant the sauce into an ovenproof saucepan.
Place the brisket on top of the sauce and then spoon enough of the mixture over to cover the meat.
Place a lid on the saucepan and bake in the oven for 4 hours.
Remove the brisket from the oven, take off the lid and leave to cool for 15 minutes or so.
Pull the meat and fat apart with two forks and add it to a saucepan.

Cook your gnocchi according to packet instructions.
Place the saucepan with the meat over a low heat, add the gnocchi and stir through.
Serve warm with gremolata.

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Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

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Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

250g whole hazelnuts
200g butter, cubed
200g dark chocolate, chopped
6 eggs, separated
200g caster sugar
45ml orange juice
80g hazelnut flavoured chocolate

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven for 10 minutes. Give the pan a shake halfway through baking time.
Spread the warm nuts between two tea towels and rub them so that the skins come off.
Turn your oven temperature down to 180℃ and spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the tin with baking paper.
Add 200g of the cooled hazelnuts to a food processor and blitz until fine – a similar texture to that of breadcrumbs.
Add the butter and chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and allow to melt.
Remove from the heat and stir in the ground hazelnuts.
Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
Add the egg yolks and sugar to a mixing bowl and beat for 4 minutes with an electric whisk.
Add it to the hazelnut mixture and stir by hand until well combined.
Pour in the orange juice and stir through.
Add the egg whites to a clean bowl and whisk to stiff peaks.
Spoon a third of the whites into the hazelnut mixture and stir through to loosen.
Now add the remaining whites and gently fold through.
Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove the cake and leave to cool in the baking tin for 30 minutes.
Unclip the outside ring and invert the cake on a serving plate.
Pull off the baking paper and leave the cake to cool completely.
Melt about 80g of hazelnut chocolate, pour on the cake and sprinkle over the remaining hazelnuts.

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Green Peppercorn Sauce

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Green Peppercorn Sauce

This peppercorn sauce can obviously be served with any meat of your choice but is really elevated when made in the same pan as the steaks.

80ml brandy
180ml beef stock
125ml cream
45ml canned green peppercorns

Cook your steak in a cast-iron pan, remove the meat but keep the pan on the heat.
Add the brandy to the hot pan.
Turn the heat to medium-high and simmer for a few minutes while scraping down the pan.
Reduce the brandy by half and until you can no longer smell the alcohol.
Pour in the beef stock, bring to a quick simmer and cook until it has also reduced by half.
Turn the heat down to medium and pour in the cream.
Add the peppercorns and cook for 2 minutes.
Taste and season the sauce with salt and a few good grindings of black pepper.
Serve as needed.

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French Toast Rolls

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French Toast Rolls

8 slices fresh white bread
45ml + 45ml butter
80ml brown sugar
5ml + 5ml ground cinnamon
2 eggs
60ml milk
60ml granulated sugar

Trim the crusts from each slice of bread and then roll each flat with a rolling pin.
Add 45ml butter to a heatproof bowl and melt/soften it in the microwave oven.
Add the brown sugar and 5ml cinnamon and mix together. You are looking for a spreadable consistency.
Spread each slice of bread with a thin layer of the sugar mixture.
Roll the slices up in a tight roll.
Add the eggs and milk with a pinch of salt to a shallow bowl and whisk together.
Add the granulated sugar and other 5ml cinnamon to another shallow bowl and mix through.
Place a non-stick pan on medium heat and add the remaining 45ml butter.
Now dip one of the bread rolls in the egg mixture and place in the warm pan.
Repeat with the rest.
Fry until golden, turn until browned all over.
Remove the rolls from the pan and roll each in the cinnamon sugar while warm.
Serve with a good cup of coffee.

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Hummus Pasta

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Hummus Pasta

This can be served warm or cold, as a fragrant pasta salad.

250g dried pasta (I used Cavatappi)
30ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 handfuls of baby spinach
250ml hummus
the juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
a handful of small basil leaves

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Reserve about a cup of the cooking water.
Add the olive oil to a large saucepan and cook the onion over medium-high heat until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Now add the spinach and stir-fry for another minute.
Turn the heat down slightly and add the hummus.
Slowly add the cooking water of the pasta while stirring constantly. Stop adding water once it is of a consistency that will cover the pasta and still stick to it.
Add the cooked pasta and stir to coat with the sauce.
Squeeze over the lemon juice and grate the lemon over the pasta.
Taste and season with salt.

Serve the hummus pasta with grated parmesan cheese and a scattering of basil leaves.


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Easter Hunt Cupcakes

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Easter Hunt Cupcakes

You can top these cupcakes with a chocolate ganache icing or leave them plain – I prefer plain as they are sweet and gooey with the melted Easter egg on the inside.

200g butter, room temperature
200g sugar
200g flour
83ml cocoa powder, sifted
7,5ml baking powder
1,2ml bicarbonate of soda
2,5ml salt
150ml sour cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
7,5ml vanilla
12 small, filled chocolate eggs

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Cream together on high speed, scrape down the bowl and mix again on high speed.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
Mix on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated.
Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and add the sour cream, eggs and vanilla.
Stir through by hand until just incorporated.
Divide the batter between the 12 paper cups and insert a filled chocolate egg in each.
Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

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Easter Celebration Bread

by Karen Claassen1 Comment on Easter Celebration Bread
Easter Celebration Bread

500ml milk, tepid
250ml x 6 all-purpose flour
30ml sugar
15ml instant yeast
10ml salt
85ml butter, cubed, room temperature

Fit a dough hook on your stand mixer.
Add the milk, 5 x 250ml flour, sugar, yeast and salt to the mixer bowl.
Turn the mixer on a low speed and knead to bring together.
Add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft, workable dough.
Knead for 3 minutes on medium-low speed, until you have a smooth elastic dough.
Add the butter and continue to knead on medium-low speed until the butter is completely incorporated and the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic.
Cover the dough with a tea towel and allow to rise for 60-90 minutes.
Spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray and set aside.
Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out onto it.
Divide in half.
Shape one half into a 22cm diameter disc and place in the prepared cake tin.
Divide the other half into three equal portions and roll each into a rope about 60cm long.
Now braid the three ropes together and place the braid flat around the edge of the pan, forming a circle.
Trim the ends of the braid so that it “meets” neatly.
Place an uncooked egg in the centre of the circle – this symbolises birth/new life.
Cover the tin with a tea towel and leave to double – it should take about an hour.
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place the bread in the oven and bake for 55 minutes.
Remove from the cake tin and cool completely on a wire rack.