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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Croissant Brunch Bake

April 8, 2023April 3, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This recipe will feed 8 hungry adults.

8 croissants
250g cream cheese, room temperature
300g cheddar cheese, grated
a small bunch of salad onions, sliced
5ml smoked paprika
500g sandwich ham, small cubes
10 eggs
150ml milk
100ml + 50ml cream
30ml granulated mustard
5ml salt

Cut the croissants in half horizontally and arrange the bottom halves in an ovenproof dish.
Add the cream cheese, two thirds of the cheddar, salad onions and smoked paprika to a mixing bowl and mix well until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Divide the mixture between the 8 croissant bottoms and then place the top halves on top.
Add the eggs, milk, 100ml cream, mustard, salt and a few grindings of black pepper to a bowl.
Whisk the mixture until completely smooth.
Pour the mixture around the croissants.
Cover the dish and allow to soak at room temperature for 1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Brush the croissant tops with the 50ml cream and scatter over the rest of the cheese.
Cover with aluminium foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
Serve immediately.

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Hot Cross Buns with Caramel Banana

April 7, 2023April 3, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

6 hot cross buns, halved
240g cream cheese, room temperature
125ml cream
2,5ml vanilla
160g Biscoff spread
4 bananas, sliced

Toast the halved buns in a dry pan.
Add the cream cheese and cream to a mixing bowl and whisk together. Refrigerate until needed.
Add the biscoff spread to a small bowl and warm in the microwave for about 30 seconds at a time, until you have a very soft spread.
Spoon the cream cheese mixture on the buns.
Slice the bananas and arrange on top.
Drizzle with the biscoff spread.

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Chocolate Filled Eggs

April 6, 2023April 5, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

160g Orange flavoured De Villiers Chocolate
160g cream
12 De Villiers Chocolate hollow easter eggs

Chop the chocolate finely and add it to a mixing bowl.
Pour the cream into a small saucepan and allow it to warm up – it should be hot when you stick your finger in it but it should not boil.
Pour the warm cream on the chopped chocolate and stir until all the chocolate has melted.
Set the bowl somewhere in your kitchen and stir every time you walk past.
The ganache will take about 40 minutes to come to piping consistency, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
In the meantime, slice the top off the Easter eggs.
I warm the bottoms of the eggs and then stick them on to a spoon so that they sit upright.
Spoon the ganache into a piping bag and fill the eggs.
Scatter some orange zest over to serve.

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Biscoff Mini Cakes

April 5, 2023April 1, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

These little cakes can be baked in a 12-hole muffin tin when lined with paper cups. Baking time remains the same.

175g butter, room temperature
175g brown sugar
30g + 200g Biscoff spread
3 eggs
175g self-raising flour

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and spray 6 ramekins with cooking spray.
Add the butter, sugar and Biscoff spread to a mixing bowl.
Whisk with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time while mixing.
Add the self-raising flour and mix on low speed until incorporated.
Divide the batter between the 6 ramekins.
Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool the cakes on a wire rack.

Decant about 200g of Biscoff spread and place in the microwave oven for 20 second spurts.
Stir the spread and micro again until you have a pourable consistency.
Place the cooled cakes on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet and pour over the spread.
Stand for 30 minutes until set.

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French Onion Pasta

April 4, 2023April 2, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is enough pasta for two hungry adults.

220g dry pasta of your choice – I used wholewheat
60g butter
2 large onions, sliced
2,5ml salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
60ml white wine
45ml thyme leaves
125ml beef stock
15ml Worcestershire sauce
125ml grated Gruyere cheese
60ml cream

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat.
Add the sliced onion and sprinkle over the salt.
Cook the onion for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you stir too often the onions will take a longer time to caramelise. It is also important to regulate the heat – if it browns too quick, it will be burnt and not caramelised.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
Now add the wine and scrape any onion bits from the bottom of the saucepan.
Add the cooked pasta, thyme leaves, stock, Worcestershire sauce and stir to incorporate.
Finally add the Gruyere and cream and stir through.
Serve the pasta with extra grated cheese on top.

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Saucy Chicken

April 3, 2023April 1, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

200g bacon, diced
4 chicken breasts, skin removed
125ml flour
60ml panko breadcrumbs
5ml salt
60ml vegetable oil
60ml butter, cubed
60ml flour
625ml chicken stock
80ml milk
10ml Worcestershire sauce
5ml onion powder
5ml dried tarragon
2,5ml salt

Place a heavy-bottom saucepan on medium heat.
Add the bacon and cook until crispy and browned. Remove from the pan.
Place the chicken breasts on a flat surface and halve them horizontally so that you have 8 thin chicken portions.
Mix the flour, breadcrumbs and salt together in a shallow dish.
Coat the chicken generously with the flour mixture.
Pour the vegetable oil into the saucepan and allow it to warm up.
Fry the breasts for 3minutes per side, remove from the saucepan and set aside.
Remove the oil from the saucepan and wipe it clean with paper towel.
Now add the butter and allow to melt over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir around until it forms a paste. Cook for one minute while stirring.
Gradually pour in the chicken stock and milk and whisk continuously.
Now add the Worcestershire sauce, onion powder and tarragon.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the chicken back into the sauce.
Sprinkle over the bacon and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes.
Serve the chicken and the sauce on creamy mashed potatoes.

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Green Quiche

April 2, 2023April 1, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Pastry:
360g flour
150g butter, cubed
1 egg
100g cheddar cheese, grated

Filling:
45ml vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch of Kale, chopped
125ml chicken stock
6 eggs
125ml cream
5ml salt

For the pastry:
Add the flour and butter to a mixing bowl and rub together with your fingers until the lumps are the size of peas.
Add the egg and cheddar and mix to bring together.
Knead the pastry by hand. It is very flaky and falls apart but push it together as best you can.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a loose-bottom cake tin or pie tin with cooking spray.
Roll the pastry into a rough circle shape even if it breaks apart and transfer (even if it is pieces) to the pie tin. Gently push the pastry out on the base and sides of the baking tin. It is okay to “patch” the pastry as long as there are no gaps for the filling to leak out.
Line the pastry with baking paper and dried beans.
Bake for 7 minutes, remove the paper and beans and bake a further 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and set aside.

For the filling:
Add the vegetable oil to a saucepan set over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the kale and stir-fry until slightly softened and bright green.
Spoon the mixture into a blender, add the stock and blitz until smooth.
Add the eggs and cream to a mixing bowl and whisk to blend.
Add the kale mixture to the eggs and whisk to combine.
Pour the mixture into the pastry shell and bake for 35 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow the quiche to rest for 15 minutes before serving with whipped goats cheese.

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Grilled Halloumi with Pear

April 1, 2023March 31, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a heavenly combination of salty halloumi, sweet and spicy fruit and fabulous fresh basil!

2 pears
30ml lemon juice
60ml brown sugar
2,5ml ground cinnamon
30g butter, cubed
2 x 300g blocks Halloumi cheese
1 x 230g Dulce del Cabo sculpted fruit preserve (or 230g fruit preserve of your choice)
a handful of small basil leaves

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a small baking tray with baking paper.
Halve the pears and remove the core.
Place the pears, cut-side up on the prepared baking tray and drizzle with lemon juice.
Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon on the fruit and place a piece of cubed butter on each.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and set aside.
Turn your oven on the grill setting.
Score the halloumi, without cutting through, in a diamond pattern – about 2cm deep.
Place both blocks of cheese on a lined baking sheet and drizzle over some vegetable oil.
Place the cheese under the hot grill until browned and slightly scorched. (about 8 minutes, depending on your oven)
Cut the fruit preserve into pieces and add to a small saucepan set over medium-low heat.
Pour in 60ml of water and stir until melted.
Place the halloumi on a serving platter and arrange the pear around it.
Drizzle over the fruit preserve and scatter with basil leaves.
Serve with a crusty bread.

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Vanilla Cake

March 31, 2023March 30, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

If there had to be a cake that I could not live without, it would be this Vanilla Cake. It is plain and simple, has the finest, most delicate crumb and can be dressed up or down with icing, cream, fresh fruit, steamed fruit or a compote. Whichever way you choose to eat yours, I hope this becomes one of your very favourite cakes too! Please note: THERE ARE DIFFERENT BAKING TIMES DEPENDING ON WHETHER YOU BAKE THE CAKE IN ONE OR TWO CAKE TINS.

500ml flour
12,5ml baking powder
1,2ml salt
4 eggs, room temperature
375ml caster sugar
115g butter, cubed
250ml milk
15ml vanilla
15ml vegetable oil

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray two 22cm loose-bottom cake tins and line the base and sides with baking paper.
Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk to mix through.
Add the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed for 30 seconds.
Slowly pour in the sugar with the mixer still running.
Now beat on high speed until the mixture is three times its original volume – about 7 minutes or so.
Scatter a third of the flour on the surface and mix on the lowest speed until the flour is just incorporated. Keep going until there is no flour left.
Add the butter and milk to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until the butter has melted and the mixture is warm when you put your finger in it. NB: you want the butter to melt but NOT boil the milk!
Pour the milk-mixture into a large mixing bowl.
Add the vanilla and vegetable oil and whisk through with a hand whisk.
Add about 250ml of the egg and flour mixture and vigorously whisk to combine. The batter must be smooth.
Turn the mixer on to a low speed and very slowly pour in the milk mixture.
Scrape down the sides and base of the bowl. Beat on low speed for 20 seconds.
Divide the batter between the prepared cake tins.
Lift each tin 5cm from the work surface and drop it – repeat a few times to knock out the large air bubbles.
Place the cake tins in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove and cool in the tins for 15 minutes before turning out onto cooling racks and removing the baking paper.
Leave to cool completely before filling with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

BAKING TIME FOR ONE PAN: 50 minutes

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Hazelnut Bread

March 30, 2023March 29, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This delicious, good-for-you bread is everything the original French bread is but without any kneading!!

120g wholewheat flour
250g cake flour
30ml + 30ml rolled oats
50g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
7,5ml salt
2,5ml instant yeast
360ml tepid water
15ml hazelnut oil
5ml honey

Add the wholewheat flour, cake flour, 30ml oats, hazelnuts, salt and yeast to a mixing bowl and stir through.
Pour the water, hazelnut oil and honey into the dry mixture and mix again.
You want the mixture to be barely wet (no excess fluids) but still have all the ingredients moist so that it comes together.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature for about 12 hours.
Preheat your oven to 230℃. Place a cast iron pot with its lid inside the oven while it warms up.
Place a large square of baking paper on a work surface and scrape the dough onto it.
Shape the dough into a ball as best you can – it will be very sticky!
Sprinkle the remaining 30ml oats over the bread.
Remove the pot from the oven and lower the bread into it by lifting it by the corners of the paper.
Replace the lid and bake for 20 minutes.
Cool the bread on a wire rack before slicing.