Uncategorized – Page 40 – My Whisk and I

Condensed Milk Cake

November 27, 2022November 26, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is one of the easiest and quickest cakes you will ever bake. It is delicious to eat as is and perfect when making trifle!

1 x 385g can condensed milk
4 eggs
60g butter, melted
5ml vanilla
180g self-raising flour
1 x 360g can caramel treat
250ml cream

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a bundt cake tin with cooking spray.
Add the condensed milk, eggs, butter and vanilla to a mixing bowl and whisk together with electric beaters.
Sift over the flour and beat together on high speed for 1 minute.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt cake tin and bake for 35 minutes.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a serving plate. Cool completely.
Serve the cake with dollops of caramel treat swirled into the whipped cream.

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Beetroot and Ricotta Tart

November 25, 2022November 20, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

400g store-bought pastry
1 egg and 15ml water
500g ricotta cheese
6 large beetroot, cooked and peeled
a handful of pumpkin seeds
balsamic vinegar
a handful of basil leaves

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Place the pastry on the baking paper and mark a 1cm border on the edges, with the blunt side of a table knife’s blade.
Whisk the egg and water together and lightly brush it all over the pastry.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Turn your oven temperature down to 180℃.
Break the ricotta up into chunks and evenly spread over the baked pastry.
Slice the beetroot into slices and arrange on the ricotta.
Scatter the pumpkin seeds over and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Bake the tart in the oven for 15 minutes.
Scatter over the basil leaves and slice into portions to serve.

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Summer Pavlova

November 24, 2022November 23, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a large pavlova and will feed 10 – 12 people. Make it for the perfect end to a summer’s lunch…

6 egg whites
400g caster sugar
10ml white vinegar
15ml cornflour
5ml vanilla
500ml cream
fresh cherries
fresh strawberries
passionfruit

Preheat your oven to 150℃. Draw a 22cm diameter circle on a piece of baking paper and place on a baking sheet.
Add the egg whites to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until soft peak stage.
Add the sugar a spoonful at a time while whisking continuously.
Add the vinegar, cornflour and vanilla and fold through.
Spoon the mixture onto the circle (on the prepared tray) and shape it into a round dome.
Place the pavlova in the oven and turn the temperature down to 120℃.
Bake the pavlova for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Turn off the oven but do not open the oven door. Allow the pavlova to cool in the oven for 2 hours.
Whip the fresh cream and spoon onto the fully cooled pavlova.
Top with the cherries and strawberries and drizzle over some passionfruit.

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Banana Flower Curry

November 23, 2022November 23, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

30ml vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
10ml ginger powder
15ml garam masala
10ml curry powder
10ml ground cumin
5ml ground coriander
5ml smoked paprika
2,5ml turmeric
5ml salt
15ml sugar
250ml vegetable stock
1 x 400g can coconut milk
2 x 400g cans chopped tomato
3-4 handfuls of baby spinach
2 x cans Banana Blossoms

Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil and onion.
Stir-fry until the onion is soft, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the ginger, garam masala, curry powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, salt and sugar and stir-fry for a minute or so.
Now add the stock and the coconut milk and stir together.
Add the chopped tomato and turn the heat down slightly. Allow the curry sauce to simmer for 5 minutes or so – you want it to become slightly thicker.
Add the banana blossoms and baby spinach and stir.
Simmer lightly for 10 minutes.
Serve on a fragrant rice.

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Rum and Raisin Rusks

November 23, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500ml buttermilk
750ml water, lukewarm
125ml dark rum
100g raisins
200g butter, melted
5ml mixed spice
20g instant yeast
100g brown sugar
5ml salt
5ml bicarbonate of soda
5ml vanilla
1,75kg flour

Spray two large loaf tins (or a baking tray) with cooking spray. Set aside.
Add the buttermilk, water, rum, raisins, melted butter, mixed spice and instant yeast to a large mixing bowl and stir together.
Allow to stand until the yeast starts to dissolve and forms bubbles on the surface.
Add the sugar, salt, bicarb and vanilla and mix together.
Add two-thirds of the flour and stir through until combined.
Add more flour, mix some more, and repeat until the mixture comes together to form a workable dough. Do not add more flour once it looks workable. The dough will and must be sticky!
Lightly grease a large bowl, place the dough in it and cover with a tea towel. Allow to prove for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Shape the dough into even portions, roll into balls and pack them tightly into the prepared loaf tins.
Cover with a tea towel and prove again until doubled in size. About 45 minutes.
Bake the rusks for 40 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to cool until it is cold enough to handle comfortably.
Gently separate the rusks, cut each in half in its length and place them on a baking sheet.
Turn your oven temperature down to 100℃ and dry out the rusk for 5-6 hours.
Store your rusks in a glass container.

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Melting Moments

November 21, 2022November 20, 2022by Karen Claassen1 Comment

250g butter, room temperature
60g caster sugar
2,5ml vanilla
260g flour
35g cornflour
a pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together until light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla, flour, cornflour and salt and mix until a very soft dough is formed.
Scoop the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm star nozzle and pipe 3cm diameter rosettes onto the prepared baking sheet. Space them well apart as they do spread when baking.
Bake in the oven for 13 minutes.
Cool the biscuits on the tray and store in a glass container.
Yields about 25 biscuits but the recipe can easily be doubled.

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Mini Cordon Bleu Fingers

November 20, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

10 sheets rice paper
10 slices ham
200g mozzarella cheese, cut into 1cm logs that are about 6cm long
250ml panko bread crumbs
2 eggs
vegetable oil for frying

Lay the rice sheets in water for one minute to soften.
Place a rice paper sheet on a work surface and top with a slice of ham.
Place the cheese on the ham and fold the rice paper over. Roll up into a cylinder.
Whisk the egg together in a shallow dish and add the bread crumbs to another shallow dish.
Dip the rice paper rolls into the egg and cover with the bread crumbs.
Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add 1cm oil.
Fry the rolls until golden and crisp.
Serve with a dipping sauce.

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Tabbouleh Salad

November 18, 2022November 17, 2022by Karen Claassen1 Comment

250g uncooked spelt
4 medium tomatoes, very finely chopped
1 English cucumber, very finely chopped
2 bunches parsley, very finely chopped
12 mint leaves, very finely chopped
4 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
45ml lemon juice
45ml olive oil
salt and pepper

Prepare the spelt according to instructions and drain.
Add the spelt and all the chopped vegetables and herbs to a mixing bowl.
Drizzle over the lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Mix through and serve.

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Sesame Halloumi with Honey Drizzle

November 16, 2022November 16, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g halloumi
75g sesame seeds
75g flour
30ml honey
10ml lemon juice
vegetable oil

Slice the halloumi into fingers
Add the sesame seeds to a shallow bowl and the flour to another.
Roll each piece of cheese in the sesame seeds, pressing down to make them stick.
Now press them into the flour to coat and place them on a plate.
Add the honey and lemon juice to a small bowl and whisk together.
Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add a splash of vegetable oil and wait for it until it is hot.
Fry the halloumi in batches for 1 minute until golden brown, turning to colour evenly.
Drizzle the warm fingers with the honey dressing and serve.

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Chocolate Parfait with Fresh Berries

November 15, 2022November 14, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

A parfait is a cream-based, frozen dessert. The difference between and ice cream and parfait is that an ice cream has air whipped into it while it freezes and a parfait has air whipped into it and only then is it frozen!! It is a bit of a cheffy dessert but follow the instructions closely and you are guaranteed a very popular dessert!!

160g dark chocolate, chopped (I use DeVilliers chocolate that has a 70% cocoa solid content!!)
6 egg yolks (make meringue/pavlova with the whites)
250g caster sugar
30ml cocoa powder
400ml double cream

300g fresh berries
30ml icing sugar

Prepare a 20cm x 11cm loaf tin by lining it with baking paper.
Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and allow the chocolate to melt completely.
Take it from the heat and set aside to cool slightly but leave the saucepan of water at a very low simmer.
Add the egg yolks and sugar to a mixing bowl and beat together until combined.
Pour the egg mixture into the cooled melted chocolate and put the bowl back over the saucepan with simmering water.
This is the tricky part: Beat the mixture with an electric whisk for 3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved completely and you are left with a very thick mixture. You have to keep beating the mixture or the egg will cook or even worse, the chocolate will seize!! Dont despair….if you whisk continuously the mixture will be fine.
Remove from the heat and sift in the cocoa powder. Fold in with a metal spoon.
Pour the cream into a clean mixing bowl and whip to soft peaks.
Fold the cream into the chocolate mixture in three batches.
Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
Remove the parfait from the freezer about 20 minutes before you want to serve it. Turn it out onto a serving platter, remove the paper and heap the berries on top.
Sift with icing sugar to serve.