Uncategorized – Page 77 – My Whisk and I

Chocolate Cake with Prunes

May 7, 2021May 3, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

If you like chocolate and you like prunes, this flourless cake is what you have been waiting for!

400g prunes
200ml Port or Madeira
30g granulated sugar

For the prunes:
Add the prunes, port and sugar to a small saucepan and place on medium heat.
Stir to dissolve the sugar and then allow the mixture to simmer on a medium to low heat until the liquid is reduced to a syrup.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside to cool.

340g dark chocolate, chopped
170g butter, cubed
80g sugar
200g cooled prunes (from the mixture you have made above)
6 eggs, separated
1,2ml salt

Preheat your oven to 170℃.
Grease a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin and dust the bottom and sides with cocoa powder.
Add the chopped chocolate and butter to a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Allow to melt, stirring occasionally until completely melted and smooth.
Add half the sugar (40g) to the chocolate mixture and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the bowl from the saucepan.
Now take 200g of the prunes from the port syrup, drain and chop into small pieces and add these to the chocolate mixture.
Allow the mixture to cool for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate and stir to combine.

Add the egg whites and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Whisk the whites until they form soft peaks.
Now start adding the remaining half of the sugar, a teaspoon at a time, with the machine running.
The whites should hold their shape and be glossy.
Spoon a third of the whites into the chocolate mixture and stir it through to slacken the chocolate.
Fold the rest of the whites into the mixture with a metal spoon, until there are no white streaks left.
Gently pour the batter into the prepared cake tine and bake for 45 minutes.
Cool the cake in the baking tin.
Serve with the remaining prunes in the syrup.

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Pumpkin-Pecan Pie

May 6, 2021April 28, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is one of the easiest and tastiest side dishes you will ever make and as a bonus, you will have one bowl and one jug to clean! You may prepare this dish the day before you want to serve it and simply heat it up when needed.

500ml pumpkin purée (cooked pumpkin, finely mashed)
375ml flour
250ml sugar
60ml butter, melted
250ml cream
3 eggs, lightly beaten
250ml pecan nuts, roughly chopped
45ml granulated sugar
5ml cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Add the pumpkin purée, flour and sugar to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Add the melted butter, cream and egg to a wide-mouthed jug and whisk together.
Pour the wet ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and mix to a batter.
Stir in the chopped nuts.
Grease a ceramic pie dish and pour the mixture into it.
Add the sugar and cinnamon to a small bowl and mix. Sprinkle onto the pie surface.
Bake the pie for 1 hour, until set.
Serve warm.

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Chicken in Mushroom Sauce

May 5, 2021April 28, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This creamy mushroom sauce adds richness to an otherwise very lean meat and transforms quick and ordinary to extraordinary and delicious.

4 – 6 chicken breasts
45ml butter
15ml vegetable oil
250g mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml thyme leave (or 5ml dried)
45ml white wine
250ml cream
125ml parmesan cheese, grated

Cut the chicken in half horizontally so that you have 2 very thin breasts.
Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
Put a heavy bottom pan onto medium-high heat, add 30ml butter and the oil and cook the chicken until golden – about 3 minutes per side.
Remove the cooked chicken, cover and keep warm.
Turn the heat onto high and add 15ml butter.
Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes – you want caramelised, golden brown mushrooms.
Now add the garlic and thyme and cook for another minute.
Deglaze the pan by pouring in the wine and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to get all the caramelised bits to come loose.
Turn the heat down to medium and the cream. Simmer for 3 minutes or until the cream thickens slightly.
Add the parmesan to the sauce and season well with salt and pepper.
Return the chicken to the pan and warm through for about 2 minutes.
Serve the chicken breast on rice, mashed potato or couscous, with lashings of the mushroom sauce.

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Basic Curry Mix

May 4, 2021April 28, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

A curry powder or mixture is basically flavour boosting spices that are blended together to add big flavour and balance to a dish. The heat content will be determined by what you add to the rest of the dish. One of the advantages of making a basic curry mix is that you will determine the taste of your homemade blend and you will have a consistent, balanced base to add your other flavourings too when cooking. Remember: this is the base that will balance the dish and from where you will add acid, heat and salt to round off and complete the taste.

15ml cardamon pods
15ml coriander seeds
10ml cumin seeds
5ml mustard seeds
5ml turmeric powder
5ml smoked paprika
2,5ml ginger powder
2,5ml ground black pepper

Add all the ingredients to a pestle and mortar or a spice blender and blend to a powder.
Store in an airtight container.

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Marmite-Feta Cupcakes

May 3, 2021April 28, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

If you cannot decide whether you want to have savoury or sweet it is best to go with both! These cupcakes are quite unusual but very satisfying and ticks all the boxes when you honestly don’t know what you are craving… it simply balances your tastebuds and it works! The recipe yields 12 regular cupcakes.

75g butter, cubed
160g sugar
1 egg
200g flour
10ml baking powder
2ml salt
250ml milk
250ml + 80ml feta cheese, crumbed

150g butter
45ml Marmite

Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Line a 12-hole cupcake/muffin tin with paper cups and lightly spray with a cooking spray.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until soft and creamy.
Add the egg to the mixture and beat a few seconds more.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
Add one spoonful of the flour mixture, alternating with the milk until everything is incorporated.
Switch off the mixer, add the 250ml of crumbed feta cheese and mix through with a spatula.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin and bake for 25 minutes.

Add the 150g butter and marmite to a small saucepan.
Place on medium heat and once the butter has melted, take it from the heat and whisk to incorporate.

Take the baked cupcakes from the oven and spoon the marmite mixture over the cupcakes.
Cool slightly on a cooling rack before serving.

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Sweet Potato Brownies

April 30, 2021April 28, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

These brownies are moist with an intense chocolate taste and surprisingly, very light in texture. Store them in a sealed container at room temperature for 3 – 4 days.

100g butter
250g dark chocolate, chopped
250ml sweet potato, cooked and mashed
125ml brown sugar
250ml granulated sugar
4 eggs
7,5ml vanilla
2,5ml salt
165ml flour
125ml cocoa powder

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Line a baking tin, 18cm X 28cm or 23cm X 23cm with baking paper.
Add the butter to a small saucepan and place on medium to high heat.
Take the saucepan off the heat as soon as the butter starts to make small bubbles and add the chopped chocolate. Leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Add the mashed sweet potato, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Return to the butter and chocolate and whisk the mixture until the chocolate has melted and you are left with a smooth, emulsified mixture.
Add the chocolate and butter mixture to the sweet potato mix and stir through.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the same bowl and mix until incorporated.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake, comes out clean.
Cool the brownies completely, on a cooling rack.
Store in an airtight container for 3 – 4 days, at room temperature.

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Mushroom Galette

April 29, 2021April 28, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

A galette is simply a free-form French pastry with either a savoury or sweet filling. Easy and quick to make, this mushroom galette is creamy, has depth of flavour and makes a perfect light lunch.

400g puff pastry
125ml cream cheese at room temperature

45ml butter
30ml vegetable oil
500g mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml thyme, lightly chopped
45ml port or sherry
250ml mozzarella cheese, grated

Egg wash of 1 egg and 15ml milk, whisked together

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll out the pastry big enough to cut a 26cm-diameter circle.
Place the pastry circle onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
Spread the cream cheese onto the pastry with the back of a spoon, leaving a 2cm border of pastry, all around.
Set aside.

Heat a heavy bottom pan on high heat and add the butter and oil. (If your pan is not large enough to accommodate all the mushroom at once, add half the butter and oil).
Add the mushroom to the pan and fry at high heat so that the mushroom caramelises, about 3 minutes.
Now add the garlic and thyme and cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
Spoon this mixture into a bowl to cool and put the frying pan back onto medium heat.
Add a splash of oil and cook the onion until soft. Add this to the mushroom mixture.
Put the pan back onto the heat once more and add the port, scraping down the pan with a spatula. Scrape the caramelised bits left in the pan as well as the reduced port onto the mushroom mixture.

Sprinkle two thirds of the grated mozzarella cheese onto the cream cheese and pastry.
Spoon the cooled mushroom mixture on top of the cheese and finish with the rest of the mozzarella.
Fold the 2 cm pastry that extends beyond the filling over and onto the mushroom mixture.
Brush the folded pastry with the egg wash and bake the galette for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden.
Serve as an aperitif or as a light lunch.

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Versatile Pulled Pork

April 28, 2021April 28, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2,5kg pork belly or pork shoulder (rind removed)

Dry rub:
45ml brown sugar
15ml salt
15ml smoked paprika
10ml ground cumin
5ml fennel seeds

500 – 750ml cider
250ml Homemade BBQ Sauce (in the recipe section of this blog)

Preheat your oven to 220℃.
Place the meat in an oven roasting tray.
Mix together the dry rub ingredients and sprinkle all of the ingredients onto the meat.
Place the pork in the preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes before removing.
Turn the oven down to 160℃ and pour 500ml cider onto the meat.
Cover the oven tray with aluminium foil and seal it tightly all around.
Place the meat back into the oven for 5 hours. Check the liquid every 2 hours or so and add more if necessary. There should be at least 1,5cm of liquid in the roasting tin.
Remove the meat once it falls apart and shred apart with two forks.
Pour the BBQ Sauce onto the pulled meat and mix the meat, BBQ and pan juices together.
Serve on a roll or on mashed potato and a coleslaw salad.

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Homemade BBQ Sauce

April 27, 2021April 27, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

It takes ten minutes to make this sauce from ingredients you probably have in your store cupboard, you can keep it in your fridge for 14 days and you can add incredible flavour to chicken, any meat on an open fire, burgers, roasted veg, pizza and even serve it as a dip!

500ml tomato sauce
125ml apple cider vinegar
62ml brown sugar
30ml honey
15ml Worcestershire sauce
15ml lemon juice
10ml salt
5ml garlic salt
5ml black pepper

Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan.
Turn the heat on to medium and whisk together.
Reduce the heat as soon as the sauce starts to bubble.
Allow to simmer for about 7 minutes – the sauce will thicken slightly.
Cool or serve straight away.

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Quince Almond Cake

April 26, 2021April 30, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Celebrate quince in all its glory with this fragrant almond cake. Perfect for tea as well as a dessert.

Poached quince:

2 large quince
250ml sugar
1 cinnamon quill

Batter:
250g butter, room temperature
320ml caster sugar
5ml grated lemon rind
3 eggs
125ml almond meal
62ml flaked almonds
190ml milk
562ml self-raising flour

For the poached quince:
Add 750ml water and the sugar to a saucepan and place it on a low heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar and then add the cinnamon.
Peel, quarter and core the quince and add the slices directly to the poaching liquid.
Bring the liquid to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or until a sharp knife pierces the fruit easily.
Take the saucepan from the heat and allow the fruit to cool in the poaching liquid.
Cut the quarters in half once it is cool enough to handle comfortably.

For the batter:
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Grease a 22cm diameter loose-bottom cake tin and dust it with almond meal.
Add the butter, sugar and lemon rind to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until light and creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between.
Stir in the almond meal and flaked almonds.
Add a few spoonfuls of flour and then a splash of milk, with the machine running on its lowest setting. Keep alternating until you have no flour and milk left.
Spoon two thirds of the batter into the prepared cake tin.
Place half of the quince slices on the batter and then top with the rest of the batter.
Finally arrange the remaining quince slices onto the batter.
Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 1 hour 20 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the cake tin.
Allow the cake to cool on a cooling rack.
Dust with icing sugar and a sprinkling of flaked almonds before serving.