bake – Page 11 – My Whisk and I

Profiteroles

August 5, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

There is absolutely no “hidden tricks” when it comes to baking perfect profiteroles! Follow the instructions and you will have the satisfaction of perfect fresh profiteroles on your teatime table.

250ml boiling water
125ml butter, cubed
250ml cake flour
2,5ml salt
4 eggs
80g dark chocolate, melted
1 batch crème pâtisserie (search this blog for the recipe)

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Pour the water into a cast-iron/heavy-bottom saucepan and bring to a rapid boil.
Add the cubed butter and stir until melted.
Add the salt to the cake flour and then add it all to the saucepan with boiling water-butter, at once.
Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together in a ball in the centre of the saucepan.
Take the saucepan from the heat and add the eggs, one at a time.
Beat the mixture well. The egg should be completely incorporated before you add the next one. This is a real arm workout but do try and work quick as you need the steam from the heat!
Spoon a heaped teaspoon of the mixture on to the prepared baking tray, leaving enough space in between as the profiteroles expand quite a lot while baking.
Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Turn the oven temperature down to 160℃ and bake for another 20 minutes.
Take the tray from the oven and immediately slit a small sharp knife into the bottom of each profiterole, making as small a cut as possible, for the steam to escape.
Cool completely on a cooling rack.
Cut the profiteroles open and fill each of them with crème pâtissière (search the recipe on this blog: Custard Buns) or whipped cream.
Spoon some melted chocolate on to each filled pastry and set aside for the chocolate to set.
Serve with a smile!

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Yoghurt Quick Bread

July 5, 2021July 6, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Easy, healthy and delicious!

250ml wholewheat flour
250ml cake flour
125ml sugar
7,5ml baking powder
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
2,5ml salt
15ml each of sesame, poppy and sunflower seeds
250ml greek yoghurt
1 egg
62ml vegetable oil

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and grease a standard 23cm X 13cm loaf pan.
Add the wholewheat flour, cake flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and seeds to a mixing bowl and mix through with a whisk.
Add the yoghurt, egg and vegetable oil to a wide-mouthed jug and whisk together.
Pour the liquid ingredients in to the dry ingredients and stir through with a spatula until all the flour has been incorporated and you are left with a shaggy, wet batter.
Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and pat it down into the corners.
Bake the loaf for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the loaf, comes out clean.
Take the bread from the oven and cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out.
Allow to cool completely before slicing.

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Coffee Buns

June 28, 2021June 17, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

These buns have a crispy coffee flavoured topping and a buttery, feather-soft inside. They are truly delicious and easy to make! Makes 10 buns.

50g butter
325g bread flour
3,5ml salt
150ml milk
45g butter
10g instant yeast
35ml sugar
1 egg

For the topping:
60g sugar
60g butter, room temperature
10ml warm water
2,5ml coffee powder
1 egg
70g flour
a pinch of salt

Cut the 50g butter into ten equal pieces, wrap in baking paper and place it in the freezer.
Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Warm the milk until tepid and pour it into a mixing bowl.
Add the butter, instant yeast and sugar to the milk and stir until dissolved.
Turn the mixer onto a low speed and add the liquids. Mix/knead for about 3 minutes. The dough will be very sticky!
Turn the mixer to medium speed and knead for another 6 minutes. You want a dough that is soft, smooth and elastic.
Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces – weigh them on a scale, they should be around 60g each.
Roll each portion into a ball and then roll the ball into a disc with a rolling pin – about 9cm in diameter.
Take the butter cubes from the freezer and place a cube in the centre of the dough disc. Lift the sides and cover the butter with the dough, pinching it together, to seal.
Flip the ball over and place on the prepared baking sheet. Keep going until there is no dough left.
Spray some plastic wrap with cooking spray and lightly cover the buns. Set aside to proof for 90 minutes.

Coffee topping:
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat until the mixture is light in colour and has a fluffy texture.
Dissolve the coffee powder in the warm water and add to the butter mixture. Stir through by hand.
Add the egg and stir until incorporated.
Add the flour and salt and stir to mix.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and place in the refrigerator until needed.

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Pipe the coffee topping in a tight circular pattern, starting from the centre of the bun working a third of the way down.
Bake the buns for 20 minutes.

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Polish Rye Bread

June 21, 2021June 14, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This recipe provides a quick method for a rye bread with loads of flavour. The addition of buttermilk gives the typical tangy taste that one associates with a traditional rye and adds to a really good texture. This recipe makes two medium-sized, oblong breads.

500ml rye flour
1 500ml cake flour
10ml salt
15ml instant yeast
250ml water, tepid
5ml sugar
375ml buttermilk, room temperature
62ml butter, melted

Add the flours and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Add the yeast, water, sugar, buttermilk and melted butter to a separate bowl and whisk together to dissolve the sugar and yeast.
Turn the mixer on to a low speed and add the liquids.
Mix/knead for 7 minutes.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until double the volume.
Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Knead the dough down by hand for 2 minutes.
Divide the dough in half and shape two oblong loaves.
Place the shaped dough on the prepared baking sheet, cover with oiled plastic wrap and allow to proof until almost doubled in size.
Brush the bread with egg white or water for a shiny crust. Make 4 diagonal, shallow cuts in the top of the bread.
Bake the breads for 30 minutes.
Cool on wire racks until completely cold.

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Pistachio Cake

June 14, 2021June 13, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is an easy and quick cake loaf that is perfect for afternoon tea.

100g pistachio nuts, chopped
200g caster sugar
150g butter
125ml yoghurt
3 eggs
200g flour
5ml baking powder
5ml bicarbonate of soda
10ml vanilla
4 limes, zest and juice
200g icing sugar
30ml pistachio nuts, sliced

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 20cm X 10cm X 7cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Add the pistachios and caster sugar to the bowl of a food processor and whizz until fine.
Add the butter, yoghurt, eggs, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, vanilla and lime zest and whizz again until smooth.
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 55 minutes.
Cool the loaf in the tin for 20 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl and add the lime juice.
Spoon the glaze over the pistachio loaf and scatter with the sliced pistachios.

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Lemon-Glazed Ricotta Cakes

June 11, 2021June 4, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

These tiny ricotta cakes with their zesty glaze are on my top 5 list of favourite eats!! The ricotta gives the cakes a fluffy, light, melt-in-the-mouth feel and the glaze adds a citrus punch that draws all the flavours together! Makes about 18 cakes/biscuits.

625ml flour
5ml baking powder
5ml salt
100g butter, room temperature
500ml sugar
2 eggs
420g ricotta cheese (you can make your own by following my recipe for Homemade Ricotta)
45ml lemon juice
the zest of one lemon

Lemon glaze:
375ml icing sugar
45ml lemon juice
the zest of one lemon

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line two baking sheets with baking paper.
Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat on a high speed for 3 minutes.
Turn the mixer speed down to medium and add the eggs one at a time.
Add the ricotta, lemon juice and lemon zest.
Turn the mixer onto its lowest speed and add the flour mixture, a few tablespoons at a time. Keep going until you have added all the flour.
Spoon about 30ml (one large tablespoon) of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. The dough is very sticky but use your finger to shape/mould the dough into what resembles a circle/round mound – do not flatten it! Space the dough mounds about 5 cm apart as it will flatten slightly and spread during baking.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 30 minutes.

For the lemon glaze:
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl.
Add the lemon juice and zest and mix until smooth.
Spoon about half a teaspoon of the glaze onto each cooled cake.
Allow to become hard – about 2 hours.

Keep the cakes in a sealed container at room temperature.

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Filled Pumpkin Muffins

April 23, 2021April 22, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

These pumpkin muffins are deliciously moist and has the traditional cream cheese frosting in its centre with a crunchy strudel-like topping! For those who prefer not-so-sweet it is a perfect nutritious treat! This recipe yields 12 – 16 regular sized muffins.

For the topping:

125ml flour
62ml brown sugar
62ml oats
a pinch of salt
60ml butter, room temperature

For the filling:

230g cream cheese, room temperature
62ml sugar
2,5ml vanilla

For the muffins:

250ml pumpkin purée
2 eggs
125ml brown sugar
45ml vegetable oil
62ml honey
2,5ml salt
1,2ml ground ginger
5ml ground cinnamon
5ml baking powder
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
180ml milk
375ml flour

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Line a muffin tray with paper cups, spray each cup lightly and set aside.

For the topping:
Add the flour, sugar, oats and salt to a mixing bowl and give it a stir to mix the ingredients.
Add the butter to the dry ingredients and rub it into the dry mixture with your fingertips until you have a coarse crumb texture.
Put aside.

For the filling:
Add the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla to a mixing bowl and beat with a spatula to combine.
Put aside.

For the muffins:
Add all the ingredients EXCEPT THE FLOUR, to a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with a spatula.
Now add the flour and mix until just incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
You will be left with a runny batter.

Spoon about 30ml batter into each paper cup, making sure it covers the entire bottom of the cup.
Spoon 15ml of the cream cheese mixture into the centre of the pumpkin batter.
Now cover the cream cheese by spooning another 30ml of pumpkin batter into the cups. You will have 12 – 16 regular sized muffins.
Finally sprinkle about a teaspoon full of the topping onto each muffin.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.
Serve warm or at room temperature.