baked from scratch – My Whisk and I

Coffee Rusks

December 13, 2023August 17, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

This is a small batch of rusks and yields about 24 pieces.

250g butter, room temperature
250ml caster sugar
4 eggs
10ml instant coffee dissolved in 30ml hot water
10ml vanilla
10ml baking powder
250ml flour

Preheat your oven to 170℃ and line a 23cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat together at high speed until creamy – scrape the mixture down once or twice in between mixing.
Add the eggs one at a time, waiting for it to be incorporated into the mixture before adding the next one.
Add the dissolved coffee and vanilla.
Add the baking powder and flour to a bowl and mix through.
Turn the mixer to a low speed and add two tablespoons of flour at a time, until you have no flour left.
Spoon the batter in to the prepared loaf tin and bake for one hour.
Cool the cake on a wire rack.

Slice the cake into rusk sizes: I like 2cm x 3cm.
Preheat your oven to 150℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Space the rusks evenly apart and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Flip the rusks over and bake for another 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool completely.
Store the rusks in a glass container.

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Romany Creams

November 17, 2023August 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This recipe yields about 30 sandwiched romany creams.

250g butter
250ml caster sugar
2 eggs
500ml flour
60ml cocoa powder, sifted
5ml baking powder
2ml salt
375ml desiccated coconut

Filling:
60ml sugar
15ml butter
80ml cream
30ml milk
5ml vanilla
625ml icing sugar, sifted
30ml cocoa powder, sifted

Preheat your oven to 180℃ 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.
Add the eggs one at a time while beating and wait for it to be incorporated.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
Add the coconut and stir to mix.
Turn the mixer to a low speed and add the flour mixture a spoonful at a time, allowing time for it to be incorporated.
Scrape the bowl down and mix on high speed for 1 minute.
Scoop a teaspoonful of the dough in your hands, roll into a ball and space it evenly on the baking sheet.
Flatten the dough balls slightly by pressing down on them with the tines of a fork.
Bake for 12 minutes and allow to cool on the baking sheet.

For the filling:
Place a small saucepan over MEDIUM heat and add the sugar and butter.
Stir until the sugar has melted.
Add the cream and milk and remove from the heat.
Add the vanilla and stir through.
Sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into the saucepan and mix until the filling has a spreadable consistency.
Sandwich the biscuits together. (You may re-heat the filling over a low heat if it becomes un spreadable)
Store the romany creams in a glass container.

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Mini Cinnamon Swirls

September 24, 2023September 6, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500ml self-raising flour
30ml flour
30ml caster sugar
150g butter, cubed
125ml milk
1 egg
10ml vanilla
125ml brown sugar
5ml ground cinnamon
25g butter, cubed
20g butter, melted

Glaze:
375ml icing sugar, sifted
15ml boiling water

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 24-hole mini-muffin tin with cooking spray.
Add the self-raising and regular flours, caster sugar and butter to a food processor and process to fine crumbs.
Tip the mixture into a mixing bowl.
Add the milk, egg and vanilla to a jug and whisk together.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. The dough will be very sticky. Set aside.
Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to a bowl and stir to mix.
Add the 25g butter and rub it into the sugar with your fingers.
Flour a work surface and divide the dough in half.
Roll out to 35cm x 20cm rectangle.
Sprinkle half the sugar and butter mixture evenly over the surface and roll it into a long, tight log.
Trim the edges neatly and then cut the log in to 1,5cm slices.
Place each slice in a hole in the muffin tin.
Melt the 20g butter and brush it on to the swirls.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove and cool on a cooling rack.

For the glaze:
Add the icing sugar to a small bowl and pour in 15ml of boiling water.
Mix together and drizzle over the swirls.
Stand the cookies for 20 minutes to set, before serving.

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Lemon-Poppyseed Rusks

September 4, 2023August 18, 2023by Karen Claassen3 Comments

Yields about 60 rusks.

250g butter, room temperature, cubed
300g sugar
6 eggs
4-5 lemons, 80ml of finely grated zest
4 x 250ml self-raising flour
5ml salt
80ml poppyseeds
500ml cultured buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line two 23cm loaf tins with baking paper.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed until creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat well to incorporate. Scrape the mixture down once or twice.
Add the lemon zest and mix through.
Now add the flour, salt and poppyseeds to another mixing bowl and stir through.
Alternatively add a few spoonfuls of flour and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
Mix on high speed for one minute.
Spoon the mixture into the loaf tins and bake for one hour.
Remove from the baking tins and cool on a cooling rack.
Cut the loaf into slices about 2 cm thick and then cut each slice into three pieces.
Space the rusks evenly on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 100℃ for 3-4 hours.
Cool completely and store in a glass container.

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Coffee Cupcakes

August 29, 2023August 17, 2023by Karen Claassen2 Comments

125ml vegetable oil
2 eggs
125ml buttermilk
10ml vanilla
250ml brown sugar
80ml cocoa powder, sifted
15ml instant coffee granules
250ml flour
5ml baking powder
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
1,2ml salt

Frosting:
125g butter, room temperature
10ml vanilla
30ml instant coffee granules
500ml icing sugar, sifted
30ml milk

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a cupcake baking tin with paper cups.
Add the vegetable oil, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix to combine.
Add the sugar and mix at high speed for 2 minutes.
Turn the mixer to a low speed and add the cocoa powder and coffee.
Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt to a separate bowl and stir to mix.
Turn the mixer to a low speed and add spoonfuls of the flour mixture, waiting for it to be incorporated before adding more.
Spoon the batter in the paper cups, filling each three-quarter-full.
Bake the cupcakes for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of one, comes out clean.
Cool on a cooling rack.

For the frosting:
Add the butter, vanilla and coffee granules to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on high speed.
Add the sifted icing sugar in three batches and then drizzle in the milk.
Mix at high speed for 2 minutes.
Spoon the frosting into a piping bag and pipe on to the cupcakes.

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Baklava Cheesecake

June 27, 2022June 14, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This Greek cheesecake takes the ever popular cheesecake to a whole new level. If you try one new recipe, it should be this one!!! Yields 16 slices.

12 sheets phyllo pastry
83ml butter, melted
250ml + 250ml pistachio nuts, finely chopped
62ml sugar
2,5ml ground cinnamon
1,2ml ground allspice
250g cream cheese, room temperature
250g mascarpone cheese, room temperature
83ml honey
62ml milk
45ml flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and lightly spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray. Place the cake tin on a baking sheet.
Place one sheet of phyllo in the cake tin and very lightly press it onto the bottom and sides of the pan, leaving the extra pastry as an overhang at this stage. Brush the pastry with the melted butter.
Do the same with the 11 other phyllo sheets, brushing each and rotating the sheets slightly so that the corners are staggered. Set aside.
Add 250ml chopped pistachio, sugar, ground cinnamon and allspice to a mixing bowl and stir to mix.
Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the phyllo in the cake tin.
Place in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes or until the edges of the pastry are golden.
Remove and cool on a wire rack.
Turn your oven temperature down to 170℃.
Add the cream cheese and mascarpone to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Turn the mixer on to a low speed and mix until the mixture is smooth.
Add the honey, milk and flour with the machine running.
Finally add the eggs and, still on low speed, beat until just blended.
Pour the batter into the phyllo crust and bake for 1 hour or until the centre of the cheesecake is barely set.
Cool the cake on a wire rack for at least an hour and then cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate the cake overnight.
Take the cake from the baking tin and sprinkle with the 250ml chopped pistachio to serve.