Tag: baking

Carrot Muffins

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Carrot Muffins
Carrot Muffins

This recipe makes 12 muffins but can easily be doubled. You may also keep the batter in the refrigerator for a week. Be sure to take the batter out and leave it at room temperature for 40 minutes BEFORE baking. They store really well in a sealed container.

50ml + 200ml buttermilk
6ml bicarbonate of soda

375ml bran
125ml boiling water
60ml butter, melted
190ml brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
160ml flour
160ml wholewheat flour
2ml salt
125ml grated carrot
125ml pecan nuts, roughly chopped

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups.
Pour the 50ml buttermilk into a small bowl, sprinkle in the bicarbonate of soda and stir to dissolve. Set aside.
Add the bran to a large mixing bowl and pour over the boiling water. Stir through.
Drizzle over the melted butter and stir together.
Now add the brown sugar, egg and 200ml buttermilk.
Pour the buttermilk and bicarb into the mixture and stir through.|Add the flour, wholewheat flour, salt, grated carrot and nuts and mix together.
Divide the mixture between the paper cups and bake for 20 minutes.
Cool the muffins on a wire rack and keep stored in an airtight container.




Custard Slice / Mille-Feuille

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Custard Slice / Mille-Feuille
Custard Slice / Mille-Feuille


Crème Pâtissière:
40g corn flour
500ml milk
4 egg yolks
100g sugar
5ml vanilla
1 x 400g Today Puff Pastry
250g icing sugar

For the crème pâtissière:
Add the corn flour to a mixing bowl. Pour a small amount of milk into the bowl and stir to dissolve.
Add the yolks and half the sugar. Whisk to gather by hand until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Pour the rest of the milk and the rest of the sugar into a small saucepan.
Set over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Take the milk from the heat as soon as tiny bubbles start to appear around the edge of the saucepan.
Drizzle the warm mixture onto the egg mixture while whisking continuously.
Now pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place on a medium-low heat.
Stir continuously until the mixture is thick and smooth.
Allow to cook for 30 seconds before removing from the heat.
Add the vanilla and stir through.
Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and allow to cool completely.

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Unroll the pastry sheet and cut it into 4 equal rectangles (cut through lengthwise and then halve each strip).
Place the rectangles on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart.
Place another sheet of baking paper on top of the pastry and then place another baking sheet on top of that.
Bake for 12 minutes.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Assembly:
Whisk your room temperature crème pâtissière by hand until it is smooth.
Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large (1,5/2cm) nozzle.
Lay a pastry sheet on a serving plate and pipe dollops over the entire sheet.
Repeat until you have one pastry sheet left.
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add a tablespoon of milk.
Stir the mixture, adding a few drops more until you have a very thick paste.
Spread the icing paste on the pastry sheet and set aside to dry.
Place the iced pastry on top of the custard slice.
Slice into portions once you have displayed your beautiful creation.

Fig and Honey Tart

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Fig and Honey Tart
Fig and Honey Tart

Pastry:
250g butter, cubed
170g icing sugar, sifted
500g cake flour
2 eggs, beaten together

Crème Pâtissière:
40g corn flour
500ml milk
4 egg yolks
100g sugar
5ml vanilla

100g pistacchio nuts, roughly chopped
about 16 medium figs
50ml honey

For the pastry:
Add the butter and sifted icing sugar to the bowl of a food processor.
Run the machine until the mixture is well combined and pasty.
Add the flour and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Scrape down.
Drizzle a few drops of the egg into the bowl with the engine running. Add a few more drops at a time until the mixture comes together. (You may have egg left and that is okay – the less you need the crispier the pastry!)
Shape the pastry into a disc, wrap it with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 190℃.
You will use a 22cm loose-bottom flan tin but do not spray or butter the tin!
Roll the pastry to a 3mm thickness and line the bottom and sides of the tin.
Dock the pastry with a fork and bake blind for 15 minutes.
Remove the baking paper and weights/beans and set aside to cool.

For the Crème Pâtissière:
Add the corn flour to a mixing bowl. Pour a small amount of the milk into the owl and stir to make a slurry with the corn flour.
Add the egg yolks and half the sugar.
Whisk by hand until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Pour the rest of the milk and the rest of the sugar into a small saucepan.
Set over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Take the milk from the heat as soon as tiny bubbles start to appear around the edge of the saucepan.
Drizzle the warm mixture onto the egg mixture in a very thin stream while whisking continuously.
Now pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place on a medium-low heat.
Stir until the mixture is thick and smooth. Allow to cook for about 30 seconds.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and allow to cool completely.

Whisk the mixture by hand once it is at room temperature, until it is smooth.
Spoon it into a piping bag and pipe into the prepared pastry shell.
Scatter the chopped pistachio evenly over the surface.
Cut a cross into the top third of each fig and place the figs side-by-side on the pistachio.
Drizzle the honey over the figs before serving.

Traditional Clafoutis

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Traditional Clafoutis
Traditional Clafoutis

125ml sugar
125ml flour
3 eggs
5ml vanilla
30ml butter, melted
250ml milk
enough pitted cherries to cover the bottom of a pie/flan dish

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and grease a ceramic pie/flan dish.
Add the sugar and flour to a mixing bowl.
Whisk the eggs, vanilla, melted butter and milk together in a wide-mouth jug.
Slowly pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients while whisking.
Fill the bottom of the pie dish with an even layer of cherries and pour the batter over the cherries.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
The clafoutis will puff up in the oven and fall back on itself as it cools.
Dust with icing sugar once cooled.

Coconut-Bran Muffins

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Coconut-Bran Muffins
Coconut-Bran Muffins

Makes 12 muffins but can be doubled.

375ml bran
125ml boiling water
60ml butter, melted
190ml brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
50ml + 200ml buttermilk
6ml bicarbonate of soda
160ml flour
160ml wholewheat flour
2ml salt
250ml desiccated coconut

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups.
Add the bran to a mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over. Stir through.
Pour the 50ml buttermilk into a small bowl and sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda over. Stir through and set aside.
Add the melted butter to the bran and stir again.
Now add the sugar, egg and 200ml buttermilk.
Pour the bicarb and buttermilk into the mixture and mix through.
Add the flour, wholewheat flour, salt and coconut and stir until just mixed.
Divide the batter among the paper cases and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the muffins from the oven and from the muffin tin and cool them on a cooling rack.

Ginger Biscuit Cups

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Ginger Biscuit Cups
Ginger Biscuit Cups

500g self-raising flour
10ml cream of tartar
10ml bicarbonate of soda
10ml ground ginger
2ml salt
170g butter, cubed
170g golden syrup
350g brown sugar
2 eggs
12 chocolate balls, halved
250ml cream, whipped

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 24-hole mini-muffin pan with cooking spray.
Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and salt.
Add the cubed butter and rub in with your fingers. Set aside.
Add the syrup and sugar to a saucepan set of medium-low heat and stir until the sugar has almost completely dissolved. The mixture should be very runny. Cool for 5 minutes.
Whisk the eggs together in a bowl and add it to the syrup mixture while whisking.
Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly – there should be no dry flour left.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and place in the muffin pans. Flatten the balls with your fingers and then make an indent with a small shot glass/the back of a lemon juicer. See video below.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and immediately press the indents like you did before baking.
Place half a chocolate ball in each hollow and set aside to cool.
Top each ginger cup with whipped cream to serve.


Fresh Summer Tart

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Fresh Summer Tart
Fresh Summer Tart

1 x 400g pastry
5 eggs
185ml cream
100g baby spinach, chopped
250ml frozen peas
100g ricotta cheese
100g feta cheese, crumbed
80g rocket leaves
125g sugar snap peas
3 zucchini, shaved into ribbons

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray.
Roll the pastry to a 3mm thickness and line the bottom and side of the cake tin. Set aside.
Add the eggs and cream to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the chopped spinach, peas and cheeses and mix through. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture into the pastry case and bake for 30 minutes.
Cool the tart for 30 minutes.
Top the tart with the rocket leaves, sugar snaps and zucchini shavings.
Drizzle over some olive oil to serve.

Condensed Milk Cake

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Condensed Milk Cake
Condensed Milk Cake

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.

Melting Moments

by Karen Claassen1 Comment on Melting Moments
Melting Moments

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.

Chocolate Brownie Biscuits

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Chocolate Brownie Biscuits
Chocolate Brownie Biscuits

These biscuits have a crackly crust and a heavenly chewy, fudge centre and will become one of your favourite chocolate treats! Make sure to bake these with a good quality chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids.

220g dark chocolate, finely chopped (I used coffee flavoured chocolate, you don’t have to but do make sure that your chocolate has at least 70% cocoa solids)
90ml butter, melted
190ml brown sugar
62ml white sugar
2 eggs
190ml flour
60ml cocoa powder, sifted
10ml espresso coffee powder
1,2ml salt

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
Add the chocolate and butter to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir every now and then until the chocolate is melted and the mixture has amalgamated. Take the bowl from the heat and set aside.
Add the eggs, brown sugar and white sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat the mixture together at high speed for 3 – 4 minutes.
Turn the mixer speed down to low and pour in the chocolate mixture with the machine running.
Add the flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder and salt to a mixing bowl and stir together until well mixed.
Remove the mixing bowl from the stand mixer and add the dry ingredients. Fold through with a spatula.
Spoon about 15ml of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving room for the biscuits to spread.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Cool the biscuits on the baking sheet before storing/serving.