Tag: baking

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Romany Creams

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Romany Creams
Romany Creams

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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Greek Shortbread

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Greek Shortbread
Greek Shortbread

Yields about 35 biscuits.

200g butter, room temperature
250ml + 80ml icing sugar, sifted
1 egg
1 egg yolk
625ml flour
7,5ml baking powder
5ml ground cinnamon
420ml ground almonds/almond meal

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Add the butter and icing sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and egg yolk and mix again. Scrape down.
Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and almonds to the bowl and mix together until incorporated.
Scoop about 15ml of the mixture into your hands and shape it into crescents. (Roll a ball, roll it in to a 3-4cm log and slope the ends downwards. Drape it over your finger to form a crescent)
Space the cookies evenly on the baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to stand on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.
Sift the 80ml icing sugar over the biscuits and leave to cool completely.
Hint: Hide some of the biscuits……they fly away on their own!

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Biltong Quickbread

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Biltong Quickbread
Biltong Quickbread

500ml flour
15ml sugar
7,5ml baking powder
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
2,5ml salt
250ml buttermilk
1 egg
62ml vegetable oil
200g mature cheddar cheese, grated
150g biltong, sliced and chopped

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 22cm x 12cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the buttermilk, egg and vegetable oil to a jug and whisk together.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Stir with a spatula until you can’t see any dry flour.
Add the cheddar and biltong and stir really well so that the ingredients are distributed evenly.
Spoon into the prepared loaf tin and level out the top.
Bake in the oven for 50 minutes.
Cool the bread in the baking tin for 15 minutes.
Remove from the tin and cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.

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Condensed Milk Cupcakes

by Karen Claassen1 Comment on Condensed Milk Cupcakes
Condensed Milk Cupcakes

125g butter, cubed
1 x 385g can condensed milk
5ml vanilla
300g self-raising flour
2 eggs
250g mixed berries
icing sugar, to dust

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups.
Add the butter and condensed milk to a small saucepan set over medium-low heat.
Stir the mixture for about 3 minutes, until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.`
Add the flour to a mixing bowl and pour the mixture into the flour.
Whisk the eggs together with a fork and add this to the mixture as well.
Fold through until the ingredients are just combined.
Set aside 24 of the berries and add the rest to the batter. Fold through.
Spoon the batter into the paper cups and press two berries into the top of each.
Bake the cupcakes for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and tin and cool on a cooling rack.
Sift some icing sugar over to serve.

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Lamb Pot Pies

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Lamb Pot Pies
Lamb Pot Pies

A perfect meal to put together with leftover roast lamb. This recipe yields 6 individual pot pies.

30ml vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, cut into small cubes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
30ml flour
5ml smoked paprika
500ml lamb stock
30ml tomato paste
30ml Worcestershire sauce
2 potatoes, peeled and cut in to small cubes
600-700g leftover roast lamb, chopped
30ml finely chopped rosemary
1 sheet puff pastry
egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 15ml cold water, whisked together

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and pour in the oil.
Add the onion and carrot and cook until the onion is soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Sprinkle the flour and paprika over and stir-fry for another minute.
Add the stock slowly and a little at a time while stirring constantly.
Now add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, potato, lamb and rosemary.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 – 15 minutes until the vegetables are done. (Add some water if needed)
Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Spoon the lamb mixture into 6 individual ovenproof ramekins.
Lay the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface, turn a ramekin over on it and cut 6 rounds from the pastry.
Place the pastry discs on the lamb filling and press the edges to seal.
Brush with egg wash and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Serve the pot pies piping hot.

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Jam Squares

by Karen Claassen2 Comments on Jam Squares
Jam Squares

Yields about 35 squares.

250ml sugar
250g butter, cubed
2 eggs
a pinch of salt
10ml baking powder
750ml flour
125ml apricot jam

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a swissroll pan (32cm x 22cm) with cooking spray.
Add the sugar and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on high speed until creamy.
Add the eggs and beat on high speed for 1 minute.
Scrape the mixture down and mix again.
Add the salt, baking powder and flour to a mixing bowl and stir to mix.
Turn the mixer to a low speed and add a few spoons of flour at a time, allowing time for it to integrate into the mixture before adding more flour.
Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and divide in two portions.
Press the one portion of dough into the swissroll pan and even it out with your hands.
Spoon the apricot jam on top and spread it evenly over the dough layer.
Push the other portion of dough through a coarse grater, as though you are grating it. The dough is very soft and you will have to push it through with the heel of your hand and then spread it evenly over the jam layer.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes and cool completely on a cooling rack.
Slice into squares or fingers once cold and store in an airtight container.

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Mini Cinnamon Swirls

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Mini Cinnamon Swirls
Mini Cinnamon Swirls

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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Ice Cream Loaf

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Ice Cream Loaf
Ice Cream Loaf

300g ice cream
225g self-raising flour
food colouring, 3 colours of your choice
250ml icing sugar, sifted
vermicelli sprinkles

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a 22cm x 12cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Scoop the ice cream into a mixing bowl and allow it to melt. (You may melt it in the microwave as long as you don’t allow it to become hot).
Beat with an electric whisk until it is really fluffy.
Sift the flour over the ice cream and fold it in until well combined.
Spoon the batter into a loaf tin and randomly drip some food colouring on to the batter.
Swirl the colouring through with the tip of a knife.
Bake the loaf for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add 30ml of boiling water.
Mix through and pour over the top of the loaf, allowing it to run down.
Sprinkle the vermicelli over and allow 20 minutes to set.
Slice and serve.

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Lemon-Poppyseed Rusks

by Karen Claassen3 Comments on Lemon-Poppyseed Rusks
Lemon-Poppyseed Rusks

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.