brunch inspiration – My Whisk and I

Croissant Bake

June 2, 2024June 1, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4 eggs
5ml vanilla
80ml sugar
500ml milk
125ml cream
5ml ground cinnamon
30ml butter
6 large croissants, halved
icing sugar
fresh berries

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place a 24cm cast iron pan in the oven for 10 minutes.
Add the eggs, vanilla and sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Pour in the milk and cream and add the cinnamon. Whisk to incorporate.
Remove the pan from the oven, add the butter to it and swirl it around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.
Pack the croissant halves, cut-side down into the pan and pour the egg mixture over it.
Cover the pan with aluminium foil, place it back into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to stand for 10 minutes.
Sieve some icing sugar over the croissant bake and scatter over fresh berries.
Serve while warm.

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Coconut-Banana Scrambled Eggs

February 3, 2024January 20, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2 bananas
30ml butter
2 eggs
30ml coconut cream
15ml coconut oil
15ml coconut flakes
15ml almond slivers

Peel the bananas and mash the one in a bowl. Set aside.
Slice the second banana into thick slices.
Place a pan on medium-high heat and add the butter.
Fry the banana slices until caramelised and golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the eggs and coconut cream to the mashed banana and stir through.
Add the coconut oil to the same frying pan, turn the heat down to medium-low and pour in the banana mixture.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Stir/move the egg and banana around in the pan until it is set to your liking. Ideally you should start to smell the banana as it starts giving off its natural sweetness.
Spoon into a bowl and place the fried banana on top.
Scatter over the coconut flakes and almond slivers to serve.

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Poached Pear on Yoghurt

January 28, 2024January 27, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1,5litres water
60ml lemon juice
a small bunch of thyme, tied together with string
6 small pears
500ml greek yoghurt
200ml honey
a handful of pistachio nuts, chopped

Prepare your poaching liquid by adding the water, lemon juice and thyme to a saucepan that is just big enough for the pears to fit in.
Peel the pears and place them, standing upright, into the liquid. Add more water if the pears are not immersed in the liquid.
Bring the poaching liquid to a boil and reduce the heat to a low simmer.
Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat and stand the pears in the liquid for another 20 minutes.
Scoop the yoghurt onto 6 plates/bowls and place a pear on top.
Drizzle the honey over each fruit and scatter the pistachio on top.
Serve warm or cold.

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Bacon Flapjacks

October 15, 2023September 14, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250g bacon
1 egg
62ml sugar
62ml + 62ml milk
15ml vegetable oil
250ml flour
10ml baking powder
1ml salt

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Cut another piece of baking paper that is slightly larger than your baking tray and keep aside.
Lay the bacon flat on the prepared tray.
Place the extra paper on top of the bacon and another baking tray on top of the paper.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
Cool the bacon on a cooling rack and pat it dry with paper towel to remove excess fattiness.
Add the egg and sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk together by hand.
Add 62ml milk and the vegetable oil and whisk until amalgamated.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the mixture and stir to combine.
Drizzle in the last 62ml milk while mixing, to form a thick, smooth batter.
Place a large frying pan on medium-high heat.
Pour in a splash of vegetable oil and wait for it to warm up.
Dip a bacon rasher into the batter and then immediately into the pan.
Fry for 3 minutes per side or until cooked and golden.
Serve the bacon flapjacks with maple syrup or honey.

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Breakfast Puffs

September 3, 2023August 18, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

140g flour
12,5ml baking powder
1,2ml salt
a pinch of smoked paprika
100g mature cheddar cheese, grated
250ml milk
1 egg

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and spray a 12-hole muffin tin with cooking spray.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and paprika into a mixing bowl.
Add the grated cheddar and mix through.
Add the milk and egg to a jug and whisk together.
Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix together to form a batter.
Spoon the batter into the muffin tin and bake for 15 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Cheese Crinkle Pie / Borek

August 1, 2023June 28, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 box phyllo pastry
125g butter, melted
300g feta cheese, crumbled
200ml sour cream
3 eggs
100ml milk
30ml black sesame seeds

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and brush a 18cm x 26cm ceramic dish with melted butter.
Crinkle together two sheets of phyllo pastry by folding them like an accordion. Place them against the longer side of the dish.
Repeat with the remaining pastry and keep stacking the crinkled sheets until the dish is filled and you have no phyllo left.
Take a butter knife and open up/space the crinkles of the pastry evenly within the dish.
Place the pastry in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and drizzle over the melted butter.
Put the dish back into the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
Crumble the feta in to a bowl and set aside.
Add the eggs and sour cream to another bowl, whisk together and pour over the feta.
Add the milk and whisk everything together.
Pour the mixture evenly over the stacked phyllo sheets and sprinkle the sesame seeds over.
Nudge the side of the pastry with a spatula to distribute the custard evenly on the sides of the dish.
Bake the pie for 40 minutes and serve immediately.

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Turkish Egg Brunch

July 22, 2023June 26, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is my take on the spicy Turkish Eggs – spicy but with a zippy herby sauce to balance the heat. The ingredients/sauces are enough to feed one person.

Red Sauce:
60g butter, cubed
10ml finely chopped red chilli
1,2ml ground cumin

Green Sauce:
125ml measuring cup, tightly packed with parsley
1 clove of garlic, minced
one quarter of a red onion, finely chopped
a pinch of salt
30ml olive oil
20ml red wine vinegar

3 eggs
cocktail tomatoes
baby spinach leaves
radish, sliced
cucumber, finely diced

For the Red Sauce:
Add the butter to a pan set over medium-high heat and allow it to melt.
Swirl the butter in the pan for 2 minutes while it bubbles away.
Pour it into a small heatproof bowl and add the chilli and cumin.
Stir through and leave to develop the flavours.

For the Green Sauce:
Chop the parsley very fine and add it to a small bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir through.
Set aside to develop the flavours for about 15 minutes.

Fry the eggs sunny side up.
Arrange the tomato, spinach, radish and cucumber around the egg.
Drizzle the red and green sauce over the plate and serve immediately.

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Honey and Pear Flapjacks

July 1, 2023June 25, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 egg
62ml sugar
125ml milk
15ml melted butter
250ml flour
10ml baking powder
1ml salt
3 pears, cut into 0,5cm thick slices
250ml mascarpone cream, room temperature
80ml syrup

Add the egg and sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Pour about half the milk and all of the melted butter into the bowl and whisk until amalgamated.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl and whisk again.
Now gradually add the rest of the milk and whisk to form a silky smooth batter.
Place a non-stick pan on medium-high heat, add a splash of vegetable oil and fry spoonfuls of the batter until golden. Flip the flapjack after three minutes and cook for another minute or so.
Add a small knob of butter to the pan and fry the sliced pear over high heat until slightly charred.
Build a stack by layering a flapjack, slice of pear, dollop of mascarpone and then repeat twice more.
Drizzle the syrup over and serve.

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Balsamic Mushroom and Avocado Bagel

June 5, 2023June 3, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

The quantities given is for one person.

1 bagel
15ml + 15ml butter
15ml olive oil
200g mushrooms, quartered
5ml thyme leaves
30ml + 30ml balsamic vinegar
1 avocado pear, peeled and sliced

Halve the bagel and spread it with a thin layer of butter.
Place a heavy-bottom pan on medium-high heat, place the bagel cut-side down and cook until golden and toasted. Set aside.
Keep the pan on the heat, add the other 15ml butter and olive oil and wait for it to melt and heat up.
Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for 3 – 4 minutes.
Add the thyme and 30ml balsamic vinegar and cook until the pan is dry. Remove from the heat.
Place the bagel on a serving plate and arrange the avocado slices on top.
Spoon the mushroom on the avocado and drizzle with the remaining balsamic vinegar.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Serve immediately.

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Guava Breakfast Bowl

May 31, 2023May 29, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

about 500g guavas, peeled
500g sugar
granola/muesli
vanilla yoghurt

Add the sugar and 2 litres of water to a large saucepan, set over medium-high heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the guavas, wait for the water to come to a boil and then turn dow the heat to a low simmer.
Cook for about 30 minutes.
Turn the heat off and leave the guavas in the liquid to steep overnight.
Remove the fruit from the liquid and slice into o,5cm thick slices.
Now layer granola, yoghurt and guava in a glass.
Enjoy and be healthy!