foodfluffer – My Whisk and I

Warm Chocolate Cake

June 6, 2022June 5, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

The original cake, Kladdkaka, is a traditional Swedish bake but this is my take on it, resulting in a warm dessert that is somewhere between a brownie and a lava cake. From start to finish it will take you 30 minutes to put together this more-ish chocolate cake!

80g chocolate, chopped
130g butter
250ml flour
125ml cocoa powder, sifted
330ml sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
5ml vanilla

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray. Dust the bottom of the tin with cocoa powder. Set aside.
Add the chocolate and butter to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and stir every now and then until completely melted. Pour the chocolate-butter mixture into a mixing bowl.
Add the flour, cocoa powder and sugar to the bowl and stir together by hand.
Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until combined.
Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 25 minutes.
The cake should have a firm top that cracks when you apply pressure to it with your finger.
Allow the cake to cool slightly in the cake tin. Run a knife between the cake and the tin and remove the cake ring.
Serve warm with a dusting of icing sugar.

Pistachio Chocolate Brownies

May 12, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

380g soft butter
320g chocolate, chopped
6 eggs
15ml vanilla
500g sugar
230g flour
5ml salt
300g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line an oven tray with aluminium foil.
Melt the butter and chocolate together over a very low heat.
Take from the heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes so that it cools down slightly.
Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
Now beat the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture.
Add the flour, salt and nuts and mix through.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking tray and bake for 30 minutes.
The top should be dried and pale and the middle still dark and gooey!!
Enjoy as is or serve slightly warm with vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Pancakes

July 14, 2021June 22, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

These pancakes are not cocoa-chocolatey-looking but actually contain real chocolate in the batter!! Whether you serve them with ice-cream, fresh fruit and Chantilly cream or plain, from-the-pan, you will love them! Yields about 12 pancakes depending on the size of your pan.

80g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa
250ml + 100ml milk
90ml caster sugar
200g cake flour
100ml water
3 eggs
2,5ml vanilla
butter for frying

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and add it to a small saucepan.
Pour in 100ml milk and place on a very low heat.
Stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted completely and remove from the heat.
Add the 250ml milk and caster sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl.
Pour the water, eggs and vanilla into a jug and whisk it together.
Pour the egg mixture into the flour in a very thin stream while whisking. Pour slowly, whisk quickly …. you don’t want lumps in your batter!
Now whisk in the chocolate mixture in the same way.
Cover the batter with a tea towel and allow to stand for one hour.

Heat a frying/crêpe pan until it is very hot.
Add a knob of butter and swirl it around so that it covers the surface of the pan.
Pour in a ladleful of batter and swirl again to evenly distribute in the pan.
Turn the heat down slightly and cook the pancake for 1 minute.
Turn the pancake over with a spatula and cook for another 30 seconds. (The combination of sugar and chocolate burns really easy!!)
Keep going with the rest of the batter until you have a heavily stack of chocolate pancakes.
Serve warm.

Potato-Rösti Vegetable Bake

June 30, 2021June 19, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is an easy vegetarian bake for weekday dinners and needs only a salad to accompany it. Serves 6 hungry adults.

Potato crust:
600g potato, unpeeled
5ml garlic salt
40ml flour
1 egg

Filling:
2 onions
250g mushrooms
250g zucchini
250g cheddar cheese
4 eggs
125ml cream
5ml salt
5ml mustard

For the potato crust:
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and grease a loose-bottomed cake tin.
Spread a clean tea towel onto a work surface and grate the potato directly onto it, with the skin on.
Fold the towel over the potato, gathering all ends together and twist and squeeze the potato over your kitchen sink until all the excess moisture has been removed. Put the potato into a mixing bowl.
Sprinkle the garlic salt and flour over the grated potato and mix through with your hands in order to distribute all ingredients as evenly as possible.
Now add the egg and mix in the same way.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and press it tightly into the base and sides of the tin with the back of a spoon.
Place the cake tin on a flat baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and set aside.

For the filling:
Put a frying pan on to medium heat and add some oil to it.
Slice the onions and fry them until soft and translucent. Spoon the onion into a large mixing bowl.
Turn the heat up to high, slice the mushrooms and add them to the hot pan. Cook until caramelised. Spoon into the bowl with the onion.
Grate the zucchini and cheese directly into the mixing bowl with the onion and mushroom. Mix together.
Spoon the vegetable-cheese mixture in to the potato crust. Set aside.
Add the eggs, cream, salt and mustard to a mixing bowl and whisk together. Gently pour over the vegetable mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, until golden and set.
Remove from the oven and stand in the baking tin for 30 minutes.
Slice and serve warm.

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.

Middle-Eastern Rice Pudding

June 25, 2021June 13, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is fragrant dessert with rose water and honey and is based on the traditional Roz bel Laban. The recipe provides 6 generous portions depending on the size of the glasses or bowls it is served in.

500ml milk
250ml cream
2 cinnamon quills
6 cloves
1,2ml ground cardamon
250ml rice
30ml sugar
500ml water
83ml condensed milk
30ml butter
30ml rose water
honey and pistachio nuts to serve

Add the milk, cream, cinnamon, cloves and cardamon to a saucepan.
Turn the heat on medium and wait for the mixture to come to the boil.
Turn the heat down so that the mixture simmers and add the rice, sugar and water.
Allow the mixture to simmer until the rice is cooked, stirring continuously. This will take 30 – 40 minutes. Do not leave the mixture – keep an eye on it!
Take the saucepan from the heat and add the condensed milk, rose water and butter. Stir thoroughly.
Spoon the rice pudding into glasses or serving bowls.
Drizzle each dessert with honey and a sprinkling of pistachio nuts.
The rice pudding is best served warm.

Nut Brittle

June 22, 2021June 13, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a simple recipe and requires no thermometer. Brittle is best made on days with sunshine as the moisture from mist and rain will cause the brittle to become/stay sticky. Best kept in an airtight container lined with wax paper, at room temperature.

250ml sugar
62ml water
2,5ml salt
375ml peanuts, cashew, blanched/raw almonds or pistachio nuts

Line a rimmed baking sheet with baking paper and spray it with cooking spray.
Spread the nuts onto the prepared baking sheet and set aside.
Add the sugar, water and salt to a small saucepan.
Place onto a high heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Cook the mixture for 4 minutes WITHOUT stirring and start checking the colour – you are aiming for an amber colour. You may cook the sugar for longer until it reaches the colour you like.
Remove from the heat and pour over the nuts.
Set aside to cool and set.
Keep the brittle in a sealed container lined with wax paper, at room temperature.

Ricotta-filled Chocolate Ravioli

June 18, 2021June 13, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a savoury dish that will get conversations (and your tastebuds) going….. Serves 6 people.

500ml bread flour
190ml cocoa powder
5 eggs
2,5ml salt

For the filling:
250ml ricotta cheese
80g dark/bitter chocolate, finely chopped
a pinch of salt

100g butter
20 sage leaves

Sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt together onto a clean work surface.
Make a well in the centre and put in the eggs.
Mix the eggs with your fingers and gradually draw in the flour and cocoa mixture to form a soft, but not sticky, dough.
Add more flour or egg, if needed, to get the right consistency.
Knead for 10 minutes until you have a smooth and elastic dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave in the fridge to chill for one hour.

Mix the ricotta, chopped chocolate and a pinch of salt with a wooden spoon until smooth.
Roll the pasta through a pasta machine.
Lay one sheet of pasta flat and form walnut-sized balls with the ricotta mixture. Place the ricotta balls onto the sheet of pasta.
Wet the area around the ricotta-balls with water and lay a second sheet of pasta on top.
Press down and around the ricotta balls so that the top sheet of pasta sticks.
Cut individual ravioli shapes with a round cutter and cook them for three minutes in simmering water.
Keep warm while making the sage-butter.

Add the butter to a small saucepan and place it on a high heat.
Allow the butter to melt and then to caramelise – regulate the heat: you want the butter to turn brown and become nutty without burning.
Add the sage leaves once the butter has browned and immediately turn off the heat. Be careful the butter will spatter as you add the sage.

Arrange the cooked ravioli on plates and spoon the butter and sage over.
Serve with a crusty bread.

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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