foodies – Page 2 – My Whisk and I

Broccoli Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

October 25, 2021October 24, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250g tenderstem broccoli, blanched
200g streaky bacon
1 large / 2 small avocado pear, pitted and peeled
60ml peanuts, toasted

Blue Cheese Dressing:
60ml sour cream
60ml mayonnaise
60ml milk
100g blue cheese, crumbled
15ml parsley, chopped
15ml lemon juice
a pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Place the bacon on the baking sheet and bake in the oven until crispy.
Arrange the blanched broccoli, bacon and sliced avocado on a serving platter.

For the dressing:
Add all the ingredients to a jug and whisk together to amalgamate.

Drizzle the dressing on the salad and sprinkle the peanuts over before serving.

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Flower Jellies

October 11, 2021October 10, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

These pretty flower jellies can be served as a light dessert or as a palate cleanser. The wine may be replaced with grape or any other clear juice.

6 eggs
edible flowers
10ml powdered gelatine
45ml cold water
45ml sugar
150ml very hot water
75ml white wine or clear fruit juice

Poke a hole in the bottom of the eggs and pour out the insides. Thoroughly wash the inside of the shells and wipe dry.
Push the edible flowers inside the empty shells.
Pour 45ml water into a bowl and sprinkle the gelatine on top. Set aside to bloom for 5 minutes.
Add the sugar to the gelatine and pour in the hot water. Stir the mixture until the sugar and gelatine has dissolved completely.
Set aside to cool for a few minutes and then add the white wine. Mix well and allow to cool to room temperature.
Pour the gelatine mixture into the egg shells and refrigerate until firm. (about 6 hours)
Peel the egg shell away and serve the flower jellies.

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Butternut Rolls

August 25, 2021August 22, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

These rolls are deliciously moist and soft and make for a great dinner roll, with a boost of veggies!!

190ml cooked and mashed butternut (about one large butternut)
190ml milk
10g instant yeast
450g bread flour
50g cake flour
45g caster sugar
15ml honey
7,5ml salt
45g butter
about 45ml melted butter

Add the mashed butternut and milk to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Mix together on a low speed for 2 minutes.
Add the yeast, bread flour, cake flour, caster sugar and honey and mix on a low speed until the mixture comes together as a rough dough.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Cut the butter into small pieces and set aside.
Remove the plastic wrap, add the salt and knead the dough on medium speed for 1 minute.
Add the butter pieces one at a time, with the machine running and knead until the dough is silky smooth. About 6 minutes.
Lightly oil a mixing bowl and place the dough in it. Cover and allow to rise until double in size (about 1 hour).
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 12-hole muffin tin with cooking spray.
Transfer the dough to a working surface and divide into twelve equal pieces.
Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place it into the prepared muffin tin.
Cover the muffin tin with a plastic bag and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
Bake the rolls for 16 minutes.
Melt an additional 45ml of butter in the microwave oven.
Take the rolls from the oven, brush the rolls with the melted butter and place back in the oven for a further 3 minutes.
Take the rolls from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.
Serve with butter and honey.

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Easy Apple Crumble

August 23, 2021August 22, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Easy to make and even easier to eat, apple crumble is a dessert classic for good reason!

1kg apples (5-6 large apples)
25g brown sugar
5ml ground cinnamon

For the crumble:
110g pistachio nuts (you may replace it with pecan if you like)
75g butter, diced
175g self-raising flour
10ml ground cinnamon
110g brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Peel and core the apples and then cut them into 3cm chunks.
Add the apple chunks, brown sugar and cinnamon to a mixing bowl and toss everything together with your hands.
Scoop the apple mixture into a 18cm X 28cm ceramic dish and set aside.

For the crumble:
Chop the pistachios into smaller pieces. Set aside.
Add the butter and self-raising flour to a mixing bowl and rub it together with your fingertips until it resembles crumbs.
Stir in the cinnamon, brown sugar and chopped pistachio nuts.
Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the apples, spreading it right up to the edges of the dish. Press the crumble down with the palm of your hand. (If the mixture is tightly packed it will be really crispy)
Now run the tines of a fork over the surface.
Place the crumble in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
Serve the apple crumble with big scoops of vanilla ice cream.

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Profiteroles

August 5, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

There is absolutely no “hidden tricks” when it comes to baking perfect profiteroles! Follow the instructions and you will have the satisfaction of perfect fresh profiteroles on your teatime table.

250ml boiling water
125ml butter, cubed
250ml cake flour
2,5ml salt
4 eggs
80g dark chocolate, melted
1 batch crème pâtisserie (search this blog for the recipe)

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Pour the water into a cast-iron/heavy-bottom saucepan and bring to a rapid boil.
Add the cubed butter and stir until melted.
Add the salt to the cake flour and then add it all to the saucepan with boiling water-butter, at once.
Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together in a ball in the centre of the saucepan.
Take the saucepan from the heat and add the eggs, one at a time.
Beat the mixture well. The egg should be completely incorporated before you add the next one. This is a real arm workout but do try and work quick as you need the steam from the heat!
Spoon a heaped teaspoon of the mixture on to the prepared baking tray, leaving enough space in between as the profiteroles expand quite a lot while baking.
Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Turn the oven temperature down to 160℃ and bake for another 20 minutes.
Take the tray from the oven and immediately slit a small sharp knife into the bottom of each profiterole, making as small a cut as possible, for the steam to escape.
Cool completely on a cooling rack.
Cut the profiteroles open and fill each of them with crème pâtissière (search the recipe on this blog: Custard Buns) or whipped cream.
Spoon some melted chocolate on to each filled pastry and set aside for the chocolate to set.
Serve with a smile!

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Yoghurt Quick Bread

July 5, 2021July 6, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Easy, healthy and delicious!

250ml wholewheat flour
250ml cake flour
125ml sugar
7,5ml baking powder
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
2,5ml salt
15ml each of sesame, poppy and sunflower seeds
250ml greek yoghurt
1 egg
62ml vegetable oil

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and grease a standard 23cm X 13cm loaf pan.
Add the wholewheat flour, cake flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and seeds to a mixing bowl and mix through with a whisk.
Add the yoghurt, egg and vegetable oil to a wide-mouthed jug and whisk together.
Pour the liquid ingredients in to the dry ingredients and stir through with a spatula until all the flour has been incorporated and you are left with a shaggy, wet batter.
Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and pat it down into the corners.
Bake the loaf for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the loaf, comes out clean.
Take the bread from the oven and cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out.
Allow to cool completely before slicing.

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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.