homebaker – My Whisk and I

Baklava Cheesecake

June 27, 2022June 14, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This Greek cheesecake takes the ever popular cheesecake to a whole new level. If you try one new recipe, it should be this one!!! Yields 16 slices.

12 sheets phyllo pastry
83ml butter, melted
250ml + 250ml pistachio nuts, finely chopped
62ml sugar
2,5ml ground cinnamon
1,2ml ground allspice
250g cream cheese, room temperature
250g mascarpone cheese, room temperature
83ml honey
62ml milk
45ml flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and lightly spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray. Place the cake tin on a baking sheet.
Place one sheet of phyllo in the cake tin and very lightly press it onto the bottom and sides of the pan, leaving the extra pastry as an overhang at this stage. Brush the pastry with the melted butter.
Do the same with the 11 other phyllo sheets, brushing each and rotating the sheets slightly so that the corners are staggered. Set aside.
Add 250ml chopped pistachio, sugar, ground cinnamon and allspice to a mixing bowl and stir to mix.
Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the phyllo in the cake tin.
Place in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes or until the edges of the pastry are golden.
Remove and cool on a wire rack.
Turn your oven temperature down to 170℃.
Add the cream cheese and mascarpone to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Turn the mixer on to a low speed and mix until the mixture is smooth.
Add the honey, milk and flour with the machine running.
Finally add the eggs and, still on low speed, beat until just blended.
Pour the batter into the phyllo crust and bake for 1 hour or until the centre of the cheesecake is barely set.
Cool the cake on a wire rack for at least an hour and then cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate the cake overnight.
Take the cake from the baking tin and sprinkle with the 250ml chopped pistachio to serve.

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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.

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Chocolate Pistachio Thumbprints

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

125g butter
160ml sugar
1 egg, separated
30ml milk
5ml vanilla
250ml flour
83ml cocoa powder, sifted
1,2ml salt
250ml pistachio, finely chopped
80g nut butter chocolate, chopped
15ml cocoa butter

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 egg yolk, milk and vanilla and mix together.
Stir in the flour, cocoa powder and salt until combined.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Add the egg white to a small bowl and whisk until frothy.
Chop the pistachio finely (I do mine in a food processor) and place it in a shallow bowl.
Scoop up about 15ml of dough and roll it into small balls.
Now roll each ball in the egg white and then in the chopped pistachio.
Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet.
Use the back of a 2,5ml measuring spoon to make an indentation in the centre of each dough ball.
Bake the biscuits for 12 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately re-press the indentations you made. Set aside to cool completely.
Add the chocolate and cocoa butter to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and allow to melt.
Stir every now and then until smooth and glossy.
Remove from the heat and stand the bowl for about 30 minutes.
Spoon the chocolate into the indent in each biscuit and set aside to allow the chocolate to set – preferably overnight.
Makes about 25 biscuits.

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Bacon Cheesecake

November 19, 2021November 17, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Please give this savoury cheesecake a try: it is magnificent!

125g salted biscuits
80g butter, melted
250g bacon, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
500g ricotta cheese
500g cream cheese, room temperature
250ml parmesan/pecorino cheese, grated
4 eggs

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line the sides only, of a 22cm loose-bottom cake pan with baking paper.
Add the biscuits to the bowl of a food processor and drizzle in the melted butter, with the engine running.
Scoop the mixture into the prepared cake pan and press it evenly on the bottom. Place in the refrigerator.
Put a frying pan on medium heat and add about 5ml vegetable oil to it. Add the bacon and onion to the pan and cook until done.
Take the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.
Add the ricotta, cream cheese, grated parmesan and eggs to the bowl of a food processor and process until you have a smooth mixture.
Pour this mixture over the cooled bacon and onion and stir to combine.
Spoon into the prepared base and bake the cheesecake for 45 minutes.
Serve at room temperature with balsamic roasted beetroot (recipe on this site) and roasted onions.

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Chocolate Caramel Tart

October 27, 2021October 27, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Base:
225g chocolate biscuits
150g butter

Filling:
100g butter
200g brown sugar
2 x 385g tins of condensed milk
7,5ml salt

Topping:
83ml cream
160g dark bitter chocolate, chopped

For the base:
Preheat your oven to 160℃ and spray a 23cm loose base tart tin with cooking spray.
Add the biscuits to the bowl of a food processor and process to fine crumbs.
Add the melted butter and mix/blitz until the mixture looks like wet sand.
Spoon the crumb mixture into the tart tin and press it firmly into the base and sides of the tin.
Bake the tart base for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

For the filling:
Add the butter to a saucepan and melt it over medium heat.
Add the sugar and whisk to combine.
Keep stirring the mixture with the whisk until the sugar has melted completely.
Add the condensed milk and keep whisking to incorporate.
Cook the caramel for about 5 minutes, taking that it doesn’t overheat and burn, and then add the salt.
Pour the mixture into the tart case and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Take the tart from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

For the topping:
Add the cream and chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over simmering water.
Stir the mixture every now and then until smooth and completely melted.
Take the bowl from the heat and allow to stand for about 10 minutes. Give it a stir every now and then so that it cools down.
Spoon the chocolate onto the caramel layer and spread it evenly with a spatula.
Refrigerate the tart for 2 hours to set.
Allow the tart to come to room temperature before serving.

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Triple Chocolate Mousse

October 21, 2021October 20, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

150g milk chocolate, chopped
45ml boiling water
7,5ml powdered gelatine
3 eggs, separated
375ml whipping cream
150g milk chocolate, chopped
150g dark chocolate, chopped

Line a 22cm x 11cm loaf tin with plastic wrap, leaving enough plastic to make an overhang (so that you can fold it on top of the mousse later on). Tip: wet the loaf tin before lining it – the water will help the plastic “stick” to the the tin.
Add the white chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water and allow the chocolate to melt. Remove from the heat, give it a good stir and set it aside for about 5 minutes to cool.
Add 15ml of the boiling water to a small cup and sprinkle 2,5ml of the gelatine over. Stir the mixture continuously until the gelatine has dissolved completely – about 2 minutes of constant stirring.
Add the gelatine and one egg yolk to the melted chocolate and stir to combine.
Add 125ml cream to a mixing bowl and beat with electric beaters until soft peaks form.
Add the cream to the chocolate mixture and stir through until combined.
Add one egg white to a clean mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until soft peaks form
Fold the egg white into the chocolate mixture with a spatula.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and refrigerate for 1 hour or until the white chocolate layer is set.

Repeat the process with the milk chocolate and half of the remaining ingredients.
Pour over the white chocolate mousse and place back in the refrigerator for another hour or until set.

Repeat with the dark chocolate and the remaining ingredients.
Pour over the milk chocolate layer and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours.

Serve the mousse with a chocolate sauce or plenty of berries.