lekker – My Whisk and I

Millionaire’s Cheat Pots

November 21, 2024November 20, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

10 shortbread biscuits
360g tin caramel treat
100g dark chocolate, chopped
150ml double cream

Place the biscuits in a plastic bag and smash them with a rolling pin until you have crumbs.
Scoop a large heaped dessert spoon of crumbs into 6 ramekins/glasses and give it a shake to level out. Set aside.
Scoop the caramel out of the tin into a mixing bowl. Stir/beat by hand until softened.
Now scoop a spoonful of caramel onto the biscuit crumb and level it out slightly with the back of a teaspoon. Set aside.
Place the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water.
Stir until the chocolate has melted completely.
Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside for 20 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Beat the cream and chocolate with electric beaters for about 4 minutes – it has to become airy and thick.
Divide the mixture between the ramekins and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Take the cheat pot from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving.

This dessert may be prepared two days in advance.

Uncategorized

Mini Banana Cheesecakes

September 8, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

200g tennis biscuits, finely crumbed (keep a handful aside for decoration/to serve)
60ml sugar
120g butter, melted
450g cream cheese, room temperature
125ml sugar
2 eggs
5ml vanilla
250ml sour cream
250ml mashed banana
5ml cornstarch
125ml milk
2 bananas, sliced
whipped cream
a handful of biscuit crumbs

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line a muffin tin with paper cups. Set aside.
Add the biscuit crumbs, 60ml sugar and melted butter to a mixing bowl and mix until it resembles wet sand.
Divide the mixture among the paper cups and press it down firmly in the bottom to form a base. Set aside.
Add the cream cheese and 125ml sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat on high speed, scraping down a few times, until smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and add the vanilla as well.
Pour in the sour cream and mix until fully combined. Set aside.
Add the mashed banana and cornstarch to a bowl and drizzle in the milk. Whisk by hand until combined and thick.
Fold the mixture into the cream cheese mixture.
Spoon the batter into the prepared biscuit bases.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Allow the cheesecakes to cool completely and place them in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours.
Take the cheesecakes from the paper cups, scoop some whipped cream on top and decorate with slices of banana and a sprinkling of biscuit crumbs.

Uncategorized

Pomegranate Scones

April 13, 2024April 12, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

280g cake flour
8ml baking powder
2,5ml salt
100g butter, ice cold
25g sugar
62ml cream
62ml yoghurt
1 egg
45ml pomegranate seeds
egg wash: 1 egg + 15ml water whisked together

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Grate the butter into the flour.
Now rub the butter into the flour with your fingers.
Add the sugar, cream, yoghurt, egg and pomegranate seeds to a mixing bowl and whisk together to blend.
Cut the mixture with a palette knife to mix together, i.e. cut straight down into the ingredients and turn the bowl. Keep on cutting and turning until the mixture comes together.
Lightly dust a work surface and turn the dough out onto it.
Push the dough together even if there are bits that look dry.
Shape the dough into a rectangle by rolling it out on the surface.
Now turn up a third of the length and then turn over a third of the top part.
Roll this out to a thickness of 3,5cm and then shape the dough into a circle with your hands.
Place the disc on the prepared baking sheet and cut it into 8 wedges.
Brush the top of the scones with the egg wash and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack for another 15 minutes before serving.

Uncategorized

Marshmallow Popcorn

February 27, 2024February 26, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

12 x 250ml popcorn (about one and a half bags of microwave popcorn)
salt (optional)
125ml butter
125ml brown sugar
220g marshmallows

Add the popcorn to a very large mixing bowl and sprinkle over some salt. Set aside.
Add the butter and sugar to a saucepan set over medium heat and stir until both the butter and sugar has melted completely.
Add the marshmallows and keep moving everything around until you have a thick, runny mixture.
Take off the heat and pour over the popcorn. Mix the popcorn until it is evenly covered in the marshmallow mixture.
Best eaten when slightly warm but almost as good at room temperature!

Uncategorized

Dressed-up Chicken Pie

February 25, 2024February 24, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

6-9 chicken breasts, skin removed
1 litre chicken stock
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml turmeric
15ml chicken spice
15ml salt
10ml thyme leaves
250ml greek yoghurt
1 x 400g roll puff pastry
egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 15ml water whisked together

Cut the chicken into chunks and add it to a large saucepan.
Pour in the stock and add enough additional water to cover the chicken.
Bring to a simmer and cook for one hour.
Turn off the heat and allow the chicken to cool in the liquid. (This will ensure you have juicy, tender chicken for your pie!)
When it is cool enough to handle comfortably: drain and discard the liquid and pull the chicken meat into shreds.
Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Put a saucepan over medium-high heat and add a splash of oil.
Add the onion and cook until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Now add the turmeric, chicken spice, salt, thyme, yoghurt and shredded chicken and simmer for 20 minutes.
Spoon the mixture into a 20cm x 28cm ovenproof dish and allow to cool.
Lay the pastry flat on a work surface and cut long strips from it that is 2cm wide.
Lay two strips over the cooled chicken, forming an X. Lay another two strips 3mm to the outsides of the X-shape. Keep going until the chicken is covered in a non-weave lattice pattern.
Use a flower shaped cookie cutter to cut multiple pastry flowers and stick them onto the lattice by wetting only with water.
Brush the decorated pastry with egg wash and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until golden.
Serve warm with a salad.

Uncategorized

Savoury Puff Pastry Slices

February 24, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 x 400g roll puff pastry
pea shoots or any other soft herbs (you may press them for an hour or so before using but it isn’t necessary)
250g cream cheese, room temperature
250g frozen peas, defrosted
15ml finely chopped mint leaves
15ml finely chopped chives
a good pinch of salt

Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Cut an extra sheet of paper and set aside.
Place the lined baking sheet on a work surface and unroll the pastry directly onto it.
Trim the sides of the pastry so that you have a perfect rectangle.
Divide/cut the pastry in half lengthwise.
Mark the pastry, in its length, at 6cm intervals, so that you can cut it into rectangular discs.
NB: Cut the discs but do not move them apart – the sides will stay straight this way.
Lay the pea shoots/herbs all over the pastry and place the extra sheet of baking paper on top.
Flip the pastry over (keep it between the baking paper) so that the herbs face down. Refrigerate for one hour.
Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Add the cream cheese, peas, mint, chives and salt to a bowl and mix together. Set aside.
Take the pastry from the refrigerator and place another baking sheet on top of the baking paper.
Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
Spread the pea-cream cheese on to half the pastry rectangles and place another rectangle on top.
Serve the pastry slices at room temperature.

Uncategorized

Polenta Baby Dutch Pancake with Beef Ragout

February 4, 2024February 3, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Ragout:
30ml vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, finely diced
500g cubed beef
50ml tomato paste
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomato
30ml Worcestershire sauce
30ml thyme leaves
500ml beef stock

Polenta Baby Dutch Pancake:
45ml butter
3 eggs
150ml cake flour
30ml polenta
a pinch of salt

For the ragout:
Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion and carrot. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the beef and cook until browned.
Add the tomato paste, chopped tomato, Worcestershire sauce and thyme and cook for another 2 minutes.
Pour in the stock and bring the beef to a low simmer.
Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and you have beautifully tender beef covered in a thick sauce.

For the Baby Dutch:
Preheat your oven to 220℃.
Add the butter to a cast iron frying pan of about 24cm diameter and place the pan in the oven to heat up.
Add all the ingredients to a food processor or a suitable container for a stick blender and blend until the batter is completely smooth.
Open the oven door, swirl the hot butter around and up the sides of the pan and immediately pour the batter into the pan.
Close the door and bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Do not open the door before 20 minutes, the pancake won’t rise!!
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer it to a serving plate.

Spoon the ragout into the pancake and add some tomato and fresh spinach leaves on top.
Serve with a glass of crisp white wine.

Uncategorized

Potato Curls

January 23, 2024January 20, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

potato
vegetable oil
salt

Peel the potato.
Now slice the potato with a vegetable peeler as though you are peeling an apple. Try and keep the strips as long as possible.
Place the strips in a large bowl and fill it with cold water. Soak for 30 minutes.
Drain and dry the strips on kitchen paper.
Heat some oil in a saucepan and deep-fry the potato until golden.
Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Uncategorized

How to make a Creamy Salad Dressing

December 22, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This recipe yields about 200ml of dressing and can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 days.

15ml honey
60ml apple cider vinegar
125ml oil
45ml greek yoghurt
the juice of half a lemon

Add the honey and vinegar to a small bowl and whisk together.
Drizzle in the oil, a little at a time while whisking continuously until all the oil has been incorporated.
Add the yoghurt and whisk until amalgamated.
Finally add the lemon juice and season the dressing with salt.
Keep unused dressing in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

Uncategorized

Salmon Rillettes

December 10, 2023July 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 onion, chopped
250ml dry white wine
750ml water
5ml whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 lemon, zested and juiced
250g fresh salmon, skin removed
125g smoked salmon, chopped
30ml + 30ml butter, cubed and at room temperature
30ml sour cream
45ml dill/parsley, chopped
15ml capers, finely chopped
15ml olive oil

Add half of the chopped onion, all of the white wine, water and peppercorns to a saucepan.
Add the bay leaf and lemon juice and bring the mixture to the boil.
Add the fresh salmon to the liquid, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the salmon from the liquid and allow it to cool. You may discard the poaching liquid.
Gently flake the salmon with your fingers and add it to a bowl. Set aside to cool completely.
Add 30ml of the butter to a pan set over medium heat.
Add the remaining onion and cook until soft.
Now add the lemon zest, smoked salmon, sour cream, dill, capers, olive oil, the remaining 30ml butter and the cooked onion to the flaked salmon.
Stir the mixture together to combine evenly but be careful not to mush the salmon.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Take the salmon from the fridge and allow 30 minutes for it to come back to room temperature.
Serve on crostini or crackers.

The salmon can be kept in the refrigerator for three days. Spoon it into a glass jar, melt about 50g of butter and pour over before sealing with the lid.