lunchbox – My Whisk and I

Cinnamon Rolls

May 23, 2024May 16, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

125ml milk
5ml instant yeast
5ml sugar
830ml flour
7,5ml baking powder
7,5ml salt
190ml yoghurt
1 egg

Cinnamon paste:
113g butter, melted
310ml brown sugar
30ml ground cinnamon
a pinch of salt

Icing:
30ml cream cheese, room temperature
1,2ml almond extract
1,2ml vanilla
a pinch of salt
250ml icing sugar, sifted
30ml milk

Warm the milk until tepid and pour it into a small bowl.
Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over, stir to dissolve and set aside until bubbly.
Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix together.
Add the yoghurt and egg to a small bowl and whisk together.
Add the milk mixture and yoghurt mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until a ball of dough forms.
Place the dough in an oiled mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for about 2 hours.
Lightly oil a clean work surface. Roll the dough on the oiled surface until it is a large rectangle.
Mix the butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and spread it evenly over the dough rectangle – spread it right to the edges.
Roll the long side of the dough up and cut rolls from it: divide the roll in half; divide the two half in half; etc.
Grease a 22cm round cake tin and place the rolls cut side up in it. Cover and set aside to rise for an hour or refrigerate overnight.
Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Bake the rolls for 25 minutes before removing and placing it on a cooling rack.
Add the cream cheese, almond essence, vanilla and salt to a small bowl and whisk together.
Now add the icing sugar and stir through.
Add the milk a little at a time so that the mixture is thick.
Drizzle the icing over the rolls while warm.

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Quince Leather

May 7, 2024April 25, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Follow the recipe as for the Membrillo.

Preheat your oven to 50℃.

Line a large baking sheet(s) with baking paper.
Pour the blitzed quince on to the paper and spread it out, about 3mm thick and as evenly as you can.
Place in the oven to dry for 7 – 8 hours. The fruit will remain slightly sticky when it is ready.
Once out of the oven, cool completely before rolling and slicing.

Store the quince wrapped in baking paper in a dry, well ventilated area.

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Almond Pastries

May 5, 2024May 3, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Almond cream:
215ml almond flour (125ml + 60ml + 30ml)
125ml sugar
2,5ml vanilla
2,5ml almond extract
15ml flour
1 egg
30ml milk

2 x rolls puff pastry
egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 15ml water/milk
100ml slivered almonds
45ml icing sugar

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Add the almond flour, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, flour, egg and milk to a mixing bowl and mix together. Set aside.
Lightly flour a working surface and lay out one sheet of puff pastry.
Spread the almond cream onto the pastry in an even layer.
Lay the second sheet of pastry on top and lightly press down onto it.
Slice into 2cm wide strips.
Twist the strips and then twist it again and bring the ends together to form a circular shape.
Press the ends together and lay each pastry circle on the prepared baking sheet.
Brush the pastries with the egg wash and sprinkle over the almond slivers.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Dust the hot pastries by sieving over the icing sugar.
Set aside to cool slightly.

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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!

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Potato Twists

February 17, 2024February 17, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g mashed potato
200g + 120g butter, cubed and very soft
10ml salt
1 egg
500ml flour
10ml baking powder
10ml mild curry powder
half a small onion, finely chopped
120g bag of salt and vinegar potato chips, finely crushed

Warm the mashed potato if it is cold.
Add the 200g butter and salt to the potato and mix through.
Now add the egg and stir until the ingredients are blended.
Sift the flour and baking powder over and mix until it comes together in a dough ball.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Add the 120g butter, curry powder and onion to a small bowl and melt together in the microwave oven.
Stir to mix and set aside.
Add the finely crushed potato chips to a shallow bowl and set aside.
Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the potato dough with a rolling pin.
Cut the dough into 1cm x 3cm strips.
Dip each strip into the curry mixture and then crumb it in the potato chips.
Twist each strip and lay it on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 12 minutes until golden.
Serve the potato twists warm or at room temperature. They are very good with a dip or sweet chilli sauce.

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Kale and Quinoa Salad

February 8, 2024February 7, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

125ml uncooked quinoa, prepared according to the packet instructions and cooled down
250ml thinly sliced kale
250ml thinly sliced baby spinach
2 red apples, cut into sticks/julienned
100g goat cheese, crumbled
60ml flaked almonds

Dressing:
60ml apple cider vinegar
30ml honey
15ml Dijon mustard
60ml olive oil

Add the quinoa, kale, spinach, apple, goat cheese and almonds to a large salad bowl and set aside.
Add the apple cider vinegar, honey and mustard to a small bowl and drizzle in the oil while whisking continuously.
Pour the dressing over the salad and mix through to serve.

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Banana Muffins

December 28, 2023December 11, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

You may add 125ml of chocolate chips or the same amount of chopped nuts to these delicious, moist muffins.
Yields 12 muffins.

500ml flour
10ml baking powder
5ml bicarbonate of soda
2.5ml salt
5ml ground cinnamon
200ml brown sugar
100ml greek yoghurt
125ml sunflower oil
5ml vanilla
250g/3 very ripe bananas
2 eggs

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups.
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon into a mixing bowl.
Add the brown sugar and stir through. Set aside.
Add the yoghurt, vegetable oil, vanilla and eggs to a jug and whisk together. Set aside.
Add the bananas to a bowl and mash them.
Add half of the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir through.
Now add half the banana and mix again.
Add the rest of the liquid and the rest of the banana and mix with a spatula.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cups and bake for 25 minutes.
Cool the muffins on a wire rack.

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Quick Beef Sliders

November 19, 2023October 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 tray of small hamburger/hotdog rolls
horseradish
200g mozzarella cheese, sliced
300g roast beef, sliced
1 jar caramelised onions
150g gruyère cheese, grated
30ml butter, melted
2,5ml garlic flakes
30ml poppy seeds

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a roasting tin with aluminium foil.
Slice the rolls in half horizontally and remove the top section.
Place the bottom half of the rolls in the lined roasting tin. Pack the rolls tightly together, touching.
Spread some horseradish over the bottom halves.
Now lay the mozzarella slices on top.
Cover the mozzarella with an even layer (or two or three) of sliced beef.
Spread a layer of caramelised onion on top and sprinkle over the grated cheese.
Place the top half of the rolls on top.
Mix the melted butter and garlic flakes in a small bowl and brush the rolls.
Sprinkle over the poppy seeds and cover the roasting tin with aluminium foil.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes.
Serve the sliders warm.

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Hertzoggies

November 10, 2023September 1, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Yields about 18 cookies.

Pastry:
250g flour
25g caster sugar
10ml baking powder
1,2ml salt
125g butter, room temperature, cubed
3 egg yolks
15ml cold water

Filling:
3 egg whites
250g sugar
500ml desiccated coconut
about 100ml smooth apricot jam

For the pastry:
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray 2 x 12-hole muffin tins with cooking spray.
Sift the flour, caster sugar, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
Add the butter and rub it into the dry mixture with your fingertips.
Whisk the egg yolks and water together and add it to the mixture.
Mix and knead by hand until you have a soft pastry.
Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes.

For the filling:
Add the egg whites to a mixing bowl and whisk to medium peaks.
Add the sugar a spoonful at a time, waiting about 15 seconds between each addition so that it is incorporated into the whites.
Add the coconut and fold through. Set aside.

Roll the pastry out to a 3mm thickness and cut out pastry circles of 7cm diameter.
Line the muffin tins with the circles.
Spoon about 7ml apricot jam into each pastry case and then divide the coconut and egg mixture amongst the cakes, topping it.
Bake in the oven for 22 minutes.
Cool the Hertzoggies in the muffin tins for 10 minutes before gently removing them to cool on a cooling rack.
Store in an airtight container.

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Nutty Finger Cookies

November 3, 2023September 1, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Yields about 30 sandwiched cookies.

4 egg whites
375ml caster sugar
125ml flour
50ml mixed nuts, finely chopped
200g white chocolate, chopped
chocolate/mixed vermicelli

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
Add the egg whites to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until it forms medium peaks.
Add the sugar gradually, a spoonful at a time, until all has been incorporated.
Mix the flour and chopped nuts, sprinkle it over the whites and fold in with a metal spoon.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle and pipe 6cm long logs onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 13 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before gently removing from the baking sheet.
Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and allow to melt.
Sandwich the cookies together and place them back on the cooled baking sheet to set.
Dip the ends of the cookies in the chocolate and then in the vermicelli.
Allow to set completely.
Store the finger cookies in an airtight container.