lunchbox – Page 2 – My Whisk and I

Garlic Potato Puffins

October 29, 2023September 27, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

750ml mashed potato, cold
30g + 150g butter, melted
150g flavoured cream cheese, room temperature
180ml + 180ml grated, mature cheddar cheese
3 eggs
30ml grated parmesan cheese
15ml + 15ml chopped chives
5ml garlic flakes
5ml salt
250ml sour cream

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and brush a 12-hole muffin tin with the 30g melted butter.
Add the mashed potato, 150g melted butter and cream cheese to a mixing bowl and mix together until the ingredients are well distributed.
Add 180ml cheddar, eggs, parmesan, 15ml chives, garlic flakes and salt and mix together.
Divide the mixture between the muffin cups and sprinkle the remaining 180ml cheddar over.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Remove the baking tin from the oven and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes.
Run a small knife around the edges of each cup and gently lift out the puffins.
Scoop a dollop of sour cream onto each potato puffin and scatter the 15ml chives over to serve.

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Biltong and Cheese Rolls

October 28, 2023September 9, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

These rolls are made with tortilla wraps and sliced into three portions once done. The quantities given is for ONE TORTILLA WRAP.

1 tortilla wrap
15ml mayonnaise
25-30g biltong, sliced and then roughly chopped (it makes it easier to eat)
25-30g mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Lay a tortilla wrap on a work surface and brush a thin layer of mayonnaise over the entire surface.
Flip the wrap over and brush the rest of the mayonnaise over the surface in a much thicker layer.
Sprinkle the chopped biltong evenly over the tortilla and then top it with a cheese layer.
Roll the wrap up into a tight roll and place it on the baking tray, open side facing down.
Make as many rolls as you need.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes but start checking after 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven, slice in three even portions and arrange on a serving platter.

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Greek Shortbread

October 27, 2023September 8, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Yields about 35 biscuits.

200g butter, room temperature
250ml + 80ml icing sugar, sifted
1 egg
1 egg yolk
625ml flour
7,5ml baking powder
5ml ground cinnamon
420ml ground almonds/almond meal

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Add the butter and icing sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and egg yolk and mix again. Scrape down.
Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and almonds to the bowl and mix together until incorporated.
Scoop about 15ml of the mixture into your hands and shape it into crescents. (Roll a ball, roll it in to a 3-4cm log and slope the ends downwards. Drape it over your finger to form a crescent)
Space the cookies evenly on the baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to stand on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.
Sift the 80ml icing sugar over the biscuits and leave to cool completely.
Hint: Hide some of the biscuits……they fly away on their own!

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Biltong Quickbread

October 14, 2023September 9, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500ml flour
15ml sugar
7,5ml baking powder
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
2,5ml salt
250ml buttermilk
1 egg
62ml vegetable oil
200g mature cheddar cheese, grated
150g biltong, sliced and chopped

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 22cm x 12cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the buttermilk, egg and vegetable oil to a jug and whisk together.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Stir with a spatula until you can’t see any dry flour.
Add the cheddar and biltong and stir really well so that the ingredients are distributed evenly.
Spoon into the prepared loaf tin and level out the top.
Bake in the oven for 50 minutes.
Cool the bread in the baking tin for 15 minutes.
Remove from the tin and cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.

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Chocolate Biscuit Slice

October 10, 2023September 12, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

200g plain sweet biscuits
125g butter, melted
395g can condensed milk
290g dark chocolate, chopped

Line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking paper.
Add the biscuits to a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb.
Drizzle in the melted butter and add 80ml of the condensed milk.
Pulse until the mixture is combined.
Spoon into the prepared tin, smooth the surface and set aside.
Add the rest of the condensed milk to a heatproof bowl and add the chopped chocolate.
Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate has melted.
Stir the mixture well and pour over the biscuit base.
Spread it out into an even, smooth layer.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
Remove from the tin and slice into squares.

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Jam Squares

October 3, 2023September 8, 2023by Karen Claassen2 Comments

Yields about 35 squares.

250ml sugar
250g butter, cubed
2 eggs
a pinch of salt
10ml baking powder
750ml flour
125ml apricot jam

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a swissroll pan (32cm x 22cm) with cooking spray.
Add the sugar and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on high speed until creamy.
Add the eggs and beat on high speed for 1 minute.
Scrape the mixture down and mix again.
Add the salt, baking powder and flour to a mixing bowl and stir to mix.
Turn the mixer to a low speed and add a few spoons of flour at a time, allowing time for it to integrate into the mixture before adding more flour.
Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and divide in two portions.
Press the one portion of dough into the swissroll pan and even it out with your hands.
Spoon the apricot jam on top and spread it evenly over the dough layer.
Push the other portion of dough through a coarse grater, as though you are grating it. The dough is very soft and you will have to push it through with the heel of your hand and then spread it evenly over the jam layer.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes and cool completely on a cooling rack.
Slice into squares or fingers once cold and store in an airtight container.

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Easy Fudge

October 2, 2023September 12, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This may not be the best looking fudge but on boy, it delivers on taste…!

100g butter
750g caster sugar
1 x 385g can condensed milk
150ml milk
2,5ml vanilla

Line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking paper and set aside.
Add the butter, caster sugar and condensed milk to a medium-large saucepan and place over a medium to low heat.
Allow the butter to melt.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and simmer for 25 minutes while stirring regularly to prevent the mixture from sticking to the saucepan.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the vanilla and whisk for 5 minutes with an electric whisk. You are cooling the mixture down and want it to be really thick.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin and level the top.
Set aside to cool for an hour and cut into squares.

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Mini Cinnamon Swirls

September 24, 2023September 6, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500ml self-raising flour
30ml flour
30ml caster sugar
150g butter, cubed
125ml milk
1 egg
10ml vanilla
125ml brown sugar
5ml ground cinnamon
25g butter, cubed
20g butter, melted

Glaze:
375ml icing sugar, sifted
15ml boiling water

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 24-hole mini-muffin tin with cooking spray.
Add the self-raising and regular flours, caster sugar and butter to a food processor and process to fine crumbs.
Tip the mixture into a mixing bowl.
Add the milk, egg and vanilla to a jug and whisk together.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. The dough will be very sticky. Set aside.
Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to a bowl and stir to mix.
Add the 25g butter and rub it into the sugar with your fingers.
Flour a work surface and divide the dough in half.
Roll out to 35cm x 20cm rectangle.
Sprinkle half the sugar and butter mixture evenly over the surface and roll it into a long, tight log.
Trim the edges neatly and then cut the log in to 1,5cm slices.
Place each slice in a hole in the muffin tin.
Melt the 20g butter and brush it on to the swirls.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove and cool on a cooling rack.

For the glaze:
Add the icing sugar to a small bowl and pour in 15ml of boiling water.
Mix together and drizzle over the swirls.
Stand the cookies for 20 minutes to set, before serving.

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Devilled Egg Pasta Salad

September 21, 2023September 6, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

9 eggs, hardboiled
250g small pasta/macaroni
190ml mayonnaise
25ml wholegrain mustard
15ml lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
5ml salt
2,5ml smoked paprika
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely sliced

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until cool.
Peel the eggs and quarter them.
Separate the whites and yolks in two bowls.
Chop up the whites and set aside.
Set a sieve over a bowl, add the yolks and push them through with the sieve with a wooden spoon.
Add the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, salt and paprika to the bowl and mix through.
Add the cooled pasta to the bowl and stir through to coat the pasta with the dressing.
Now add the chopped egg whites, red onion and spring onion and mix through.
Serve the pasta as a main or as the perfect side for a picnic, braai or bbq.

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Chocolate Crunch Bars

September 14, 2023September 3, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

750ml Rice Krispies (puffed rice cereal)
250ml peanut butter, I like the crunchy
125ml maple syrup
250g chocolate, chopped
60ml butter, cubed

Line a 200cm x 200cm baking tin with baking paper.
Add the Rice Krispies to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Add the peanut butter, syrup, chocolate and butter to a saucepan and place over a very low heat until melted.
Remove from the heat and stir through.
Pour this mixture over the Rice Krispies and mix until well combined.
Spoon into the prepared baking tin, level it out and refrigerate for one hour.
Cut into bars.