recipe – Page 67 – My Whisk and I

Chocolate Cake with Prunes

May 7, 2021May 3, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

If you like chocolate and you like prunes, this flourless cake is what you have been waiting for!

400g prunes
200ml Port or Madeira
30g granulated sugar

For the prunes:
Add the prunes, port and sugar to a small saucepan and place on medium heat.
Stir to dissolve the sugar and then allow the mixture to simmer on a medium to low heat until the liquid is reduced to a syrup.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside to cool.

340g dark chocolate, chopped
170g butter, cubed
80g sugar
200g cooled prunes (from the mixture you have made above)
6 eggs, separated
1,2ml salt

Preheat your oven to 170℃.
Grease a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin and dust the bottom and sides with cocoa powder.
Add the chopped chocolate and butter to a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Allow to melt, stirring occasionally until completely melted and smooth.
Add half the sugar (40g) to the chocolate mixture and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the bowl from the saucepan.
Now take 200g of the prunes from the port syrup, drain and chop into small pieces and add these to the chocolate mixture.
Allow the mixture to cool for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate and stir to combine.

Add the egg whites and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Whisk the whites until they form soft peaks.
Now start adding the remaining half of the sugar, a teaspoon at a time, with the machine running.
The whites should hold their shape and be glossy.
Spoon a third of the whites into the chocolate mixture and stir it through to slacken the chocolate.
Fold the rest of the whites into the mixture with a metal spoon, until there are no white streaks left.
Gently pour the batter into the prepared cake tine and bake for 45 minutes.
Cool the cake in the baking tin.
Serve with the remaining prunes in the syrup.

Uncategorized

Sweet Potato Brownies

April 30, 2021April 28, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

These brownies are moist with an intense chocolate taste and surprisingly, very light in texture. Store them in a sealed container at room temperature for 3 – 4 days.

100g butter
250g dark chocolate, chopped
250ml sweet potato, cooked and mashed
125ml brown sugar
250ml granulated sugar
4 eggs
7,5ml vanilla
2,5ml salt
165ml flour
125ml cocoa powder

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Line a baking tin, 18cm X 28cm or 23cm X 23cm with baking paper.
Add the butter to a small saucepan and place on medium to high heat.
Take the saucepan off the heat as soon as the butter starts to make small bubbles and add the chopped chocolate. Leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Add the mashed sweet potato, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Return to the butter and chocolate and whisk the mixture until the chocolate has melted and you are left with a smooth, emulsified mixture.
Add the chocolate and butter mixture to the sweet potato mix and stir through.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the same bowl and mix until incorporated.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake, comes out clean.
Cool the brownies completely, on a cooling rack.
Store in an airtight container for 3 – 4 days, at room temperature.

Uncategorized

Filled Pumpkin Muffins

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

These pumpkin muffins are deliciously moist and has the traditional cream cheese frosting in its centre with a crunchy strudel-like topping! For those who prefer not-so-sweet it is a perfect nutritious treat! This recipe yields 12 – 16 regular sized muffins.

For the topping:

125ml flour
62ml brown sugar
62ml oats
a pinch of salt
60ml butter, room temperature

For the filling:

230g cream cheese, room temperature
62ml sugar
2,5ml vanilla

For the muffins:

250ml pumpkin purée
2 eggs
125ml brown sugar
45ml vegetable oil
62ml honey
2,5ml salt
1,2ml ground ginger
5ml ground cinnamon
5ml baking powder
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
180ml milk
375ml flour

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Line a muffin tray with paper cups, spray each cup lightly and set aside.

For the topping:
Add the flour, sugar, oats and salt to a mixing bowl and give it a stir to mix the ingredients.
Add the butter to the dry ingredients and rub it into the dry mixture with your fingertips until you have a coarse crumb texture.
Put aside.

For the filling:
Add the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla to a mixing bowl and beat with a spatula to combine.
Put aside.

For the muffins:
Add all the ingredients EXCEPT THE FLOUR, to a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with a spatula.
Now add the flour and mix until just incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
You will be left with a runny batter.

Spoon about 30ml batter into each paper cup, making sure it covers the entire bottom of the cup.
Spoon 15ml of the cream cheese mixture into the centre of the pumpkin batter.
Now cover the cream cheese by spooning another 30ml of pumpkin batter into the cups. You will have 12 – 16 regular sized muffins.
Finally sprinkle about a teaspoon full of the topping onto each muffin.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.
Serve warm or at room temperature.