sweet – Page 22 – My Whisk and I

3-Ingredient Chocolate Cheesecake

September 22, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

You will keep this recipe as a quick and delicious go-to whenever you are in need of a dessert, something sweet or a treat. The taste is dramatically altered by the chocolate of your choice … choose wisely!!

200g full fat cream cheese
200g chocolate, chopped finely
5 eggs, separated

Preheat your oven to 170℃ and line a 18cm cake tin with baking paper. Cover the bottom and about half way up, of the cake tin with tin foil and place the tin in a roasting dish. Put aside.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water.
Stir until completely melted and remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly.
Add the cream cheese and egg yolks to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric beater.
Drizzle in the cooled chocolate and mix until blended.
Add the egg whites to a clean mixing bowl and beat until stiff peaks.
Stir about a third of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it.
Add the rest of the whites and gently fold through until no trace of white is visible.
Gently scrape the mixture into the prepared cake tin and level the surface with a spatula.
Now pour very hot water from the TAP into the roasting tray so that the water reaches about 3cm.
Place the cake in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Lower the temperature to 160℃ and bake for another 15 minutes.
Turn the oven off and leave the cake inside for another 30 minutes before removing it from the baking tin.
Serve the cheesecake slightly warm with a chocolate sauce.

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Fried Coconut Banana

September 21, 2021September 21, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is an easy, quick dessert that will satisfy ALL sweet cravings!! Serve one banana per person.

30ml brown sugar
2 bananas, halved in their length
150ml coconut milk
shredded coconut
vanilla ice cream to serve

Put a dry frying pan on a medium-high heat and add a handful of shredded coconut. Toast until light brown, moving it around in the pan (with a spoon) so that it doesn’t burn. Remove from the heat AND the pan when ready and set aside.
Add the brown sugar to the same pan and allow it to melt.
Place the bananas in the pan and fry for 1 minute. Gently flip the halves and fry for another minute.
Remove the banana from the pan.
Add the coconut milk to the melted/sticky sugar, lower the heat and stir continuously until the sugar has dissolved.
Reduce the sauce until it has thickened.
Place the banana halves in serving bowls/plates and drizzle with the caramel sauce.
Sprinkle with the toasted coconut and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

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Cappuccino Puddings

September 17, 2021September 16, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

If you are a chocolate fan but don’t like sweet, these are for you!

90ml cream
10ml espresso coffee granules
30ml Kahlúa (or a coffee cream liqueur)
3 eggs + 1 egg white, separated
25g caster sugar
160g dark chocolate, chopped
cocoa powder for dusting

Preheat your oven to 190℃. Grease 6 ramekins with a minimum capacity of 175ml. Place them on a baking tray and set aside.
Pour the cream into a small saucepan over a low-medium heat until just warm.
Add the espresso and Kahlúa and stir until the coffee granules are dissolved.
Divide the mixture between the prepared ramekins.
Add the 4 egg whites to a clean mixing bowl and beat until it forms soft peaks.
Now whisk in the sugar, adding a teaspoonful at a time until the mixture is stiff and glossy.
Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over simmering water and stir until completely melted and silky smooth.
Take the chocolate from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes. Stir it every now and then so that it cools down.
Add the egg yolks to the chocolate and stir through.
Stir in a third of the beaten egg white mixture.
Now fold in the rest of the whites until no trace of whites are left.
Spoon the mixture into the ramekins and bake it for 15 minutes.
Sift the puddings with cocoa powder (or icing sugar if you want a sweeter pudding) and serve immediately.

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French Beignets

September 15, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Beignets are French doughnuts that are really easy and straightforward to make. Once you have tasted a fresh, warm beignet it will become your favourite in-between treat!

190ml warm water
62ml + 62ml sugar
10g instant yeast
1 egg
125ml milk
10ml vanilla
4 X 250ml flour
5ml salt
45ml butter, very soft
vegetable oil for frying
icing sugar to dust

Pour the warm water into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Add 62ml sugar and sprinkle the yeast on the water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Whisk the egg, milk, vanilla and remaining 62ml sugar together in a small mixing bowl and add it to the yeast mixture.
Turn the mixer to a slow speed and gradually add the flour and salt.
Add the butter and incorporate.
Increase the speed to medium and mix/knead for about 4 minutes, until the dough comes together in a ball.
Place the dough, which will be very soft, in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Pour about 5cm of oil into a saucepan and place on the heat. The ideal temperature is 179 – 180℃.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll the dough to a thickness of about 1,5cm.
Cut into 5cm X 5cm squares and fry until golden.
Dust the warm beignets with icing sugar.
Serve with another dusting of icing sugar and a cup of coffee.

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Rosemary Lemonade

September 10, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a refreshing drink to have on a summer’s day and a real crowd pleaser. Add a shot of vodka or tequila and serve with aperitifs!

500ml water
2 sprigs rosemary about 15cm long
125ml sugar
125ml honey
300ml fresh lemon juice
1,5 litre cold water

Pour the water into a small sauce and bring to a boil.
Add the rosemary, cover the saucepan with a lid and reduce to a simmer, for 10 minutes.
Take from the heat and remove the rosemary.
Stir in the sugar and honey.
Pour the mixture into a jug and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and 1,5 litres cold water.
Chill the lemonade for at least an hour.
Serve over ice and top with fresh lemon slices and a sprig of rosemary.

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Chocolate-Espresso Kick

September 9, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Two of my very favourite drinks in one cup!!

250ml milk
15ml sugar
80g chocolate, chopped
30ml espresso
2,5mll vanilla

Pour the milk into a small saucepan, add the sugar and turn the heat to medium. Warm the milk to just before boiling point.
Turn down the heat to the lowest setting and add the chopped chocolate.
Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes while whisking/stirring continuously.
Take the saucepan from the heat and add the hot espresso and vanilla.
Stir through and serve hot.

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Chocolate and Blueberry Tart

September 2, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

For the pastry:
80g dark chocolate, 75% cocoa
175g butter, cubed
230g caster sugar
4 egg yolks
10ml vanilla
5ml milk
50g cocoa powder
350g flour

Blueberry custard:
150g blueberries
15ml lemon juice
250ml + 30ml coconut milk
60g honey
15ml cornstarch
10ml agar-agar

Chocolate ganache:
160g dark chocolate, chopped
180ml coconut and cows milk
30ml honey
15ml coconut oil
a pinch of salt

Making the pastry:
Melt the chocolate and set it aside.
Add the butter, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and milk to the bowl of a food processor and process to mix.
Add the chocolate in a thin stream while the engine is running.
Add the sifted cocoa and flour to the mixture and process until the mixture forms a smooth ball of pastry.
Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Roll out the pastry between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 3mm.
Line a loose bottom tart tin and then line the pastry case with tin foil. Freeze for one hour.
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Bake the pastry case with the foil lining for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
Set aside to cool completely.

Making the blueberry custard:
Add the berries, lemon juice, 250ml coconut milk and honey to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
Pour the 30ml coconut milk into a small bowl and add the cornstarch and agar-agar. Stir to dissolve.
Pour the blueberry mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil.
Drizzle the cornstarch mixture into the blueberry mixture while whisking continuously until smooth and it starts to thicken.
Pour the blueberry custard into the cooled tart shell and allow to cool.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Making the ganache:
Add the chocolate, milk (pour whatever you have left of the coconut milk into a measuring jug and then fill up with dairy milk to 180ml), honey and coconut oil to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and you are left with a smooth mixture.
Pour over the blueberry custard.
Refrigerate the tart for 4 hours before serving.

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Green Peppercorn Sauce

September 1, 2021September 1, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Make this sauce part of your repertoire and elevate that steak to the next level!

83ml brandy
190ml beef stock
125ml cream
15ml canned green peppercorns

Pour the brandy into the pan in which you have cook the steak. If you barbecued your steak, pour it into a small saucepan.
Turn the heat up to high and simmer the brandy for about 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
Add the beef stock and cook until reduced by half – about 5 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the cream and peppercorns.
Gently simmer the sauce for 2 minutes, while stirring.
Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon over steak and serve.

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Chocolate-Blueberry Clusters

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

These clusters are perfect treats for those tiny-hands-in-the-kitchen…

100g chocolate, chopped
250g fresh blueberries
100g pistachio nuts

Add the chopped chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with barely simmering water to melt.
Stir every now-and-then until completely melted. Take from the heat.
Line a small-hole muffin tin with paper cups.
Spoon about half a teaspoon chocolate into each cup and give it a swirl so that the chocolate covers the base of the paper cup.
Add about three blueberries and two pistachio nuts to the cups and then drizzle with another half teaspoonful of melted chocolate.
Place some more blueberries and nuts on each cluster and give each a final drizzle of chocolate.
Allow to set for at least 30 minutes.
Gently remove the clusters from the paper cups and serve.
Do not keep the clusters in the refrigerator.

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Easy Apple Crumble

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

Easy to make and even easier to eat, apple crumble is a dessert classic for good reason!

1kg apples (5-6 large apples)
25g brown sugar
5ml ground cinnamon

For the crumble:
110g pistachio nuts (you may replace it with pecan if you like)
75g butter, diced
175g self-raising flour
10ml ground cinnamon
110g brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Peel and core the apples and then cut them into 3cm chunks.
Add the apple chunks, brown sugar and cinnamon to a mixing bowl and toss everything together with your hands.
Scoop the apple mixture into a 18cm X 28cm ceramic dish and set aside.

For the crumble:
Chop the pistachios into smaller pieces. Set aside.
Add the butter and self-raising flour to a mixing bowl and rub it together with your fingertips until it resembles crumbs.
Stir in the cinnamon, brown sugar and chopped pistachio nuts.
Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the apples, spreading it right up to the edges of the dish. Press the crumble down with the palm of your hand. (If the mixture is tightly packed it will be really crispy)
Now run the tines of a fork over the surface.
Place the crumble in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
Serve the apple crumble with big scoops of vanilla ice cream.