sweet – Page 25 – My Whisk and I

No-fuss Chocolate Truffles

June 3, 2021May 31, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

l make these truffles from cake off-cuts and sometimes from a slice or two of left-over cake. They are somewhere between a cake-pop and a traditional chocolate truffle but believe me, they are delicious and very more-ish!

160g De Villiers chocolate, chopped
5ml butter
30ml milk
80ml desiccated coconut
330ml cake crumbs (blitz two slices of cake in a food processor)
62ml icing sugar
20g almonds, chopped

For rolling the truffles:
A handful of the following
almonds, very finely chopped
desiccated coconut
cocoa powder
dried rose petals
icing sugar

Add the chocolate, butter and milk to a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan with simmering water to melt. Stir every now and then until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture amalgamated.
Take the chocolate mixture from the heat and stir in the coconut, cake crumbs, icing sugar and chopped nuts. Keep mixing until all the ingredients are completely covered with chocolate.
Roll the mixture into balls the size of walnuts and then roll them through the almonds/coconut/cocoa/rose petals/icing sugar.
Keep the truffles in a sealed container at room temperature.

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Chocolate Orange Syrup Cakes

May 28, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

These cakes are like little jewels of chocolate and orange that explode in your mouth. This is an easy dessert when you are entertaining friends and want to impress.

Orange syrup:
200ml sugar
200ml water
zest from one orange

For the cake:
320g De Villiers Chocolate: orange and vanilla, 70% dark or any other dark chocolate
250g butter, cubed
300g brown sugar
5 eggs
100g cake flour
100g self-raising flour
30ml orange liqueur or brandy

For the orange syrup:
Strip the zest from the orange with a vegetable peeler.
Put the strip of zest flat onto a chopping board and slice into needle-wide strips with a sharp knife. Cut all of the zest into these needle strips. Put aside.
Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan and place on a high heat.
Stir the mixture until all the sugar has dissolved. DO NOT stir again.
Add the zest-needles to the mixture and bring the mixture to a boil, FOR ONE MINUTE.
Take the saucepan from the heat and set aside to cool.

For the cake:
Preheat your oven to 160℃.
Grease 12 small baking moulds or a 12-hole standard muffin tin.
Chop the chocolate. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Stir every now and then until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is completely smooth.
Remove from the heat and put aside.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Turn the mixer down to a medium speed and add the eggs one at a time, waiting for each to be incorporated.
Turn the mixer to its lowest speed and add the slightly cooled chocolate, liqueur and flour.
Scoop the batter into the prepared mould and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the cakes from the oven.
Cut the cakes flush with the moulds you baked them in while still very warm. This will leave you with a flat surface to stand the cakes once you plate them.
Spoon about 20ml of the cold syrup onto the cut-side of the warm cakes.
Remove each cake from the mould (stand them up – the way you will serve them) and spoon the rest of the orange syrup over.
Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

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Pancake Puffs

May 26, 2021May 23, 2021by Karen Claassen1 Comment

These mini cupcakes are little bites of pure happiness and comfort! The recipe yields 24 mouthfuls.

45ml + 125ml sugar
250ml flour
5ml baking powder
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
1,2ml salt
190ml cultured buttermilk
5ml vanilla
30g + 75g butter, melted
1 egg
5ml cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 180℃, NO FAN!
Grease a 24-hole mini muffin tin and put aside.
Add the 45ml sugar, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the buttermilk, vanilla, 30g melted butter and egg to another bowl and whisk together.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in a thin stream while whisking to combine.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins and bake for 12 minutes.
Take the puffs from the oven and leave to stand for about 5 minutes before removing them from the tin.
Pour the 75g melted butter into a small bowl and have a pastry brush ready.
Mix the 125ml sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl and mix through.
Brush each puff with the butter and then roll it in the cinnamon sugar.
Serve warm.

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Apple Crumble

May 24, 2021May 23, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is an easy, uncomplicated apple crumble in one dish but it is full of flavour and absolutely delicious when served slightly warm with ice cream.

450g cooking apples
62ml sugar

Crumble:
40g oats
40g flour
40g butter, cubed
30g brown sugar
2,5ml cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Peel, core and cut the apples into quarters. Cut the quarters into chunks.
Add the apple pieces to a small saucepan with the sugar and 45ml water.
Cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
Spoon the apple into an ovenproof dish or individual ramekins. Put aside.

For the crumble:
Add the oats, flour, butter, sugar and cinnamon to a mixing bowl.
Rub the butter into the mixture with your fingers until it has an even crumb texture.
Spoon the crumb mixture onto the apple chunks.
Place in the oven and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.
Serve slightly warm with vanilla ice cream.

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Pistachio-Goji Berry Chocolate Fudge

May 19, 2021May 18, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This might just be THE easiest fudge you have ever made!! Add some more Pistachio and Goji berries if you like the tartness or opt for a smoothest of all chocolate fudge!

1 X 385g can of condensed milk
320g De Villiers Chocolate: I prefer the 85% dark; chopped
50g pistachio nuts
30g dried goji berries

Line a baking tray or ceramic dish of 19cm X 19cm with baking paper.
Add the condensed milk and chopped chocolate to a saucepan and place on very low heat.
Stir the mixture with a whisk until the chocolate has melted completely. Keep moving the mixture in the saucepan and keep the heat on low as the chocolate will seize if it becomes too warm, too soon.
Remove from the heat and pour into the lined baking tray.
Smooth the top with a spatula and sprinkle with the pistachio and goji berries. Lightly press the nuts and berries into the fudge with the back of the spatula.
Place the fudge in the refrigerator for about 3 hours.
Slice and enjoy.
The fudge keeps well in a sealed container.

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Pumpkin-Pecan Pie

May 6, 2021April 28, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is one of the easiest and tastiest side dishes you will ever make and as a bonus, you will have one bowl and one jug to clean! You may prepare this dish the day before you want to serve it and simply heat it up when needed.

500ml pumpkin purée (cooked pumpkin, finely mashed)
375ml flour
250ml sugar
60ml butter, melted
250ml cream
3 eggs, lightly beaten
250ml pecan nuts, roughly chopped
45ml granulated sugar
5ml cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Add the pumpkin purée, flour and sugar to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Add the melted butter, cream and egg to a wide-mouthed jug and whisk together.
Pour the wet ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and mix to a batter.
Stir in the chopped nuts.
Grease a ceramic pie dish and pour the mixture into it.
Add the sugar and cinnamon to a small bowl and mix. Sprinkle onto the pie surface.
Bake the pie for 1 hour, until set.
Serve warm.

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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.

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Pumpkin Fritters with Caramel Sauce

April 6, 2021April 6, 2021by Karen Claassen2 Comments

These are traditional pumpkin fritters. In South Africa the caramel sauce has been very popular for many years and in that sense I suppose, it can be seen as almost-traditional. As in all great stories, of which a recipe is one, there is a but … this caramel sauce is an approved version of the original and fabulously, more-ish!

500ml pumpkin, cooked and drained
500ml flour
90ml sugar
10ml baking powder
a pinch of salt
2 eggs

Cook the pumpkin by roasting it in your oven at 180℃ until soft. Scoop out the flesh and drain in a sieve over a bowl, to get rid of excess water.
Add 500ml of the pumpkin to a mixing bowl.
Now add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and eggs and mix everything together with a spatula.
Heat about 5cm oil in a heavy based saucepan.
Scoop up some batter with a teaspoon and fry in the preheated oil until golden. This should take about 3 minutes.
Drain the fritters on kitchen paper and keep them warm in a low oven.

Caramel Sauce:

250ml cream
125ml brown sugar
60ml butter, cubed
60ml golden syrup|
5ml vanilla

Add the cream and brown sugar to a small saucepan.
Turn the heat on to low and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the butter and syrup and turn the heat up to a gentle simmer.
Allow the sauce to bubble for 5 minutes while stirring.
Take the saucepan off the heat, stir in the vanilla and pour the sauce over the warm pumpkin fritters.

Serve some of the caramel sauce on the side.