sweets – My Whisk and I

Membrillo / Quince Cheese

April 30, 2024April 24, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1kg quince, weighed after peeling, coring
750g white sugar
30ml lemon juice
250ml water

Line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking paper and set aside.
Peel, core and dice the quince into 2cm chunks.
Add the sugar, lemon and water too a saucepan set over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the quince, turn the heat down to a low simmer and cook for 1 hour, stirring every now and then.
Take the saucepan from the heat and blitz the mixture with an immersive blender.
Pour into the prepared baking tin and smooth the top.
Set aside to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for 48 hours.
Invert the membrillo on to a chopping board and slice.
Serve the membrillo on a cheese board and store wrapped in baking paper (not plastic!) in the refrigerator for three months.

Old fashioned quince sweets:
Cut the membrillo into bite-sized pieces and roll it in white, granulated sugar before serving.

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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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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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Baklava Loaf

July 28, 2023June 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

80ml blanched almonds
80ml blanched walnuts
30ml brown sugar
7,5ml ground cinnamon
750ml self-raising flour
80g butter, cubed
300ml milk
1 egg, lightly beaten

Honey Syrup:
190ml sugar
60ml honey
125ml water

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 10cm x 21cm loaf pan with baking paper.
Add the almonds and walnuts to the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped.
Spoon the nuts into a bowl and add the brown sugar and cinnamon.
Mix through and then spoon 2 tablespoons of the mixture into a small bowl. Set both bowls aside.
Sift the flour in to a mixing bowl and add the butter.
Rub the butter and flour together with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Make a well in the centre and add the 250ml of milk.
Mix with a flat-bladed knife until it forms a soft dough – add a few drops of milk at a time if the mixture needs more liquid.
Flour a work surface and place the dough on it. Gently knead the dough until it JUST comes together.
Now place the dough between two sheets of baking paper and roll to a 20cm x 35cm rectangle.
Brush the surface with the egg and scatter over the nuts.
Start from a short end and roll up like a Swiss roll.
Place in the loaf tin and bake for 1 hour.
Stand in the pan for 10 minute, remove from the baking tin and place on a cooling rack to cool.

For the syrup:
Add all the ingredients to a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Cook the mixture for 5 minutes while stirring.
Now boil it without stirring for another 5 minutes and take it from the heat.
Pierce the top of the warm loaf with a skewer and drizzle half the syrup over.
Sprinkle the reserved two tablespoons nut mixture over the cake and stand for another 10 minutes.
Serve the Baklava Loaf sliced with the remaining syrup.

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Milk Sweets

April 24, 2023April 14, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

These milk sweets are absolutely delicious! The recipe is for less sweet treats but can be made sweeter by adding 15ml extra sugar.

250ml + 250ml milk
50g cornstarch
50g granulated sugar
250ml desiccated coconut

Line a container that is about 20cm x 14cm with baking paper.

Pour 250ml milk into a small bowl and add the cornstarch.
Whisk together until the cornstarch has dissolved. Set aside.
Pour the other 250ml milk into a small saucepan and add the sugar.
Place over medium-low heat and cook for 3-4 minutes while stirring.
The milk should be warm but it should not come to the boil.
Now, whisk the cornstarch mixture while slowly pouring it into the saucepan.
Stir continuously for about 4 minutes until the mixture is very thick.
Pour the mixture into the prepared container and allow to cool completely – about 2 hours.
Add the desiccated coconut to a shallow bowl.
Lift the milk pudding out of the container with the paper and cut into small squares.
Roll each square in the coconut to coat.
Keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

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Easter Hunt Cupcakes

April 10, 2023April 7, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

You can top these cupcakes with a chocolate ganache icing or leave them plain – I prefer plain as they are sweet and gooey with the melted Easter egg on the inside.

200g butter, room temperature
200g sugar
200g flour
83ml cocoa powder, sifted
7,5ml baking powder
1,2ml bicarbonate of soda
2,5ml salt
150ml sour cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
7,5ml vanilla
12 small, filled chocolate eggs

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Cream together on high speed, scrape down the bowl and mix again on high speed.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
Mix on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated.
Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and add the sour cream, eggs and vanilla.
Stir through by hand until just incorporated.
Divide the batter between the 12 paper cups and insert a filled chocolate egg in each.
Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

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Quick Tropical Cheesecakes

February 11, 2023February 10, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This recipe makes 12 small desserts or 6 substantial portions, served in glasses or ramekins.

1 x 200g packet of coconut biscuits (Tennis biscuits)
80ml desiccated coconut
1 x 385g can of condensed milk
80ml lemon juice
250g smooth cream cheese, room temperature
250ml fresh cream
2 x large mango, cubed

Break the biscuits into large pieces and place in a plastic bag. Crush them lightly with a rolling pin but keep some texture/not too fine.
Add the coconut, mix through and divide amongst 12 serving glasses. Set aside.
Pour the condensed milk and lemon juice into a mixing bowl and beat together with an electric whisk until incorporated.
Add the cream cheese and mix again on high speed until the mixture is completely smooth. Set aside.
Pour the cream into a mixing bowl and beat until it forms medium-stiff peaks.
Add the cream to the condensed milk mixture and fold through until it is thoroughly blended.
Spoon the cheesecake mixture into the glasses and gently tap the glass so that the mixture settles into the crumb.
Refrigerate for a minimum of one hour.
Peel the mango and cut into cubes.
Spoon the fruit on top of each cheesecake, sprinkle some coconut shavings on top and serve.

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French Meringue

September 20, 2022September 17, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4 egg whites
a pinch of cream of tartar
220g caster sugar
food colouring

Preheat your oven to 140℃ and line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Add the egg whites to a clean large mixing bowl.
Sprinkle the cream of tartar over and start beating the whites with electric beater on medium speed.
Once you have a soft peak you can start adding a teaspoonful of sugar to the whites, while beating continuously.
Incorporate the sugar before adding another teaspoonful of sugar. (If you want to be technical, you should have 30 second intervals in between adding, whisking and more sugar!)
Beat the mixture until all the sugar is incorporated and it is stiff and glossy.
Add a few drops of food colouring and gently fold through.
Scoop the meringue into a piping bag and pipe 2cm diameter circles onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Switch off the oven but do not open it. Stand the meringues in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove and cool completely.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

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Nut Brittle

June 22, 2021June 13, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a simple recipe and requires no thermometer. Brittle is best made on days with sunshine as the moisture from mist and rain will cause the brittle to become/stay sticky. Best kept in an airtight container lined with wax paper, at room temperature.

250ml sugar
62ml water
2,5ml salt
375ml peanuts, cashew, blanched/raw almonds or pistachio nuts

Line a rimmed baking sheet with baking paper and spray it with cooking spray.
Spread the nuts onto the prepared baking sheet and set aside.
Add the sugar, water and salt to a small saucepan.
Place onto a high heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Cook the mixture for 4 minutes WITHOUT stirring and start checking the colour – you are aiming for an amber colour. You may cook the sugar for longer until it reaches the colour you like.
Remove from the heat and pour over the nuts.
Set aside to cool and set.
Keep the brittle in a sealed container lined with wax paper, at room temperature.