Tag: teatime

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

1 x 200g packet of coconut biscuits (Tennis biscuits)
80g butter, melted
800g cream cheese
250g crème fraîche
180g caster sugar
40g flour
4 eggs
grated rind of 3 lemons
100ml lemon juice
10ml vanilla
Meringue:
4 egg whites
70g sugar
a pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 140℃ and spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray.
Break the biscuits into the bowl of a food processor and blitz to crumbs.
Drizzle in the melted butter with the engine running. The mixture should resemble wet sand.
Spoon the biscuit mixture into the prepared cake tin, spread it out evenly and press it down on the bottom with the back of a spoon. Set aside.
Add the cream cheese, crème fraîche, caster sugar, flour, eggs, lemon rind, lemon juice and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Mix on medium speed until you have a very smooth mixture. Set aside.
Wrap the outside of the prepared cake tin with aluminium foil, place the tin in a roasting tin and pour 2-3cm water into the roasting tin.
Place in the oven and bake for 1,5-2 hours, until set like wobbly jelly.
Turn off the oven, open the door and allow the cake to cool to room temperature.
Refrigerate the cheesecake in the baking tin for 3-4 hours.

Meringue:
Add the egg whites, sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (without the bottom touching the water).
Whisk the mixture by hand until the sugar has dissolved and it burns your finger when you touch it.
Transfer the bowl to the mixer and whisk at the highest speed until firm, glossy peaks form.
Spoon or pipe the meringue onto the cheesecake and flame with a blowtorch before serving.

Traditional Clafoutis

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Traditional Clafoutis
Traditional Clafoutis

125ml sugar
125ml flour
3 eggs
5ml vanilla
30ml butter, melted
250ml milk
enough pitted cherries to cover the bottom of a pie/flan dish

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and grease a ceramic pie/flan dish.
Add the sugar and flour to a mixing bowl.
Whisk the eggs, vanilla, melted butter and milk together in a wide-mouth jug.
Slowly pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients while whisking.
Fill the bottom of the pie dish with an even layer of cherries and pour the batter over the cherries.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
The clafoutis will puff up in the oven and fall back on itself as it cools.
Dust with icing sugar once cooled.

Ginger Biscuit Cups

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Ginger Biscuit Cups
Ginger Biscuit Cups

500g self-raising flour
10ml cream of tartar
10ml bicarbonate of soda
10ml ground ginger
2ml salt
170g butter, cubed
170g golden syrup
350g brown sugar
2 eggs
12 chocolate balls, halved
250ml cream, whipped

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 24-hole mini-muffin pan with cooking spray.
Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and salt.
Add the cubed butter and rub in with your fingers. Set aside.
Add the syrup and sugar to a saucepan set of medium-low heat and stir until the sugar has almost completely dissolved. The mixture should be very runny. Cool for 5 minutes.
Whisk the eggs together in a bowl and add it to the syrup mixture while whisking.
Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly – there should be no dry flour left.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and place in the muffin pans. Flatten the balls with your fingers and then make an indent with a small shot glass/the back of a lemon juicer. See video below.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and immediately press the indents like you did before baking.
Place half a chocolate ball in each hollow and set aside to cool.
Top each ginger cup with whipped cream to serve.


Condensed Milk Cake

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Condensed Milk Cake
Condensed Milk Cake

This is one of the easiest and quickest cakes you will ever bake. It is delicious to eat as is and perfect when making trifle!

1 x 385g can condensed milk
4 eggs
60g butter, melted
5ml vanilla
180g self-raising flour
1 x 360g can caramel treat
250ml cream

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a bundt cake tin with cooking spray.
Add the condensed milk, eggs, butter and vanilla to a mixing bowl and whisk together with electric beaters.
Sift over the flour and beat together on high speed for 1 minute.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt cake tin and bake for 35 minutes.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a serving plate. Cool completely.
Serve the cake with dollops of caramel treat swirled into the whipped cream.

Summer Pavlova

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Summer Pavlova
Summer Pavlova

This is a large pavlova and will feed 10 – 12 people. Make it for the perfect end to a summer’s lunch…

6 egg whites
400g caster sugar
10ml white vinegar
15ml cornflour
5ml vanilla
500ml cream
fresh cherries
fresh strawberries
passionfruit

Preheat your oven to 150℃. Draw a 22cm diameter circle on a piece of baking paper and place on a baking sheet.
Add the egg whites to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until soft peak stage.
Add the sugar a spoonful at a time while whisking continuously.
Add the vinegar, cornflour and vanilla and fold through.
Spoon the mixture onto the circle (on the prepared tray) and shape it into a round dome.
Place the pavlova in the oven and turn the temperature down to 120℃.
Bake the pavlova for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Turn off the oven but do not open the oven door. Allow the pavlova to cool in the oven for 2 hours.
Whip the fresh cream and spoon onto the fully cooled pavlova.
Top with the cherries and strawberries and drizzle over some passionfruit.

Chocolate Swirl Brownies

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Chocolate Swirl Brownies
Chocolate Swirl Brownies

150g butter, melted
250ml sugar
45ml espresso
2 eggs
5ml vanilla
80g dark chocolate, melted
190ml flour
60ml cocoa powder, sifted
2,5ml salt
80g dark chocolate, chopped

Cheesecake Swirl:
125g cream cheese, room temperature
80ml sugar
1 egg yolk
5ml vanilla

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking paper.
Add the melted butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the espresso, eggs, vanilla and melted chocolate and whisk to combine.
Now add the flour, cocoa powder and salt.
Fold the ingredients together until you have a smooth batter.
Add the chopped chocolate and fold through.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking tin and set aside.

For the cheesecake swirl:
Add the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla to a mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth.
Spoon dollops of the cheesecake batter across the surface of the brownie mixture.
Swirl the cheesecake mixture through the brownie batter with a small knife.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Cool the brownies in the baking tin before removing and slicing.

Condensed Milk Brownies

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Condensed Milk Brownies
Condensed Milk Brownies

1 x 385g can of condensed milk
60g butter, softened
190ml sugar
10ml vanilla
2 eggs
125ml flour
125ml cocoa powder, sifted
1,2ml salt
80g dark chocolate, finely chopped
80g dark chocolate, chopped
a handful of pistachio nuts

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking paper.
Add the condensed milk, butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and cream together with a hand-held mixer, until smooth.
Add the vanilla and eggs and mix for another minute.
Now add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and mix again on low speed.
Add the chopped chocolate and stir through with a spatula.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool in the baking tin.
Add the 80g chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water and allow to melt.
Drizzle the chocolate over the brownies and sprinkle the pistachio nuts on top.
Slice and serve.

Quince Granola Crumble

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Quince Granola Crumble
Quince Granola Crumble

5-6 quince
250ml sugar
500ml water
5ml vanilla

Crumble:
250ml granola
250ml almond meal/ground almonds
5ml ground cinnamon
125ml brown sugar
60g butter, cubed

Quarter the quince and then halve each quarter. Peel and cut out the core. Set aside.
Add the sugar, water and vanilla to a saucepan set over medium-high heat and stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the quince slices to the poaching liquid and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Gently simmer the fruit until it can easily be pierced with a toothpick.
Take the saucepan from the heat and allow the quince slices to cool in the liquid completely.
Drain the quince and transfer the slices to a 18cm x 28cm ovenproof dish.

For the crumble:
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Add the granola, almond meal, cinnamon, sugar and butter to a mixing bowl.
Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips. Keep going until the butter is well distributed throughout the mixture.
Spread the crumb mixture evenly on the quince slices and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve the quince crumble with a scoop of ice cream or yoghurt.

Crustless Milktart

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Crustless Milktart
Crustless Milktart

30g butter
200g sugar
5 eggs, separated
140g self-raising flour
a pinch of salt
1 litre milk
5ml vanilla
ground cinnamon for dusting

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray 2 x 22cm tart dishes with cooking spray.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Cream together until pale and fluffy.
Add the egg yolks one at a time with the engine running. Scrape the mixture down a few times during mixing.
Sift the flour and salt together and add spoonfuls to the mixture until everything is incorporated.
Turn the mixer to its lowest speed and drizzle in the milk.
Add the vanilla and mix through. Set aside.
Add the egg whites to a clean mixing bowl and beat until it reaches stiff peaks.
Add the stiff whites to the batter and fold it into the mixture.
Scoop the batter into the two prepared tart dishes and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove the milk tarts from the oven and sift over the ground cinnamon while the tarts are warm.
Allow the milk tart to cool completely before serving.

Drinking Milktart

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Drinking Milktart
Drinking Milktart

When you are too impatient or lazy to make a traditional milktart but you really, absolutely, must have one……

150g sugar
45ml cornstarch
3 egg yolks
700ml + 50ml milk
7,5ml vanilla
ground cinnamon for dusting

Add the sugar and cornstarch to a mixing bowl and stir through.
Add the egg yolks and 50ml milk and mix together to make a smooth very runny paste. Set aside.
Add the 700ml milk to a saucepan set over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
Pour the egg and milk mixture into the boiling milk in a thin stream while whisking vigorously.
Turn the heat down to medium, keep stirring and wait for the mixture to thicken.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the custard into cups and dust with some ground cinnamon.
Serve slightly warm.