traditional foods – My Whisk and I

Hertzoggies

November 10, 2023September 1, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Yields about 18 cookies.

Pastry:
250g flour
25g caster sugar
10ml baking powder
1,2ml salt
125g butter, room temperature, cubed
3 egg yolks
15ml cold water

Filling:
3 egg whites
250g sugar
500ml desiccated coconut
about 100ml smooth apricot jam

For the pastry:
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray 2 x 12-hole muffin tins with cooking spray.
Sift the flour, caster sugar, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
Add the butter and rub it into the dry mixture with your fingertips.
Whisk the egg yolks and water together and add it to the mixture.
Mix and knead by hand until you have a soft pastry.
Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes.

For the filling:
Add the egg whites to a mixing bowl and whisk to medium peaks.
Add the sugar a spoonful at a time, waiting about 15 seconds between each addition so that it is incorporated into the whites.
Add the coconut and fold through. Set aside.

Roll the pastry out to a 3mm thickness and cut out pastry circles of 7cm diameter.
Line the muffin tins with the circles.
Spoon about 7ml apricot jam into each pastry case and then divide the coconut and egg mixture amongst the cakes, topping it.
Bake in the oven for 22 minutes.
Cool the Hertzoggies in the muffin tins for 10 minutes before gently removing them to cool on a cooling rack.
Store in an airtight container.

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Chocolate Pancakes

July 14, 2021June 22, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

These pancakes are not cocoa-chocolatey-looking but actually contain real chocolate in the batter!! Whether you serve them with ice-cream, fresh fruit and Chantilly cream or plain, from-the-pan, you will love them! Yields about 12 pancakes depending on the size of your pan.

80g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa
250ml + 100ml milk
90ml caster sugar
200g cake flour
100ml water
3 eggs
2,5ml vanilla
butter for frying

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and add it to a small saucepan.
Pour in 100ml milk and place on a very low heat.
Stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted completely and remove from the heat.
Add the 250ml milk and caster sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl.
Pour the water, eggs and vanilla into a jug and whisk it together.
Pour the egg mixture into the flour in a very thin stream while whisking. Pour slowly, whisk quickly …. you don’t want lumps in your batter!
Now whisk in the chocolate mixture in the same way.
Cover the batter with a tea towel and allow to stand for one hour.

Heat a frying/crêpe pan until it is very hot.
Add a knob of butter and swirl it around so that it covers the surface of the pan.
Pour in a ladleful of batter and swirl again to evenly distribute in the pan.
Turn the heat down slightly and cook the pancake for 1 minute.
Turn the pancake over with a spatula and cook for another 30 seconds. (The combination of sugar and chocolate burns really easy!!)
Keep going with the rest of the batter until you have a heavily stack of chocolate pancakes.
Serve warm.

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Smoky Croquettes

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

This is a less meaty take on traditional Dutch croquettes and makes a fabulous canapé when paired with a crisp glass of wine. The rolling/shaping of the croquettes are a bit finicky and you do have to be patient but trust me, you will be rewarded in taste!

200g mozzarella cheese
200g smoked bacon
80ml vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
750ml milk
160ml flour
10ml salt
30ml chives, chopped

100ml flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
250ml breadcrumbs
oil for deep frying

Grate the mozzarella into a mixing bowl and put aside.
Cut the bacon into chunks and add it to a saucepan with a dash of oil. Cook until done.
Spoon the bacon into the bowl with the grated mozzarella.
Place the same saucepan back onto medium heat and add the 80ml of vegetable oil and chopped onion. Simmer/fry the onion while stirring occasionally until it is soft and translucent.
In the meantime pour the milk into a jug and warm it slightly in your microwave oven.
Now add the 160ml flour to the onion and cook through for about a minute, stirring until it starts to bubble lightly.
Gradually pour in the warmed milk, stirring continuously.
Turn up the heat once all of the milk has been added. Keep stirring until the mixture comes to a boil.
Remove the mixture from the heat and add the salt, chives, bacon and mozzarella. Mix thoroughly.
Grease a large roasting tin and pour the croquette mixture into it. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until firm.

Line up three bowls: add the flour to the first; the eggs to the second and the breadcrumbs to the third bowl.
Scoop a spoonful of the mixture into your hands, roll it into a small cylinder and then proceed to roll it in the flour. Dip it in the egg and finally into the breadcrumbs to coat completely.
Place the shaped and breaded croquettes on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Keep going in this way until all of the mixture has been utilised.
Heat some vegetable oil to 175℃ and fry a few croquettes at a time, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm while cooking the rest.
Serve warm.