treat – My Whisk and I

Russian Honey Cake

October 26, 2025October 25, 2025by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Burnt honey:
190ml honey
63ml water

Cake:
63ml burnt honey
190ml honey
280ml granulated sugar
200g butter, cubed
6 eggs
12,5ml baking powder
3,7ml salt
5ml ground cinnamon
940ml flour

Honey-cream:
125ml burnt honey
360g tin of caramel treat
2,5ml salt
600ml whipping cream

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Cut 11 pieces of baking paper to the size of a large baking sheet and trace a 22cm circle onto each. Set aside.

For the burnt honey:
Pour the honey into a small saucepan and place it over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium when it start to bubble.
Cook until it becomes an amber colour – about 3 minutes.
Take the honey from the heat and add the water – stand back as it will sputter!
Whisk together once it stops bubbling.
Pour the burnt honey into a measuring jug and set aside to cool.

For the cake:
Pour the burnt honey, honey, sugar and butter into a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.
Stir until the butter has melted and then whisk by hand to combine.
Add the eggs one at a time while whisking continuously, still over the simmering water.
Add the baking powder, salt and cinnamon and whisk together for 30 seconds.
Remove the bowl from the heat.
Sift the flour into the mixture in 3-4 batches, whisking after each addition until the batter is smooth. (You may use an electric hand-held whisk)
Scoop a heaped 125ml measuring cup of the batter onto the baking paper circle and spread it out evenly with a spatula.
Bake each layer/disc for 7 minutes until it is a dark caramel colour.
Place the baked discs on a flat surface to cool completely.

For the honey-cream:
Add 125ml burnt honey, the caramel treat and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk by hand to combine.
Add 190ml cream, a little at a time, while whisking.
Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Pour the remaining 410ml cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat to medium soft peaks.
Add the honey and caramel mixture and beat to medium stiff peaks.

Assembly:
Assemble the cake on your serving plate so that you don’t have to move it later on.
Place the first cake disc on the plate and scoop a generous amount of the honey-cream on top. Spread out evenly not worrying that it will crawl down the sides.
Keep going until all the cake discs have been stacked.
cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining honey-cream and smooth it out.
Place the cake in the refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hours.

If you would like to, blitz up a selection of salted nuts and cover the sides and top of the cake with it before slicing to serve.

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Honeyed quince

May 25, 2025by Karen Claassen1 Comment

60ml sugar
500ml water
4 cloves
2 star anise
4 quinces
half a lemon
60ml honey

Pour the sugar and water into a smallish saucepan and place it over a high heat.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved and bring the liquid to the boil.
Add the cloves and star anise.
Peel and halve the quinces and rub them with the lemon to stop them browning.
Lower the quince into the poaching liquid and allow to simmer until they are soft enough to pierce easily. This should take around 25 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line an oven dish with baking paper.
Lift the quince out of the poaching liquid and arrange them on the oven dish.
Pour 150ml of the poaching liquid into a bowl and mix in the honey.
Pour this over the quince and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Serve the quince with their cooking juices.

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“Souttert”

February 16, 2025February 16, 2025by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2 medium onions, finely chopped
250ml finely chopped sweet pepper
500ml chopped smoked chicken viennas (about 7)
500ml grated mature cheddar cheese
a handful of soft herbs (chives, basil, coriander), chopped
6 eggs
60ml cream
2,5ml salt
black pepper

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 30cm x 20cm ovenproof dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
Add the onion, sweet pepper, Viennas, cheese and herbs to a mixing bowl and mix together.
Add the eggs, cream, salt and a few grindings of pepper to another bowl and whisk together.
Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and mix.
Spoon into the prepared baking dish and bake for 40 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Peppermint Crisp Tart

February 9, 2025February 8, 2025by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2 x 200g packets Tennis biscuits
125ml milk
1 x 250ml container Orley Whip
250ml fresh whipping cream
1 x 360g can caramel treat
300g Peppermint Crisp chocolate, grated

Dip enough biscuits into the milk to make a double layer in the base of a tart dish. Set aside.
Pour the Worley whip into a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer until you have firm/stiff peaks. Set aside.
Pour the cream into a clean mixing bowl and whisk to stiff peaks.
Spoon the cream into the Orley whip, add the caramel and mix well with an electric whisk.
Fold 150g of the peppermint crisp chocolate into the mixture, using a spatula.
Spoon the mixture over the biscuit layer and even it out.
Sprinkle the remaining 150g chocolate over the top of the tart and refrigerate for 6 hours.
Slice and serve.

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Whipped Feta with Nastergaal Jam

January 31, 2025by Karen Claassen1 Comment

200g + 50g feta
100ml milk
60ml Heerlijk Nastergaal Jam

Crumble 200g of feta into the cup of a blender and add half the milk.
Process until the mixture becomes emulsified.
Add the rest of the milk a little at a time, aiming for a creamy consistency.
Crumble the 50g feta into this mixture and stir through.
Drizzle the Nastergaal jam over the whipped feta and spread onto a slice of freshly baked bread.

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Potato Profiteroles

December 29, 2024December 29, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g potato, peeled and chopped
5 sprigs of rosemary and thyme
1 clove of garlic
125g + 125g smoked bacon
1 wheel camembert cheese
125ml milk
60ml butter
5ml salt
125ml flour
1 egg
3 egg yolks

Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the potato, rosemary, thyme, garlic and enough salted water to cover it. Cook until the potatoes are very soft.
Drain and remove the herbs and garlic.
Pass the potato through a ricer or sieve for a smooth texture and set aside.
Fry 125g of the bacon until crispy and chop into very small pieces. Set aside.
Cut the camembert in half.
Cut one halve into 1cm slices.
Remove the rind from the other halve and chop it into pieces. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line two baking sheets with baking paper.
Add the milk, butter and salt to a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Add the flour and stir vigorously with a spatula until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. Remove from the heat.
Add half of the mashed potato, the rindless, chopped camembert, chopped bacon and the whole egg. Stir/beat until very well incorporated.
Add the remaining potato and egg yolks and beat by hand until smooth.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle.
Pipe 2cm rounds onto the prepared baking sheets.
Cut the remaining bacon into 1cm pieces. Top the profiteroles with a slice of bacon or camembert.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Serve warm.

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Glazed Sweet Potato

December 22, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

300g butter, cubed
250ml brown sugar
30ml flour
2,5ml ground cinnamon
250ml orange juice
grated zest of one orange
1 orange sliced into wedges
1kg sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 1,5-2cm thick slices

Place a large shallow saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the butter and brown sugar and allow to melt.
Scatter the flour over and stir until thickened and smooth.
Add the cinnamon.
Drizzle in the orange juice while whisking and then add the zest and the wedges.
Now add the sweet potato chunks, cover with a lid, turn the heat down to medium and cook without stirring for about 40 minutes.
Remove the lid once the sweet potato is cooked and allow the extra moisture to cook off.
Serve warm.

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Potato Flatbread / Schiacciata di Patate

December 15, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

5-6 large potatoes
410ml flour
310ml cold water
30ml olive oil
2,5ml salt
160ml grated parmesan cheese
15ml chopped rosemary

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Set aside.
Slice the potato thinly and set aside.
Add the flour to a mixing bowl and whisk in the water, olive oil, salt and grated parmesan.
Whisk the batter by hand for a minute or two, until smooth.
Add the sliced potato to the batter and mix it through by hand, making sure that the slices are coated with batter.
Place hand-full potato slices on the prepared baking sheet and spread it out in an evenly layer with the potato overlapping.
Scatter over the chopped rosemary and some extra grated parmesan cheese.
Bake the flatbread for 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven, slice into pieces and serve hot.

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Millionaire’s Cheat Pots

November 21, 2024November 20, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

10 shortbread biscuits
360g tin caramel treat
100g dark chocolate, chopped
150ml double cream

Place the biscuits in a plastic bag and smash them with a rolling pin until you have crumbs.
Scoop a large heaped dessert spoon of crumbs into 6 ramekins/glasses and give it a shake to level out. Set aside.
Scoop the caramel out of the tin into a mixing bowl. Stir/beat by hand until softened.
Now scoop a spoonful of caramel onto the biscuit crumb and level it out slightly with the back of a teaspoon. Set aside.
Place the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water.
Stir until the chocolate has melted completely.
Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside for 20 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Beat the cream and chocolate with electric beaters for about 4 minutes – it has to become airy and thick.
Divide the mixture between the ramekins and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Take the cheat pot from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving.

This dessert may be prepared two days in advance.

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Biltong Paptert

November 9, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1,250ml beef stock
310ml maize meal
1 onion, sliced
1 bunch leeks, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
30ml thyme leaves
60ml balsamic vinegar
30ml brown sugar
a bunch spinach, destalked and chopped
200g parmesan/pecorino cheese, grated
150g sliced biltong
500ml cream

Line a 29cm x 39cm shallow baking tray (as you would use for a swiss roll) with baking paper and give it a spray with cooking spray.
Place a medium saucepan on high heat, pour in the stock and bring to a boil.
Gradually add the maize meal while whisking, until smooth.
Place a lid on the saucepan and reduce the heat to the lowest setting.
Cook for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Place a large pan over medium heat and add some oil and the onion to it.
Sprinkle over 1ml salt and cook until caramelised – about 15 minutes.
Add the leeks and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the thyme leaves, balsamic vinegar and sugar and cook another 5 minutes.
Add the spinach and stir-fry until just wilted.
Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Add half the cheese to the maize and stir through.
Pour the maize mixture into the prepared baking tin and spread it out evenly.
Spread the caramelised onion mixture, remaining cheese and biltong over the warm pap and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes.
With the long side facing you, roll the pap into a log, using the paper to lift and roll.
Cover the log and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Grease a 28cm ovenproof saucepan or baking tin.
Cut the log into six even pieces and place each piece cut side up in the saucepan.
Drizzle the cream over and bake in the oven for one hour.
Serve directly from the oven.