treat – Page 5 – My Whisk and I

Milktart Muffins

April 18, 2024April 16, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Filling:
250ml milk
30ml butter
1 egg
60ml sugar
30ml flour
30ml cornstarch
5ml vanilla

310ml flour
10ml baking powder
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
90ml sugar
5ml cinnamon
2,5ml salt
1 egg
45ml butter, melted
250ml cultured buttermilk
cinnamon sugar for sprinkling over

For the filling:
Add the milk and butter to a small saucepan set over a low heat. Allow to warm to the point where small bubbles form around the edges of the saucepan, but do not bring to a boil. Take from the heat and keep aside.
Add the egg and sugar to a bowl and whisk together.
Add the flour and cornstarch and whisk again.
Drizzle the warm milk mixture into this while whisking continuously.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, place it back on a low heat and simmer for 2 minutes while stirring.
Take from the heat, add the vanilla, stir through and set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups.

Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, cinnamon and salt to a bowl and mix together.
Add the egg, melted butter and buttermilk to a jug and whisk until amalgamated.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix through.
Spoon a tablespoon of the batter into each of the paper cups.
Now spoon a heaped teaspoon of the filling in the centre of each muffin and end off with another tablespoon of the batter on top.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Take the hot muffins from the oven and immediately sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar.
Allow to cool one a cooling rack.

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Classic Basil Pesto

April 16, 2024April 16, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

125ml pine kernels
500ml basil leaves
125ml grated parmesan cheese
3 cloves of garlic, minced
150ml olive oil plus extra
15ml lemon juice
2,5ml salt

Toast the pine kernels in a dry pan.
Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blitz until you have a rough paste.
Spoon the pesto into a glass container and pour some olive oil on top.
Keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

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Lemon Ribs

April 14, 2024April 12, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1.5kb lamb ribs
1 lemon, the zest grated finely
2 lemons, juiced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml thyme leaves
15ml rosemary
50ml white wine
30ml olive oil
30ml honey
45ml wholegrain mustard
10ml salt

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Cut 2 pieces of baking paper, large enough to cover an oven roasting dish. Scrunch the paper into a ball, open it up and run it under cold water. Line your roasting dish with one of the wet pieces of paper. Set aside.
Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, wine, oil, honey, mustard and salt to a blender and blitz until smooth.
Place the ribs in the prepared dish, pour over half of the sauce and spread it evenly over the meat.
Flip the ribs over, pour the rest of the sauce over and spread it evenly.
Cover the ribs with the other piece of wet baking paper and bake in the oven for 90 minutes.
Remove the baking paper and bake for another 10 minutes or so until the ribs start to brown.
Flip them over and bake the other side until golden.
Serve immediately.

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Pomegranate Scones

April 13, 2024April 12, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

280g cake flour
8ml baking powder
2,5ml salt
100g butter, ice cold
25g sugar
62ml cream
62ml yoghurt
1 egg
45ml pomegranate seeds
egg wash: 1 egg + 15ml water whisked together

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Grate the butter into the flour.
Now rub the butter into the flour with your fingers.
Add the sugar, cream, yoghurt, egg and pomegranate seeds to a mixing bowl and whisk together to blend.
Cut the mixture with a palette knife to mix together, i.e. cut straight down into the ingredients and turn the bowl. Keep on cutting and turning until the mixture comes together.
Lightly dust a work surface and turn the dough out onto it.
Push the dough together even if there are bits that look dry.
Shape the dough into a rectangle by rolling it out on the surface.
Now turn up a third of the length and then turn over a third of the top part.
Roll this out to a thickness of 3,5cm and then shape the dough into a circle with your hands.
Place the disc on the prepared baking sheet and cut it into 8 wedges.
Brush the top of the scones with the egg wash and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack for another 15 minutes before serving.

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Marshmallow Fridge Tart

April 11, 2024April 10, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

200g coconut biscuits
90g butter
1 x 385g can condensed milk
30ml lemon juice
250ml cream
5ml vanilla
150g mini marshmallows

Break the biscuits into a plastic bag and smash it to crumbs with a rolling pin. Pour into a mixing bowl.
Melt the butter and drizzle over the biscuits. Mix together.
Press the biscuit mixture into the base and sides of a 22cm pie dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Pour the condensed milk and lemon juice into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Pour the cream into another bowl and whisk to stiff peaks.
Add the whipped cream, vanilla and marshmallow and fold everything together until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Take the chilled biscuit base from the refrigerator and pour the filling into it.
Place the tart back into the fridge for another hour before serving.

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Honey Baked Quince

April 7, 2024April 6, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

600ml water
100g honey
250g brown sugar
1 lemon
4 quince

Preheat your oven to 150℃.
Add the water, honey and brown sugar to a small saucepan.
Cut the zest from the lemon, add the strips and place the saucepan over a gentle heat.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved, bring to a boil and simmer for two minutes.
Take the syrup from the heat and set aside.
Wash the quince under running water and cut each into quarters. Remove the core but keep the skin on.
Slice the lemon (from which you took the zest) in half and rub it over the sliced quince to prevent it from turning brown.
Arrange the fruit in an ovenproof dish (they should sit snugly) and pour the honey-syrup over.
Place a piece of baking paper directly on the quince and then cover the dish with aluminium foil.
Bake in the oven for 3 hours.
Remove the foil and baking paper and spoon the syrup over the fruit.
Turn your oven to 180℃ and roast uncovered for 25 minutes.
Serve warm with roasted meat or with a scoop of ice-cream as dessert. Cold quince is delicious on top of cooked oats as breakfast.

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Sweet Potato Pecan Crumble

April 4, 2024April 3, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1kg sweet potatoes
60ml butter, softened
5ml salt
1,2ml cinnamon
grated zest of one orange
30ml orange juice
125ml cream
60ml brown sugar

Pecan crumble:
250ml pecan nuts
30ml brown sugar
2,5ml salt
30ml butter, softened
grated zest of one orange

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.
Wash and dry the sweet potato and space them evenly apart on the baking sheet.
Place in the oven for one hour, remove and cool until the sweet potato can be handled comfortably.
Spray an ovenproof dish of 20cm x 20cm with cooking spray.
Scoop the flesh from the sweet potato and add it to a food processor with the butter, salt, cinnamon, orange zest, orange juice, cream and brown sugar.
Process until smooth.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and set aside.

Add the pecan nuts, sugar, salt, butter and orange zest to a food processor and blitz together.
Sprinkle the crumble over the sweet potato mixture.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, remove and serve warm.

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Most Basic Chocolate Cake

March 28, 2024March 28, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

330g butter, room temperature
550g sugar
5 eggs
5ml vanilla
620g flour
120g cocoa powder, sifted
3,7ml baking powder
1,2ml salt
250ml milk

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line two 22cm cake tins with baking paper.
(If you want a cake with three layers, double the batter and divide between three baking tins.)
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed until soft and creamy, scraping the mixture down once or twice during the mixing.
Add the eggs one at a time with the mixer running and then add the vanilla.
Add the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder to a bowl and mix through.
Add two spoonfuls of the dry ingredients and follow it up with a splash of milk, while the mixer runs on slow speed. Keep going until all is incorporated.
Divide the batter between the baking tins and bake for one hour.
Remove and allow the cakes to cool in the tins before removing and cooling on a wire rack.
Frost as desired.

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Pear, Date and Walnut Salad

March 24, 2024March 23, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

3-4 pears
6-8 dates
50g walnuts
100g gorgonzola/blue cheese, broken up into chunks
150g rocket leaves

Dressing:
half a red onion, very finely chopped
15ml red wine vinegar
15ml Dijon mustard
15ml cold water
45ml olive oil

Slice the pears into 3-4mm thick slices and arrange them on a serving platter, overlapping slightly.
Cut the dates into quarters and scatter evenly over the pears.
Scatter the walnuts over as well as the blue cheese.
Top the salad with the rocket leaves.

For the dressing:
Add the onion, vinegar, mustard and water to a small bowl and whisk together.
Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuously until all is incorporated and the dressing is amalgamated.

Dress the salad with the vinaigrette and serve.

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Mini Aubergine Schnitzels

March 23, 2024March 22, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

about 9 small aubergines
125ml flour
5ml salt and a few groundings of black pepper
125ml water
100g all bran breakfast cereal

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.
Place the aubergine on the prepared baking sheet and prick the skin and flesh all over with a fork.
Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, remove and allow to cool completely.
Carefully peel off the skins and place the aubergines back on the tray.
Squash the flesh with a fork so that the flesh spreads out to an even thickness. Set aside.
Add the flour, salt, black pepper and water to a bowl and stir to make a thin batter.
Add the all bran flakes to a food processor and blitz to rough crumbs.
Pour the cereal in a shallow bowl.
Now dip an aubergine in the batter, covering both sides and allow the excess batter to drip off.
Place the aubergine in the cereal and coat on both sides.
Place a pan on medium-high heat and add some vegetable oil to it.
Wait for the oil to heat up and fry the aubergine for 2 minutes per side until golden and crispy.
Serve warm.