yum – Page 34 – My Whisk and I

Chilli Cheese Garlic Bread

February 7, 2023February 5, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 x 250 g bottle of cheese spread
150g butter, cubed
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 red chillies, very finely chopped
250ml grated mozzarella cheese
2 sourdough loafs or baguettes

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Add the cheese spread, butter, garlic and chillies to a small saucepan and place over a low heat.
Stir the mixture around while the butter melts. Keep going until amalgamated.
Add the grated mozzarella and stir until the cheese has melted and has incorporated into the sauce. Take from the heat.
Slice the bread on the diagonal into slices 2cm apart, taking care not to go all the way through to the bottom.
Spread the cheese mixture generously between the slices.
Wrap the bread in foil. (You may freeze one loaf at this stage).
Place the loaf on a baking sheet and put into the oven for 30 minutes.
Serve immediately.

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Prawn and Basil Salad

February 6, 2023February 5, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g pasta of your choice
1 x 245g sachet pickled peppers, diced and liquid reserved
500g prawns, deveined
250ml salad cream/creamy mayonnaise
250ml yoghurt
2 big handfuls of basil leaves
half an English cucumber, diced

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions and drain.
Take the pickled peppers from the sachet and chop. Set the peppers aside.
Drizzle the pickling liquid over the warm pasta and stir through. Set aside to cool.
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, add the prawns and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
Add the salad cream, yoghurt and basil leaves to a blender and process until you have a light green dressing.
Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
Add the pasta, prawns, cucumber, peppers and basil dressing to a large bowl and mix through.
Scatter some basil leaves on top and serve.

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Traditional Ginger Biscuits

December 6, 2022December 5, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This recipe makes about 300 biscuits and keeps brilliantly when stored in an airtight container.

1,5kg self-raising flour
30ml cream of tartar
30ml bicarbonate of soda
30ml ground ginger
5ml salt
500g butter, cubed
500g golden syrup
1kg brown sugar
6 eggs, whisked together

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray.
Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, bicarb, ginger and salt.
Add the cubed butter and rub it in with your fingertips.
Pour the golden syrup into a saucepan and set over medium heat until the syrup is very runny.
Add the brown sugar and stir until almost dissolved.
Take the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes.
Whisk the eggs together and slowly add it to the syrup mixture while whisking continuously.
Now add the butter and flour mixture and stir through until there is no trace of flour left.
Refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour.
Roll the dough into balls the size of walnuts and place them on a baking sheet, evenly spaced and about 3cm apart.
Flatten each ball slightly with the tines of a fork (you don’t want them too flat!) and bake for 12 minutes.
Cool the biscuits on the baking tray for 10 minutes or until set enough to handle.
Keep going with making balls, flattening and baking until you have an abundance (about 300) of ginger biscuits.
Store the biscuits in an airtight container.

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Chocolate Salami

December 2, 2022December 1, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250g dark chocolate, chopped
250g biscuits, something like ginger biscuits, finger biscuits, Marie biscuits or digestives
100g soft butter
150g caster sugar
3 eggs
30ml vanilla
30ml cocoa powder
75g almond nuts, chopped
75g pecan nuts, chopped
50g pistachio nuts, chopped
30ml icing sugar, sifted, to decorate
twine, to decorate

Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over simmering water and allow to melt until completely smooth. Set aside to cool.
Bash the biscuits in a plastic bag but keep it chunky.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together.
Gradually, and one by one, add the eggs – do not worry if it looks as though it has curdled at this stage.
Add the vanilla and mix until blended.
Sift the cocoa powder into the cooled chocolate and mix through.
Now add the chocolate to the egg mixture and mix through on low speed.
Take the bowl from the mixer and add the crushed biscuits and all of the nuts. Mix well.
Refrigerate the mixture (in the bowl is fine) for about 30 minutes.
Cover your working surface with plastic wrap.
Roll the mixture into a log shape with your hands until it resembles a fat salami, about 30cm long.
Cover the log with the plastic wrap and roll it, as if it were a rolling pin, to create a smooth cylinder.
Twist the ends and make a knot.
Refrigerate the log for at least 6 hours.
Take the salami out of the fridge and lay it on baking paper.
Rub some icing sugar over and tie with string to give it an authentic look.
Slice into discs to serve.

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Whipped Goat’s Cheese Bruschetta

October 31, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 sourdough loaf, cut into 1cm slices
60ml olive oil
600g cherry tomatoes, halved
half a red onion, finely chopped
200g goat’s cheese/chevin
100g sour cream
juice of 1 lemon (about 30ml)
a handful of basil leaves, chopped

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush them with the olive oil.
Toast the bread in the oven for 10 min. Set aside.
Add the halved tomatoes and red onion to a mixing bowl, drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Add the goat cheese, sour cream, lemon juice and basil leaves to a bowl and whisk together with an electric whisk.
Spread the cheese mixture on the bruschetta, top with the tomato and serve immediately.

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Quickest Grenadilla Snack

October 17, 2022October 16, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

50ml sugar
50ml water
125ml grenadilla pulp and seeds
250g grenadilla flavoured yoghurt
6 vanilla cupcakes

Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan and set it over medium heat.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved and then allow to simmer for 1 minute without stirring.
Take from the heat and allow the sugar syrup to cool.
Pour about a third of the sugar syrup onto the grenadilla pulp and mix vigorously so that you end up with a saucy consistency. Set aside.
Half the cupcakes horizontally and place one half in a serving glass.
Top the cake with a spoonful of yoghurt and a spoonful of the grenadilla sauce.
Repeat the layer with the rest of the ingredients.
Bon appétit!!

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Soy Sauce Eggs

September 28, 2022September 23, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

These marinated eggs are delicious as a healthy snack or added to any asian dish and theeeee perfect companion for a slurpy bowl of noodles!! Serve them as breakfast, lunch, dinner and in-between..

190ml warm water
190ml soy sauce
25ml vinegar
80ml honey
6 eggs

Add the water, soy sauce, vinegar and honey to a jug and whisk together to blend the ingredients. Set aside.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.
Lower the eggs into the boiling water with a spoon and cook for 7 minutes, or to your liking.
Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice and keep on the side.
Transfer the eggs to the ice bowl after the 7 minutes. Once the eggs have cooled enough to handle it is really easy to peel them when kept under the cold water.
Place the peeled eggs in a container and pour the marinate over.
Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours. The eggs must be submerged in the marinade – place a weight on top to keep them covered in the liquid.
Remove from the soy mixture, slice and sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs to serve.

The eggs in these photographs were marinated for 24 hours – very dark colour and strong umami taste!!

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Cremora Dessert

September 27, 2022September 23, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250g digestive biscuits
100g butter, melted
250ml Cremona (coffee creamer)
1 x 385g tin condensed milk
250ml cream
80ml lemon juice
your choice of fresh fruit and/or berries

Place 6 glasses/bowl on a small baking sheet and set aside. (the baking sheet makes it easier to transport the desserts)
Place the biscuits in a food processor and process to crumbs.
Add the melted butter with the engine running. You want to end up with a mixture that resembles wet sand.
Spoon a heaped tablespoon of the mixture into the glasses and divide the rest equally. Press lightly onto the bottoms and place in the refrigerator.
Add the Cremona, condensed milk, cream and lemon juice to a mixing bowl and whisk together until you have a very thick mixture.
Divide among the serving glasses and place back into the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours or overnight.
Take the desserts from the fridge about 20 minutes before you want to serve them.
Top with your choice of fresh fruit.

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Udon Noodle Broth

September 26, 2022September 23, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

200g mushrooms, sliced
50g butter
750ml chicken (or vegetable) stock
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2,5ml ground ginger
20ml soy sauce
10ml sugar
20ml dry sherry (or Chinese cooking wine if you can get hold of any)
2,5ml sesame oil
2 x 200g fresh udon noodles
a small handful of chives, chopped

Place a frying pan on medium-high heat. Wait for it to heat up and then add the butter and mushrooms.
Fry until golden. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Add the stock, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, sherry and sesame oil to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Turn down the heat so that the broth can simmer.
Place a lid on the saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the garlic and add the noodles to the broth.
Agitate the noodles with a fork so that they break up and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the fried mushroom and remove the saucepan from the heat.
Ladle the noodles and a good amount of broth into serving bowls and top with a sprinkling of chives.

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Chocolate Swirl Brownies

September 25, 2022September 23, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

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.