Recipes - My Favourite from South Africa

2007-10-12T14:53:00.000+02:00

BISCUITS

2007-09-22T12:47:00.000+02:00

DROP CRUNCHIES
250ml (120g) Flour
3ml Bicarbonate of soda
250ml (90g) Rolled oats
250ml (200g) Sugar
250ml (80g) Desiccated coconut
125g Butter
60ml Syrup
A little water is needed
I also add a handful of sunflower seeds
- Sift Flour and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl. Add oats, sugar and coconut.
- Melt butter and syrup and add to the dry ingredients.
- Shape tablespoons of mixture into balls (mixture should be slightly crumbly).
Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes or until done.
Makes 30

BROWNIES
100g (100ml) Butter
100g Dark Chocolate
300g (375ml) Sugar
Pinch of Salt
5ml Vanilla Essence
3 Extra large Eggs
140g (250ml) Cake Flour
30ml Cocoa
100g Pecan Nuts
- Preheat Oven to 180°C
- Grease a 20 x 20cm Pan. Put in grease proof paper
- Put Butter and chocolate in a small pan, stir on low heat until melted
- Stir in sugar and salt, add vanilla
- Mix in eggs individually
- Mix with a hand mixer for 1 minute
- In a separate bowl mix flour & Cocoa. Mix in chopped nuts
- Add chocolate mixture to dry ingredients. Fold into mixture.
- Pour into pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes.
TOPPING
100ml Cream
100g Dark Chocolate
- Heat cream
- Add chocolate, stir until melted
- Allow to stand until cool
- Spread over top of brownies
- Cut into squares

DESSERTS

2007-09-19T09:14:00.000+02:00

APPLE TART
250ml (140g) Self Raising Flour
2ml Salt
125ml Castor Sugar
125g Butter
385g Can Sliced Pie Apples
1 Extra Large Egg
125ml Milk
15ml Sugar
3ml Ground Cinnamon
- Cream butter & sugar. Add egg and beat until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt. Fold into butter mixture Alternately with Milk.
- Turn into a greased 23cm pie dish. Arrange apple slices on top of mixture. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC for ± 40 minutes.
Syrup
60ml Sugar
45ml Milk
5ml Vanilla Essence
- Heat Sugar & milk; bring to the boil until sugar has melted. Remove from heat and add essence.
- Pour over apple tart when removed from oven.
Serves: 6 to 8

Bread and Butter Pudding - Panettone
575 millilitres Full cream milk
575 millilitres double cream (heavy cream)
1 vanilla pod
4 medium eggs
170 gram caster sugar (superfine sugar)
Panettone, cut into thick slices and buttered
1 orange, zested
3 tablespoons Cognac
A little icing sugar
- To start the custard base, bring the milk and cream just to a boil in a saucepan. Cut the vanilla pod in half, scrape out the seeds and add to the pan with the zest.
- Whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale. Add the milk and cream and remove the vanilla.
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C.
- Dip each slice of panettone into the custard and pile into a buttered baking dish. Pour the remaining custard slowly over the bread, place the dish in a roasting pan and fill halfway with hot water. Sprinkle with the icing sugar and bake for about 45 minutes. When cooked, it will have a slight crust on top, but will still be slightly wobbly inside.
Serves: 8 to 10

CHEESECAKE – The Best
Base
100g Biscuits - ginger is nice
80g Melted butter
- Combine crushed biscuits and butter
- Line the base of a 20cm Springform cake tin.
Filling
1 sachet Gelatine
125ml hot water
3 Egg Whites
500g smooth cream / cottage cheese
1 x 397g Tin condensed milk
30ml lemon juice
5ml Vanilla Essence
- Dissolve gelatine in water & set aside.
- Beat egg whites until stiff & set aside.
- Blend Cheese, cream & condensed milk
- Add Gelatine, lemon juice, & vanilla Essence.
- Fold in the egg whites.
- Pour into prepared base. Refrigerate and decorate as desired.
Tips
Substitute 150ml Sugar for condensed milk.
Mix 30g Cocoa, 2.5ml coffee, 60ml boiling water. Add for a chocolate cheese cake.
Mix in a tin of strained mixed berries for a berry cheesecake.
Serves: 8

CHEESECAKE - LEMON MERINGUE
Base
250g Tennis biscuits
125g Butter
- Crush biscuits. Mix in melted butter. Press into a 20cm spring-form pan, lining base and sides.
Filling
1pkt Philadelphia cream cheese (approx. 225g)
1 tin condensed milk (approx. 397g)
2 eggs (separated)
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup castor sugar
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in condensed milk, lemon rind & juice, and the egg yolks. Pour into prepared crumb base.
- Beat / whip egg whites until soft peak form. Gradually beat in half the sugar. Beat until stiff, Fold in remaining sugar. Spread evenly over the filling.
- Bake in hot oven for 10 minutes to brown meringue. Allow to cool and set in the fridge.
Note: Use slightly green lemons.
Serves: 8

CHOC ALMOND MERINGUE CAKE
8 Egg Whites
1½ (330g) Sugar
1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier / Cointreau
350g Dark Chocolate – Chopped
250g Slivered Almonds – Toasted
6–8 Glacé / Dried Figs cooked in sugar syrup – Chopped
Zest of 2 oranges
Whipped Cream
Cocoa
- Preheat oven to 165°C.
- Grease a 25cm Spring-form Cake tin with oil
- Beat the egg whites until stiff, slowly add sugar and Cointreau.
- Fold in Chocolate, Almonds, Figs and orange zest.
- Place mixture in tin & bake for 1½ - 2 hours.
- Cool. Cover with cocoa. Serve with whipped cream
Serves: 8

CHOCOLATE CHIP PECAN PIE
3 Extra large eggs, lightly beaten
250ml Sugar
30ml Unsalted butter, melted
250ml Syrup
5ml Vanilla Essence
60ml Whiskey
1 x 20cm Pie Crust
125ml Chocolate Chips
250ml Whole Pecans
- Preheat oven to 180°C
- Combine the eggs, sugar, butter, syrup, vanilla and whiskey. Mix well and then Strain
- Sprinkle chocolate chips over the bottom of the unbaked piecrust; cover with pecans. Pour filling over chips and pecans.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted halfway between the centre and the edge comes out clean.
- Set aside for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
Serves: 8

CHOCOLATE SAUCE - for ice-cream
½ cup Sugar
½ cup Cream
¼ cup Butter
Pinch Salt
¼ cup Cocoa
⅓ cup Syrup
60g Dark Chocolate
½ tsp Vanilla Essence
- Heat ingredients over low heat stirring well until boiling.
- Remove from stove and add vanilla.

FRUIT COCONUT MERINGUE
500ml Milk
12 Tennis biscuits – crushed
100g desiccated coconut
2 Tbls Butter
2 Tbls Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
1 x 410g can Fruit cocktail – drained
2 eggs – separated
Apricot Jam
3 Tbls Icing sugar
- Bring milk to the boil and add the biscuits, coconut, butter & sugar. Mix together.
- Add vanilla, mixed fruit and beaten egg yolks.
- Place in a greased proof dish and spread with jam.
- Beat egg whites until stiff, add icing sugar and spread meringue mixture over the pudding.
- Bake at 180ºC for 1 hour until golden in colour.

HALVA
2¼ cups (560ml) water
½ cup + 2 Tbls (155ml) sugar
¼ tsp (1,25ml) cardamom seeds – pounded
3 Tbls (45ml) Oil
3 Tbls (45ml) unsalted butter
¾ cup (180ml) semolina
¼ cup (60ml) semolina
¼ cup (60ml) raisins
¼ cup (60ml) slivered almonds
1 Tbls (15ml) finely slivered pistachio nuts
- Place the water, sugar & cardamom in a saucepan & bring to the boil over medium heat. Turn heat to low & simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat & set aside.
- Heat the oil & butter in a large non-stick frying pan or wok over medium heat. Add the semolina & stir until the semolina turns a light golden colour (not brown).
- Add the raisins, almonds & stir for 30 seconds longer. While stirring gradually pour in the sugar mixture. Reduce heat & continue to stir & cook halva for 6-8 minutes or until thick and runs off the sides of the pan. Remove from heat.
- Spread in a shallow flan dish. Sprinkle with pistachio nuts & let cool for 10-15 minutes. Cut into squares.

ICE CREAM – The easiest
6 Egg whites
500ml cream
1 tin condensed milk
- Beat egg whites till stiff
- Mix together cream and condensed milk.
- Add other ingredients at this point (Chocolate, orange, caramel, etc.)
- Fold egg whites into mixture.
- Freeze.

MALVA PUDDING – a guaranteed winner
1 cup sugar
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Apricot Jam
1 cup Flour
1 Tablespoon Bicarb of Soda
Pinch of Salt
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Teaspoon Vinegar
1 cup Milk
- Beat Egg & Sugar Well. Add Jam
- Melt Butter, milk & Vinegar
- Sift Flour, Bicarb & Salt.
- Add dry & wet ingredients to Egg – sugar – Jam Mixture. Mix well.
- Bake at 180°C for 45 minutes in a greased casserole dish
Topping
1 cup Cream
100g Butter
1 cup Sugar
½ cup Hot Water
- Melt in a saucepan.
- Bring to boil, add to Malva when pudding is still hot.
Serves: 6 to 8

Chocolate Mousse with Sesame Snaps
200 grams good quality dark chocolate, bashed up
140 grams butter, cut into pieces
350 millilitres heavy cream
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Scottish whiskey
455 grams caster sugar
8 tablespoons butter
200 gram sesame seeds
- In a bowl over some gently simmering water, slowly melt the chocolate and butter together then remove from the heat.
- In a separate bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks.
- In a third bowl, whisk the eggs and honey until light and fluffy then fold in the whisky, melted chocolate mixture and cream, gently, so you don't lose too much air. Pour into small chilled 4 or 6 wine glasses or serving dishes and chill for at least an hour before serving.
- Put your sugar and 8 tablespoons of water into a pan on medium heat. Use a spoon to stir together, it will become a syrup.
- Cook until light golden, then add the sesame seeds and continue to cook until dark golden. Pour out the sesame seed caramel onto an oiled non-stick tray or oiled tin foil.
- Use a palette knife to push it out to about 0.5 centimetres thick (even thinner if you can).
- Allow to cool for about 15 minutes and you will have one big sesame seed caramel biscuit. Bash it up as you like!
Serves: 4 to 6

PECAN MERINGUE
16 Salticrax biscuits – crushed
100g Chopped Pecans
3 egg whites
½ tsp Baking Powder
1 cup sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
Whipped cream & Chocolate flakey to decorate.
- Whip egg whites until stiff. Gradually add sugar.
- Fold in baking powder & vanilla.
- Fold in crushed biscuits & nuts.
- Bake in a greased pie dish (27cm) at 190ºC for 30 minutes.
- Cool completely. Decorate with cream and flakey.
Serves: 8

PEPPERMINT CRISP PUDDING
3 Peppermint Crisps
1 Pkt. Tennis biscuits
1 Box (2 pkts.) Orley Whip
1 Tin Caramelized condensed milk
- Whip Orley Whip.
- Add condensed milk, and crushed peppermint crisps.
- Add layer of biscuits and mixture.
- Leave in fridge to set.
Serves: 6 to 8

The King of Puddings
4 eggs
565 millilitres milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
115 grams fine bread crumbs
225 grams sugar (1 cup)
4 level tablespoons jam (raspberry jam is really nice)
- Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C.
- Separate 3 of the eggs. Put the yolks in a bowl with the remaining whole egg and beat together. Add the milk, vanilla essence, bread crumbs, and 85 grams of the sugar.
- Put the jam on the bottom of a pie dish and spread it evenly. Pour the egg and milk mixture over the jam.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until set.
- Whisk the remaining egg whites until stiff. You could use an electric whisk for this. Slowly add the remaining sugar until it is all mixed in. Pile this mixture on top of the pudding mixture, then bake in the oven for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the meringue is set and lightly browned.
Serves: 4 servings

Sticky Chocolate Sponge Pudding
200g sugar
200g butter
200g self-raising flour, sifted
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs, preferably free-range
3 rounded tablespoons cocoa powder
8 tablespoons warm water
Handful flaked almonds
100g cooking chocolate, broken up
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Beat the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy.
- Sieve the flour and baking powder into the butter mixture. Add the eggs and mix it all together. Then mix the cocoa powder with 8 tablespoons of warm water, until smooth.
- Fold the chocolate paste, almonds, and chocolate pieces into the cake mixture. Pour the mixture into a greased baking tin, spreading it out evenly. Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes.
For the chocolate sauce:
100g cooking chocolate
½ Cup confectioners' sugar
100g ounces butter
4 tablespoons milk
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate sauce ingredients in a bowl over some lightly simmering water. Stir until blended well.
- When the pudding is cooked, remove from the oven and pour over the chocolate sauce while still hot.
Serves: 8

TIRAMISU
16 Sponge Fingers (or boudoir biscuits)
250ml Strong Coffee, cooled
3 Tablespoons Dark Rum
500g Mascarpone Cheese
300ml Whipping Cream
4 Tablespoons Marsala Liqueur (or Kahlua)
4 Tablespoons Icing Sugar
4 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
STEP ONE:
Place the sponge fingers in a shallow bowl large enough to fit them all in a single layer. Mix together the cooled coffee and rum, then drizzle evenly over the fingers. Fingers will need to soak for about 20 mins, so set aside while you make the cream.
STEP TWO:
Place mascarpone in a bowl. Beat in whipping cream and marsala liqueur. Sieve in icing sugar. Stir until combined. Using six small dishes or one large bowl (approx 1.5L), layer up sponge fingers and cream, repeating the layers until the dishes are full. Finish with a layer of cream, then dust with the cocoa powder.
Serves 6
Freezes up to 3 months

SOUPS

2007-09-18T10:27:00.000+02:00

FISH SOUP
1L Fish / Chicken Stock
2 Onions, finely chopped
2 Carrots
50g Butter
Salt, pepper, turmeric
250ml Cream
2 Egg yolks
50g Flour
1½kg Firm Fish
½kg Peeled Shrimps
½kg Cooked mussels
- Melt butter in a large saucepan. Saute onions and carrots.
- Mix in flour and dilute with fish stock. Bring to boil for 10 minutes
- Add diced fish and simmer until fish is cooked through.
- Add salt, pepper & turmeric to taste
- Before serving add in mussels and shrimps.
- Mix cream & egg yolks & add to soup.
- Garnish with parsley and serve with bread.

MINESTRONE
60ml Olive oil
2 Onions, finely chopped
1 Tbls Crushed Garlic
30ml Parsley / Mixed herbs
2 Heads Celery, including the leaves, chopped
4 Zucchinis / Baby marrow, chopped
2 x 410g Tins of chopped Tomatoes.
500ml Stock
1 x 410g Tin Mixed Beans, Drained
8 sticks of spaghetti broken up
Black pepper to taste
- Heat the olive oil. Add the onions and fry until tender.
- Add the garlic, celery, zucchinis and parsley
- Add the tomatoes, and stock. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the beans and pasta. Cook until pasta is al dente.
- Season to taste. Serve Hot
PS: Fry bacon with the onions for a fuller flavoured soup
Serves 6

SPICY BUTTERNUT SOUP
2 Onions finely chopped
1 kg Butternut, skinned and pipped
80g Butter
10ml Curry Powder
1 ½ litres Chicken Stock
Salt and Black Pepper to taste.
- Cut the butternut into 3cm cubes.
- Fry the onions in the butter in a large saucepan until translucent.
- Add the curry powder and the butter nut.
- Add the chicken stock and simmer covered for about 30 minutes until tender.
- Puree with a food processor.
- Season to taste.
Serves 8-10

LIQUERS

2007-09-16T15:08:00.000+02:00

BASIC METHOD
- Weigh the clean, peeled & stoned fruit. The nuts and the sugar.
- Place the fruit & spices or herbs in a clean, dry glass or earthenware container with a tight fitting lid.
- Add the alcohol, mix well & close.
- Leave to stand in a warm, sunny spot indoors. Shake regularly to spread the flavour of the ingredients.
- 1st pour the fruit alcohol mixture through a clean sieve & then through a cheesecloth pegged firmly to the edges on a glass bowl. The aim of this procedure is to clarify the liqueur.
- Pour the sugar, water or wine into the heavy bottomed pot and heat at a low temperature whilst stirring. Then bring to boiling point and boil until the syrup has the right consistency. Remove from the stove.
- Leave the syrup to cool. Add the flavoured alcohol to the cold syrup. Pour the liqueur into sterilized bottles, cork and seal. Store and leave to mature according to the instructions. This improves the flavour.

CAPE VELVET LIQUEUR
397g Tin of condensed Milk
410g Tin of Evaporated Milk
300ml Brandy
10ml Instant Coffee
10ml Glycerine
- Mix all the ingredients for at least 10mins in a food processor or liquidiser.
- Pour the Liqueur into bottles. Refrigerate for a day before use.

MARULA LIQUEUR
800g Marulas
750ml Vodka
5ml Fenugreek
4 Whole All spice
500g (625ml) Sugar
650ml Water
- Peel the Marulas.
- Place the Marulas, Vodka, fenugreek, and all spice in a clean, dry glass or earthenware container with a tight fitting lid. Leave to stand in a warm spot for 3 weeks. Shake every morning and evening.
- Pour the mixture 1st through a clean dry sieve and then strain through 2 layers of cheesecloth. Set aside.
- Mix the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed pot, stir over low heat until the sugar has melted. Bring to the boil and boil for 17 minutes.
- Remove the syrup from the stove and leave to cool.
- Mix the Syrup with the Marula mixture.
- Pour the liqueur into dry sterilized bottles, cork, seal and mark. Store for 1 month before use.

Breads

2007-09-16T13:27:00.000+02:00

HERBED BROWN BREAD
15ml Instant Yeast
500g Brown bread flour
10ml Salt
30ml Oil
15ml Dried herbs
50ml Sunflower seeds
500ml Lukewarm water
- Put all ingredients except water in a bowl.
- Add water whilst stirring.
- Spoon mixture in a 23cm x 13cm greased bread tin.
- Turn oven onto 200ºC and allow bread to rise on top of oven.
- Once the bread has risen (about 30min) bake at 200ºC for an hour.
- Turn bread out whilst still hot onto a wire rack to cool

WHEAT FREE FLOUR MIX
Make a wheat-free flour mixture to use instead of wheat flour in all recipes
2 ½ cups Rice Flour
1 cup Potato Flour
1 cup Tapioca Flour
¼ cup Corn Flour
¼ cup Chickpea Flour
2 Tablespoons Xanthan Gum

WHEAT FREE BREAD
3 cups Wheat free flour mix
500ml Plain Low Fat yoghurt
1 ½ teaspoons Bicarbonate of Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Mixture of seeds and nuts (optional)
- Mix all Ingredients well.
- Place the dough in a well buttered loaf tin and bake at 180°C for 1 ¼ hours.

RYE BREAD
500ml Rye Flour
200ml Corn Flour
5ml Bicarb of Soda
10ml Baking powder
3ml Salt
1 egg
100ml butter-melted
400ml water
60ml Sunflower Seeds
60ml Sesame Seeds
60ml Pecan Nuts
- Mix all Ingredients well.
- Place the dough in a well buttered loaf tin and bake at 160°C for 1 hours.

CHEESE MUFFINS
1 Egg
1 cup Milk
1 ½ cups Self-raising Flour
½ tsp Salt
1 Tbls Sugar
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
1 ½ cups grated Cheese
Paprika
- Preheat the oven to 210°C
- Beat the egg. Add the milk
- Add the remaining ingredients. Stir with a spoon no more than 30 times.
- Spoon into a greased muffin pan. Sprinkle with paprika.
- Bake for 15 minutes
Makes 8 Muffins