Tipsy Tart (Brandewyntert)

The English name (Brandy Tart) for this decadent recipe is way more accurate than the Afrikaans name … Christmas will not be the same without this recipe – but it is great for any time of year.

Ingredients:
250 g (1/2 lb) dates
5 ml (t teaspoon) bicarbonate of soda
250 ml (1 cup) boiling water
125 ml (1/2 cup) butter
250 ml (1 cup) sugar
2 eggs
500 ml (2 cups) flour
5 ml (1 teaspoon) baking powder
2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) salt
250 ml (1 cup) chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Method:

1. Chop dates into small pieces.
2. Add bicarb. to hot water and add half of the dates, stir and let cool.
3. Cream the butter and sugar and add eggs one by one. Mix well.
4. Sift dry ingredients and fold into butter mixture.
5. Add dry dates and nuts and then the date/bicarbonate of soda mixture. Mix well.
6. Scoop the mixture into two pie dishes with diameter of 22 cm (9 inches) or into one square ovenproof dish.
7. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F.
8. Pour warm syrup carefully over tart when it comes out of the oven.
9. Serve warm or cold with whipped or scald cream.

Syrup
312 ml (1 1/4 cup) sugar
12.5 ml (1 tablespoon) butter
187 ml (3/4 cup) water
5 ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla
Pinch of salt
125 ml (1/2 cup) brandy

Method:

1. Boil first three ingredients together for 5 minutes
2. Remove from heat and add vanilla, salt and brandy. Stir well.

Banberry House Baked Apple French Toast

Scott and Ivan from Banberry House gave me this recipe in 1998 and it remains a favourite.  Similar to the Blueberry French Toast recipe.

Ingredients:
1 large loaf of white bread
8 eggs
3 cups of milk
3/4 cup of sugar, divided
1 1/4 tablespoon vanilla
5 Granny Smith apples
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Spray 9 x 13 pan with vegetable oil spray (Pam).
3. Place bread slightly together in one layer in the pan.
4. Beat eggs lightly, ad milk, 1/4 cup of sugar, nutmeg, vanilla and whisk.
5. Peel, core and slice apples into rings.
6. Place apple rings on top of bread to cover.
7. Pour remaining egg mixture over apples.
8. Mix remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over apples.
9. Dot with butter.
10. Bake for 35 minutes.
11. Cool for 5 – 10 minutes before serving.

Glühwein (Mulled Wine)

This recipe comes from Walter Barth in Windhoek… he always has the recipe for a party!

Ingredients:
65 g sugar
peel of 1/2 lemon
4 or 5 cloves
1/2 cinnamon stick
125 ml water
1 l of red wine

Method:

1. Bring mixture (except the wine) to a boil and let it stand for 30 minutes.
2. Heat 1 liter of wine but do not let it boil.
3. Pour the sugar mixture through a sieve and add to the wine.
4. Serve hot in red wine glasses.

Hertzogkoekies – Coconut tarts

Hertzogkoekies (Coconut tarts)

The story goes that this recipe was the favourite of Gnl. JBM Hertzog, South African Boer general and later prime minister.  His supporters would bake Hertzogkoekies (also called Hertzoggies) when he was in town.

Supporters of his political rival, Gnl. Jan Smuts would have none of this and would bake Smuts’ favourite, called Smutskoekies.

As far as I know the biggest difference between the two recipes is the coconut in the meringue topping.  Of the two, Hertzogkoekies is my favourite.

Ingredients:

Crust
400 g (750 ml) cake flour
10 ml baking powder
1 ml salt
250 g butter at room temperature
200 g (250 ml) sugar
2 eggs, beaten

Filling
2 egg whites
62 ml (5 Tbsp) castor sugar (the finer every day sugar in Canada will be OK)
187 ml (3/4 cup) fine coconut
apricot jam
2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) baking powder

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (400 – 425 degrees F).
2. To make the crust, sift flour, baking powder and salt together.
3. Rub the butter with finger tips into this mixture until it resembles bread crumbs.
4. Add sugar and mix.
5. Add the 2 eggs and mix into a stiff dough.
6. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 3 mm .
7. Cut circles , about 8 cm in diameter with a cookie cutter.
8. Line the centre of greased patty pans (shallower than muffin pans).

To make the filling:

1. Sift sugar and baking powder together.
2. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold the sugar mixture and coconut in turn into the egg whites.
3. Add 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) apricot jam in the centre of each little tart.
4. Add 12.5 ml (1 tbsp) of the egg meringue mixture on top of the jam.
5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

Minneola Cake with Citrus Cream

Minneola cake with citrus cream

Minneolas can be substituted by oranges but the bright orange juice and deep orange peel make minneolas perfect for this recipe. And of course, minneolas are seedless.

My mom got this recipe from the Rooi Rose in 1993 and made this many times. It has become time for me to transfer my faded photo copy to this blog because it remains one of my favorite items for the tea table.

Ingredients:
120 g soft butter
330 ml sugar
2 eggs
30 ml grated minneola peel
5 ml vanilla essence
270 g cake flour
20 ml baking powder
5 ml bicarbonate of soda
2 ml salt
250 ml milk
60 ml marmalade

Topping:
5 egg yolks
120 ml sugar
30 ml grated minneola peel
125 ml minneola juice
60 g butter
200 ml thick cream

Garnish:
15 ml minneola peel

Method:

1. Cream 120 g butter and 330 ml sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one by one and beat well after each.
2. Add 30 ml minneola peel and vanilla.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt together.
4. Add dry mixture bit by bit with milk to butter and sugar mixture
5. Start with dry mixture and mix after each addition until it is just blended.
6. Pour into 2 lined, greased cake pans 225 mm in diameter.
7. Bake in pre heated oven at 180 degrees C, for about 25 minutes or until cooked when tested.
8. Cool for 15 minutes in cake pans before tipping it out onto a cooling rack.
9. Paint tops of cake layers with marmalade before taking out of pans.

Topping:

1. Whisk egg yolks in top of double boiler.
2. Add 120 g sugar, minneola juice and 30 ml peel end stir continuously over medium heat, about 5 minutes until thickened
3. Add 60 g butter and stir until melted.
4. Let it cool, cover and place in fridge until cold.
5. Stir cream in when mixture is cold.
6. Place one cake layer on a serving platter, marmalade side up
7. Spread 125 ml citrus cream over it.
8. Place second cake layer on top and decorate with remaining cream.
9. Garnish with minneola slices and 15 ml peel and place in fridge before serving.

Judy’s Recipe for “Joan’s Eggs”

Our friend Judy Sparkes brought these quiche-like eggs to a breakfast meeting once and she kindly shared her recipe. (I would not have begged for the recipe if it was not totally delicious!) She affectionately calls these “Joan’s Eggs” as it was a recipe from Joan Myles.

The ingredients are quite versatile – similar to omelettes, just add what you have…

Ingredients and Method:

• Using a muffin pan, spray with Pam (or other non-stick spray)
• Add chopped ham
• Break a whole egg into the muffin cup
• Top with a little cheese and bread crumbs
• Add salt and pepper if you like

Bake at 350 degrees F for no more than 20 minutes.

She says: “For the bread crumbs, I typically use a slice of bread and simply tear off little bits to pop on top.

You can use any combo of breakfast meats but the ham requires no prior cooking, unlike sausage or bacon.

I have often used peppers or chives as well as mushrooms but pending what you use, you may need to quickly sauté the veg to soften.

A friend of mine has done these with seafood too.”

Chocolate Cake / Sjokoladekoek

This recipe is from Kook en Geniet and Rita Stoddart (UK) asked if I had it.  Rita, here it is – now we can both get to this good old South African recipe wherever we go!

Ingredients:
200 ml (4/5 c) butter or margarine
375 ml (1 1/2 c) sugar
5 ml (1 t) vanilla essence
3 eggs
625 ml (2 1/2 c) cake flour
50 ml (4 tbs) cocoa
20 ml (4 t) baking powder
2.5 ml (1/2 t) salt
200 ml (4/5 c) milk

Method:

1. Stir butter with wooden spoon and gradually ad sugar. Beat until light and creamy. Add vanilla.
2. Add eggs one by one and beat well after each addition.
3. Sift flour, salt, cocoa and baking powder together and sift and add alternately with milk into butter mixture. Beat well until the mixture has a velvety texture. Don’t stir, but beat.
4. Pour batter into two greased cake pans with wax paper cut out on the bottom (22 cm in diameter).  Can also be baked in one large cake pan.
5. Bake 25 to 35 minutes at 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). When cake is firm on top and sides shrink away from the pan, the cake is ready to come out of the oven. However, do not open the oven during the first 20 minutes.
6. Immediately turn the cake over on a cooling rack.
7. For a layered cake, use any filling of your choice.

Root Beer Ribs

This recipe came from Devin’s family and is more-ish.

Ingredients:
4 racks of baby back ribs (each 1 1/2 lbs)
6 tbsp. BBQ Spice (Robertson’s Braai Spice works well)
2 onions, sliced
4 cloves of garlic
4 375 ml cans of root beer
t tbsp. root beer essence or vanilla

BBQ Sauce:
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup root beer
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp Worcester sauce
salt to taste
(If short on ingredients, a bottled BBQ sauce works too – I tried the Diana’s brand recently)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325° F.
2. Using a sharp knife, score the membrane of the backside of the ribs in a diamond pattern. Season the ribs with BBQ spice, pressing the spice into the meat.
3. Spread the onions and garlic in a roasting pan. Lay the ribs meat side down on top of the onion mixture.
4. Stir together the root beer and root beer essence; pour ove the ribs. Cover lightly with lid or foil.
5. Braise for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Let cool slightly.
6. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, root beer, cilantro, water, Worcester sauce and salt.
7. Preheat grill to medium high.
8. Grill ribs for 6 to 8 minutes per side or until lightly charred, basting frequently with the sauce.
9. Cut between every third rib and serve.

Bobotie

Ingredients:1 kg ground beef
1 large onion
1 slice of bread
250 ml (1 cup) milk
2 eggs
12.5 ml (1 tablespoon) curry powder
18.5 ml (1 1/2 tablespoons) sugar
10 ml (2 teaspoons) salt
2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) pepper
6 ml (1/2 tablespoon) turmeric
25 ml (2 tablespoons) vinegar or juice of 1 lemon
6 almonds quartered (or small handful of almond slivers)
125 ml (1/2 cup) pitted raisins
4 bay leaves or grated peel of one lemon
37.5 ml (3 tablespoons) chutney or apricot jam

Method:

1. Peel onions, slice thinly and brown in hot oil, butter or lard.  Add ground beef and brown the beef with the onions. Strain any fat off the cooked beef.
2. Soak the bread in the milk and squeeze milk out again. Crumble the bread.
3. Mix all ingredients except one egg, 1/2 cup milk and bay leaves.
4. Add mixture to a greased ovenproof dish and poke the bay leaves upright into the mixture.
5. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.
6. Mix rest of egg and remaining 125 ml (1/2 cup) milk and pour over meat mixture and bake for another half hour.
7. Serve with rice, chutney, sliced banana, plain yoghurt and a sambal of cubed fresh tomato, chopped onion and white vinegar.