Recipes that have worked for Me!

Recipes that have worked for Me!

I hope this works for you and your treasures too...

Chocolate Cake and Cupcakes - based on the Nestle Cocoa Recipe:

Nestle Choc cupcakes Mish and Shray had fun decorating these!!!

Yummy Choc Cake 

Ingredients:

3 extra large eggs at room temperature

250 ml (120g) all purpose cake flour 

220 ml (175g sugar) ordinary sugar

60 ml oil (vegetable oil/canola oil)

125 ml hot water (not boiling)

60 ml (24g)  Nestle Cocoa

10 ml baking powder

salt (pinch)

5 ml vanilla essence

Method:

1. Mix hot water and cocoa until dissolved and set aside to cool.

2. Separate egg yolk and egg white. Make sure the egg whites are in a clean dry bowl. 

3. Beat egg whites until its a soft foam. Make sure it is all beaten and you do not have remaining egg white liquid below the pillows. If you do, remove the egg white that is beaten and beat the remaining egg white. This creates the softness in the cake.

4. Pre-heat your oven - middle shelf - 180 degrees celcius (about 356 Farenheit) (15 minutes)

5. Sift the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder,  salt.

6. Combine (gently) the egg yolks, oil, sugar, vanilla and cocoa mixture - using a mixer on low speed. Once just combined add the dry ingredients and again mix on low until just combined.

7. Now (by hand) using a spatula gently fold in the egg whites. 

Cake:

8. If you are baking a cake use 2 round tins (20cm) - sandwich tins ( i spray generously with spray and cook or smear butter generously all over the pan to prevent sticking. Bake cake for 20-25 minutes. Remove and cool. Then frost and decorate.

Cupcakes:

 OR if you wish to make the cupcakes use a muffin pan and line with cupcake cases. Fill until 3/4  and pop into the oven for 12 minutes. Use a clean dry cake tester or knife and gently pierce the cupcake in the middle to check if it is done. If the cake tester/knife comes out dry/clean the cupcakes are done - if it is holds mixture on it - leave it in the oven for 3 more minutes. Timing is everything here.

Remove from oven once done. Cool them and frost them generously with chocolate frosting and sprinkles.

My frosting recipe:

 4 tablespoon of butter at room temperature (softer the better)

3/4 cup cocoa

3 cups icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)

2-3 tablespoon hot water (more if needed)

5 ml vanilla essence 

milk if desired

Method:

Sift the icing sugar and cocoa. Add the butter and beat using a mixer. Add the wet ingredients and add the milk to obtain the consistency you desire. Use more cocoa or butter depending on the taste you want.

Frost the cupcakes and add your sprinkles..or let the kids do this part - they love it!!

Please pop me a note to let me know if it worked for you!!! 

Enjoy!!! It's a family favorite in my home. 

Awesome Chicken Biryani Recipe:  Trish Moodley

You will need:    

Delicious chicken breyani

700g whole chicken cut into pieces

Fine salt – 1 tablespoon

1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste

2 cups double thick greek yoghurt

1 tablespoon whole cumin/jheera seeds and 1 tablespoon whole coriander/dhania seeds –toast gently on a dry frying pan on stovetop – cool and then grind with a mini grinder (electric) until it is in a powder form

5 cinnamon sticks (medium)

1 flower seed (aniseed)

4 green cardamom pods (elachi)

¼ teaspoon turmeric

1 ½ tablespoon curry powder – I use leaf masala -  (whatever you normally use or purchase a curry powder at your local store)

1 tablespoon gharum masala (great for breyani – this is in powder form)

A handful of fresh mint and ½ quantity of fresh coriander – wash and grind with a little water

Mix all into the chicken and place in a sealed container overnight

Next day:

Take out your chicken marinade and keep at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Parboil 1 ½ cups rice with 1 tablespoon coarse salt, 1 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 flower seed/aniseed – boil for 25 minutes on high heat adding water all the time. Strain and set aside.

1/3 cup lentils (brown) for 20 minutes – strain and set aside

Sliced one small onion into thin slices. Fry in vegetable oil until brown and crispy – drain and add to chicken marinade.

In a large pot – add 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoon Rama margarine (any margarine safe for cooking)

Add chicken marinade, then add rice, sprinkle a teaspoon of egg yellow colouring on top of the rice, then add the lentils.

Close the pot tightly and on simmer - cook for an hour until it gently cooks and fuses the flavours. Do not overcook it - it will dry out. Add few drops of water if this occurs at the end.

Roasted potatoes:

Delicious Roasted Potatoes on stovetop

Cut 3 whole potatoes suitable for mashing - into quarters. 

Boil with water and coarse salt – 1 teaspoon.

Add  ¼ teaspoon turmeric, few fresh celery cubes, 1 teaspoon coriander/dhania powder, 1 teaspoon cumin/jheera powder

Strain when it’s cooked partially.

In a frying pan add 4 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoon margarine

Fry until crisp and golden brown – serve on top of breyani

Enjoy!!!!




Best Ever Mum's Banana Muffins:   

Mum's Best Ever Banana Muffins!

180 degrees preheat oven

Baking Time: 18-20 minutes

You will need:

4 medium bananas (as ripe as possible)
1/3 cup soft margarine (better to use margarine) or Butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup cake flour
1 extra large egg at room temperature

Everything is done by hand:

Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

Mash bananas with a fork.
Add the sugar and egg. Mix in the margarine.

Add the wet ingredients to the sifted dry ingredients.

Combine gently. Grease a muffin tray - I love using spray and cook for the greasing.

Fill the cups up to 3/4 or a little more. Makes 12 high delicious muffins!

Indulge with a cup of tea!   

Enjoy with a cup of tea!

Tiramisu Ice Cream Cake:  (from Bakers Boudoir box recipe)   

Tiramisu Ice cream Cake

1 cup strong coffee COOLED

2 boxes cappuccino boudoir biscuits (250g in total) preferably cappuccino flavour

2 litres vanilla soft scoop ice cream

200g dark chocolate grated

·         Line a 20cm square baking tin with baking paper

·         Place the coffee in a bowl.

·         Dip biscuits in coffee mixture.

·         Line the base with one layer of biscuits.

·         Layer 1/3 of ice cream over it.

·         Grated 1/3 chocolate over ice cream.

·         Repeat – biscuits, ice cream and chocolate until the end.

·         Top up with crushed romany cream (original) and grated chocolate.

·         Leave in freezer overnight  - or 4 hours.

Best Ever Romany Creams Brownie - adapted from Bakers Romany Creams Recipe on the Box    

 

Ingredients:
1 cup castor sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
225 g butter, softened
5 tbs all purpose flour
5 tbs cocoa powder
100 g DARK chocolate
1/2 cup pecan nuts – chopped fine
200g Romany Creams biscuits –crush with rolling pin

Method:
• Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Grease and line a 20x20cm baking tin.
• Beat eggs and sugar until creamy. Melt butter (pulse in microwave), add to eggs and beat well.
• Sieve cocoa and flour together. Add to the egg mixture and combine - FOLD

• Melt chocolate and lightly fold into mixture. Lastly, add nuts and Romany Creams.
• Mix well to combine before pouring into prepared pan. Bake for about 20-25mins  minutes.
• Cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out. Cut into bars or squares. Makes 20.