Friday, March 26, 2010

Tiramisu


Ingredients:
• 200g cream cheese
• 150ml whole milk
• 1 cup strong coffee
• 1 packet vanilla
• 3 tbls sugar
• 20g cocoa powder
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (397g)
• 6 eggs
• 2 packets lady finger biscuits or marie biscuits
• 2 cans cream (2 x 170g) or 1 can cream and 1 small carton (250ml) heavy whipping cream

Method:
Prepare a cup of strong coffee and allow it to cool. Separate the eggs into whites and yolks. Heat the whole milk with Bonny sweetened condensed milk in a pan for5 minutes, add the beaten egg yolks, and thicken the mixture by heating gently (do not boil) for 20-25 minutes. Add the thickened mixture to a baking dish with a high edge, and place it in a refrigerator for one hour. Mix cream with the vanilla, sugar, and add these to cream cheese. Soak the lady finger biscuits in the cold coffee and place these on the cooled mixture of milk and egg yolks until you have used up all the biscuits. Then spread the cream mixture over this and sprinkle cocoa powder on top. Place the dessert in a refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Chocolate Fudge Cake


Ingredients:
• 125 g (4 oz) plain chocolate
• 300 ml milk
• 125 g (4 oz) soft brown sugar
• 125g (4oz) butter or margarine
• 125g (4oz) caster sugar
• 2 eggs separated
• 250 g (8 oz) plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Chocolate fudge icing
• 25 (1 oz) butter or margarine
• 1-2 tbls milk
• 125g (4 oz) icing sugar
• 1 tbls cocoa powder
Method:
Grease an 18*28 cm (7*11 inch) baking tin. Place the chocolate, 4 tbls of the milk, and the brown sugar in a pan and heat gently, stirring, until melted. Stir in the remaining milk. Cream the fat and caster sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolks thoroughly. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda together. Add to the creamed mixture with the chocolate mixture and beat until smooth. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold 1 tbls into the mixture to lighten it, then carefully fold in the rest. Trun into the prepared tin and bake in a preheated moderate oven, 180 degrees celcius (350 f) for 50 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Turn onto a wire rack to cool slightly.
To make the icing, place the fat and 1 tbls milk in a small pan and heat gently until melted. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa together then add to the pan, mixing well until smooth; ass a little more milk if necessary.
Pour over the warm cake and spread evenly to the edges. Allow to set completely, then cut into squares. When cooled down cool in fridge before eating.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Boston Cream Pie


Boston cream Pie:
• Sour cream Pound cake:
o 1 cup butter
o 2 cups sugar
o 4 eggs lightly beaten
o 1 tsp vanilla essence
o 2 ½ cups self raising flour
o 1 cup sour cream
• About 2 cups Readymade custard
• Chocolate Galze:
o About 2 tbls butter
o About half a cup of milk
o About 1 cup chopped chocolate
Method:
Boston Cream Pie is a sponge or pound cake with custard in the middle covered by a chocolate glaze. I prefer to use the sour cream pound cake recipe, you can also use the home made custard using egg yolks but the readymade custard (powdered custard that is mixed with milk) is much easier to use.
Sour Cream Pound Cake:
Preheat Oven, brush your cake tin with oil and dust it with flour. Using electric beaters, beat butter and sugar in the bowl until light and creamy, add eggs gradually, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until combined. Transfer mixture to large mixing bowl, using a metal spoon fold in the flour and cream. Stir until just combined and mixture is smooth. Spoon mixture into prepared tin and bake for about 30 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.
Chocolate glaze:
In a water bath, melt the chocolate with the butter and milk until you get a sauce.

To assemble cut the cake in half (be sure to half the cake when it is completely cooled) and place one layer on the serving plate, spread the custard then place the second layer on top. Pour the chocolate sauce on top of it and spread evenly on the sides. Leave it cool until the chocolate sets.

Roast beef


Ingredients:
• 1 roast beef
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tomato
• 1 carrot
• Beef spices
• Salt & pepper
• 1/3 kg smoked chicken luncheon
• Cheese slices

Method:
Cut roast beef in half if it is too big to fit into the pan. Heat some oil and butter and fry the roast beef all around and from the bottom and top until browned. Next cut the onion into 3 pieces, the tomato and carrot. Add to the pan with the garlic, salt & pepper, and beef spices, add some water. Leave it to cook for at least 2 hours and add more water when it evaporates. When done remove from sauce and set aside, place the vegetables with the liquids in the food processor to make a sauce. Place the meat in the fridge for at least a day then cut into thin slices. Arrange in serving dish, by starting with a meat slice half a cheese slice, half a luncheon slice then meat, repeat until you finish the meat. Next add the sauce on top of it and place it in the oven to reheat.

Konafa with Cream


Ingredients:
• ½ kg konafa
• ¾ cup melted margarine or butter
• 2-3 tbls sugar
• 500 grams fresh cream
• 1 tin cream
• Syrup
Method:
Cut the konafa by hand or in a food processor into small shreds. Brush a 28 cm pan generously with butter making sure the sides are also brushed. Mix the remaining butter (reserve a tbls for the end) with the konafa well to make sure it is evenly spread between all the konafa. Mix the fresh cream with the tin cream and sugar in a bowl. Place half of the konafa at the bottom of the pan, and press down with your fist. Then place the cream mixture, then place the rest of the konafa. Again gently press the konafa down. Drizzle some butter on top of the konafa. Bake in a medium oven until it browns. After you take it out pour some syrup on top of it, leave it for about 20 minutes to allow the syrup to be absorbed, then turn over the konafa onto the serving dish. Turn it over by running a knife on the sides of the pan then placing a plate on top of the pan and turning it over. Add more syrup if needed.

Syrup:
Ingredients:
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups sugar
• ½ lemon juice
• ½ tsp vanilla
Method:
Dissolve the sugar in the water in a saucepan over medium heat, let it boil and thicken a bit, then add the lemon juice, simmer for 5 minutes, turn off the heat then add the vanilla.

Chocolate Maynaise Cake


Ingredients:
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa
• 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cups mayonnaise
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 1/3 cups water


Method:
Grease (use butter) and flour bottoms of two 9 inch layer cake pans. In a medium bowl stir together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, with mixer set at high speed, beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla, occasionally scraping bowl, for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Reduce speed to low, beat in mayonnaise and butter, add flour mixture in four additions, alternating with water, beginning and ending with flour. Pour in prepared pans.
Bake in 350 degrees over 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove and frost as desired.

Banana cake with Cinnmon Glaze (http://homecooking.about.com/od/dessertrecipes/r/blc132.htm)


Ingredients:
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, etc.), optional
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Cinnamon Glaze:
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 Tbsp milk or cream
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with non-stick foil.

In a small bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, and chopped nuts. Stir until evenly mixed.

In a large bowl, beat sugar and oil. Add eggs, bananas, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Beat for 2 minutes until thoroughly combined. Add dry ingredients, stirring only until all ingredients are combined. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until lightly browned and top springs back when lightly touched. Let cool to room temperature.

Cinnamon Glaze:
Whisk together confectioner's sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and milk or cream. Add only enough cream to make a spreadable glaze. Top cooled cake with cinnamon glaze before cutting.

Yield: 24 to 36 servings, depending on cut size