IN FOR A TREAT

“LAST but not least - I want to thank me!” With a sweet, steamy pudding fresh out the oven.

I know it’s month-end and money’s a bit tight. 

Rent needs to be paid, school transport still wants its cut. 

School holidays or not, Oom wil transport geld hê (but that’s a story for another day) - and don’t forget your bus fare!

But hey, you’ve survived the madness, and that deserves a little sweetness. So go on, treat yourself to something warm, delicious, and soul-soothing.

This week’s recipes are all about budget-friendly winter desserts that bring comfort by the spoonful. Because no matter the struggle, you still deserve a little taste of joy.

Pudding isn’t just about dessert, it’s a feeling. It’s what turns an ordinary meal into a moment. It’s that little something extra that says: “We might not have it all, but we’ve got love, warmth, and flavour.”

I know I’m not the only one - growing up, Sundays were special. We would look forward to the smell of Sunday kos filling the house, the sound of pots bubbling on the stove, and that one sweet thing at the end: a warm pudding waiting on the table, made with love. 

It wasn’t just food, it was tradition. Something to look forward to. Something that brought us together.

The love we grew up with - served in small acts and simple moments, is a legacy worth keeping alive for the next generation. It lived in bowls of jelly and custard, in the malva pudding Ma made from scratch, and in the warm custard poured with care after Sunday lunch. Remember that one sibling that would lick the pot? I do too, me!

Those desserts weren’t just sweet; they were how our families showed love, comfort, and togetherness. Keeping those traditions alive is more than just cooking, it’s passing down the feeling of home.

A hearty pudding brings people to the table. It slows things down. Suddenly, there’s laughter, second helpings, and stories being shared. It’s more than just dessert - it’s home on a spoon.

I survived the month - now pass the pudding!

RECIPE 1

Malva pudding and home-made condensed custard

Molelekeng Joyce Pop@House of Lele

Ingredients:

For the pudding

45ml (3tbsp) room temperature margarine 

1/2 cup castor sugar 

1 egg

3 tablespoons apricot jam

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 cup milk

For the sauce 

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla essence 

1/2 cup room temp margarine 

1/2 cup castor sugar 

1/2 cup water

Method:

For the pudding 

1. In a bowl add margarine, castor sugar, egg and mix using a whisk. 
2. Add the apricot jam and mix. Set aside. 
3. In a separate bowl sift the flour, baking soda and salt. 
4. Add the flour and milk gradually in the egg mixture and mix with a whisk. 
5. Grease oven proof dish and pour the mixture. 
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 45 minutes or until golden brown. 

For the sauce:

Cook sauce ingredients for ±3 minutes.

Once done pour over the pudding and serve hot with condensed milk custard.

Condensed milk custard 

Ingredients:

10 heaped tablespoons of custard powder 

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla essence 

Pinch of salt

385g tin of sweetened condensed milk

1 litre boiling water 

Method:

1. In a small bowl add custard powder, 1/2 cup of water and mix using a whisk. Set aside. 
2. Pour 1 litre of boiling water in a bowl. 
3. Pour the custard mixture and mix using a whisk. If the mixture is too thick add a little bit of boiling water. 
4. Add the vanilla, salt and mix. The mixture should not be too thick and not too watery. 
5. Cover the bowl with cling wrap, make sure it touches the custard to prevent the formation of the skin from forming. 
6. Cool completely, you can put it in the refrigerator to cool faster. 
7. After cooling pour the whole tin of condensed milk into the custard and mix using a spatula. 
8. Serve immediately with malva pudding or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerating overnight wrap with cling wrap again.

RECIPE 2

Rooibos Crème Brûlée

Courtesy of My Modern Kitchen

Ingredients

1/2 vanilla pod400ml double crème

100ml milk5 Rooibos teabags5 egg Yolks

40g sugar

Unrefined brown sugar, like demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Method

1. Pour the milk and crème in a medium pan with the Rooibos teabags. Cut the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape the seeds into the milk and crème mixture and place over medium heat. Once it just starts to lightly simmer, take the pan off the heat, leave the Rooibos teabags in and let them infuse for 20 minutes.
2. In the meantime, combine the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl, using a wooden spoon until the mixture turns a white colour.
3. Slowly add in the milk and crème mixture and mix well. Pour into ramekins, cover in cling film and leave in the fridge for 2 hours minimum.
4. Turn the oven on and preheat at 95˚C. Place the ramekins delicately in the oven and bake for 1h to 1h15 minutes. The custards should be just set. Once cooled, keep them in the fridge.
5. When ready to serve, uncover the ramekins – if any condensation has collected on the custard, gently place a paper towel on the surface to soak up the moisture. Sprinkle evenly each custard ramekins with a teaspoon of demerara sugar. Brulée the top using a hand-held blowtorch held 10-12cm away from the sugar. Move the flame over the sugar in a slow and even motion, until golden brown. Serve once it has cooled slightly.

RECIPE 3

Upside down guava cake

Shahista Khan@mykitchenza

Ingredients:

Base of the cake:

2 tinned guavas in syrup

3 tablespoons of melted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

Cake:

1 1/2 cups self raising flour

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/3 cup milk

3/4 cup castor sugar

1/3 cup guava syrup from can

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup double cream

120g softened butter

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius
2. Remove guavas from the tin and pat dry. Reserve the syrup.
3. In a 9 inch cake pan add in your melted butter, sprinkle in your brown sugar. Place your guavas all over the base. Leave aside.
4. In a bowl sift flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
5. In a bowl cream together softened butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy.
6. In another bowl add all your wet ingredients and mix well.
7. Add flour and liquid mixture to creamed butter.

Mix until combined. Place batter over guavas and shake the pan to cover the fruit.

1. Bake for 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cook then flip onto serving platter. Slice and serve with dessert cream.

Tip: you can use any fruit of your choice, pineapple, oranges, peaches, apples.

RECIPE 4

Fluffy Biscoff Flapjacks

Nicholas Fraser

Makes 4-6 large fluffy flapjacks

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp sugar

1 beaten egg

2 TBSP oil or melted butter

1 tsp vanilla essence 

1 cup of milk 

 1/3 cup of Biscoff 

Method:

1. In a bowl mix together your sifted flour, baking powder and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl mix together your beaten egg, vanilla essence, 2 tbsp oil/ melted butter and 1 cup of milk.
3. Combine your dry and wet ingredients together and mix until you form a batter.
4. To a heated pan add in your flapjacks batter (you can use a measuring cup of 100ml to keep your flapjacks even). Then add in 1 tsp of Biscoff on top of your pancake in the pan and cover the Biscoff with flapjacks batter.
5. Flip and cook on both sides until all your flapjacks are done.
6. Take the remaining Biscoff and heat in the microwave until melted.
7. Pour the melted Biscoff over your pancakes.

Tip: You could easily replace the flapjacks Biscoff with chocolate or caramel.