Hallo, mense. I am super, duper excited to bring you waar’s ’it lekker on the weekly Cooksister page.
I have taken over from the OG legend Megan Baadjies and I would like to wish her all the best in spreading her wings.
Before we head into alles in die kombuis, I would like to introduce myself.
I’m Farzana Kumandan, the founder of Sprinkles and Spice Cooking Classes, author of Sprinkle Time and Spice Time recipe books, host for Sprinkle Time on Radio 786 and now I officially bring you Cooksister.
I am a total foodie, I love cooking, trying new foods and flavours, and I’m extremely passionate about helping those wanting to learn to cook or bake.
Sometimes you just need a little guidance, a simple recipe, a handful of ingredients, gooi them together in a pot, sprinkle some love and voila!
My love for food started at an early age and I want to pass that love on to all of you with each recipe and each meal that’s recreated.
If you are the huiskok, new to the cooking game or wanting to try your hand at something different, then get those aprons ready as we turn up the heat in the kitchen.
I will be sharing quick, easy meals, using simple ingredients we already have at home.
I believe meals should be made gou-gou so we can spend that time to eat, gesels and relax.
We kick off this week’s recipes with a few sweet treats, because nothing beats a warme koppie tea and something sweet on the side.
Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Rolls:
4 cups flour
1 x 10g packet of instant yeast
½ cup sugar
1 t salt
2 eggs
1 cup warm milk
1/3 cup margarine, melted
For the Filling:
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup soft butter or margarine
2 heaped T cinnamon
Method
For the Cinnamon Rolls:
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients, mix well and knead into a soft dough.
Transfer to a bowl, Cover and allow to rise for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle shape.
Combine butter, sugar and cinnamon (the filling ingredients) and using the back of a spoon, spread the filling evenly on the dough.
Roll up the dough from the bottom to the top and stretch out slightly.
The dough will look like a long log.
Cut the dough into 1cm thick rings and transfer to a baking tray.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 10-12 minutes
Once removed from the oven spread over cream cheese made from 60g soft butter, ½ tub soft cream cheese and 2 cups icing sugar.
Mini Pancakes
Ingredients
3 eggs
85g melted butter or margarine
3 level T sugar
1 ½ cups milk
1 cup flour
Pinch of salt
½ t baking powder
Method
Mix together all ingredients in a glass bowl until smooth and lump free.
Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least a half hour.
Fry in a flat based 1- or 2-egg pan that's been either grease sprayed or greased with a teaspoon of melted butter.
Fry until golden on both sides and serve with your favourite toppings.
I fried sliced bananas in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until they were golden brown.
Tip - If you prefer a thicker pancake add extra flour until it's your desired thickness.
For chocolate pancakes add 2 tablespoons of cocoa to your ingredients.
Ring Donuts
Wet ingredients
1 egg
2 T butter
1 T vanilla essence
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vinegar
Dry ingredients:
2 heaped cups flour
2 t baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 heaped T sugar
Method
Whisk together your wet ingredients, add in your dry ingredients and knead to form a dough.
If the dough is too sticky add extra flour.
Roll out a thin dough, on a floured surface, (they do puff up)
Use a donut cutter to cut your donut rounds.
If you do not have a donut cutter, use a cup or a round cookie cutter to cut the outer circle and a bottle top or a nozzle to cut the inner circle of the donut.
Deep fry until golden and dip in hot syrup before serving.
For the syrup:
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 stick cinnamon
Simmer until thick, bubbly and sticky.
Eclairs
Ingredients
60g soft butter
2 eggs
½ cup boiling water
½ heaped cup flour
Method
In a heavy based pot on a low heat, bring your soft butter and boiling water to a slow boil.
Add in flour and stir until a smooth, soft ball of dough is formed.
Remove the dough from the pot and transfer to a glass bowl, spreading it out across the bowl, allowing it to cool for 5 minutes.
With an electric whisk, add eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition.
After adding second egg, it should look like a semi thick paste.
Transfer the eclair dough to a piping bag (or a clean milk bag) and pipe eclair rounds on a baking tray, lined with baking paper.
Pipe 12 equal golf ball sized rounds, leaving equal space around each round.
Bake on 200°C, (in a preheated oven) on the lower rack for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180°C and bake for a further 15-20 minutes, until eclairs are golden brown.
Once golden, turn the oven off but leave the door open and allow the eclairs to cool for at least a half hour.
Once cooled, fill with fresh cream and top with melted chocolate.
Microwave Milk tart
Ingredients
For the milk tart:
5 eggs
1 tin condensed milk
½ cup milk
¾ cup fresh cream
2 cups warm water
2 T butter, melted
6 T corn flour
1 T custard
1 T vanilla essence
Pinch of salt
Fine cinnamon for dusting
For the base:
1 packet Marie biscuits
¼ cup melted butter or margarine
Method
Grease a medium-sized square dish.
Mix the melted butter and crushed biscuits, until all the biscuits are well coated.
Press the biscuits flat into the greased dish and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
For the milk tart, in a microwave-safe bowl mix together all ingredients, with a handheld whisk or a fork to ensure they’re well combined.
Microwave the mixture for 6 minutes, then whisk the mixture well to avoid lumps forming.
Return to the microwave for a further 9 minutes, but stop and whisk after every 3 minutes to avoid the mixture lumping.
Once the 9 minutes are done, pour the mixture over the biscuit base and dust with fine cinnamon.
Refrigerate overnight. Best served chilled.
Cheat snowball cake
Ingredients
250g butter or margarine
1 cup Castor sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon Vanilla Essence
2 heaped cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Apricot jam and coconut (for topping)
Method
Mix the butter and sugar until it's light and creamy.
Add in eggs and vanilla essence and mix well.
Add in dry ingredients and mix until it's smooth and lump free. (You will have a thick batter)
Spoon into a medium rectangle baking dish and cook at 180degrees for 25-30 minutes until the cake is but not completely golden brown or a toothpick comes out clean.
Mix 3 teaspoons of boiling water with ¾ cup of apricot jam and mix until it's smooth.
The jam should have a thick consistency, do not add extra water, it will be too runny.
Spread your Apricot jam over your hot cake immediately after it comes out of the oven.
Sprinkle some coconut over the jam.
Switch off the oven and return the cake to the warm oven with the door slightly ajar, so the heat allows the sauce to really absorb and sink in.
Sprinkle over some fine coconut and enjoy with a hot cup of tea.
Farzana Kumandan | dailyvoice@inl.co.za