Hello everyone!
I am writing to you with a very heavy heart.
As we approach the end of August, which is also known as Women’s Month, I find it befitting to end off with a legend in her own right and dedicate today’s column to the one and only Fatima Sydow.
Every cook, chef and newbie wanting to make something lekker knows Fatima and her recipes – there is always a beautiful story or memory behind every meal.
This strong and brave woman has made her mark in our kitchens, her recipe books graces our bookshelves and her warm smile, infectious laugh and passion for good food has made her way straight into our hearts.
She gives a deep meaning to ‘bringing family, loved ones and communities together through their love for food’.
She’s one of my biggest inspirations and if you are looking for a Kaapse recipe that reminds you of home I promise you will find it on Fatima’s socials.
As we all know by now, Fatima is facing severe health challenges and although she is fighting the fight and remaining positive, she has recently reached out for financial support.
Fatima has given herself so selflessly to all of us and now it’s our turn to assist this beautiful soul.
She has started a BackaBuddy crowdfunding campaign (https://www.backabuddy.co.za/fatima-sydow-5681735742869984815).
For more cooking inspiration, visit my website @ www.sprinklesandspice.co.za or visit my social media platforms on Instagram or Facebook @sprinklesandspicect.
Malva Pudding
Ingredients
2 egg
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda/ bicarbonate of soda
2-3 tablespoons of apricot jam
2 tablespoons of vinegar
2 cups of milk
3 tablespoons of butter
For sauce
1 cup of milk
2-3 tablespoons of sugar
2-3 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of vanilla essence
Method
First, pour the milk and vinegar into a small jug and set aside. Next, in a bowl whisk your egg, sugar, butter and jam for about two minutes.
Add your sifted dry ingredients and your milk mixture and stir until well combined.
Pour in a square greased pan or glass proof baking dish.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 180°C or when inserting, a skewer comes out clean. The cake will be brown in colour.
In the meantime, while the cake is baking, put all your sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer and stir till hot – keep warm one side.
When your cake is done, immediately pour over the sauce.
Tip: instead of making your own sauce, heat half a can of evaporated milk with a teaspoon of vanilla essence until warm and pour over the malva cake immediately after taking it out of the oven.
Bread pudding with stewed dried fruit
Ingredients
For the bread pudding
8 slices white bread, crust removed
1 litre milk
4 tablespoons custard powder mixed with half a cup of milk
8 large eggs
1 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of soft butter
2 teaspoons of vanilla essence
3 cardamom pods
3 cinnamon sticks
For the sauce
2 tablespoons of fine apricot jam
4 tablespoons of boiling water
Method
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter for a minute.
Next add the eggs and beat well for about two minutes.
Next add the rest of the ingredients and mix well until you see the bread is well incorporated and quite mushy and the sugar has dissolved.
Pour the mixture in a greased deep baking oven pan and bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for 55 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven.
For the sauce:
Mix together two tablespoons of fine apricot jam with four tablespoons of boiling water until smooth. Pour this mixture over pudding.
Take it a step further and make stewed dried fruit by boiling two cups of mixed dried fruit in three cups of water, a cup of sugar and two cinnamon sticks until the stewed fruit is soft and covered in a sticky syrup.
Place the stewed fruit on top of the bread pudding and serve.
Fatima's Chocolate Cake Farzana Kumandan
Fatima's Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
4 extra large eggs (room temperature)
1 cup of sugar/ or brown sugar
1&1/2 cups of sifted cake flour
3/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 cup of warm water
1/2 a cup of cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1 tablespoon of vanilla essence
Method
With an electric mixer, whisk eggs and sugar until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the oil and vanilla essence, mix for a few seconds.
Now put the cocoa powder in the warm water and stir until well combined and cocoa is completely dissolved.
Pour the cocoa water and dry ingredients in the bowl and mix with a spatula or spoon till well combined. Do not overwork the batter.
Pour batter in two greased round baking pans and bake on 190 degrees in a preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Check with a toothpick or knife to see if it's done, it will come out clean.
Cool completely in the pan before removing.
Then put the cake in the fridge for half an hour before icing.
Ingredients for the frosting
300 grams of margarine or butter (soft to the touch)
250 grams of icing sugar
100 grams of cocoa powder
3 tablespoons of vanilla essence
Method
With an electric mixer, beat butter in a bowl until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.
Sift in all the dry ingredients, and add the vanilla essence.
Whisk on low speed till all ingredients are well combined.
Whisk for another 3-4 minutes.
Romany Creams
Ingredients
500 grams of butter (room temperature)
1 cup of caster sugar
1/4 cup of icing sugar
1/4 cup of oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon of vanilla essence
4 cups of cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
125 grams of cocoa powder
2 cups of medium desiccated coconut.
450 grams plain chocolate, melted in a bowl in a microwave for two minutes.
Method
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, mix the butter, oil, icing sugar and caster sugar until light and fluffy, for about three to four minutes.
Next, add the egg and vanilla essence and mix for a minute.
Now add all the dry ingredients and mix by hand to form a soft dough.
Cling wrap and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface and ensure that your rolling pin is floured as well or simply place some cling film or wax paper over the dough and roll it out.
Take a fork and run lightly over the dough, scraping to form a rough look.
Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter and place on a greased baking sheet.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
When cooled, turn half the biscuits upside down (if you baked 50 biscuits, turn around 25).
Allow the melted chocolate to cool down for 10 to 15 minutes.
Spoon the chocolate on top of the biscuit and wait for the chocolate to be half set before lightly placing the top biscuit on top. Press gently.
Allow the chocolate to set before packing away in an air-tight container.
Tip: Make a strawberry-infused romany cream by adding Strawberry Lindt chocolate.
I also adjusted the recipe to make a larger number of biscuits. The final amount also depends on the size of your cookie cutter.
Bollas
Ingredients
5 tablespoons castor sugar
2 large eggs
5 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon of vanilla essence
2 and 3/4 cups cake flour (for a stiffer batter add an additional 1/4 cup of flour)
3 tsp baking powder
300ml buttermilk
Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
Desiccated coconut
Method
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs until creamy.
Add the oil and vanilla essence and whisk until fluffy.
Sift in dry ingredients and add the buttermilk and mix until well combined. Don’t over mix.
Cover the bowl of batter with cling wrap or a tea towel and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
Once ready, use a tablespoon to scoop the batter and deep fry in a deep saucepan on medium heat.
Fry until golden brown on each side.
Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel.
In a separate pot, boil the water and sugar for 15 to 20 minutes to make a syrup.
Dunk the bollas into the warm syrup just once and remove with a slotted spoon. Sprinkle with desiccated coconut and serve.
If your batter is too runny, simply add two to three tablespoons of flour.
Tip: dip spoon in oil before scooping the raw batter into the oil for frying, the batter will slide off.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za