Red Velvet Ruins

Red Velvet Ruins

Well, these are called Red Velvet Ruins, because it was supposed to be Red Velvet Cupcakes, but the cupcakes got ruined by my very old muffin pans, so we turned them into Ruins… Turned out decadently sweet and moist and yummy!! My biggest hang-up with cupcakes is that the cake is normally dry and the icing too much and too sweet. Well, this is the best of both. In one.

Cupcakes

Ingredients

½ cup butter, soft

1 ½ cup sugar

2 eggs

2tbs cocoa

4tbs liquid red food colouring

1t salt

1t vanilla essence

1cup buttermilk

2 ½ cup flour

1 ½ t baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)(koeksoda)

1tbs white vinegar

Method

Preheat the oven to 175degrees C. Cream the butter and sugar together.

Add the eggs one by one. 

 Mix the cocoa and the food colouring to form a paste...

 ...and mix that in with the egg mixture. 

Whisk together the salt, vanilla essence and buttermilk until well combined. Sift the flour. 

Taking turns, add the buttermilk and flour to the egg mixture. 

Mix well. 

Until smooth and shiny...

Combined the baking soda and vinegar. Add to the dough and gently fold through, avoiding too much mixing. 

Spray cookie/muffin trays with non-stick spray. Scoop in to fill it just to the half way mark. 

Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, and test with your tester needle to confirm. Remove from the oven.

(Credit: Allrecipes.com)

Icing

Ingredients

500g icing sugar

125g cream cheese  (I used cottage cheese….)

125g butter

1t lemon juice

Method

Whisk the icing sugar using a hand blender. 

Add the cottage cheese and mix until thoroughly combined. 

Add the butter and mix until creamy. 

Add the lemon juice and mix until creamy and smooth and glossy.

(Credit: Nigella.com)

NOW…

Take the cupcakes and crumb them into the icing, mixing with the hand blender at first. 

When it gets too thick, use a wooden spoon and blend well.

Place in freezer to cool. Once cooled or frozen (your preference) scoop with ice cream scoop, add some sprinkles and enjoy!!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Chocolate Rocks

I just wanted to bake some cookies…. This is my own recipe, and it is something different. However, when I make this again, it will have a little more liquid in. Perhaps more butter…??

Ingredients

2cups flour

½ t salt

2t baking powder

1t baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)(koeksoda)

1/4cup cocoa

1t ginger

Pinch cloves

1/4cup desiccated coconut

100g butter

1cup sugar

2 eggs

1t Vanilla essence

1t Rum essence

Method

Preheat the oven to 180degrees C. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cloves and cocoa together. 

  Add the coconut and mix through. Cream the butter and sugar together. 

Add the eggs and essences and mix well. Combine the flour and egg mixture thoroughly to form a dough. 

Roll into balls and shape. 

Spray a baking tray with non-stick spray. Place the balls onto the tray, not too close together. Bake in the oven for 20minutes.

Let it cool down and enjoy!!!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Simple Chicken Potjie

Simple Chicken Potjie

We really love making potjie. It just tastes different to conventional oven cooking and braai. It’s kind of a combination between the two, I think. So, yesterday we made a whole chicken potjie, but apart from being super delicious, I have no clue what to call this. It uses very little ingredients, so that’s why I called it the Simple Chicken Potjie.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken

1 onion, chopped

1 punnet mushrooms, whole

50g butter

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup sweet chillie sauce

1tbs balsamic vinegar

2t coarse salt

Pepper to taste

250ml cream

4tbs marmalade/apricot jam (optional)

Method

Place the chicken in the pot. Add the olive oil, sweet chillie sauce, balsamic vinegar and butter. 

Place on coals and let it cook. You want it to caramalize a little, but you don’t want it to burn. Check every half hour or so and turn the chicken around. 

Once the chicken is a lovely brown, add the salt, cream, onion and mushrooms and let it cook to let the flavours develop. You can taste the sauce and depending on how you like it, you can add the jam to break some of the caramalization taste. You can see that our chicken may have been a little over-caramalized... Funny thing, though, the little extra browning added just enough of a zing to be delicious with the jam!!

When everything is cooked, remove from heat and serve on rice. 

And enjoy!! We sure did – it was simply gobbled up!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Sweet & Sour Pork Pie

Tuesdays are Meat-days... I wasn't in the mood for a steak. And we've had a couple of beef pies. Sooo... I went to the freezer and my eyes fell on the pork tjops... I tasted sweet & sour in my imagination... and voila!! Pork Pie!! 

Preparation Time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 1 hour
Difficulty Level: Easy
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
1 tin mushrooms / 1 punnet mushrooms sliced
300g bacon, diced
1cup crushed pineapple
1/4 cup cherries, chopped
700g pork tjops, cubed
4tbs butter
1tbs soya sauce
1tbs balsamic vinegar
2tbs red wine vinegar
pinch cloves
2cups self raising flour
2t salt
1/2cup ice water
3tbs cottage cheese
1/4cup sugar
2 eggs
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

Mix the self raising flour and salt. Crumb 3tbs of the butter into the flour. 

  
Add the ice water and mix. Don't knead into a stiff dough, just mix it to be clumpy.

Melt 1tbs of butter, fry the onion, mushrooms and bacon until nicely browned. 

Add the pineapple and cherries and fry a little. Put aside. Melt 1tbs butter. Fry the pork cubes. Add the soya sauce, balsamic vinegar and red wine vinegar and fry until deliciously browned. Add the cloves, pepper and salt. Not too much salt, I suggest about 1/2 teaspoon.

Add the mushroom mixture and heat through. Whisk the cottage cheese, sugar and eggs until well blended and smooth. 

Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Line the dish with the dough and press against the sides to form a crust. Scoop the meat mixture into the dish and level out. Pour the egg mixture over, 

You can either crumb the dough over, or roll it out to form a top crust. 

Bake in the oven at 160degrees C for about an hour until crust is firm. 

Serve with veggies or a salad... and enjoy!!!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Ginger Syrup

My mom gave us a bottle of store-bought ginger&cookie syrup, because she didn't like it. I though it was absolutely divine, except that it came in a bottle... I decided to try making my own ginger syrup. And not to brag or anything, but I think mine is better!! Really sweetly decadent with that fresh ginger flavour, you can add it to any dessert or even just over ice cream.

Ingredients

Fresh ginger root

1/2cup brown sugar

1/2cup water

1t butter

pinch cloves

Method

Slice the root into wheels and mash with a mortar and pestle. 

 No need to remove the skin. Melt the butter and add the ginger. Let it fry a little until just starting to brown. 

Add the sugar and water in a pot and dissolve. 

Add the fried ginger pieces and cook. It has to rapidly boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add a very tiny pinch of ground cloves, mix through and let it stand for at least 10minutes for the flavour to develop. The longer it cools, the thicker the syrup becomes and the richer the flavour becomes. 

Best to use when completely cooled. Save leftover syrup in an airtight bottle in the fridge. Use within 1 week. 

This syrup goes very well with my Butter Fried Fig Dessert.

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Burnt Butter Figs with Ginger Syrup and Whipped Cream

Having a fig tree in your back yard has certain advantages, like making the most delicious jam and having decadent fresh desserts... 

Ingredients

1 Fig per person
1/2t butter per fig
boiled water
lemon juice

Method

Place the whole figs in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Add 2 squirts of lemon juice, or the fresh juice of 1 whole lemon. 

Cook in the microwave for 3 minutes. Remove from the water and halve. 

Melt the butter in a pan. Let the butter burn - it turns brown. Add the figs and fry until nicely caramelized. 

Place 2 halves on a plate. Scoop on some freshly whipped cream and drizzle with this decadent Ginger Syrup.... Sit back, and indulge...!!

Yours in oil and veggies.... and dessert

Risch

Onion & Cheese Bread

Yesterday being Saturday - even though it feels like just another day during these lovely holidays!! - I was in the mood for a lekka bread. I do love baking bread! So I decided on this flavour: Onion & Cheese. It was absolutely devine!! Soft, rich and filling - you almost need nothing else. Perfect for a braai.

Preparation Time: 10min
Rising Time: 2 hours
Baking Time: 45min - 1 hour
Serves: 10

Ingredients

6cups white bread flour
2packets yeast
2tbs sugar
2t salt
800ml lukewarm water
1 onion, chopped finely
1/4t ground black pepper
1t parsley
1/4t cayenne pepper
50g butter
150g cheese, grated

Method

Chop the onion finely. I used my thinga-ma-jig from Verimark again, because I can mix everything in it, saving on dishes. Add the parsley and peppers and mix through.

 Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the onion mixture and the water. The water has to be lukewarm and a little more warm than cold, Like a nice warm bath. Too cold or too warm and the yeast won't work properly. Add the water and mix through. It is not a dough you knead. 

Cover and place in a warm place to rise. A little heat is sufficient, full sun is best. Leave for about an hour. It has to be at least twice in size. Break the rise by mixing again, but just a quick once off mix. Spray a bread pan or pot with non-stick spray. Scoop the mixture in and cover.

Let it rise again for about an hour, again to about double in size.

 Cut the butter into little blocks and dot the dough - don't press on it, you don't want to break this rise. 

Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top. 

Bake in a 160degrees C oven for about 45min to an hour, until a knitting pen comes out clean. Mine fell in in the middle, I think it was because I covered it the first 30min, which is why I am not telling you to do it. It wasn't clumpy though. Remove once done and the cheese started to brown.

Slice, spread with butter and Enjoy!!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch