Cupcakes!

Chocolate cupcakes

Ingredients:
350ml sugar
190g butter
2 eggs
30g cocao powder
125ml boiling water
125ml milk
10ml vanilla essence
360ml flour
5ml bicarbonate of soda

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
Cream the butter and sugar together until light
Add the eggs one by one and mix well
Mix the cocoa powder and water together, add the milk and vanilla essence. Add all of this to the butter mixture.
Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the butter mixture.
Mix well
Spoon into cupcake/muffin pans and bake for about 20 minutes.

ICe with a mixture of melted chocolate and cream or a simple butter icing.
For the chocolate cream you can use 300g dark chocolate and 100ml cream. Heat the cream and add the chocolate. Leave to cool for a while or until it is thick.

For the butter icing you can use 250g icing sugar with 125g butter. Add the colourings or essences (flavours) of your choice.

You can make normal elegant cupcakes with this recipe or you can make bugs, frogs, flowers or anything fun.

This recipe makes 18 big cupcakes.

A new yummy snack. So sweet but no sugar no fat!!

Green Tree's Apple chips!

This is a fantastic new healthy snack that you can find at most Pick 'n Pays and a few other stores. You can find a bigger range at Fruits and Roots shops. I know you can get it in Joburg....not so sure about the other cities in the country.

It comes from China and is made with 100 percent fresh Fuji apples. The apples are then dehydrated to retain their natural flavour. No sugar, addictive and artificial coloring or fat added! And they do taste great.

You can find them in different flavours like vanilla, cinnamon or just plain. They come in 22g packets or bigger canisters (like Pringle's).

I found Pear chips as well as Peach chips the other day. Made the same healthy way.

They are really filling and can do as a fruit portion per day. It is really good for kids because it is all natural and they won't suffer from any hectic 'hyperactive' moments.........

Yum is back!!

Yes.... Dario and Dale is back with a cool new place in Rivonia. The decor is completely different from Greenside. It is funky! Rich! Green and Purple! But still vintage in a way.

The food is pretty much still Dario's stile of deconstructive cuisine. Very interesting and different. The menu is a bit bigger this time with a bit more to choose from than before. Some of the old favourites are back like the snails on garlic porrage as well as the sesame salmon but with a bit of a twist.

It is not too expensive. A main course can cost anything from R45 to R200. The wines are still very expensive, but it is good wines that you won't find anywhere else easely.

Yum Nostalgia is on the corner of 10th and Rivonia Boulevard. Just off Rivonia road. It is really about personal taste when it comes to Yum Nostalgia. Different people have different comments about the place. I had a fantastic experience and so did the people at my table.

Go try for yourself!

Something for everyone!

Tomato Tarts!

I've worked at a few restaurants where tomato tarts were on the menu. I find that this one is the best out of about 5 different recipes that I've made over the last 6 years!

(9 – 12 Portions, depending on size)

1 roll (400g) puff pastry
27 Rosa tomatoes, halved
60ml basil pesto
Parmesan shavings and fresh basil for garinsh
1 egg, beaten
10ml sugar
Salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C
Cut the pastry into 9 or 12 equal squares (depending on the size that you want). Brush the squares with the beaten egg and place them on a greased baking tray.
Bake for 5 minutes or until the top starts to crisp. The pastry must still be raw inside.
Spread the squares with the basil pesto. Top with 6 tomato halves.
Season the tarts with the salt, pepper and sugar.
Bake for another 5 – 8 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
Remove from the oven. Top the tarts with the Parmesan and fresh basil.
Serve warm.

Soweto in the Suburbs!

Mama Tembo's, Greenside

I like having a good time at Mama Tembo's. The ambiance is very African, the cocktails are good and so is the food. The service is almost too good....the waiters can get a little annoying. They tend to buzz around their tables all the time.

The music is only African with mainly South African songs. It like a big shack in Greenside. They serve food from 10:30 AM till 10:30 at night. After that it becomes rather festive! People tend to get up and enjoy the music. It is a big favourite with the SA Celebs and film crews.

Mama Tembo's is on Glen Eagles Rd in Greenside. A main course will cost you up to R75. Drinks are priced like any other place....not cheap but not too expensive. They make a really good Mojito.

Visit the website at: http://www.mamatembo.co.za/home.htm

Tiramisu..... with something extra!

CINNAMON MERINGUE WITH TIRAMISU FILLING

(8 Portions)

MERINGUE

5 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 t vanilla essence
½ t cinnamon
1 t white or brown vinegar (I use brown)
One packet fresh or frozen raspberries and blueberries for garnish
Fresh mint or lavender for garnish

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Add the sugar gradually.
Add the vanilla, cinnamon and the vinegar.
Line a large spring form tin with wax paper on the bottom and on the sides
Spoon the meringue mix into the tin and spread the mixture out.
Bake it at 100°C for 75 minutes.
Remove from oven and let it cool down. Turn it upside down on a serving plate once it is cold.


TIRAMISU FILLING

3 egg yolks
40g Castor sugar
15ml sherry
15ml Kahlua liqueur
180ml cream
20 Boudoir biscuits
125ml strong black coffee (1t coffee powder for ½ cup water)

Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a mixer until light and spongy
Add the alcohol.
Beat the cream until stiff peaks form.
Fold the cream mix into the egg mixture
Soak the biscuits in the coffee and place half of it in a dish
Add some of the egg mixture on top. Finnish with another layer of biscuits and the egg mix. Refrigerate for 2 hours to set

This can be made two days in advance

HOW TO ASSEMBLE

Spoon large dollops of the Tiramisu onto the meringue just before serving. Top with the frozen raspberries and blueberries and a few sprigs of lavender or mint.

Try it... it's o so yummy!

Comfort food! Quick and easy

CARAMEL CREAM CHEESE DESSERT

(10 Portions)

750g Creamed cottage cheese
1.140kg Caramel Treat
2 cups cream
3 boxes Romany Creams
2 Tblsp Tia Maria
¼ cup cold strong coffee
4 Tblsp finely sliced ginger in syrup
2-3 Tblsp crushed peanut brittle

Beat the cottage cheese and caramel treat until smooth.
Beat the cream until soft peak stage. Divide the cream in two and fold the one half into the caramel mixture. Beat the other half until stiff peaks form to use as decoration.
Crush the biscuits roughly. Mix the liqueur and the coffee together and pour it over the biscuits. Add the ginger and mix well.
Serve the dessert in one big bowl or individual glasses. Spoon some of the caramel mix into the glasses, top with some of the biscuit mixture.
Continue layering the two mixtures and finish with the caramel. Top with the remaining whipped cream.

Leave in the fridge to set for about 2 hours. Sprinkle with the crushed peanut brittle.