Halloooo!!! I have not been blogging for quite a while now......was very busy! What with moving to a new country and all!! It feels very good to be back in my home country of South Africa again and with that, I thought that I would include my very first South African inspired recipe made with local "biltong"......!

So here goes.....

Cheese and Biltong Scones

Ingredients

500ml flour (2 cups)

15ml baking powder (3 tsp)

large pinch salt

sprinkle of cayenne pepper/chilli powder (optional)

250ml strong cheddar cheese
15 ml vegetable oil (3 tsp)
125 ml milk (maybe a bit more depending on how it mixes)
1 egg
200ml shaved or finely grated biltong

 

Method

1.Sift flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper into a large bowl. Add the cheese and biltong and mix through the flour mixture.

2.Beat the egg and milk together in a separate bowl and add the oil. The oil replaces the butter/margarine that usually gets used to rub into the flour.

3.Pour the milk/egg/oil mixture into the flour mixture and using a metal spoon / fork, mix the dough until it clumps together, but is not too dry. If too dry, splash a bit more milk in to use up the flour.

4.Press the dough out on a flat clean floured surface until it is about 5mm thick, then fold it over on top of itself (this gives the finished scones the natural "break" to cut open), flatten it again, using the palm of your hand. Do not use a rolling pin as it is too heavy and will prevent the scones from rising.

5.Cut out your scones out by using a round cutter or if you don't have a cutter handy use a drinking glass. Place them on a baking tray, pop them in the oven at 180 celsius for fifteen twenty minutes. Serve, still warm, with lashings of butter, cheese, jams and honey.

I made these little fudge-like morsels the other day and my,my were they scrummy!

My 3 year old absolutely devoured them! They are so simple and easy to make (way easier than normal fudge!)

ScottishTablet

Ingredients

450g Caster Sugar

125ml Milk

Tin Condensed milk

1tsp Salt

1tsp Vanilla extract

Method

1. Line a roasting tin with baking parchment.
2. Heat sugar and milk until sugar dissolves. When dissolved, stir in condensed milk and salt and heat until bubbles appear around the edges of the pan.
3. Bubble for 8-10 minutes whisking constantly to avoid burning - it should be a light butterscotch colour.
4. Take pan off heat, add vanilla and whisk for 2 minutes until thick.
5. Transfer to tin and let cool.
6. Cut into squares when completely cool.

MMMM......Yummy this is the stunning desert we had at The Harrow @ Little Bedwyn. I was treated to lunch for my 33rd birthday at this absolutely great restaurant. Menu and Winelist to die for!

Snowy rocky road

• 400g white chocolate, chopped
• 25g  mini marshmallows
• 50g  desiccated coconut, plus extra to scatter
• 50g  dried cranberries
• 40g  pistachios
• 50g  ginger nut biscuits, roughly chopped
• Silver balls, optional, to decorate

Method

1.     Line a rectangular tin about 15cm x 20.5cm (6in x 8in) with clingfilm. Put chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on full power for 1min. Stir, then return to the microwave for 10sec bursts until melted and smooth. (Don’t be tempted to give it longer blasts – white chocolate easily burns.)

2.     Stir in the next five ingredients, then empty into the prepared tin and level the surface.

3.     Scatter over extra coconut and silver balls, if using, then freeze for 15min until solid. Cut into squares and serve.

If you’re not serving it immediately, chill the Rocky Road in the fridge until set. Store in the fridge, wrapped in clingfilm, for up to one week.

Peanut Butter and Jam Cupcakes

Ingredients

Makes 10 Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 150g butter
• 150g caster sugar
• 125g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 120ml milk
  75g Strawberry Jam (syringe)
  
  Frosting
• 150g cream cheese (or mascarpone)
• 350g icing sugar
• 110g smooth peanut butter
• 25g peanuts (chopped)

Method

1. Add your caster sugar and butter together and mix until creamy
2. Add the egg and scrape the mix down from the sides before adding the vanilla extract
3. Sift the flour and baking powder and add one third to the sugar mix - add one third milk...continue this process until both are fully mixed.
4. Using an ice cream scoop to keep all cupcakes the same size, spoon into cases and bake at 170degrees c for approx 23 minutes.
5. Once the cakes have baked and cooled inject with the jam using a syringe (available over the counter at boots for administrating childrens medicine)
6. To make the topping add all of the ingredients to you mixer and blitz on high until fully smooth.
7. Using a piping bag, swirl the topping onto each cake and finish with a sprinkling of crushed peanuts.
8. enjoy!

Muscovado Carrot Cake

Ingredients

• 300g self-raising flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 100g dark muscovado sugar
• 100g light muscovado sugar
• 4 eggs
• 250ml oil (you need an oil with as little flavour as possible here, such as grapeseed or rapeseed)
• 1 orange , zested
• 200g carrots , finely grated
• 150g pecans , snapped in half
• 150g golden sultanas

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 75g butter
• 2 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 250g soft cheese

1. Heat the oven to 150C/fan 130C/ gas 2. Line a 22cm deep cake tin with baking parchment or silicone paper. Sift the flour, cinnamon and baking powder and stir in the sugars, making sure any lumps are crushed. Beat the eggs with the oil and orange zest. Stir in the carrots then fold this and the rest of the ingredients, into the flour mixture. Spoon the mixture into the tin and level the surface. Bake for 1 hour 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin.
2. For the frosting, beat the butter, sugar and syrup until soft and then beat in the cream cheese until you have a smooth mixture. Chill the mixture until it's thick but spreadable. Pipe in whorls or spread a thick layer on top of the cake.

Banana, Walnut & Chocolate Chip Loaf

This is Paul Hollywood’s banana bread recipe - this delicious bake is dotted with chocolate and nuts

Ingredients

·                            4 ripe bananas , peeled

·                            250g caster sugar

·                            2 eggs

·                            140g softened butter

·                            250g plain flour

·                            2 tsp baking powder

·                            100g walnut pieces

·                            100g chocolate chips

1.               Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment. In a large bowl, mash together the bananas and the sugar with the back of a fork. Add the eggs and mix well with an electric hand whisk until fully incorporated, then add the butter and mix for a couple mins more to blend everything together. Sieve in the flour and baking powder and fold together with a spatula, then add the walnuts and chocolate chips. Give everything one final mix before tipping into the lined loaf tin.

2.               Bake for 1 hr 5 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly in the tin, then turn out and serve cut into thick slices, either warm or at room temperature. Any uneaten cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.