Pecan Pie Bars

Ingredients:

For crust:

250g unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup packed soft brown sugar

2 2/3 cups flour

2.5ml salt

For topping:

1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar (I used dark)
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 cups chopped pecans

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 180º and line a 9×13-inch pan with baking paper, leaving enough for a 2-inch overhang on all sides.

First make the crust by creaming together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy with a mixer. Add in the flour and salt and mix until crumbly.

Press the crust into the paper-lined pan and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

 

While the crust bakes, prepare the filling by combining the butter, brown sugar, honey and heavy cream in a saucepan and stirring it over medium heat. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, then stir in the chopped pecans.

Remove the crust from the oven and immediately pour the pecan filling over the hot crust spreading it to cover the entire surface.

Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Remove the pan and allow the bars to fully cool in the pan.

Use the paper overhang to lift out the bars and transfer them to a cutting board. Peel off the paper, slice into bars and serve.

Scandinavian Almond Bars

Ingredients:

210g cups cake flour*

10ml baking powder

1ml salt

250ml sugar

125g butter, room temperature

1 egg, room temperature

2.5ml almond extract

* For a Gluten Free version of this recipe, simply replace flour with:

250ml brown rice flour *

125ml tapioca starch *

60ml potato starch *

180ml oat flour *

2.5ml xantham gum *

The Gluten Free version required a full 20-22 minutes to finish baking.

Topping:

15ml milk

125ml sliced almonds

Icing:

250ml powdered sugar

1ml almond extract

15-30ml milk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170˚C. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. Cream together the butter and the sugar. Add the egg and the almond extract and then mix until light and fluffy. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until combined. 

Press the dough into the bottom of a thoroughly buttered 9x13 inch pan. Press with your fingers or a pastry roller to smooth the top of the dough. The gluten free dough is a bit stickier than the traditional version. I found that it was easiest to place a sheet of parchment or wax paper on top of the dough and press it into the pan with my hands that way.

Using a pastry brush, brush a tiny bit of milk across the top of the dough. Sprinkle with sliced almonds and very lightly press them into the top of the dough. Bake for 16-20 minutes. Remove from the oven when they are just barely beginning to brown and they look dry around the edges. Do not let them actually brown at all. If they brown, they will be much more crunchy than desired, once they cool. The goal is a very soft shortbread texture.

Let the bars cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then cut into bars. If they are too soft to cut, let them cool for a few more minutes. Remove them carefully (they will be quite soft) to a wire rack to cool completely before icing. Prepare the icing, adding just a tiny bit of milk at a time. If the consistency is too thick, it won't drizzle nicely over the bars. If it is too thin, the icing will just melt into the bars. If you are unsure, test a bit of it on the edge of one bar before drizzling the icing over the entire batch.

Leave the bars on the wire rack until the icing is firm enough to handle. These bars store quite well in the freezer. I can usually fit 2 dozen in a gallon size ziploc bag, with a sheet of wax paper separating the layers. When you are ready to eat them, just set them on the counter about half an hour before hand. I typically plate them while they are still frozen, because they are easy to handle that way. Enjoy!

Cheesy Braai Pie

Ingredients:
2 rolls of puff pastry, defrosted
15ml vegetable oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 Italian sweet red pepper, finely chopped
400g chicken fillet, cut into thin strips (as for stir fry)
250g streaky bacon chopped into bits
1 packet Thick White Onion Soup
1 bunch of Swiss chard (or spinach), washed, removed from the thick stems and roughly chopped
50g button mushrooms, sliced (optional... before using please check that there isn't anyone who is allergic to mushrooms)
200g Mozzarella or Cheddar cheese, grated
1 round of Feta cheese (about 50-60g), crumbled
1 egg, lightly whisked

Method:
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and red pepper over a medium heat until they are soft. Add the chicken strips and brown them before adding the bacon. Fry until the bacon is cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Prepare a cool braai with an elevated grid.

Brush the braai grid with a wire brush to remove any charred deposits, then brush the grid with vegetable oil.

Unroll a roll of pastry onto a pastry board. Place a layer of spinach over the pastry and top with the prepared chicken mixture. Sprinkle the White Onion Soup powder over this. Add a layer of mushrooms, if using. Top everything with grated cheese and finish the layering with spinach. Place the second roll of pastry on top. Seal the edges of the pastry as if making a pie. Lightly brush with egg wash. With a small sharp knife, make a few slits in the top pastry to allow steam to escape.

 Slide the pie onto the braai grid and allow to cook for about 20 minutes, turning the pie over half way through the cooking so that both sides are cooked through.

Cooks Note

If you only have a small braai, this pie could be made in small individual portions by cutting the pastry sheet into 4-8 rectangles, thus making smaller pies that can be put around the outside of the braai to cook while you are doing braaied vegetables or braai roasties.

Fresh Strawberry and White Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

10ml baking powder

2.5ml salt

2 eggs

1 cup yoghurt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

5ml vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups fresh strawberries, chopped

½ to ¾ cup white chocolate chips or 100g white chocolate, chopped

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Line your muffin pan with paper cups or muffin liners.

In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside.

In another bowl whisk the eggs together until combined. Add the rest of the wet ingredients (yoghurt, oil and vanilla) and mix together.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix. I use a spatula to fold in the flour and mix everything together but you can also use a whisk. The batter would be thick.

Fold in the berries and the chocolate chips.

Divide evenly among the 12 muffin cups.

Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and after about 5-8 minutes (when they’re cool enough to handle) transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Meso-Med Salad with Coriander Dressing

I call this salad ‘Meso-Med’ because of the blend of ingredients: 

the mealies, avocado and tomatoes all originate in Mesoamerica, 

while the red onion, feta and cucumber are very Mediterranean. 

The dressing is very Mediterranean until you add the coriander herb, again reminiscent of Mesoamerica, except there it’s known as cilantro. 

In the dressing I use a small amount of chilli flakes, but if you can get Jalapeno peppers, you could use about half a pepper chopped fine. 

All in all this salad is deliciously satisfying, a perfect accompaniment to a braai.

Salad Ingredients

2 mealies, husks removed, brushed with olive oil and grilled on the side of the braai.

1 large avocado, or 2 small ones, diced and sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent oxidation

5-6 Roma tomatoes, diced

½ a medium red onion halved and thinly sliced

60-70g Feta, crumbled

6 inches of English cucumber, quartered and sliced with the skin on

Method

Cut the kernels off the cobs. Assemble the salad in a large bowl, and top with the mealie kernels. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until ready to use.

Coriander Dressing Ingredients

50-60ml olive oil

30ml apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar

2.5ml chopped or mashed garlic

30-50ml fresh chopped coriander herb

2.5ml sea salt

2.5ml chilli flakes

3-5ml lemon pepper

Method

Put all the dressing ingredients in a glass jam jar with a lid and shake really well. Check for seasoning and add more oil or vinegar for your taste. When you are ready to serve the salad, add the dressing and toss the salad gently. Top with a little extra copped coriander to garnish and tuck in.

Cheesecake Factory Copycat Carrot Cake Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Cheesecake:
450g cream cheese (at room temperature)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Carrot Cake:
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
5ml vanilla
1 cup flour
5ml baking soda
5ml cinnamon 
2.5ml salt
1 227g can crushed pineapple, well drained with juice reserved
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Pineapple Cream Cheese Icing:
60ml cream cheese, softened
30ml butter, softened
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2.5ml vanilla
20-30ml reserved pineapple juice
Dash of salt

Method:

Grease a 9-10 inch spring-form pan and set aside.

For the cream cheese batter: In a large bowl of an electric mixer  beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar until smooth. Beat in 15ml flour, 3 eggs and 10ml of vanilla until smooth. Set aside. 


For the carrot cake batter: In a large bowl, combine oil, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs and 5m of vanilla, blending thoroughly. Stir in 1 cup of flour, baking soda, cinnamon and a pich of salt, mixing well. Fold in the drained pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.

Spread 1 ½ cups carrot cake batter over bottom of prepared pan. Drop large spoonfuls of cream cheese batter over carrot cake batter. Top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot cake batter. Repeat with remaining cream cheese batter, spreading evenly and smoothly with a knife.

Bake in preheated 180˚C oven for 50 to 65 minutes, or until cake is set and cooked through. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate. When cake is cold, prepare the icing.

For the icing: In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, 2.5ml vanilla, 20-30ml reserved pineapple juice and a dash of salt. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. Ice the top of the cheesecake and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

These bars are topped with a white-chocolate-cream cheese frosting. They’re sprinkled with dried cranberries and drizzled with white chocolate squiggles.

The first layer is blondie-like- so sweet, soft-ish, but firm- and a great base for this bar. There’s white chocolate and dried cranberries mixed into the base too.

This recipe will make a total of 16 cake bars, at a fraction of the cost of the original.

Ingredients:

Cake

3/4 cup butter, softened

315ml packed light brown sugar

3 eggs30ml minced crystallized ginger

7.5ml vanilla extract

2.5ml salt

375ml flour

2.5ml baking powder

190ml chopped sweetened dried cranberries

100g white chocolate, cut into chunks

Frosting

100g cream cheese, softened

750ml icing sugar

20ml lemon juice

5ml vanilla extract

65ml chopped sweetened dried cranberries

Drizzled Icing

126ml icing sugar

15ml milk

10ml vegetable shortening

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

Make cake by beating the butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs, ginger, vanilla, and salt and beat well. Gradually mix in the flour and baking powder until smooth. Mix the chopped dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks into the batter by hand. Pour the batter into a buttered 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly across the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is lightly browned on top. Allow the cake to cool.

Make the frosting by combining the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. When the cake has cooled, use a spatula to spread the frosting over the top of the cake.

Sprinkle 65ml of chopped dried cranberries over the frosting on the cake.

Make the drizzled icing by whisking together powdered sugar, milk, and shortening. Drizzle this icing over the cranberries in a sweeping motion with a squirt bottle or fill a small plastic storage bag with the icing and cut off the tip of one corner.

Cover the cake and let it chill out in the fridge for a couple hours, then slice the cake lengthwise (the long way) through the middle. Slice the cake across the width three times, making a total of eight rectangular slices. Slice each of those rectangles diagonally creating 16 triangular slices.