Isabel Cadle’s Koeksisters
SYRUP
Pour the water and the sugar into a large pot. Heat over medium heat until the sugar has been dissolved. Stir often.
When the sugar has been completely dissolved and the mixture is hot, stir in the cream of tartar and the tartaric acid.
Let the syrup boil for 7 minutes. Stir every now and then.
Remove the pot from the stove and let the syrup cool overnight.
DOUGH
Stir the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles bread crumbs.
Beat the eggs, milk and water together until well mixed.
Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture until a dough forms. It may be necessary to add a bit of water to the dough.
Sprinkle extra flour onto the working surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes.
Cover the dough with cling wrap and let it rest for 3 hours.
Roll out the dough onto the flour-strewn surface to a thickness of 5 mm.
Cut the dough in strips of 5 mm in height. Cut strips of dough that are 8 cm in length.
Fold the strips of dough in half and press the ends together. Twist the strip of dough so that it looks like a plait.
Heat some oil in a saucepan until thoroughly hot.
Fry the koeksisters in the oil until golden brown.
Take the koeksisters out and place them onto the kitchen paper for just a moment to absorb some of the excess oil.
Dip the hot koeksisters in the syrup while they are still hot.
Take the koeksisters out and place them on a cooling rack to drain the excess syrup.
Store the koeksisters in an airtight container when completely cooled.
Jan Smuts Cookies
Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
CRUST
Use an electric mixer and cream the sugar and butter until light yellow in colour. Add the eggs.
Sift the cake flour, baking powder, custard powder and salt together.
Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until a dough is formed.
Place the dough in a plastic bag in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle a bit of flour on the working surface, and roll out the dough to a height of about 4 mm.
Grease shallow muffins pans with butter.
Stamp out circles of about 6 cm in diameter. Make sure that these will fit into the muffin pans.
Spoon 2 ml of jam into each cup.
FILLING
Use an electric mixer and cream the butter until light yellow in colour. Stir in the sugar and eggs, and mix well.
Sift the cake flour and the baking powder together. Add this to the butter mixture.
Spoon some of the filling over the apricot jam.
Bake for 15 minutes or until light golden brown on top.
Place on a cooling rack, let it cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Amasi Waffles with Chakalaka
A dish bursting with traditional South African flavours. As seen on Expresso Morning Show or Afternoon Express, SABC3.
Hertzoggies
Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
Cream the butter and the sugar.
Beat the oil, vanilla essence and egg well with a fork. Stir the mixture into the butter mixture.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt, and add to the butter mixture. Form a dough.
Roll the dough out between two layers of baking paper to a thickness of about 3 mm.
Grease shallow muffin pans well with butter.
Stamp circles (about 6 cm in diameter) that will fit into the cups in the muffin pan.
Spoon half a teaspoon of apricot jam into the pastry shells.
Mix the castor sugar and the baking powder, and stir until mixed well.
Use an electric mixer and stiffen the egg whites.
Fold the castor sugar into the egg whites bit by bit, and beat for another 1 minute.
Add the coconut to the egg white mixture. Spoon about 15 ml (1 tbsp) of the meringue mixture onto the jam. Make sure that the jam is completely covered.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until light golden brown on top.
Condensed Milk Biscuits
Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
Use an electric mixer and mix for 4 minutes to get the butter to a smooth light yellow consistency.
Add the condensed milk, vanilla essence and salt. Mix well.
Sift the cake flour, cornflour and baking powder together.
Stir the flour into the butter mixture until it forms a dough. You might want to add a bit of cake flour if necessary so that the dough will be soft, but won’t stick to your hands.
Form smallish doughballs and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Press the tops of the biscuits flat. They should not be very thick.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Leave on a stand to cool.
ICING
Use an electric mixer to cream the butter. Add colourant and flavourant.
Add the icing sugar bit by bit and keep mixing until the icing is firm.
Spread icing sugar on a biscuit, and place the other half on top.
Store in an airtight container.
Condensed Milk Fridge Squares
Melt the butter in a sizeable saucepan.
Stir in the condensed milk and boil for 2 minutes while stirring constantly.
Add the biscuits, nuts, icing sugar, coconut and cherries.
Grease a dish of 20 cm x 30 cm with butter.
Put the mixture in the dish and flatten the mixture on top.
Melt the chocolate and cream in the microwave at 60% power, or in a double cooker on the stove until the mixture is smooth and without lumps.
Spread over the biscuits. Leave until set, and then cut into squares.
Custard Slices
Grease a dish of about 30 cm x 22 cm in size with butter.
Pack the crackers in such a way that their centre lines are all in the same direction.
Heat the milk and the condensed milk in a saucepan. Stir from time to time.
Stir the butter into the milk mixture.
Stir the cake flour, cornflour, custard powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
Add the egg yolks to the cream, and mix. Add the flour mixture to the cream mixture and stir until smooth.
Stir the custard mixture slowly into the hot milk mixture in the saucepan while you continue to stir.
Let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the stove.
Mix the vanilla essence into the custard mixture.
Beat the egg whites until they form peaks, and fold it into the custard mixture.
Carefully spoon the custard mixture onto the crackers. Flatten it on top.
Pack the crackers on top in such a way that their centre lines lie in the same direction.
Let the custard slices cool down, and place in the fridge until completely cooled.
TOP LAYER
Mix the icing sugar and water into a smooth paste, and spoon it onto the custard slices.
Cut in slices and serve.
Crispy Deep Fried Clover Amasi Spicy Chicken
Separated the chicken wings into a drumettes and wingettes, by cutting through each joint of the wing, removing the wing tip (save these tips in the freezer to make stock with).
Place the wings into a mixing bowl, add the Clover amasi and allow to marinade for 4hours minimum or overnight.
In a large mixing bowl add flour, chilli powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano and season with salt and pepper, mix well to combine.
Whisk in the 2tbs Amasi to form large clumps, these add extra crispy bits.
Shake each wing gently to get rid of any excess amasi, then coat them in the flour, make sure all sides are covered, then set aside.
