Melting moments chocolate cake

This is my husband’s very favourite cake. It’s the cake his mum Rina used to make for him when he was young (and still does when he goes back home to South Africa). It’s a bit decadent with a bar of chocolate in the cake and another bar of hazelnut chocolate melted and poured over the top. I must admit, I haven’t made it before, but it was his birthday so he deserved a delicious cake to mark the occasion! If you are in NZ, don’t use Whittakers chocolate over the top – it doesn’t work.

Notes:

• I melted the butter, chocolate and sugar in the microwave. Use a very low heat and stir vigorously every 30 seconds to a minute. You can do the same for the melted chocolate topping – again use a very low heat or the chocolate will seize.
• If you are in New Zealand, DO NOT USE WHITTAKERS chocolate for the topping – it doesn’t melt and will seize up. I think Cadbury’s chocolate works, but I haven’t tried it. I used 150 grams of dark chocolate melts and added 50 grams of hazelnuts.
• I used a smaller tin – about 21cm wide by 9cm deep, which was fine. You do need a deep ring tin though – the cake does rise quite a bit and will spill over if you use a shallow tin.
• I wrapped some foil over the bottom of the cake tin, just in case there was any leaking. It didn’t leak, but you may want to do the same just in case your tin does leak, especially as you pour the sugar syrup over the cake while it is still in the tin.
• I’d consider using a bit less sugar syrup over the cake – maybe a quarter less.
• In my excitement to eat this, I forgot to take a photo (again!). I’ll just have to make another one…

Coconut finger rusks

I love South African rusks. This coconut rusk recipe is one of my favourite recipes.

 

Note: You can also press the dough into a flat baking tray and slice before baking. It’s quicker than rolling individual rusk balls.

Rusks before baking:

Fridge Milk Tart

This fridge milk tart is as nice as the baked milk tart.

Ingredients
3 eggs – separated
1 tin condensed milk
3 tins fresh milk – use the condensed milk tin as the measure
3 tablespoons heaped corn flour (75ml approx.)
5ml vanilla essence
Cinnamon
1 packet Tennis biscuits (if you can’t find Tennis biscuits in the international food aisle, use Arnotts Nice biscuits)

Method (I use the microwave so the milk doesn’t burn)

1. Heat the Condensed milk and 2 tins of milk
2. Beat egg yolks and mix with cornflour and 1 tin of milk
3. Add to the boiling condensed milk
4. Add vanilla essence
5. Boil for 2 -3 minutes or more until the mixture is really thick
6. Add beaten egg white (it looks curdled)
7. Pour into a Pyrex dish which has been lined with tennis biscuits
8. Sprinkle cinnamon or crushed biscuits on top
9. Refrigerate

Comments
This tart keeps well in the refrigerator.
The mixture may look lumpy, but it settles in the fridge.
I prefer to make this tart in the microwave, but it can be made on the stove with patience. If using microwave, stir after each minute.

Milk Tart

Milk tart is a delicious traditional South African tart. It tastes like a custard tart sprinkled with cinnamon. This recipe makes two tarts.

Ingredients

Pastry
125gr margarine – softened
125ml sugar
1 egg – beaten
500ml flour – sifted.
10ml baking powder

Filling
1.2 litres milk
3 eggs – beaten
200ml sugar
40ml flour
40ml corn flour
15gr butter (or margarine)
5ml vanilla essence
Cinnamon

Method
Pastry

1. Cream together margarine and sugar, add beaten egg.
2. Sift in the dry ingredients to make a firm dough. Press thinly over the base and up sides of two 240mm-diameter pie plates.
3. Bake at 180 degrees C for 20 –25 minutes. Allow to cool.

Filling (I use the microwave – milk doesn’t burn!)

1. Boil the milk.
2. Beat together eggs and sugar; sift in flour and corn flour.
3. Add the strained milk, beating continuously.
4. Return to heat, stirring continuously until mixture thickens. This takes time and do not be tempted to turn up the heat – the milk will burn.
5. Remove from the heat, add butter and vanilla essence.
6. Pour the filling into the cooled pastry shells. Sprinkle with cinnamon while hot. Leave to cool. Serve cold.

Comments
This tart keeps well in the refrigerator.
I have frozen the pastry shells unfilled.

(Thanks to Astrid for the photo)

Buttermilk Rusks

Buttermilk rusks are my favourite. They make a great breakfast snack.

Ingredients

1 kg self raising flour
1 cup sugar
4 eggs – beaten
2 cups buttermilk
170 g butter or margarine

Method

1. Rub the marge into the flour and sugar.
2. Beat the eggs and buttermilk together and add to the dry ingredients
3. Place in two bread loaf tins
4. Bake at 190 for about an hour – check with a skewer
5. Turn out and cool
6. Slice in slices and then into fingers, place in a single layer on oven tray
7. Dry out in 100 C oven overnight

Note

If you do not have self raising flour use 6 cups of flour and 10 tsp baking powder.

All Bran rusks

This is the recipe for my mom’s rusks. South African rusks are made for grown ups, not babies. Perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning.

Ingredients

250 gr margarine – melted
250 ml oil
250 ml sugar – 1 cup
2 eggs
500 ml buttermilk
125 ml bran or whole wheat flour
1 kg self raising flour
3 cups all bran flakes – partly crushed

Method

1. Melt the marge, add the oil and sugar and beat well. Add egg and buttermilk and beat well.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, add the wet ingredients and mix well. You may need to use your hands.
3. Place the mixture into two bread loaf tins.
4. Bake at 190 C for 1 hour. Leave to cool for several hours. Cut into slices and then into fingers. Place in oven tray in a single layer and dry overnight at 100 C.

Note

The rusks must be completely cold before you cut them otherwise they break. They are quite crumbly anyway.

Tapioca pudding

This is my nana’s recipe. I love the coconut in this pudding. We used to call it frogs egg pudding!

Ingredients
150 ml tapioca
250 ml water
3 cups milk
200 ml sugar
250 ml coconut
Yolk of 3 eggs
Egg whites – stiffly beaten of the 3 eggs
25 ml butter

1. Soak the water and tapioca overnight.
2. Mix together tapioca, milk, sugar, coconut, yolk of 3 eggs and butter in a medium saucepan and cook gently over medium heat stirring most of the time until nice and thick. You can also make it in the microwave, stirring every minute.
3. Remove from stove/microwave and add stiffly beaten egg whites.
4. Place in a flattish dish and sprinkle with 1 Tbl of white or brown sugar.
5. Place under a grill until topping is melted and brown.
6. Refrigerate overnight or until cold.

Tips

• Keep an eye on the mixture on the stove. Do not leave it unattended or be in a hurry or it will burn.
• Best made the day before you need it.

Sago pudding

Sago pudding is a South African warm pudding, served with custard (my favourite!). Rob’s mom loves to make sago pudding for Sunday lunch and knows the recipe by heart! This serves 6-8.

Ingredients
4 cups milk
1 cup sago
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
5 tablespoons apricot jam
1/2 cup sugar (extra)

1. Heat oven to 160 degrees.
2. Heat milk to nearly boiling, then add sago, salt, and nutmeg or cinnamon.
3. Simmer over very low heat until sago is transparent.
4. Add the 1/2 cup sugar, butter and vanilla, and stir in well. Remove from heat.
5. Separate the eggs, and whisk the yolks. Add yolks to the sago mixture, whisk or mix through well, and pour the mixture into a large, greased oven dish.
6. Put blobs of the apricot jam all over the pudding mixture.
7. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, and add the extra 1/2 cup sugar slowly, whisking until incorporated.
8. Spread this meringue over the sago pudding.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 – 45 minutes, until set, and the meringue is light brown on top.

Notes:

Can be served hot, warm or cold.

Bobotie

This is another South African classic. Friends from around the world went back for seconds! Serve with rice, coconut, chutney, nuts and bananas. Serves 8.

Ingredients

1 fairly thick slice crustless bread

375 ml milk

25 ml oil

10 ml butter

2 onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

25 ml curry powder

10 ml salt

25 ml chutney

15 ml smooth apricot jam

15 ml Worcester sauce

5 ml turmeric

25 ml brown vinegar

1 kg mince

100 ml sultanas

3 eggs

pinch each salt and turmeric

bay leaves

1. Heat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Soak bread in milk.
3. Heat oil and butter in large pan and fry onioins and garlic. When onions are soft, add curry powder, salt, chutney, jam, Worcester sauce, turmeric and vinegar and mix well.
4. Drain and mash bread and reserve milk.
5. Add bread to pan together with mince and sultanas. Cook over low heat, stirring, and when meat loses its pinkness, remove from stove.
6. Add 1 beaten egg, mix well, then spoon into a greased 28 x 16 cm baking dish and level the top.
7. Beat remaining eggs with reserved milk (you should have 300ml) and the salt and turmeric. Pour over meat mixture and put a few bay leaves on top.
8. Stand dish in a larger pan of water (this is important to prevent drying out) and bake, uncovered at 180 degrees for 1 hour or until set.

Telephone pudding

Warm puddings with custard are my absolute favourite. I found this recipe online a while back. The story goes that it was passed from woman to woman over the phone when we still used a party line in South Africa. It’s similar to malva pudding but both have their merits. Serve with custard or ice-cream.

Ingredients:

1 cup castor sugar

115g butter

2 Tbsp apricot jam

1 large egg

5ml baking soda

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp salt

Syrup:

1 cup sugar [Note: This pudding is very sweet. I will try halve the sugar in the syrup next time.]

2 cups boiling water

1 tsp vanilla

1. Heat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add jam and egg.
3. Mix flour, ginger and salt together. Add baking soda to milk.
4. Whisk the creamed mixture and the dry ingredients into the milk to form a batter.
5. Mix syrup ingredients and pour into dish, then pour pudding batter on top of syrup. (This looks completely wrong but it will work!)
6. Bake for 30-45 minutes.