The Weekend Cooks

The Best Weekend Carrot Cake Ingredients ·          6 1/8 oz (180g) self raising flour (sifted) ·          12 1/2 oz (350g) caster sugar ·          1 teaspoon baking powder ·          1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ·          3 eggs ·          8 oz (220g) grated raw carrot ·          1/4 teaspoon salt ·          10 1/8 fl oz (300 ml) sunflower oil ·          Frosting ·          6 1/8 oz (180g) cream cheese ·          6 1/8 oz (180g) melted butter ·          8 oz (220g) icing sugar ·          1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence ·          Zest of one orange Method Preheat the oven at 350º Fahrenheit (180º C / gas mark 4). Mix the dry ingredients in to a large bowl. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Mix together the eggs, oil, and vanilla until it becomes a smooth mixture. Pour the egg mixture in the bowl with the flour. Add the grated carrot and stir. Be carefu

Quick & Easy White Chocolate & Peach Croissant Pudding Recipe Courtesy - @Allgold Ingredients 6 large stale croissants, sliced thinly ¾ cup All Gold Peach Jam ½ cup dried peaches, diced ¾ cup white choc chips 60g butter, cubed Sauce: 4 cups pouring vanilla custard (like Ultra Mel) 1 cup pouring cream ½ cup sugar 2 tsps vanilla essence Method Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spray and Cook an oven dish or individual ramekins. Spread the slices of croissants with peach jam and then layer in the oven dish attractively. Sprinkle butter, dried peaches and white chocolate chips over the top of the pudding. Whisk all the sauce ingredients together and pour all over the pudding. Allow to saturate and stand for 10 minutes before baking. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until light golden and crispy on the top and heated through. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with ice-cream or pouring cream if you need anything extra

COCONUT AND DRIED APRICOT ENERGY BALLS Recipe Courtesy - @Flora Ingredients whole almonds (1 tbsp) vanilla essence (2 tsp) honey Flora Regular mixed seeds like sunflower, linseeds, pumpkin seeds desiccated coconut dried apricots Method Combine the whole almonds, vanilla essence, honey, Flora Regular, mixed seeds, 40g desiccated coconut and dried apricots in a food processor. Process until the mixture comes together. Roll the mixture into small bite size balls. Roll each ball in the remaining coconut.

Chocolate Cheesecake Squares: Recipe Courtesy - @Unileverfoodsolutions Ingredients Block chocolate, dark 200 g Marvello Butter Flavoured      200 g Eggs, large (class A)   3 pc Sugar, castor  290 g Flour, white     150 g Cream cheese mixture: Cream cheese, smotth and thick       500 g Eggs (class extra)       2 pc Pecan nuts, chopped  50 g Castor sugar Method Chocolate Cheesecake Squares: Melt chocolate and Marvello 70% fat spread in the microwave on a low heat for two minutes. Then mix until smooth. In a bowl beat the eggs and castor sugar together with an electric mixer, on high speed until light & fluffy. Add melted chocolate and mix well. Gently fold in the flour and mix until smooth. Pour the batter into a greased lined baking tray, 20 x 30cm. Cream cheese mixture: Combine the cream cheese, sugar and eggs , mix well. Pour on top of chocolate mixture. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake at 170 C to 180

Chilli Chocolate Mousse Recipe Courtesy - @InaPaarman Ingredients 1¼ cups (310 ml) water 1 x 310 g Ina Paarman's Chocolate Mousse Mix ½ t (2,5 ml) cayenne pepper 1 cup (250 ml) fresh whipping cream 6-8 fresh red chillies 1 chocolate flake Method Measure water into a medium size mixing bowl. Sprinkle contents of Chocolate Mousse pack over the water. Add cayenne pepper. Beat until well blended. Cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge for 15 minutes. In a smaller mixing bowl whip the cream until soft peak stage. Remove the mousse mixture from the fridge and using the same beaters, whip again until smooth. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mousse using a spatula or metal spoon and stir until evenly blended. Spoon the mousse into small coffee cups to fill to the top and smooth off the tops with the back of a knife. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Place cups on their saucers.  Place a whole red chilli

COOKIES AND CREAM ICE CREAM Recipe Courtesy - @Bakers Ingredients 200 g BAKERS Romany Creams® biscuits roughly chopped 500 ml fresh cream 10 ml caramel essence 1 x 385 g can sweetened condensed milk For serving sugar cone chocolate sauce Method In a large mixing bowl, whip the fresh cream using an electric whisk, until stiff peaks form. Fold in condensed milk and caramel essence. Fold in roughly chopped BAKERS Romany Creams® biscuits and transfer to an empty 2L container. Place in freezer for at least 6 hours, overnight is best. Serve with a sugar cone and chocolate sauce.

Chocolate and Macadamia Brownies Recipe Courtesy - @Clover Ingredients ¾ cups (150 g) good-quality dark chocolate ½ cup (115 g) Clover Mooi River Butter 1 cup (200 g) castor sugar 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract 2 eggs ½ cup (70 g) cake flour 2 tbsp (30 ml) cocoa 1 cup (100 g) macadamia nuts or walnuts, chopped Method Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of a 20 cm square cake tin. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and set aside to cool slightly. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Sift the flour and cocoa and carefully fold into the egg mixture. Add the melted chocolate and nuts and combine, pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool before cutting into squares to serve.

Cranberry and Choc Chip Hot Cross Buns Recipe Courtesy - @Stork Ingredients   Bun Ingredients: 500g flour 1 tsp (5ml) salt 12.5ml mixed spice Good pinch cinnamon and nutmeg 60g Stork Bake 25ml sugar 10g sachet instant yeast 25ml mixed peel ½ cup (125ml) cranberries ½ cup (125ml) chocolate chips 1 egg, beaten 1 cup (250ml) milk, warm 1 egg, beaten for brushing tops of buns Piping Dough Ingredients: 50g Stork Bake 50g flour 1ml baking powder 35ml milk Method Bun Method: Sift flour, salt and spices. Rub in Stork Bake until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs then add sugar, yeast, mixed peel, cranberries and chocolate chips. Add egg and milk to the flour mixture to form a soft dough. Knead for 5 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place to rise to double its size. Turn onto a floured board and knead lightly. Divide into equal portions and form each into a bun. Place on a greased tr

Thyme Ring Doughnuts with Orange glaze Recipe Courtesy @Robertsonsherbs&spices Ingredients Doughnut dough: 500g bread flour 2 tsp Roberton’s Dried Thyme 55g castor sugar 10g (1 sachet) instant yeast pinch of salt 1 cup milk 100g melted butter 3 egg yolks Orange and thyme glaze 2 cups (500ml) icing sugar, sifted 2-3 tbsp orange juice Method To make the dough, combine all the dough ingredients to form a soft dough.  Knead for 8-10 minutes or until smooth. Cover and set aside for 1 hour. Sprinkle a clean surface with cake flour and roll the dough out to 1cm thick. Use a 8cm cookie cutter to cut out rounds then use a shot glass to cut a hole out the middle. Place the rings on a greased baking sheet, leaving enough space for the dough to rise.  Cover loosely with clingwrap and leave in a warm place until doubled in size. Heat the oil in a pot or deep-fryer until 180C (a cube of bread dropped into the oil should brown

Rice Puddings with a Caramel Base and Spiced Apricot and Apple Compote Recipe Courtesy - @Spekko Ingredients Cake 375 ml (1 ½ cups)      milk 250 ml (1 cup)            cream 2/3 cup                       Spekko Saman White Rice 125 ml (½ cup)           dark brown sugar 8                                  strips lemon peel, removed with vegetable peeler 1/3 tsp                       ground cinnamon pinch of salt 3                                large eggs, lightly beaten 2                                egg whites 1 ½ tsp                      vanilla extract   Caramel 1/3 cup                      brown sugar 30 ml (2 tbsp)            water   Compote 150 g                        castor sugar 200 ml                      water 1                               cinnamon stick 4                               cardamom pods, crushed 1                                vanilla bean, split and scraped juice a

Cheesecake Recipe Courtesy - @Ladismithcheese Ingredients Cake: 1 packet Tennis biscuits 1 tbsp butter 1 tin condensed milk 1 tub fat-free cottage cheese ½ cup lemon juice Topping: 1 tub fresh strawberries and 1 tbsp icing sugar OR a tin of fruit jam (such as raspberry) OR a tin of passionfruit /granadilla pulp Method Crush the biscuits and mix with the butter to use as a base. Press into a shallow dish. Mix the condensed milk, cottage cheese and lemon juice together, and pour over the biscuit base. Pick your favourite topping; heat up a tin of jam over a stove until it’s runny and glaze it over your cake, or decorate it with fresh fruit and a sprinkle of icing sugar. Alternatively, glaze a tin of passion fruit / granadilla pulp over your cake. Let stand in fridge for at least two hours before serving, and keep any leftovers in the fridge as well.

All-in Cadbury Oreo Shake Recipe Courtesy - @CadburySA Ingredients 1.25 cups of milk 4 scoops choc-vanilla ice cream 1 cup Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo slab, chopped up 1 tsp vanilla extract Chocolate sauce Whipped Cream Cadbury Dairy Milk Covered Oreos Method Blend the milk, ice cream & chopped Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo slab together with the vanilla essence. Drizzle some chocolate sauce in a milkshake glass. Pour in the milkshake. Top with whipped cream, and some pieces of the Cadbury Dairy Milk Covered Oreos.

Portuguese coffee and chocolate Cookie Cakes Recipe Courtesy - @Moirs Ingredients 2 x 200 g packets MOIR’S Munch-a-Lot Biscuits 150 ml strong black coffee 15 ml brandy (optional) 5 ml MOIR’S Vanilla Essence 1 x 250 g tub mascarpone cheese 60 ml milk 1 x 150 g packet MOIR’S White Chocolate Mousse 30 ml coco powder Berries for serving Method Mix the coffee, brandy and the vanilla essence together. Dip the biscuits into the coffee mixture. Take care not to “over soak”. Beat the mascarpone and milk together. Add the chocolate mousse and beat until thick. Spread some of the mascarpone mixture onto each biscuit. Sprinkle with cocoa. Repeat twice ending with the mascarpone mixture. Garnish with coffee beans and chocolate shapes.* *To make chocolate shapes. Drizzle melted chocolate in shapes on wax paper and leave to set. Peel off the paper.

GIANT PRETZELS WITH BLUE LABEL MARIE CRUMB Recipe Courtesy - @Bakersbiscuits Ingredients Pretzel dough 1 cup + ⅛ cup warm milk 2 ½ tbsp instant yeast 3 tbsp icing sugar ¼ cup sunflower oil 3 cups flour To finish: ¼ cup bicarbonate of soda for boiling 1 cup sugar 1 ½ tbsp ground cinnamon Chocolate drizzle: 100g dark chocolate 50g fresh cream 10 Marie Biscuits, finely crushed Method Pretzel dough: In a small bowl, combine the warm milk, yeast and icing sugar. Stir this all together and leave the mixture to sit for +- 5mins to allow the yeast to activate. Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the mixture to a large bowl along with the sunflower oil, and a cup of flour at a time, mix until a dough begins to form. You can either carry on mixing with the dough hook for about 20mins on medium-high, or knead the mixture by hand. You will know that your dough is ready when you can stretch it a

Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe Courtesy - @InaPaarman Ingredients Cookies 1 x 390 g Ina Paarman’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix 125 g butter at room temperature 1 extra large or jumbo egg, at room temperature Chocolate Ice Cream 1 ¼ cups (310 ml) cold water 1 x 310 g Ina Paarman’s Chocolate Mousse Mix 2 cups (500 ml) chilled fresh cream Garnish grated chocolate Method Adjust oven rack to one slot above middle shelf. Preheat oven to 180°C and line two baking trays with baking paper. Mix cookies according to package instructions but, spoon out 2 t (10 ml) of the dry cookie mixture to use when flattening cookies with a fork. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of cookie mixture into balls. Place them 5 cm apart on the prepared trays. . Press balls down very firmly until they become about ¼ cm thick. Remember to dip the fork after every cookie, otherwise the dough will stick to the prongs of the fork. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, until g

LANCEWOOD® BAKLAVA CHEESECAKE Recipe Courtesy - @Lancewood INGREDIENTS Base: 200g unsalted walnuts 15ml - 30ml castor sugar 2.5ml cinnamon 15ml cornflour 40g butter, melted Filling: 2 x 230g LANCEWOOD® Medium Fat Cream Cheese Plain, room temperature 250g LANCEWOOD® Cultured Cream, room temperature 4 extra large eggs 100g castor sugar 10 drops of pure vanilla extract Zest of small orange 30ml cornflour Honey syrup: 60ml honey 30ml sugar 1 cinnamon stick/1 tsp cinnamon 4 or 5 cloves 3 or 4 cardamom pods 180ml water Lemon and orange juice – generous squeeze of each Phyllo bits: 1 sheet phyllo pastry Melted butter for brushing pastry To finish: 150g pistachios, chopped METHOD Base: Preheat oven to 200°C. Roast walnuts for 5 minutes. Remove and leave to cool. Blitz in food processor until coarsely ground. Stir in castor sugar, cinnamon and cornflour. Add butter and m

LAYERED CHOCOLATE DESSERT WITH TOASTED NOUGAT Recipe Courtesy - @BeyersChocolates Ingredients: 110 ml low fat or full cream milk 425 g dark chocolate, chopped 900 g cream whipped cream crushed Oreos/chocolate biscuits Toasted Nougat Soil Mason Jars or Glass Tumblers Method : Bring milk to the boil Pour Chocolate into hot milk Whip the Cream When cooled, fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until well combined Pipe or scoop mousse into the jars Add a layer of crushed biscuits / Oreo’s Add a layer of whipped cream Sprinkle in a layer of toasted nougat Pipe / Scoop a layer of mousse Sprinkle another layer of Biscuit / Oreo’s Top off with whipped cream & a mint leaf for garnish

Condensed Milk Ice Cream Recipe Courtesy - @HartfordHouse Made and Created by - — Travis Finch / Head Chef Ingredients: 1 tin Condensed Milk 1 tin Ideal Milk 1 cup Cream 1 pod Vanilla Method: Slice your vanilla pod in half and with the back of your knife take out all the seeds. Add this to your cream. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Whip your ideal milk until it starts to thicken. Combine your cream, ideal milk and condensed milk. Whisk it all together until fully incorporated. Place your mixture in quite a large bowl inside your freezer. Whisk every 30 minutes until set. Travis Finch Head Chef | Hartford House travis@hartford.co.za