GUM PASTE RECIPE

If you’re into making dramatic decorations for cakes out of gum paste, you may want to consider making your own. This recipe requires a few special ingredients that are sold in specialty cake stores, as well as on the Internet.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
stand mixer
Ingredients
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, finely sifted (reserve 1 cup for later)
1 tablespoon gum tragacanth (or Gum Tex)
1 tablespoon liquid glucose
1 packet Knox powdered gelatin
4 tablespoons warm water
Procedure
1 Pour the water in a large, microwave safe bowl and add gelatin slowly. Stir until gelatin is dissolved in the water.
2 Stir in glucose slowly. Microwave 20-30 seconds to melt the glucose completely.
3 Whisk together 3 cups of sifted confectioners’ sugar and the gum tragacanth. Add gradually to the liquid mixture, stirring to integrate.
4 Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Mix on medium speed until a sticky, uniform dough comes together. Double wrap tightly in plastic, place in an airtight container, and allow it to sit overnight.
5 The following day, knead the remaining 1 cup of sifted confectioner’s sugar into the dough. Add additional powered sugar until the dough stops feeling sticky.
6 Store gum paste double wrapped tightly in plastic and sealed in an airtight container.

RECIPE AND PHOTO: Lauren Weisenthal

HOT CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE
Recipe posted by Farren Silverwolf Pretorius‎
Recipe and photo: Diethood
FOOD LOVERS RECIPES
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped
powdered sugar
In a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In your mixer’s bowl cream the butter, then add in the sugar and brown sugar; beat until well combined.
Add in the eggs and the vanilla and continue mixing until thoroughly combined.
Fold the flour mixture into the sugar mixture, then fold in the chopped chocolate chips.
Divide the batter evenly among 8 4-ounce ramekins, cover and put in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 180ºC.
Take out the ramekins from the fridge and let sit in room temperature for 10 minutes.
Arrange the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops of the cakes are puffed up and crusty on top.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve while they are hot.
If you like, serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream… nom nom nom!

GUM PASTE

1/2 cup (125 g) fresh or pasteurized egg whites (about 4 eggs)
6 2/3 cups, divided (725 g + 100 g) confectioners’ (icing) sugar
3 tablespoons (30 g) tylose powder
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons (20 g) vegetable shortening
AN ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENTS LIST:
7 tablespoons (105 g) water
2 1/2 tablespoons (20 g) albumen powder (dried egg whites)
Soak the dried egg whites for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once dissolved, strain into mixing bowl and continue recipe.
Directions
Place the egg whites in a stand mixer bowl, fitted with the flat paddle or scraper paddle attachment.
Turn the mixer on high speed for 10 seconds to break up the egg whites.
Turn the mixer to the lowest speed; slowly add the 725 g of powdered sugar to make a soft consistency royal icing.
Turn up the speed to setting 3 or 4 for about two minutes.
Make sure the mixture is at the soft-peak stage. It should look shiny, like meringue, and the peaks should fall over. (If coloring the entire batch, add the paste, gel or liquid color at this stage, making it a shade darker than desired)
Turn the mixer to the slow setting and sprinkle in the tylose over a five-second time period. Turn the speed up to the high setting for a few seconds. This will thicken the mixture.
Scrape the mixture out of the bowl onto a work surface that has been sprinkled with some of the reserved 100 g of powdered sugar. Place shortening on your hands and knead the paste, adding enough of the reserved powdered sugar to form a soft but not sticky dough. You can check by pinching with your fingers; they should come away clean. Place the finished paste in a resealable plastic bag, then place the bagged paste in a second bag and seal well.
Mature the gumpaste for 24 hours if possible before use, keeping in a cool environment.
When you are ready to use the paste, cut off a small amount and knead in a little vegetable shortening into the paste. If coloring at this stage, knead the color into the paste until the desired shade is achieved.
When not in use, the paste will need to be stored in the refrigerator. Before use, remove from refrigerator and allow the paste to come to room temperature. Knead a small amount of shortening into the paste.
Always store the paste vacuum-sealed with a food saver type system if available, or in resealable plastic bags with as much air removed as possible. The paste will keep under refrigeration for approximately six months. You can keep the paste longer by freezing it. Be sure to use zip-top freezer bags. If you will be freezing a batch of paste, allow it to mature for 24 hours before placing into the freezer. The paste can be kept in the freezer for several years with no problems and can be taken out of the freezer, thawed, used and refrozen without any problems or ill effect on the paste.
Less tylose can be used if you do not want the gum paste to dry as fast, or if you’re making dark colors that typically dry the gum paste out (e.g., black, dark green, purple).
Recipe: Nicholas Lodge
Post Nicolette Fick

GRANADILLA LEMON CURD TART
Recipe: Moira Botha Dyer
FOOD LOVERS RECIPES
Short crust pastry:
300 g cake flour
30 g castor sugar
pinch of salt
200 g cold butter, cubed
2 eggs yolks
15 ml cold water (if needed)
Lemon curd:
1 medium lemon/orange, juiced (80-100ml)
115 g granadilla pulp
125 ml castor sugar
80g butter cut into small blocks
2 extra large eggs
1 extra large egg yolk
Cust – Preheat oven to 180ºC and spray a tart/flan tin or a 12 hole muffin pan with cooking spray.
Process dry ingredients in food processor before adding small blocks of butter through the chute at the top.
When it resembles breadcrumbs, add egg yolk and mix briefly until it starts to come together into a ball. If continues to look too dry, add the water but you might not need it.
Remember you are making a short crust pastry that you will press into pan rather than roll out. So if it is a little dry it will make a nice crisp tart base.
Chill briefly so that the butter can solidify again. Press about half the mixture into tart tin (share dough between 12 holes if using a muffin pan).
Press down to make a base and sides. Prick with fork & bake for 20mins until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Curd – Make a double boiler by taking a small pot and placing 200ml water inside. Place onto stove, set to med heat and place a larger glass bowl on top. Make sure the water does not touch base of bowl.
Place juice, pulp, sugar and butter into the bowl and stir until sugar & butter has melted. Break eggs into a bowl and beat briefly.
Add beaten eggs to cooking fruit mixture and stir well for 10 mins until thickened. The eggs will cook so you don’t need to worry about raw egg contamination. You are just cooking it slowly to prevent ending with scrambled eggs. Once the curd has thickened, remove from heat and set bowl aside to cool.
To assemble, place curd filling into cooled crust. Chill before serving.

QUINOA SLAAI
200 g quinoa (kook gaar in groentestock)
1 vinkelbol
3 wortels (klein blokkies gesny…2×2 mm)
2 avokados (groter blokke)
Laat quinoa afkoel en meng alles deur.
Slaaisous:
1/2 suurlemoen
1 lemoen
1 toontjie knoffel
1/2 bos plat pieterselie
8 eetl olyfolie
seesout

Rasper die skil van suurlemoen en lemoen en gebruik die sap in die slaaisous.
Sny die knoffel fyn.
Meng alles goed en meng deur die quinoa.
Smaaklik!
Resep en foto: Hanlie Wethmar

DELICIOUS APPLE TART
SERVES 6-9
For the pastry:
4 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup castor sugar
500 g very cold margarine, grated
+- ½ cup ice water

For the filling:
2 tablespoons margarine
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup raisins
8-10 granny smith apples
5 whole cloves
pinch of nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup warm water
Extra castor sugar

Soak the raisins in the warm water for about 10minutes. Peel, core and slice the apples. Melt the butter and add the raisins, the apples, sugar, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, until the apple is soft. Remove from heat, keep covered. Let it cool COMPLETELY.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and castor sugar together. Crumb in the grated margarine.
Divide the mixture into 2.
Cut the ice water into one of the halves with a knife, until it STARTS to come together. Press together until it forms a stiff ball. you might need more water. Add the water little by little. Cover with Gladwrap. Let it rest in the fridge for no less than 30min.
Once rested, roll out the dough and line a baking dish. Roll out the remaining dough and cut into strips, about 2cm in width.
Once the apples are COMPLETELY cooled, mix the other half of the crumbed mixture into the apple mixture.
Scoop into the baking dish and level out. Plait the dough strips over the top.
Bake in the oven at 160º C for 20minutes. Take out and lightly sprinkle with some castor sugar. Put back in the oven and bake until lightly browned.
Remove from oven and SERVE warm.
Enjoy as is, or with some ice cream or whipped cream.
Recipe posted and photo: Marista Grobler’s

Serves 2
* 2 Chicken Schnitzels
* 400g Jar or 1.5 cups passata or pasta sauce
* Half a cup of 3 cheese, grated pizza cheese (mixture of tasty, parmesan & mozzarella)
* 2 thin slices of champagne ham
Preheat the oven to 175C/350F. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the schnitzels on the tray and bake for 20 minutes. Pour half of the sauce into a 20cm x 30cm (9x13inch) baking dish. Place the chicken (which has already baked on its own for 20 min) on top of the sauce in the baking dish, and cover the with the remaining sauce, a slice of ham on each chicken schnitzel and then Sprinkle the cheese on top and return to the oven.
Bake for a further 10-15 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Serve with steamed vegetables.
Tip: Turn up the flavour by adding your favourite herbs to the passata (pureed tomato) or pasta sauce.
VARIATION: After the chicken has baked for 20 minutes, simply evenly pour/distribute the pasta sauce to your thickness/liking on top of the schnitzels then add both the parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
If you can’t help yourself, add a thin slice of ham on top of the schnitzel before adding the pasta sauce and cheese.
Recipe 4Ingredients

CHICKPEA PATTIES
Makes 12
450 g/1 pound sweet potatoes peeled and chopped
539 g/19 oz tin of chickpeas (drained)
½ a cup of finely chopped spring onions
2 tablespoons red curry paste
Cook the sweet potatoes (boil until tender) or in a microwave safe dish with half a cup of water, it’s up to you. Once cooked, drain the water and add the chickpeas, mash the mixture until almost smooth. Stir in the remaining ingredients until combined. With damp hands, form the mixture into patties. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat, cook for 4-5 minutes each side or until golden.
Serving suggestion:
Serve with a crisp garden salad or on a bun as a veggie burger.
Photo:  Rina Kleinhans
Note:  I have added some flour to the mix… frying a little difficult but very tasty… I also mix some mash potato into the mix

STEFAANS SE BOEREWORS FRIKKADELLE
Lekker VINNIGE ontbyt…

Daai Boerwors vleis wat altyd oorbly…wanneer mens wors stop
Sny blokkies kaas…sit in die middel van n Vleis bolletjie.
En bak teen 180 grade vir 30 minute…
Saam met n groenerigheid..
Stefaans Blaauw se resep en foto

STEFAANS SE WILDSTERT OF BEESSTERTPOTJIE

± 1 kg wild of beesstert
1 eetlepel sout
1 teelepel kaneel
1 teelepel swart peper
1 teelepel fyn koljander
2 eetlepel suurlemoensap of bruin asyn
1 eetlepel rou heuning
4 eetlepels Olyfolie
1 groot ui
1 groot aartappel in blokkies gesny
100 ml vars room

Gooi die vleis en die ui en die speserye in die swartpot, en potbraai eers tot lekker bruin, gooi nou water by en kook totdat die vleis lekker sag is. Gooi NOU EERS die aartappels by, en kook totdat die aartappels ook sag is, haal van die vuur af, en roer dan die 100 ml room by en laat staan so 5 minute voor opskep tyd.
Bedien saam met ‘n potjie lekker STAMPKORING of ‘n 50/50 mengsel van rys en stampkoring.

Foto en resep deur Stefaans Blaauw