GANACHE
Ganache is decadent and silky smooth. It adds something special to any cake or pastry. I like to use it on my Devil’s Food Cake instead of using a buttercream or fudge frosting, ganache is far less sweet than a traditional frosting but is more luxurious.

Ganache Ingredients
Ganache is very versatile, you can use milk, white or dark chocolate, or even a mix. It can be warmed up and used as a gorgeous chocolate sauce over ice-cream or crepes or to glaze a cake, or thick enough to spread or make a surprise filling in cupcakes, even thick enough to pipe, it can also be whipped to make a light and fluffy mousse for a filling or topping.

Making Ganache
Since discovering how easy chocolate ganache is to make, it’s become my favourite thing to use as a frosting. Not only is it easy to make, it’s really easy to work with.

There are two ways of making ganache, the one method has butter as an ingredient, but the one I like to make is as simple as cream and chocolate. That’s it! Just cream and chocolate. And my favourite way to make ganache for a chocolate cake is to use half milk chocolate and half dark chocolate, not too sweet, not too bitter. As with anything in baking, the better the quality of the ingredients, the better the taste, so if you’re making a cake for a really special occasion, use a good quality chocolate for the ganache like Lindt. You can also add flavours to ganache. Add a few teaspoons of any liqueur like Frangelico or an essence like mint or almond.

Decadent Ganache
In researching on how to make ganache, many sites and books use different ratios, but what I find works is as easy as 1 part cream to 1 part chocolate. It’s also really easy to remember when rushing around the grocery store

So here it is, simple!

(This is enough to generously fill and cover a 3 layer 8″ cake)

325 ml Double/Heavy Cream
325 g Chocolate (Milk, White or Dark)

Finely chop/grate the chocolate and put into a heat resistant bowl.
Put the cream into a saucepan and heat until just about to boil.
Remove from heat and pour hot cream over the chocolate, using a whisk stir the cream and chocolate together making sure all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Refrigerate and stir with a fork every now and then so that it’s all the same consistency until thick enough to spread (about 2 – 3 hours)
Tip: Basically, the longer you allow it to cool, the thicker the ganache, cooling it in the fridge speeds up the process but make sure to stir the ganache so that it cools evenly, also, keep an eye on it because it can become too thick for spreading if left too long in the fridge. If that does happen, allow to soften up at room temperature or using a water bath

Frosting a cake
Spread ½ a cup of ganache for each filling layer.
Spread a thin layer of ganache over the whole cake to trap any loose crumbs then spread the remainder of the ganache over the cake. Smooth the ganache or make swirls and patterns.
Tip: For a smoother and glossier look, spread the ganache with a heated metal spatula.
Source and photo: Mandy Mortimer

CLASSIC LEMON CURD

Seeing a jar of lovely yellow lemon curd in the refrigerator will brighten anyone’s day. Serve over thick Scottish shortbread, or use as a spread for toast or English muffins, or a filling for cakes and tartlets.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 large egg yolks
⅔ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, about 2 min.
Slowly add the eggs and yolks. Beat for 1 min.
Mix in the lemon juice. The mixture will look curdled, but it will smooth out as it cooks.
In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it looks smooth. (The curdled appearance disappears as the butter in the mixture melts.)
Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.
It should leave a path on the back of a spoon and will read 170°F on a thermometer. Don’t let the mixture boil.
Remove the curd from the heat; stir in the lemon zest.
Transfer the curd to a bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming and chill the curd in the refrigerator.
The curd will thicken further as it cools.
Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months.

For lime curd, substitute fresh lime juice and zest for lemon.
Photo: Willemien Windell)

HEERLIKE VERSIERSEL

HIERDIE IS ‘N GOEIE ALTERNATIEF VIR ROOMKAAS VERSIERSEL

Dit hang af van hoeveel lae die koek is.
Vir ‘n ringroek meng:
125 g (dan gebruik ek wit) margarien
½ blik kondensmelk
Klop tot goed romerig
Voeg by ‘n ½ koppie versiersuiker en meng goed.
Dis spierwit, lyk en proe soos roomkaas (dit loop nie af nie, niks) en is heerlik.

Resep en foto: Annetjie van Huyssteen

CREAM CHEESE ICING
60 g cream cheese, softened
30 g butter, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
¾ cup icing sugar mixture
Place cheese, butter and vanilla in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until pale. Gradually add icing sugar mixture.
Beating until combined.
Luscious cream cheese frosting makes all your favourite cakes taste even better.

SOURCE: Taste.com.au

VERSIER JOU VRUGTEKOEK
In Vrouekeur 2 is ‘n vrugtekoek wat jy agterna die neute en kersies bo-op pak.
Dan verhit jy 60 ml botter, 250 ml bruinsuiker, 125 ml room in n kastrol en skep die sousie oor die koek.
Dan sit jy die koek weer in die oond en rooster die spulletjie.
Dan sit die neute en kersies vas as hy koud word.

Wenk geplaas deur Dawie van den Heever
Foto: Zelda Ellis

HEERLIKE VULSELS VIR PANNEKOEK
SEEKOS VULSEL
50 g (50 ml) margarien
250 ml gerasperde cheddarkaas
50 g (100 ml) koekmeel
1 blikkie tuna, gedreineer
500 ml melk
1 blikkie snoepgarnale
Sout en peper

Maak witsous van margarien, koekmeel, melk en sout, voeg die res van die bestanddele by en meng goed.
A. gebruik as vulsel vir stapelpannekoeke
B. gebruik as vulsel vir pannekoek, rol op, gooi 250ml room bo-oor asook gerasperde kaas, pietersielie en paprika. Bak in warm oond tot ligbruin gerooster.

SPEKVULSEL VIR PANNEKOEK
2 groot uie, fyngekap 
1 pakkie gekapte spek – Braai in bietjie olie tot gaar
1 gekapte soetrissie 
½ koppie dik witsous
½ koppie grof gerasperde cheddarkaas
Geur na smaak

Voeg al die bestanddele bymekaar en gebruik vir stapelpannekoeke asook vir vulsels vir gewone pannekoek.

SNOEKVULSEL VIR PANNEKOEK
400 g gevlokte snoek
1 blikkie perskeskywe in stukkies gesny (nie sous nie)
125 ml gerasperde kaas
15 ml suurlemoensap
15 ml gekapte pietersielie
1 koppie dik witsous
Sout en peper na smaak

Meng alles saam. Moenie te loperig wees nie. Garneer bo-op met suurlemoenskyfie en pietersielie.
Resepte geplaas deur Lorraine Weits Brand

Jeanene Kriel  –
1. Tuna met green peppers, uie, mayonnaise en bietjie kondensmelk
2. biltong en feta
3. maalvleis met kaas sous,
4. aspersies en bacon met kaas sous

Yvonne Van Der Linde – 
Ons was by ‘n troue met ‘n voorgereg wat goedkoop was en heerlik. Die dame het gewone hotdog broodrolle in ringe gesny en met olyfolie gesmeer en liggies gerooster op ‘n bakplaat. In klein bordjie het sy blaarslaai (min) gesit. 2 skyfies brood gesit met ‘n klein gehalveerde tamatie. Op broodjie was die volgende vulsel dun gesmeer:
fyngerasperde kaas en uie met Mayonnaise gemeng.
Heerlik

KOOKMELK KOEKIES
6 x 250 ml ongesif afgemeet koekmeel
1 ml sout
500 g margarien
125 ml melk
500 ml suiker
10 ml koeksoda

Meng koekmeel en sout. Vryf margarien met vingers daarin tot goed gemeng.
Verhit suiker, melk en koeksoda saam oor matige hitte in ‘n groot kastrol tot kookpunt.
Roer af en toe en pasop vir oorkook, want mengsel begin skuim wanneer dit begin kook.
Gooi warm kookmelkmengsel oor meelmengsel en meng goed.
Plaas in ‘n houer met ‘n deksel. Maak toe en verkoel oornag.
Maak koekies en plaas ‘n entjie uitmekaar op ‘n bakplaat.
As die deeg in balletjies gerol word, druk hulle met ‘n vurk platter.
Bak in ‘n voorverhitte oond by 200ºC vir 10 – 12 minute.
Laat effens afkoel en plaas dan op ‘n draadrak om heeltemal koud te word.
Hierdie deeg kan ook deur ‘n vleismeul koekiemaker gedruk word met verskillende vorms.
Lewer sowat 12 dosyn koekies

Resep: Carol Elliott Claassen
Foto:  Marie Grobler
VERSIERSEL
500 ml versiersuiker
2 teelepels suurlemoensap
2 eierwitte
1 teelepel vanilla geursel

Gooi alles saam en klits. Dit moet nie meer so erg blink wees nie, so 5 min se klits of langer.
As jy dit klaar geklits het dan verdeel ek dit in verskillende bakkies en voeg dan elkeen se kleursel by, ek smeer dit sommer met ‘n mes op wat ek in ‘n bietjie water doop en ek maak dus my versiersel nie so slap aan nie. Maar klits dit baie goed anders word dit nie hard nie.

SUBSTITUTE FOR COOL WHIP
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 3 cups

1.5 tsp unflavored gelatin
2 Tbsp cold water
1.5 cups cold heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 cup confectioners sugar
Place mixing bowl and whisk in freezer for at least 15 minutes.
Add water and gelatin in a small bowl, and let sit for a minute.
Add mixture to double boiler and stir constantly over low heat until gelatin dissolves and liquifies. Take off heat and let cool for a minute.(Don’t allow it to set)
Add heavy cream to the slightly frozen mixing bowl and whisk on high speed for a minute.
Add vanilla and sugar, whisk for another minute.
Add gelatin mixture slowly while whisking. Whisk for another minute, until cream holds its shape.
SOURCE: YelenaSweets Recipes