Month: May 2013

And the Spicy Winners are….

I loved reading your comments posted on the blog!

I have been running some amazing competitions and the latest winners are…Drum Roll please….

Congrats to Kriv Pillay on winning the Whirlpool Jet Chef Microwave

This is her winning comment: krivpillay on February 16, 2013 at 2:02 pm said:
Hello !!! Love the new show and the quick and easy recipes. My favourite recipe is your eggless chocolate brownie recipe is fool proof. During our fasts I abstain from meat and meat products and i always have a problem finding egg free deserts. i have a sweet tooth so imagine my surprise when i was watching your show and had all the ingredients in my cupboard. We recorded the episode … And as I write this … The brownies are cooling yaay ! Thank you Congrats to Tania Joy Fredericks on winning the Blender!!!

Here is her winning comment:
Tania Joy Fredericks on February 23, 2013 at 12:57 pm said:
I love watching you cook. I always feel as if you are talking just too and I’m having a one-on-one lesson. Your recipes are easy to follow and delicious to eat.

Sugar 'n Spice

Sugar ‘n Spice

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Did someone say ‘Sinner Bun’? – World Baking Day

Frosted Cinnamon Buns

Frosted Sinner Buns

The 19 May will be celebrated as World Baking Day.  So what will you be making to mark the day?  I have decided to spend some time teaching my kids how to bake some of their favourites and what could be better than a sticky cinnamon bun to start with.

I call these Sinner Buns just because that is what they are!  Smother the warm buns with lashings of silky soft frosting and they are orgasmic.  These are best eaten fresh and warm – they do not keep well but then again they seldom last till the next day.  They are not difficult to make but you do need one special ingredient…PATIENCE!  It does take time and something as sinful as this should not be rushed.

Here is the recipe….

Frosted Sinner Buns

5g fresh yeast
20g sugar
75ml warm water
200g cake flour, sifted
45g butter
1ml salt
5ml ground cinnamon
1 egg, lightly beaten

Filling
1 egg
Pinch of salt
7ml ground cinnamon
40ml sugar
100g pecan nuts, chopped

Frosting

50g butter
200g icing sugar, sifted
125g plain cream cheese
50ml fresh cream
50g whole pecans

Here’s how:

Place the warm water, fresh yeast and sugar in a bowl.
Stir gently and leave in a warm place until it starts to bubble and froth.
Stir in 100g of the measured cake flour and work into a soft dough.
Leave the dough in a mixing bowl covered with cling film to double in size.
Rub the butter into the remaining 100g of cake flour until it resembles bread crumbs.
Stir in the salt and cinnamon.
Add the dough and lightly beaten egg.
Work the ingredients into a sticky dough until well combined.
Cover the dough and leave to stand in a warm place for ten minutes.
Press the dough down lightly every twenty minutes – do not overwork.
Repeat this five times and then leave the dough to rise until it has doubled in size.
Knead the dough lightly and place it on a work surface dusted with flour.
Roll the dough into a 3 – 4mm rectangle, using your fingertips to flatten and shape it if necessary.
Beat the egg with a pinch of salt and brush the surface of the dough.

Finally the dough is getting some action!

Finally the dough is getting some action!

Sprinkle the cinnamon, sugar and pecan nuts over the dough.
Roll up the dough into a log and cut into 8 slices.

Looking good

Looking good

Place the slices in a 23cm greased loose bottom pie or cake tin with the cinnamon spirals facing up.
Cover with plastic wrap and leave aside for an hour.

Pre-heat the oven at 200 degrees celsius.

Place a roasting tin and leave to pre-heat.
Place the buns on the middle rack of the oven and lower the oven temperature to 180 degrees celsius.

Pour 500ml boiling water onto the roasting pan which will release steam – shut the oven door immediately.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the buns are golden brown.

DSC_0274While the buns are in the oven, prepare the frosting.
Beat the butter with icing sugar until pale.
Add the cream cheese and continue beating until smooth.
Lastly add the fresh cream and beat for a 10 seconds or until fluffy.

Remove the buns from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack.
Leave to cool slightly and spread the warm buns with the frosting.
Garnish with pecan nuts and serve immediately.

Yudhika’s tips:

These are best eaten fresh and warm.
The frosting may be left out if you prefer – brush the warm buns with a little melted butter and dust with sugar.

Celebrate World Baking Day with Kenwood!

kenwood

To celebrate World Baking Day, I have teamed up with the Independent on Saturday team and Kenwood!  Get your copy of the Independent on Saturday tomorrow for competition details and four of my favourite bakes!!!

Some of the recipes featured are Frosted Cinnamon Buns, Hazelnut Chocolate Cake, Custard Cream Cake and Raspberry Sponge!!!

Custard Cream Cake

Custard Cream Cake

Moroccan Magic

Sugar 'n Spice - Moroccan Lamb

Sugar ‘n Spice – Moroccan Lamb

As the Winter  chill starts to set in, the craving for deliciously spicy stews, casseroles and curries sets in.  I love comfort food and this is one of my favourites.  It is easy to make and does not require a list of exotic spices.  The Curry Me Home Magic Masala is a must must for this recipe!  During the filming of Sugar ‘ n Spice, I prepared this dish with lamb shanks – for me, sometimes I prefer shanks and sometimes knuckles…it just depends on who is coming to dinner!

I use the Spar tinned lentils and chickpeas – they are my standard store cupboard favourites.  All I can say is that all tinned products are not created equal!

Moroccan Lamb

1kg lamb knuckles

50ml sunflower oil

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

5ml cumin seeds

1 large onion, finely chopped

7,5ml coarse salt

15ml ginger, crushed

15ml garlic, crushed

30ml red chilli powder or paprika

1 x 400g tins Spar whole peeled tomatoes, chopped

1 x 400g tin Spar lentils, drained

1 x 400g tin Spar chickpeas, drained

30ml Curry Me Home Magic Masala

Thinly sliced lemon, to garnish

Fresh coriander, to garnish

Here’s how:

Heat the sunflower oil in a 30cm AMC pot.

Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaf and sauté until fragrant.

Add the cumin seeds.

Stir in the chopped onion and salt when the seeds begin to pop.

Add the crushed ginger and garlic.

Saute until the moisture evaporates and garlic is fragrant.

Add the red chilli powder and stir for a few seconds.

Add the lamb knuckles and then cover with boiling water.

Simmer until the knuckles are tender.

Add the chopped tomatoes.

Once the tomatoes have softened, add the lentils and chickpeas.

Add more water to thin out the sauce if necessary.

Sprinkle the magic masala over and simmer for a minute.

Garnish with fresh coriander and lemon slices.

Yudhika’s Tips

Curry Me Home spices are stocked in select Superspars around Gauteng.

We also offer a mail order service – email me at hetals@iafrica.com for more details.

Semolina Cake

Semolina Cake from Sugar n Spice

Semolina Cake from Sugar n Spice

 

There have been lots of requests for this recipe – I have posted it under the Sugar ‘n Spice recipe tab but here it is for easy reference!  This cake is one of the most popular ones from the tv show and it is perfect for tea time – no cream or frosting required.  Just dust the cake with a fine layer of icing sugar!  It is an absolute treat.

 

 

 

Don’t forget to enter the competitions that are still running – the Whirlpool microwave, AMC Paella pan and the KitchenAid blender are still up for grabs!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Semolina Cake

Ingredients

250g soft Spar butter

225g sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

3 eggs, separated

250ml self-raising flour, sifted

250ml semolina

280ml Spar Greek yoghurt

Icing sugar, to dust

Perfect for tea!

Perfect for tea!

Here’s how

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius.  Grease a 20cm bundt tin with non stick spray.

Place the egg whites in a metallic bowl and whisk with 30ml sugar until soft peaks form.

Cream butter and add the sugar gradually. Continue beating the butter until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add the egg yolks one at a time with 2,5ml cake flour to prevent the mixture from curdling.

Add the self-raising flour and the semolina and mix well.

Pour in the yoghurt and beat well to combine.

Add half the beaten egg whites and lightly fold into the cake mixture.

Add the remaining whisked egg whites and lightly fold ensuring that the ingredients are well combined.

Bake in a preheated oven for 35 – 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when the cake is tested.

Leave the cake to stand for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack.

Dust the cake with icing sugar when cool.

Yudhika’s Tips

Almond or rose essence can be used to flavour the cake batter.

All ingredients including the yoghurt must be at room temperature for the best results.

If you do not have a Bundt tin, use a round baking tin but ensure that you line the base and side of the tin with baking paper.

Orange zest can be used instead of lemon zest.

The Big Move….

Sugar 'n Spice

Sugar ‘n Spice

I think most of you have heard me ramble on about my first cooking show on Saffron TV.  I talk about it often but then again, who wouldn’t?  It’s been a big marker in my cooking career.  I received a mail from Ushi Goshalia, Saffron TV Channel Manager, a few weeks ago with the most surprising news….Sugar ‘n Spice will now be aired on The Home Channel!

After the initial surprise, I am pleased – in fact, way more than pleased…delighted….no more than delighted…so while I mull over the right words to describe how I feel about my big move, I will share the details with you!

Here is a link on ‘The Home Channels’ website:

http://www.thehomechannel.co.za/shows/food/sugar-and-spice

The show goes out at the following times…

Monday 2pm
Wednesday 6pm
Thursday 11pm
Friday 10am
Saturday 8:30am and 5:30pm
Sunday 12pm and 9:30pm

Once again, I can’t thank my support team aka sponsors who have played such a big part in bringing the show to life!  AMC cookware for every pot I could possibly imagine (small, medium, large and super king sized – nothing was struck off the list), My Spar for the ingredients (believe me, there was a long list), Jo Borkett for the lovely wardrobe and Whirlpool for the amazing kitchen appliances!

More Winners….

A great big thank you to everyone who entered the My Spar competition!

 

The winners are: Sarisha Rosenpershad, Carla Viana, Shainaaz Mullaji, Vanessa and Kiasha Chetty!!!!  Congrats to all of you!

 

These are the winning comments:

 

Thanks for the easy Red Velvet cake recipe. OMG it tasted as if I had bought it from a bakery. Well with all da compliments from my Family I decided to use the same recipe but instead used blue food colouring to make Blue velvet cake for my nephew’s birthday. And Walla it was Awesome. Keep up the good work and  keep all da mouth watering recipes flowing.

All the ingredients you have used here in your Saffron TV: Spanish Style Chicken are in my pantry and fridge !

Especially the Latina ones like light olive oil, chorizo sausage, Safinter smoked paprika,
white Graca wine , bay leaf, black olives and fresh coriander Ơ̴̴͡.̮Ơ̴̴̴͡

Now using your tang to this dish with a cinnamon stick creates a new twist sensation !

WOW You do our culinary Latin dishes so proud Yudhika, my Spanish mom and Portuguese dad also cooked up such a storms, to this day their style has remained part of my kitchen preparation and gathering over of family and friends.

Delighted to have stumbled upon your specialist expertise’s here. TEAMING UP with My Spar is rocking good cooking sense 

Thank You so much for carrying on the traditions of FAB home made cooking !
Your Fan and customer Carla

Hey one and all I’m so super excited for these fun easy recipes and cannot wait to try these divine Volcano fondants (bbm dance smily), since I’m such a chocoholic. Thnx Yudhika for these awsum recipes lots love xoxoxo every1

Never have a chance to sit in front of tv in the morning…always busy with kids or in the kitchen…today while having my cup of coffee I sat by the tv and playing with the channels found saffron tv and was so impressed with how easy the recipes you give are to make that when I got up I came straight to the computer to download the receipe for the chocolate brownies… Your show rocks….NOW ON MY VIEWING LIST 

Cooking and baking was always not my strength however after viewing your recipes both my girls and myself are having fun in the kitchen . The messy choc cake was easy and delicious which left my daughter feeling like her mom is a masterchef . Great job , keep it up!!!!

Mother’s Day Love

Curry Me Home Mother's Day Giveaway!

Curry Me Home Mother’s Day Giveaway!

Mother’s Day is around the corner and one lucky person could win this Curry Me Home/Carrol Boyes Hamper!

Post a comment telling me what was the best  meal your mom ever cooked and this handy hamper worth R700 could be yours!

The hamper consists of five Curry Me Home spices and the Curry Me Home recipe book with a Carrol Boyes spoon to serve up some mouth watering curries!

Get those entries going guys!!!  The winner will be announced on the 11 May!

Lots of love,

Yudhika