These are a few of my favourite recipes. Enjoy!
Main Dishes
Moors and Christians (Moros y Christianos)
South African Whole Wheat Buttermilk Bread
Spaghetti with Sweet Cherry Tomatoes
Desserts
Do the Cocoa Motion Cheesecake
Erdbeerschaum (Strawberry Foam)
Giant Chocolate-Toffee Cookies
Kirschsuppe (Cold Sour Cherry Soup)
Nougathoernchen (Nougat Crescents)
Sour Cream Fudge Layer Cake With Chocolate Rum Frosting
Tante Line Plaetzchen (Jam Thumbprints)
Torie's Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
If using fresh tomatoes, drop the tomatoes into boiling water for 15 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon and peel. Mince the tomatoes.
Heat the oil in a 7- to 8-inch wide pan over a medium flame. Put in the onions and garlic. Stir and fry for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are soft.
Put in the tomatoes. Stir and cook them for 3-4 minutes or until they are soft and paste-like.
Add the chickpeas, parsley, thyme, salt and water. Bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes.
Wash lentils. Soak overnight in 2 cups water.
Bring lentils to boil, using enough water to cover lentils. Add the vegetable cube and simmer for 1 hour. Ensure that the lentils are just covered with water throughout cooking time. Stir occassionally to avoid burning.
Add potato and carrot and cook for another 1/2 hour.
Add vinegar before serving to finish.
Optional: Add cooked noodles, rice and/or meat to soup; heat through.
Heat oil and cook garlic in large pan until browned. Add tomatoes and cook until paste-like, about five minutes. Add lentils and water and bring to boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes until reduced to half. Add salt and lemon juice and stir to finish.
Prepare rice noodles according to package.
Meanwhile, beat together eggs and sesame oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Mince garlic, chop onion, cut up dried chili peppers green onions. Set aside.
Heat wok. Add some oil. Stirfry egg mixture until sets. Take out, chop up and set aside.
Reheat wok. Add more oil. Add garlic, onion, chili peppers and green onions. Stirfry quickly. Add in rice noodles. Flavour with rice wine or apple juice, oyster sauce, soy sauce and chili sauce. Mix. Add chicken or vegetable stock. Let simmer until most of the liquid has gone. Mix in egg and serve.
Moors and Christians (Moros y Cristianos)
Wash the beans and place them in a 6-quart stove-top casserole with 4 cups water. Cover and boil 2 minutes; shut off the heat and let stand 1 hour. Add the remaining ingredients, except the vinegar and salt and pepper, cover and simmer 2 hours until the beans are tender. You may have to add a bit of fresh water to the pot as the beans should be just covered with water when you begin the second cooking stage. At completion, debone the hocks, chop up the meat and return it to the pot.
Add the vinegar and the salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and heat all through.
Serve with white rice.
South African Whole Wheat Buttermilk Bread
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly. Make a well in the center and add all of the buttermilk at once. Combine ingredients and add a little water if the mixture is too dry.
3. Grease and flour a bread pan. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes. Cool and serve.
Spaghetti with Sweet Cherry Tomatoes
Put your pasta into a large pot of salted boiling water and cook until al dente (check the package for cooking time). While it's cooking, halve the tomatoes, put them into a large bowl, and add your herbs, olive oil, garlic and vinegar. Season to taste, and scrunch with your hands to slightly mush the tomatoes. This can sit now until the pasta's ready. Drain the pasta, and while still steaming hot, mix well with the tomatoes, check the season and serve. Easy peasy.
Makes 18 muffins.
Combine dry ingredients and add mayonnaise. Add mashed bananas and beat until smooth. Add chocolate chips and vanilla.
Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes.
Makes 2 dozen.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cocoa. Beat fresh ginger and butter on medium speed until lightened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn onto plastic wrap. Pat out to a 1 inch thickness; seal with wrap. Refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 325F (165C). Roll dough into 1-1/2 inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Chill 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until surfaces just begin to crack, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and cool completely.
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Combine egg, milk and oil. Add all at once to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.
Spoon about 2 Tbsp. of the chocolate batter into each muffin cup. Drop 1 tsp. of cream cheese on top, and then more chocolate batter.
Bake at 375F for 20 minutes.
Mix together butter, milk, sugar and cocoa and bring to boil (double boiler or stirring constantly). Remove from heat.
Add coconut and oatmeal. Mix thoroughly and drop from spoon on wax paper. Let dry.
Preheat oven to 300F (150C). Beat butter with icing sugar until creamy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Stir flour with salt and cocoa. Gradually beat into butter mixture. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into shapes with floured cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until slightly firm. Cool on sheet 5 minutes.
Do the Cocoa Motion Cheesecake
Preheat oven to 350F.
To make crust, combine crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter in a small bowl. Mix well. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Press crumb mixture evenly over bottom of pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Reduce heat to 325F.
In a blender or food processor, whirl cottage cheese, sour cream and cream cheese until smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together both sugars, cocoa powder and eggs on medium speed of electric mixer. Add cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth. Add cornstarch and beat again. Add vanilla and Kahlua and beat until mixture is well blended.
Pour batter into prepared crust. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cheesecake will appear puffy and will jiggle slightly when shaken. Turn off heat. Open oven door halfway and let cake cool in oven for 2 hours. Chill overnight. Before serving, run a knife around edge of pan and remove sides. Garnish with fresh strawberries, if desired.
Makes 12 servings.
Heat oven to 375F.
Melt 1 cup chocolate pieces in small saucepan; set aside.
Beat butter and sugar until fluffy; add melted chocolate, egg and vanilla.
Add combined flour, oats, baking powder, salt and baking soda; mix well.
Stir in remaining chocolate pieces.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.
Makes about 3 dozen.
Erdbeershaum (Strawberry Foam)
Place strawberries in blender and mix until in small pieces. Add egg white and sugar, then mix with electric mixer until foamy and stiff.
Giant Chocolate-Toffee Cookies
Makes about 18
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool mixture to lukewarm.
Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about five minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, then toffee. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto sheets, space 2-1/2 inches apart. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to the touch, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheets.
Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
Kirschsuppe (Cold Sour Cherry Soup)
Add water, wine and vanilla pod to large pot and bring to a boil. Add cherries and boil for 5 minutes.
Wet the corn starch by stirring in minimum water in a small bowl, then add to the pot. Keep simmering until the corn starch thickens the liquid.
Remove the vanilla pod.
Sweeten to taste. A little bit of lemon juice and another bit of red wine can be added to finish off.
Cool and serve.
Makes 112 cookies.
Measure oatmeal and blend to a fine powder.
Cream the butter and both sugars.
Add eggs and vanilla. Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Add chocolate chips, grated chocolate bar and nuts.
Roll into balls and place two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes at 375F (190C).
Nougathoernchen (Nougat Crescents)
Mix the butter and the nougat together. Add to this the egg, vanilla sugar, the cinnamon and the salt. Mix the flour and the baking powder, then add it to the other ingredients through a sifter; stir until mixed. Cover the dough and let stand for 3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease the baking sheets with butter. Roll small portions of the dough on a lightly sugared working surface until pen-thickness logs are created; cut these to a length of 6 cm. Form these pieces to look like a quarter-moon; lay them on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the middle of the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes. Place on a wire rack and allow to completely cool.
If desired, each end of the cookie can be dipped in melted chocolate; allow to set on parchment paper.
Dough:
Remove most of the liquid from the cheese (Note: weight of cheese is without liquid). Combine cheese, milk, oil, sugars and salt. Stir until smooth.
Combine flour and baking powder. Add half the flour mixture by tablespoonfuls to the cheese mixture. Knead in the rest of the flour mixture.
Filling:
Roll out the dough to a size of 45 X 35 cm; brush on the soft butter. Mix together the rest of the filling ingredients; spread out on the dough. Roll up the dough into log form by the short side. Cut the log into 1/2 inch circles. Place onto greased sheet and press down slightly to flatten. Bake at 350 F for 15 - 20 minutes.
Topping:
Add the hot water to the icing sugar, mix until smooth. Brush onto hot Schnecken.
Chocolate Rum Frosting:
1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line two 9-inch (2.5 L) round cake pans with parchment paper. Butter pans well and dust with cocoa powder, shaking out excess.
2. Combine coffee and chopped chocolate in a double boiler and heat until melted. Whisk in rum until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
3. Place sour cream in a bowl and stir in baking soda and salt.
4. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Beat in chocolate mixture until smooth. Beat in half the flour alternately with half the sour cream mixture, beat in remaining flour and sour cream mixture to make a smooth batter. Spread evenly in prepared pans.
5. Bake on rack in middle of oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until cake feels firm in the centre and edges begin to pull away from the sides. Leave in pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool. Cake layers can be wrapped well in plastic wrap, then foil and frozen for up to 1 month.
6. For frosting, sift icing sugar and cocoa powder together through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Beat in butter and rum using an electric mixer, starting out at slow speed, until smooth. Beat in enough sour cream to make a smooth spreadable frosting.
7. Arrange one cake layer on a large plate and spread with some of the frosting. Top with second cake and sides with remaining frosting.
Vigorously stir the butter, then add the other ingredients, the vanilla coming last. Roll the dough into balls after kneading it for several minutes. Press a small hole in the ball with the thumb and fill this hole with raspberry jam. Bake at 300F (150C) for 15 minutes.
Torie's Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour and baking soda.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides once or twice during mixing. Add the egg; mix on high speed to combine. Add the vanilla; mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and mix on low speed until well combined. Add the oats, cherries, chocolate and toffee pieces; mix to combine after each addition.
4. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of dough onto a baking sheet. Repeat, spacing 2 inches apart.
5. Bake cookies until golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.
All content © 2000-2006 Michael Schueler