Our take on the SA favourite, with a pop of sprinkles to add some fun colour. We recommend doubling the recipe, because these will be gone in a flash! 

Makes 9 

Ingredients  

For the batter: 

½ cup (120g) butter, at room temperature
½ cup (110g) castor sugar
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla essence
2 large eggs
¼ cup (60ml) plain yoghurt
2 cups (300g) self-raising flour, sifted
Canola oil, for shaping 

For the syrup: 

1 cup (200g) white sugar
1 cup (250ml) water
⅓ cup (80ml) apricot jam
1 Tbsp (15ml) pink food colouring 

For the glaze: 

1 cup (130g) icing sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp (30ml) boiling water 

For the coating: 

1½ cups (150g) desiccated coconut
1 Tbsp (15ml) pink food colouring
¼-½ cup (60-125ml) funfetti cake sprinkles
Butter icing and cherries, to garnish (optional) 

Method  

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Whisk butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well in between each addition, then whisk in yoghurt.
4. Add the flour and whisk to combine, creating a thick batter.
5. Oil your hands lightly, then scoop 2 Tbsp batter into your hand and roll into a ball. Place onto a lined tray. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping balls 5cm apart.
6. Bake for about 9-11 minutes, or until puffed and very lightly browned, then cool completely.
7. For the syrup, place sugar, water and jam in a small pot over high heat. Bring to the boil, stirring until everything has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir through food colouring. Set aside.
8. Mix glaze ingredients together to create a thick paste. Set aside.
9. Combine the coconut and food colouring together in a bowl, stirring to colour evenly. Stir through the sprinkles.
10. To assemble, sandwich two snowball cookies together with about 2 tsp of the glaze.
11. Submerge snowballs in the warm sugar syrup, tossing to coat evenly for 15-20 seconds (the longer they are submerged, the more the syrup absorbs into the cake).
12. Remove snowballs using a slotted spoon and drop into the desiccated coconut, tossing to coat thoroughly. Place in a cupcake wrapper. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
13. Serve as is or finish with an icing round on the top of each snowball (see Cook’s Note) and garnish with a cherry.

Cook’s Note  

Whisk together ½ cup sifted icing sugar with ¼ cup soft butter to form smooth icing, adding a splash of warm milk to ensure it has a piping consistency. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and decorate. 

Recipe & Styling: Sjaan Van der Ploeg
Photography: Zhann Solomons  

The post Strawberry funfetti snowballs    appeared first on MyKitchen.

 This ice cream has the perfect real mint flavour – no essence needed! We added a tiny drop of green food colouring to enhance the subtle natural green flavour. 

 Makes about 3L 

Ingredients 

 For the mint ice cream: 

30g mint, leaves picked
4 cups whipping cream
300g dark chocolate, melted
1 tsp cocoa
2 cans (385g each) condensed milk
A drop of green food colouring (optional) 

For the hot fudge sauce: 

300g dark chocolate, chopped
160g milk chocolate, chopped
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 large can (410g) evaporated milk
2 tsp vanilla essence
⅓ cup (80g) salted butter
1 tsp flaky salt 

Method 

1. Place a 3L freezer-safe dish or tin in the freezer (we used a 23x23cm baking tin). 
2. Wash mint leaves thoroughly under cold water, then pat dry using a dishcloth.  
3. Use the back of a wooden spoon to bruise mint leaves; this helps release flavour. (Alternatively, tear or chop them roughly.)  
4. Add cream and leaves to a pot over medium heat.  
5. Once the cream is scalding (steaming but not simmering), remove from heat. Stir a few times to encourage infusion. Set cream aside for 20 minutes to infuse, then place in the fridge for 1 hour, or until cold enough to whip.  
6. Melt the dark chocolate until smooth, then pour onto a baking tray lined with paper.  
7. Use a spatula to spread into a thin, even layer, then sprinkle over the sea salt. Set aside to harden completely (or place in the fridge to speed this up).  
8. Peel baking paper from chocolate and chop into fine chunks.  
9. Sieve leaves out of the cream and discard.  
10. Add cream to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until stiff peaks form.  
11. Slowly fold through the condensed milk and a tiny drop of food colouring (if using).  
12. Pour ice cream into a cold tin.  
13. Sprinkle in ¾ of the chocolate and fold through to disperse towards the middle and bottom of the tin. Sprinkle remaining chocolate over the top.  
14. Cover entire tray with clingwrap and freeze overnight.  
15. For the fudge sauce, add all ingredients to a small pot over medium-low heat and stir to melt together.  
16. Heat while stirring, for 10-12 minutes, or until the sauce has darkened and thickened (the sauce should never bubble, only steam). Make sure to keep stirring to avoid burning the bottom of the pan.  
17. Remove from the heat and pour into a heatproof jar. Stir through the salt.  
18. Cover the surface of the sauce with clingwrap and set aside to cool for 1 hour before transferring to the fridge. Serve hot sauce over ice cream scoops.  

Cooks’ Note  

Melting the chocolate makes thinner, crunchier pieces that can easily be eaten. If you prefer larger chunks of chocolate, simply chop the slabs – don’t melt them first. 

Recipe & Styling: Sjaan Van der Ploeg
Photography: Donna Lewis  

The post  Mint choc chip ice cream   appeared first on MyKitchen.

 Planning a picnic? Fill your basket with easy homemade nibbles from braaibroodjie scrolls to sweet Biscoff treats.  

Braaibroodjie scrolls  

Planning a picnic is all about keeping things simple, portable and delicious. Feel free to add your favourite store-bought treats to this incredible selection of homemade nibbles that are easy to prepare ahead of time and perfect for sharing.  

Serves 8 

Ingredients  

2 Tbsp (30ml) butter 
1 onion, coarsely chopped 
Flour, for dusting 
1kg store-bought bread dough 
½ cup (125ml) chutney (optional) 
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1½ cup (375ml) grated matured cheddar cheese 
1 cup (250ml) grated Gruberg cheese 
180g sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped 
1 egg, beaten 
Salt and milled pepper  

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 
2. Spray a 20x30cm baking tray with non-stick spray. 
3. Heat a pan on a medium heat and melt the butter, sauté the onions for about 15 minutes and season. Set aside to cool.  
4. Dust the work surface with flour.  
5. Roll the bread dough out to about ½cm thick and in a rectangle shape of about 50x35cm. 
6. Spread the chutney on the bread dough and top with caramelised onions, garlic, cheeses and sundried tomatoes. Season.  
7. Gently press on the filling to secure before rolling.  
8. Roll the bread dough lengthwise into a tight roll.  
9. Cut into 5cm pieces, rotating the roll after each slice to maintain round shape. Pack tightly into the prepared baking tray. Brush tops with egg wash.   
10. Bake in the oven for about 40-45 minutes or until cooked and golden.  
11. Cool in tin before storing in an airtight container or eat warm.   

Thai chicken sausage rolls 

Makes about 16 

Ingredients  

700g chicken sausages 
1 shallot or small red onion, finely chopped 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
3cm knob fresh ginger, peeled 
3 Tbsp lemongrass paste (optional) 
20g coriander, finely chopped 
1 small Thai chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped 
Salt and milled pepper 
400g puff pastry, defrosted 
1 egg, whisked 
2 Tbsp (30ml) black sesame seeds  
Coriander, for serving 
1/4 cup (60ml) sweet chilli sauce, for serving  

 Method 

1. Remove the casings from the sausage and add the chicken to a large mixing bowl.   
2. Add the shallot, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chilli, coriander and season to taste. Mix well, cover and place in the fridge until cold.  
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C.  
4. Dust the work surface with flour and lay the pastry flat on the counter.  
5. Cut the pastry into 12×30 cm strips.  
6. Add 2-3 Tbsp of the filling down the middle of each puff pastry strip.  
7. Brush the end of the pastry with egg wash, fold over the pastry to close the sausage roll.  
8. Crimp the ends of the pastry with a fork.  
9. Cut the long roll into smaller individual sausage rolls, about 5cm big.  
10. Place on a baking tray brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.   
11. Bake the sausage rolls in the oven for about 25 minutes or until cooked and golden.  
12. Garnish with coriander and serve with sweet chilli sauce.  

Cheesy garlic shortbread 

Makes about 18 

Ingredients  

1½ cups (375ml) flour 
50g Parmesan cheese, grated 
50g Gruyere cheese, grated 
1 clove garlic, finely grated 
3-4 sprigs thyme, picked 
½ cup butter, softened 
1 egg yolk
Salt and milled pepper  

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.  
2. Line a shallow baking tray with baking paper and spray with non-stick spray.  
3. Combine the flour, cheeses, garlic and thyme in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and milled pepper, to taste.  
4. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub the butter in until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.  
5. Add the egg yolk and mix through; do not overmix. The mixture should hold together when compressed together.  
6. Lightly dust the work surface with flour and roll the pastry to about 0.5cm thick. Use a 5cm cookie cutter and cut out rounds. Repeat until all the dough is used. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking tray.  
7. Bake for about 15-20 minutes.  
8. Serve the shortbread with your favourite cheese and dips for the perfect picnic snack. 

Strawberry white chocolate rice crispy bars 

Makes about 24 

Ingredients 

300g white chocolate, chopped 
230g puffed rice cereal 
1/5 cup (50g) butter 
3 packets (450g) white marshmallows 
2 tsp (10ml) vanilla essence 
Pinch salt 
1 packet (100g) shelled pistachios, chopped (or use nuts of choice) 
2 tsp (10ml) ground cardamom 
20g freeze dried strawberries, crushed 
50g white chocolate, for decorating  

 Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.  
2. Line a baking tray with baking paper, scatter the chocolate on the baking tray and bake for about 10-15 minutes until melted and golden brown.  
3. While the chocolate is caramelising, line another 20cm x 20cm deep baking tray with baking paper and spray with non-stick spray, this is for the rice crispy treats to set in.  
4. In a large pot on a low-medium heat, melt the butter and once melted add the marshmallows. Stir until the marshmallows are melted. Remove from the heat.  
5. Add the caramelised white chocolate to the marshmallow mixture and mix to combine.  
6. Add the puffed rice, vanilla, pinch of salt, 50g pistachios and cardamom to the marshmallow mixture and mix to coat all the puffed rice.   
7. Flatten the mixture gently with your fingertips or back of a large metal spoon, in the prepared baking tray. Allow to set for about 1-2 hours.  
8. Cut the rice crispy treats into bars or squares of your choice.  
9. Drizzle with melted chocolate and garnish with freeze dried strawberries and remaining pistachios.  

Cook’s note
This recipe is so easy to make, but you need to work quickly when the puffed rice is being combined with the marshmallow mixture, as it cools down and sets quickly! 

Fudgy Biscoff hedgehog 

Makes 18-20 

Ingredients  

80ml (75g) butter 
200g white chocolate 
1/4 cup (60ml) golden syrup 
150g Lotus Biscoff Biscuits 
100g Marie biscuits 
½ cup (125ml) Biscoff spread 
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla essence  

For the topping: 

 ¼ cup (60ml) Biscoff spread, melted 
4-5 Lotus Biscoff Biscuits, crushed  

 Method 

1. Line a 20cm round or square tray with cling wrap and spray with non-stick spray.  
2. Combine the butter, chocolate and syrup in a small pot on a medium heat. Stir until melted, set aside to cool slightly.  
3. Crush the Biscoff and Marie biscuits, it should be coarsely crushed and not to a powder.  
4. Combine the chocolate mixture with the biscuits, Biscoff spread and vanilla and mix to combine.  
5. Press the mixture into the prepared tray and allow to set in the fridge for about 2 hours.  
6. Cut into squares, drizzle with Biscoff spread and sprinkle with crushes biscuits.  

Recipes and styling: Lichelle May
Photography: Zhann Solomons 

The post Light homemade nibbles to take on your next picnic appeared first on MyKitchen.

This cake is one of the most viral recipes I’ve ever posted on my social-media pages. People went crazy over this cake and rightly so, because it is deliciously decadent. Turning one of South Africa’s favouritedesserts into a sponge cake was an inspired idea and I have no regrets. 

Makes 1 × 20cm round cake 

 Ingredients  

180g butter, softened
18g caster sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup + 2 tsp (260ml) amasi or buttermilk
2 tsp (10ml) vanilla extract
1½ cups + 1 Tbsp (240g) cake wheat flour, sifted
2 tsp (10ml) baking powder
2 tsp (10ml) bicarbonate of soda
1 can (385g) Nestlé Caramel Treat
100g Nestlé Peppermint Crisp chocolate, crushed
}250g cream cheese, room temperature
Icing sugar, sifted, to taste 

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line it with baking paper.  
2. Cream the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the Amasi or buttermilk and 1 tsp (5ml) of vanilla extract.  
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together, then mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully combined.  
4. Spoon a third of the batter into the prepared cake tin, then dollop about a quarter of the Caramel Treat evenly over the batter. Sprinkle over a quarter of the Peppermint Crisp chocolate. Layer again with a third of the cake batter, a quarter of the Caramel Treat and a quarter of the Peppermint Crisp, ending with the remaining third of cake batter.  
5. Run a skewer through the layers to swirl the caramel through the batter. Smooth out the top layer of batter, then bake for 50–60 minutes, or until golden. The cake is baked when it springs back when lightly pressed or when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.  
6. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out and leaving on a wire rack to cool completely.
7. In the meantime, make a cream-cheese frosting by whisking the cream cheese, the remaining half can of Caramel Treat and the remaining 1 tsp (5ml) of vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Gradually sift in some icing sugar to adjust the sweetness as desired.  
8. Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake, then decorate with the remaining half of the crushed Peppermint Crisp chocolate. 

Words: Zola Nene 
Photographs: Toby Murphy  

The post Zola’s peppermint crisp cake  appeared first on MyKitchen.

The milk powder in this recipe is optional, but it’s a clever addition to any biscuit recipe, helping create extra depth of caramelised, slightly nutty flavour. 

Makes 30 

Ingredients  

For the caramel ganache:

1 large slab (150g) white chocolate, chopped
½ cup (125ml) cream
½ can (180g) caramel treat

For the biscuits:

 Method  

1. For the ganache, add chocolate and cream to a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Swirl the bowl to coat chocolate in the cream to encourage melting. After microwaving for another 30 seconds, whisk into a smooth ganache (see cook’s note).
2. Whisk through the caramel treat. Store ganache in the fridge, stirring every 10 minutes while it thickens up.
3. For the biscuits, stir butter, icing sugar and golden syrup together in a large bowl.
4. Add coconut to a dry frying pan over medium-low heat. Toast and stir continuously for 5 minutes or until golden and evenly toasted. Remove.
5. Whisk coconut and egg through the butter mixture.
6. Sift the flour, salt, milk powder, baking powder and bicarb into the butter mixture.
7. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon until a smooth biscuit dough forms.
8. Cut out two large pieces of baking paper. Roll dough out onto one piece of paper to ¼cm in thickness. Cover top of the dough with the second piece of paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.
9. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
10. Use a fluted or straight-edged rectangular cookie cutter (ours was 5×6.5cm) to cut out a batch of biscuits.
11. Arrange biscuits on a tray a few centimetres apart and bake for 12-14 minutes, until a deep golden colour. Remove and cool.
12. Bring off-cuts together and re-roll to cut out as many biscuits as possible. Bake once the first batch comes out of the oven.
13. Once cooled, store plain biscuits in an airtight container and keep ganache covered in the fridge until ready to lather and serve.
14. Sandwich two biscuits together with a thick lathering of ganache. Serve for tea.

Cook’s Note  

After bringing the ganache together, blitz the mixture with a stick blender – this helps stabilise the ganache and thicken it nicely.  

Recipe & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photography: Zhann Solomons  

The post Homemade tennis biscuits appeared first on MyKitchen.

 While berries create a sauce at the pudding’s base, we recommend making pouring custard (or getting a carton of custard) for serving. 

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 packet (500g) mixed frozen berries
2 medium apples or pears, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup (220g) granulated sugar
1 vanilla pod, halved (optional)
¾ cup (165g) caster sugar
¾ cup (150g) butter, at room temperature
¼ cup (60ml) milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1½ cups (225g) self-raising flour, sifted
½ tsp (2.5ml) fine salt

Icing sugar, for dusting
evaporated milk, for serving

 Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
2. Combine frozen berries, apples or pears, granulated sugar and vanilla pod, if using, in a small pot over medium heat, closing with a lid to steam. Cook for 7-8 minutes until mixture is hot and sugar is melted.
3. Spoon the fruit mixture into a 30x20cm dish. 
4. Cream the caster sugar and butter together until pale and fluffy. Mix eggs and milk together. Add the egg mixture gradually and continue whisking until combined.
5. Sift the flour and salt over the mixture and whisk just enough to combine into a smooth batter.
6. Dollop the batter over the fruit mixture and spread to make an even layer. Place the baking dish on an oven tray to avoid spillage.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the pudding is golden brown on top and the berry sauce is bubbling.
8. Serve pudding with a dusting of icing sugar and custard or evaporated milk, if you like. 

Recipe & styling: Liezl Vermeulen
Photography: Zhann Solomons 

The post Berry custard pudding   appeared first on MyKitchen.