Who can resist a flaky, buttery pastry? From savoury pies to sweet layers, these pastry bakes are peak comfort in every crumb. 

Tomato tartlets with Camembert fondue  

Ingredients  

1 Tbsp (15ml) butter
1 Tbsp (15ml) olive oil blend + extra for drizzling
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 roll (400g) puff pastry, defrosted
1 punnet (300g) cherry tomatoes, halved
6 sprigs thyme, chopped
Salt and milled pepper
1 Tbsp (15ml) brown sugar
1 round (125g) Camembert 
Basil, for serving   

Method  

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a pan over medium heat. 
2. Sauté́ onions for 10-12 minutes until caramelised. Add garlic, cook for 2 minutes more and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 200°C.
4. Roll pastry out on a floured surface to about 3mm Cut out 12 circles using a cookie cutter. Chill discs until firm.
5. Pack out 12 little heaps (slightly smaller than your pastry discs) of tomatoes, onion mixture and thyme pieces on a lined baking tray. Season, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with sugar.  
6. Cover heaps with a pastry disc and press down to secure. Prick a steam hole on top of each pastry disc.
7. Bake for 23-28 minutes until golden and puffed. Cool on the tray for 10 minutes.
8. Arrange pastry in a wreath on a serving plate, with the filling facing up.
9. Score a criss-cross pattern into Camembert, drizzle with oil and bake for 8-10 minutes until inside is molten.  
10. Place cheese in the centre of the wreath. Scatter with basil and serve immediately. 

Recipes & styling: Liezl Vermuelen
Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

 Also read: 2 Tasty recipes with one roll of phyllo pastry

Spinach & feta hand pies 

Serves 8

Ingredients  

1 cup butter
½ cup water
2 cups cake flour
400g spinach, steamed
4 discs feta, crumbled   

Method   

1. Bring the butter and water to a boil over high heat. Remove from the stove and add the flour. Whisk until fully combined and a dough Allow to cool.
2. Roll the dough out on a floured surface and cut out eight 10cm
3. Mix the spinach with the feta and divide it between the pastry cases. Place the filling on one side and fold over to create a half-moon, pressing the edges down to seal. Freeze.
4. When ready to eat, defrost in the fridge overnight. Arrange on a lined baking tray and bake at 200°C for 25 minutes, until golden brown.

Cook’s note For an extra-rich pastry, replace the water with full-cream milk, making sure not to burn it. When you cook with feta, taste the filling before adding salt, as the cheese will add saltiness to the dish.  

Recipes & styling: Leila-Ann Mokotedi
Photography: Jotham van Tonder 

 Also read: Cheesy date & bacon pastry twists 

Beetroot & berry burst pop tarts 

Makes 10

Ingredients 

For the jam filling  

200g mixed frozen berries
¾ cup beetroot juice 
¾ cup sugar 
1 lime, zested and juiced   

2 rolls (400g each) short crust pastry, defrosted
Flour, for dusting
1 egg, whisked, for brushing 
1½ cup (195g) icing sugar, sifted
3-4 Tbsp (45-60ml) water 
1 drop pink food colouring
Handful freeze-dried strawberries, crushed (optional) 
Lime peel, cut into matchsticks   

Method 

1. Combine jam filling ingredients in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 18-20 minutes until thick and syrupy. Remove and decant into a bowl. Refrigerate to cool completely. 
2. Preheat oven to 200°C and line 2 baking trays with baking paper. 
3. Roll pastry to 3mm thick on a lightly floured surface. 
4. Cut into 7x14cm
5. Place 2 teaspoons of jam in the centre of half the rectangles and brush the borders of rectangles with whisked egg. 
6. Place the remaining pastry rectangles on top to enclose. Cut a small slit at the top to allow steam to escape while baking. 
7. Run finger around edges to secure. Neatly crimp the long edges of pastry with a fork. 
8. Place pastries on lined baking trays and brush tops with egg. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes or until cold. 
9. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack. 
10. Mix together icing sugar and water, adding just enough liquid to make a thick, sticky paste. Add food colouring and whisk for a lump-free glaze. 
11. Spoon icing over tarts. Top with freeze dried berries, lime zest and some sprinkles. Serve warm or cool and store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 2 days.

Recipes & styling: Liezl Vermuelen 
Photography by: Zhann Solomons 

Pumpkin pecan pie  

Serves 6-8

Ingredients 

1 packet (400g) shortcrust pastry, defrosted 
Flour, for dusting 
1 packet (500g) pumpkin cubes 
2 Tbsp (30g) butter
2 eggs
1 tub (230g) medium-fat cream cheese 
1 cup (200g) brown sugar 
Grating of nutmeg 
1 tsp (5ml) ground cinnamon 
¼ cup (60ml) honey 
1 large packet (150g) pecan halves 
Whipped cream, for serving
Honey, for serving (optional)    

Method 

1. Roll out pastry on a floured work surface to 4mm Line a 25cm tart tin with pastry, cutting away any excess pastry. (See Cook’s note.) 
2. Use a fork to prick the base of tart, which will allow steam to escape. 
3. Place a sheet of baking paper over pastry, covering completely, then fill to the top with raw rice or baking beads. Chill. 
4. Preheat oven to 200°C.
5. Steam pumpkin on the stove or in the microwave. Cool slightly. 
6. Blitz pumpkin using a stick blender (or use a masher, if you like) until smooth. Stir in butter and set aside to cool. 
7. Whisk together remaining ingredients until well combined, then fold in the pumpkin puré 
8. Blind bake tart shell for 20 minutes. Remove rice or beads and baking paper.
9. Pour pumpkin batter into the par-baked tart shell. 
10. Bake for another 25 minutes.
11. Remove, top with pecan nuts and return to the oven for another 5-8 minutes.
12. Cool for 10 minutes in tin before unmoulding. 
13. Serve tart warm with a dollop of cream and a drizzle of honey, if you like. 

Cook’s note
To extend your pastry, line your tart tin and cut the pastry level with the edges by rolling your rolling pin over the tin or cutting with a sharp knife. Then, using your index- or pinkie finger (depending on tin size) press against each fluted indent to extend it over the tin’s edge.  

By: Liezl Vermeulen 
Photography by: Zhann Solomons 

Also read: 4 Fake-away recipes for cosy weekends at home 

The post Perfect pastry bakes are comfort food at its peak  appeared first on MyKitchen.

A grown-up delight that takes this cool American treat to new heights.

Beetroot & berry burst pop tarts

Makes 10

Ingredients

For the jam filling 

200g mixed frozen berries
¾ cup beetroot juice 
¾ cup sugar 
1 lime, zested and juiced 

2 rolls (400g each) short crust pastry, defrosted
Flour, for dusting
1 egg, whisked, for brushing 
1½ cup (195g) icing sugar, sifted
3-4 Tbsp (45-60ml) water 
1 drop pink food colouring
Handful freeze-dried strawberries, crushed (optional) 
Lime peel, cut into matchsticks  

Method

1. Combine jam filling ingredients in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 18-20 minutes until thick and syrupy. Remove and decant into a bowl. Refrigerate to cool completely. 
2. Preheat oven to 200°C and line 2 baking trays with baking paper. 
3. Roll pastry to 3mm thick on a lightly floured surface. 
4. Cut into 7x14cm rectangles. 
5. Place 2 teaspoons of jam in the centre of half the rectangles and brush the borders of rectangles with whisked egg. 
6. Place the remaining pastry rectangles on top to enclose. Cut a small slit at the top to allow steam to escape while baking. 
7. Run finger around edges to secure. Crimp the long edges of pastry neatly with a fork. 
8. Place pastries on lined baking trays and brush tops with egg. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes or until cold. 
9. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack. 
10. Mix together icing sugar and water, adding just enough liquid to make a thick, sticky paste. Add food colouring and whisk for a lump-free glaze. 
11. Spoon icing over tarts. Top with freeze dried berries, lime zest and some sprinkles. Serve warm or cool and store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 2 days.

Photography by: Zhann Solomons

Also read:Baked honey and strawberry cheesecake  

The post Beetroot & berry burst pop tarts  appeared first on MyKitchen.

Celebrate World Nutella Day on 5 February with these two yummy breakfast recipes! Don’t have a tub at home? We show you how to make a decadent and delicious hazelnut chocolate spread. There is no better way to start your day!  

Hazelnut chocolate spread  

Makes about 1 cup // Cooking time 25 minutes

Method 

1. Roast 200g blanched hazelnuts on a baking tray at 180°C for 10 minutes, until fragrant and golden. 
2. Shake the tray halfway through to ensure even roasting. 
3. Add nuts to a high-powered blender and pulse for 5 minutes, until a chunky paste forms, scraping down often to aid in blending. 
4. Melt 80g dark chocolate with 3 Tbsp coconut oil, add to blender and blitz for 5 more minutes until smooth, stopping to scrape the mixture down every 30 seconds.

Home-made strawberry and Nutella pop tarts 

Makes 15 + 1 jar of strawberry jam // Cooking time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients 

For the jam 

350g strawberries, fresh or frozen
300g sugar
1 lemon, juiced
½ vanilla pod 

For the pastry 

250g flour, plus extra to dust
Pinch salt
3 tbsp sugar
125g butter
1 egg, plus 1 for brushing 

To assemble 

⅔ cup Nutella
½ cup icing sugar, plus extra to dust 

Method 

For the jam 

1. Add the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla pod to a saucepan and let the sugar melt over a low heat. As soon as the sugar has dissolved, bring the jam to a simmer. Leave to gently simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
2. If you have a sugar thermometer, the jam is ready when it reaches 104°C. If not, use the ‘wrinkle test’. Before you start cooking the jam, place a heatproof plate in the freezer. About 10 minutes into cooking the jam, test for readiness by dripping a little bit of the jam on to the ice-cold plate. If the jam sets and wrinkles when you touch it, it’s ready. If not, simmer for another 3 minutes and then try again.
3. When the jam is cooked, spoon into a sterilised jar, cap and refrigerate.

For the pastry 

1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it comes together and forms a ball.
2. If you don’t have a food processor, sift the flour, salt and sugar together. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and then add the egg. If the dough is a little hard, add a drop of ice-cold water. Do not handle the dough more than necessary, as this will make the final product too chewy.
3. Leave the dough to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

To assemble 

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to 5 mm and cut out thirty 10 cm circles with a cookie cutter. Brush the edges – the outer 1 cm – of 15 of the circles with egg wash.
3. Add 1 heaped tsp Nutella and 1 heaped tsp strawberry jam to the centre of the 15 pastry circles. Top each filled circle with another circle and press the edges together with a fork. Bake the tarts for 20 minutes.
4. To make a strawberry-jam drizzle, mix the icing sugar with 2 tbsp strawberry jam until it becomes a runny consistency. Dust the pop tarts with icing sugar, pour the drizzle over and serve.

Recipe & styling: Caro Alberts
Photography: Andreas Eiselen/HMimages.co.za 

Nutella hot-chocolate porridge 

Serves 4

Ingredients 

375ml milk
2 tbsp Nutella 
125ml sorghum meal
1 tsp cocoa 
½ tsp coarse salt
2 tbsp hazelnuts, crushed  

Method 

1. Bring the milk and Nutella to a simmer in a pot.
2. Mix the sorghum, cocoa and salt. Add to the simmering mixture.
3. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10–20 minutes until thick.
4. Serve with extra milk, hazelnuts and a swirl of Nutella.

The post 2 delicious breakfast recipes with Nutella appeared first on MyKitchen.

Make it boozy by adding 2 tots (50ml) vodka or gin to the jam after leaving it to infuse. 

Strawberry pop tarts

MAKES 18

Ingredients

Jam: 

1 packet (200g) frozen strawberries
½ cup (100g) SELATI Pure White Sugar
¼ cup (60ml) boiling water
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Squeeze orange juice

2 rolls (400g each) puff pastry, defrosted
Flour, for dusting
1 whisked egg, for brushing
1 cup (250ml) SELATI Icing Snow, sifted
⅓ cup (80ml) water
Pink food colouring
Sprinkles, for decorating

Method

1. Combine all jam ingredients in a saucepan.
2. Simmer for 15 minutes, until syrupy and berries are limpy.
3. Turn off heat and all to infuse for 5 minutes. Remove herbs.Set jam aside to cool completely.
4. Preheat oven to 200°C and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
5. Roll pastry to 3mm thick on a lightly floured surface.
6. Cut into 4cm x 8cm rectangles.
7. Place tablespoons of jam on half the rectangles, leaving a 1.5cm border clean.
8. Brush borders with whisked egg, then lay remaining pastry rectangles on top to enclose.
9. Run finger around edges to secure, then crimp neatly with a fork.
10. Place on baking trays and chill in fridge for 15 minutes.
11. Brush pastry with egg and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden.
12. Mix icing sugar and water and add a few drops of food colouring.
13. Decorate tarts with icing and top with sprinkles.

The post Strawberry pop tarts appeared first on MyKitchen.

Do you love peanut-butter? You won’t be able to resist treating yourself to one, or more, of these delicious peanut butter-filled chocolate pop tarts!

MAKES 10 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 10 min

INGREDIENTS
For the filling
125 ml peanut butter
30 g icing sugar
2 tbsp room-temperature butter
For the pastry
200 g flour
2 tbsp cocoa
2 tbsp icing sugar
Pinch salt
150 g ice-cold butter, grated
2 tbsp ice-cold water
1 egg, beaten

METHOD
For the filling
1. Combine all the ingredients.
For the pastry
1. Sieve together flour, cocoa, icing sugar and salt.
2. Add butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Add water and gently bring the dough together to make a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 2 baking trays.
5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 5 mm thick. Cut it into twenty 5 × 3 cm rectangles.
6. Lay out 10 of the rectangles. Place 1 tbsp filling on each one, brush the edges with egg and then sandwich another piece of dough on top. Crimp the edges together with a fork and trim to neaten.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.

Recipe & styling: Caro Alberts
Photography: Juliette Bisset // HMimages.co.za

The post Delicious peanut butter-filled chocolate pop tarts appeared first on MyKitchen.

Who could say ‘no’ to these sweet home-made strawberry and Nutella pop tarts for breakfast? Plus, you can use any leftover jam for other confectionery treats!

MAKES 15 + 1 jar of strawberry jam // COOKING TIME 1 hour 10 min

INGREDIENTS
For the jam
350 g strawberries, fresh or frozen
300 g sugar
1 lemon, juiced
½ vanilla pod
For the pastry
250 g flour, plus extra to dust
Pinch salt
3 tbsp sugar
125 g butter
1 egg, plus 1 for brushing
To assemble
⅔ cup Nutella
½ cup icing sugar, plus extra to dust

METHOD
For the jam
1. Add the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla pod to a saucepan and let the sugar melt over a low heat. As soon as the sugar has melted, bring the jam to a simmer. Leave to gently simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
2. If you have a sugar thermometer, the jam is ready when it reaches 104°C. If not, use the ‘wrinkle test’. Before you start cooking the jam, place a heatproof plate in the freezer. About 10 minutes into cooking the jam, test for readiness by dripping a little bit of the jam on to the icecold plate. If the jam sets and wrinkles when you touch it, it’s ready. If not, simmer for another 3 minutes and then try again.
3. When the jam is cooked, spoon into a sterilised jar and refrigerate.
For the pastry
1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it forms a ball.
2. If you don’t have a food processor, sift the flour, salt and sugar together. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and then add the egg. If the dough is a little hard, add a drop of ice-cold water. Don’t handle the dough more than necessary, as this will make the final product too chewy.
3. Leave the dough to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
To assemble
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to 5 mm and cut out thirty 10 cm circles with a cookie cutter. Brush the edges of 15 of the circles with egg wash, 1 cm deep.
3. Add 1 heaped tsp Nutella and 1 heaped tsp strawberry jam to the centre of the 15 pastry circles. Top each filled circle with another circle and press the edges together with a fork. Bake the pop tarts for 20 minutes.
4. To make a strawberry jam drizzle, mix the icing sugar with 2 tbsp strawberry jam until it becomes a runny consistency. Dust the pop tarts with icing sugar, pour the drizzle over and serve.

Recipe & styling: Caro Alberts
Photography: Andreas Eiselen/HMimages.co.za

The post Home-made strawberry and Nutella pop tarts appeared first on MyKitchen.