Skip the jelly and load up on South African flavours of Amarula and rooibos.

Amarula & rooibos trifle 

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For the Amarula & rooibos custard 

6 rooibos teabags
2 cups (500ml) milk
4 large egg yolks
½ cup (110g) caster sugar 
3 Tbsp (22.5g) corn flour
⅓ cup (80ml) Amarula liqueur
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla

For the berry layer 

½ punnet (150g) cherries
2 punnets (160g each) raspberries
¼ cup (60ml) sugar
1 lemon, zested and juiced

For the chocolate cream 

180g dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup (250ml) cold whipping cream 
⅔ cup (147g) caster sugar
1 store-bought layered chocolate sponge cake
10 sprigs rosemary
Icing sugar, for dusting 

Method     

14. 1. For the custard, place the teabags and milk in a pot over low heat and infuse for about 8-10 minutes. Remove teabags once infused.
    2. Cream together egg yolks and sugar until fluffy.
    3. Pour 1 cup of infused milk into the egg mixture while whisking. Pour mixture back into the pot with remaining milk.
    4. Cook on a medium heat until steaming hot.
    5. Mix about ¼ cup of the infused milk with the corn flour in a small bowl until smooth. Pour corn flour mixture back into the pot and cook for about 5-10 minutes or until bubbling. Allow to bubble for about 2-3 minutes while stirring until thickened. Remove from heat.
    6. Add Amarula and vanilla then mix through. Pour custard in a bowl, cover with cling wrap directly on the surface and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until needed.
    7. For the berry layer, halve the cherries, remove pits and place in a small pot with the raspberries, sugar, lemon zest and half of the lemon juice.
    8. Cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes or until syrupy. Set aside to cool completely.
    9. Reserve a bit of chopped chocolate for garnish and melt the remaining chocolate.
    10. Whip the cream to stiff peaks, adding sugar gradually, whisking to medium-stiff, glossy peaks.
    11. Fold the cooled melted chocolate through the whipped cream.
    12. To assemble the trifle, break the cake into pieces and arrange some in the bottom of a trifle dish. Add some custard, top with berry mixture and then add some chocolate cream. Repeat to create multiple layers until all ingredients are used.
    13. Finish the trifle by sticking the rosemary sprigs into the trifle to make them stand with the leaves facing down, resembling Christmas trees. Sprinkle with chocolate.
    14. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

     

Recipe & styling: Lichelle May
Photography by: Zhann Solomons

Also read: A summer trifle with a twist

The post Amarula & rooibos trifle appeared first on MyKitchen.

Our mini drop scones with jam and whipped cream are totally scrumptious, and are the perfect teatime treats for the whole family to enjoy this weekend.

SERVES 24 // COOK TIME 20 mins

INGREDIENTS
1 cup cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp caster sugar
60g cold butter, cut into cubes
1 egg
⅓ cup milk
1 tbsp cream
Whipped cream, to serve
Strawberry jam, to serve

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl, then add the caster sugar and butter.
3. Use your fingertips to mix the cold butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
4. In a separate, small bowl combine the egg, milk and cream. Add this to the dry mixture.
5. Mix using a butter knife in a cutting motion. Then give a light stir with a spoon. Be careful not to overmix.
6. Grease a mini-muffin tray and drop a heaped teaspoon of mixture in each hole. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden on top.
7. Cool on a rack. Serve with whipped cream and strawberry jam.

This Mixed berry pie recipe is the perfect dessert for someone who loves to bake and wants to satisfy all their guests! You can even make it with your kids!

The post Mini drop scones with jam and cream appeared first on MyKitchen.

Having people over for tea, and don’t want to serve just regular biscuits? Then why not make these delicious hertzoggies filled with coconut and smooth jam?

SERVES 12 // COOK TIME 45 min // HANDS-OFF 60 mins

INGREDIENTS
For the shortbread crust
125g butter, softened
60g caster sugar
125g flour, sifted
For the filling
180 ml smooth apricot jam
2 egg whites
Pinch of salt
100g sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
250 ml desiccated coconut, toasted

METHOD
For the shortbread crust
1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Rub in the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Knead until dough just comes together. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 180°C and grease a mini tartlet pan.
4. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 2 mm thick and cut into 12 rounds. Line the pan with the discs. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
5. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until golden brown.
For the filling
1. Fill each shell with 1 tbsp jam, then set aside.
2. Whisk egg whites and salt until frothy. Gradually add the sugar, whisking until the mixture becomes stiff and glossy. Fold in vanilla and coconut. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe on to each tartlet.
3. Bake for 5–8 minutes, until light golden.

To make these delicious lamingtons, you don’t need an oven or fancy ingredients. In fact, you may already have most of these staples in your pantry.

The post Hertzoggies appeared first on MyKitchen.

These protein peanut-butter cups are delicious and nutritious! So if you’re craving something sweet but don’t want to be too unhealthy, these are perfect!

SERVES 12// COOK TIME 30 min

INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups dark chocolate chips
1 tbsp coconut oil
¼ cup smooth peanut butter
2–3 tbsp vanilla protein powder

METHOD
1. Fill a muffin tin with paper muffin liners.
2. Place the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a bowl. Melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. Add 1 tbsp water if it does not turn smooth and glossy.
3. Scoop 2 tsp melted chocolate into each muffin liner. Freeze for 10–15 minutes, until the chocolate hardens.
4. Combine the peanut butter and protein powder in a bowl to form a soft doughy mixture. Scoop out about 1 tsp at a time and roll into balls.
5. Place a peanut butter ball on top of each hardened chocolate layer, carefully flattening it with a finger. Top with another 3–4 tsp melted chocolate.
6. Freeze peanut-butter cups for a further 10–15 minutes, until completely set.

Recipes & styling  Amerae Vercueil
Photography  Andreas Eiselen

For another delicious but nutritious treat, try our Gooey espresso and dark-chocolate date bars

The post Protein peanut-butter cups appeared first on MyKitchen.

If you grew up on a diet of your mom’s crunchies and rusks, you’ll love our ode to local treats with these delicious crunchie rusks!

MAKES 20 // COOKING TIME 20 min

INGREDIENTS
4 cups oats
3 cups desiccated coconut
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
250 g butter
1½ cups sugar
3 tbsp golden syrup
¾ cup buttermilk
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 170°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Combine oats, coconut, flour, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the centre and set aside.
3. Place butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pot. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
4. Mix buttermilk and bicarb. Add this and the melted sugar mixture to the dry ingredients.
5. Spread out the mixture in the baking tray. Bake for 45 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
6. Leave to cool slightly, then cut into triangles. Reduce the oven to 100°C. Place the rusks back in for 2 hours to dry out slightly.
7. Switch off the oven and leave the crunchie rusks in for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to dry out completely.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

With winter on its way, now is the perfect time to get into baking! And what better way to start than with homemade buttermilk rusks?

The post These crunchie rusks are the ultimate tea time treat appeared first on MyKitchen.

Green tea’s good for more than just a warming cuppa. Prepare to be wowed by this delicious sweet green tea yoghurt bark, the perfect healthy snack!

SERVES 4–6 // COOKING TIME 10 min

INGREDIENTS
300 g double-cream yoghurt
3 tbsp sugar or xylitol
½ tsp vanilla essence
2–3 drops green food colouring
¼ cup cashews
¼ cup dried cranberries
1 green teabag, leaves only

METHOD
1. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Combine the yoghurt, xylitol or sugar, vanilla essence and green food colouring.
3. Spread out the mixture on the tray. Sprinkle with cashews, cranberries and tea leaves.
4. Freeze for 1 hour, until firm. Break into chunks and serve.

Recipe: Amerae Vercueil
Styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

If you are keen to indulge in your traditional green tea, but want something with some added zest, try our cucumber, lime and mint green tea.

The post Snack on this healthy green tea yoghurt bark appeared first on MyKitchen.