ITALIAN BACKGROUND Baked Persimmons                                                  Serves 4 4 ripe persimmons, halved 50g butter 200ml dessert wine Juice of 1 orange 1 vanilla pod, seeded and keep pod ½ tsp mixed spice 50g dark muscovado sugar 200g frozen raspberries (do not defrost) To serve: 100g toasted hazelnuts, roughly crushed Vanilla ice cream garnished with orange zest   Method: ·         Preheat the oven … Continue reading →

Spiced red wine poached pears To prep:  5 min To cook:  1:15 Ingredients:  9 Serves:  4 Ingredients: 500ml (2 cups) dry red wine 70g (1/3 cup) caster sugar 2 whole star anise 2 x 7cm cinnamon sticks 1 vanilla bean, split 4 just-ripe pears, peeled 1 x 250g  mascarpone 2 tbs icing sugar mixture 2 tsp rosewater Method Related Recipes … Continue reading →

A day for Scones at Boschendal: Le Café Boschendal – Rich Tea Scones  30 ml sugar  500 ml flour  2 ml salt  20 ml baking powder  50 gm butter  1 egg  125 ml milk Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.  Rub in butter till the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Mix milk with 3/4 of egg and mix into flour … Continue reading →

Elderflower, Berries and Pistachio Dessert from Le Franschhoek Hotel & Spa Ingredients: Elderflower cordial x 187ml Lemonade x 187ml White wine x 187ml Leaf gelatine x 5 leaves Assorted berries x 1 punnet of gooseberry, black berry, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry and a few mulberries Pistachio nuts x 100g Castor sugar x 50g Mint sprigs for garnish Ice cream x scoop … Continue reading →

Tasty Meringues from Leopard’s Leap Family Vineyards:   Ingredients 180g egg white 360g castor sugar 0.5ml cream of tartar Method •  Beat the egg whites until foamy. •  Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until the egg whites form stiff peaks. •  Gradually beat in the sugar. •  Line a baking sheet with silicon paper. •  Pipe meringue … Continue reading →

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE BROWNIE INGREDIENTS AMOUNT USED DARK CHOCOLATE 1200G WHITE CHOCOLATE 480G HAZELNUTS 480G BUTTER 480G DARK BROWN SUGAR 480G EGGS 16 METHOD 1. Melt the dark chocolate and butter over a double boiler 2. Whip the eggs and sugar until double. 3. Take hot chocolate and fold into the egg. 4. Roughly chop the nuts and white chocolate and … Continue reading →

Pate Sucre: 250 gram cake flour 100 gram icing sugar 100 gram butter 2 eggs Method: Combine the flour & icing sugar. Rub in the butter. Add the eggs and gently work till dough comes together. Wrap dough in cling film and allow to rest minimum 30 minutes in fridge. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to desired thickness, … Continue reading →

Spiced Apple tarte tatin with whiskey tobacco reduction recipe from Chef Darren Badenhorst Ingredients-serves 4 4 granny smith apples Golden syrup 1 vanilla pod 150g brown sugar 2 cloves 1 lemon 10g ground cinnamon 1 sheet of puff pastry Vanilla ice cream Method Have a pot of warm water ready, add the brown sugar and the vanilla pod cut lengthways down … Continue reading →

Coffee & Bailey’s Parfait Serves 4 250 ml Sugar Syrup 25 ml Coffee essence 6 Medium sized, free-range egg yolks 50 ml Baileys liquor 375 ml Cream, whipped to ribbon stage Combine the sugar syrup and coffee essence together in a heavy based saucepan over a medium heat. Heat the syrup to 40⁰c. Place the egg yolks in a heat … Continue reading →

Chocolate Roulade by Backsberg Restaurant Serves 10-12 175g bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces 30 ml cocoa powder, sifted 60ml hot strong coffee or espresso 6 eggs separated 75g caster sugar Pinch of cream of tartar 5ml pure vanilla essence Cocoa powder for dusting 1.Preheat oven to 180⁰C. Lightly grease the base and sides of a 39 x 27 x … Continue reading →