There's a fly in my soup!: June 2013

Around SA in 80 Desserts - The Second Set of 10 Desserts

I have posted the second list of 10 desserts. I will blog about each and every dessert so you as the reader have a chance to try all the delicious desserts yourself. Only after all the desserts on each list has been made and blogged about will I post the next set of 10 until all 80 has been made.

The second set of 10 desserts for the 'Around South Africa in 80 Desserts' challenge.

Blou Maans

Sneeupoeding

Soet gebakte kwepers

Outydse Soetkoekkies

Gebakte appel

Karringmelkpoeding

Malvapoeding

Peppermint crispt fridge tart

Nat koek

Cremora fridge tart

I am making 80 desserts, what are you doing?

10 down 70 to GO! Van der Hum liqueur

We are 10 desserts down dear foodies! Only 70 left to go! It did take me 40 days to complete the first 10 but it’s all a working progress. I have 160 days, 5 hours, 57 minutes and 30 seconds left to complete the rest! There is nothing stopping us now!

The last dessert on our first list of 10 is Van der Hum liqueur.

Van der Hum was South Africa’s first indigenous liqueur. This wonderfully aromatic liqueur is a blend of brandy, naartjie peel and spices. It was distilled in South Africa for centuries by housewives before it was bottled officially. It is named after Admiral Van der Hum of the Dutch East India Company fleet who is said to have been ‘fond of it to the point of distraction’.

VAN DER HUM LIQUEUR

1 bottle of good quality brandy
4 cloves
1 cinnamon scroll
¼ freshly ground nutmeg
2,5 ml (½ tsp) mace
30 ml (2 tbs) naartjie peel
500 ml (2 cups) white sugar
125 ml (½ cup) water
60ml (¼ cup) good quality rum

Step 1 – Pour the brandy into an sterilized glass bottle. A 1 litre bottle is perfect.

Step 2 – Add the cloves, cinnamon scroll, ground nutmeg, mace and finely cut naartjie peel.

Step 3 – Seal the lid and shake the bottle gently every morning and every night.

Step 4 – Allow to infuse for 1 month. Strain the liqueur through a clean muslin cloth.

Step 5 – In a sauce pan boil the water and sugar until very thick.

Step 6 – Combine the liqueur with the sugar syrup and add the rum.

Step 7 – Pour the mixture into a sterilized bottle and reseal. Write the date on the bottle and only after three weeks of adding the syrup can the liqueur be enjoyed.

9 down 71 to GO! Appel Tert – Apple Pie

It has been a very cold and rainy weekend in Cape Town. Sometimes your trusty woollen jersey, a glass of 20 year old brandy or a fireplace right in the middle of the lounge just doesn't cut it. How about a freshly baked apple pie smothered with some hot custard to warm your senses?

I would be lying if I told you that I've always loved apple pie. It is something I learned to like and eventually fell in love with as I got older. The way I see it, if I don’t like something I always ask myself, “Why do millions of other people like it but not me? What am I missing?” This encourages me to try it in all different ways with the hope of eventually liking it and ultimately falling in love with it.

I gave apple pie a chance and lo and behold I actually started liking it. A couple of years ago I couldn't imagine myself enjoying apple pie. Today it’s a matter of “Does it come with cream or custard?” and not “I’ll take a slice of pie but leave the apples”.

I was a bit concerned when I read through this recipe. The whole thing just felt very queer to me. Never the less I pushed through and made it ALMOST exactly according to the recipe. I tweaked a couple of measurements here and there and to my amazement it actually worked and came out beautifully.

The texture and balance of flavour was just out of this world. Every bite was like a piece of fruity and spicy heaven. The cinnamon, vanilla and brandy softly kiss your senses as the sweetness of the currants balance out the sourness of the apples. From texture to flavour the pie was moist but never soggy with the fruits being the star of the show. Every slice baked to perfection and every bite guaranteed to warm up even the dreariest of days.

This apple pie is a must and I promise you, you will definitely not regret it. Warm yourself this winter with a slice of traditional South African apple pie.

APPEL TERT

Crust:

125g butter
125ml (½ cup) sugar
1 egg
250 ml (1 cup) self-rising flour
2,5ml (½ tsp) salt
125ml (½ cup) milk

Filling:

6 Granny Smith Apples peeled and quartered
15ml (1 tbs) sugar
3 cinnamon scrolls
60ml (¼ cup) currants

Sauce:

60ml (¼ cup) sugar
75ml (5 tbs) milk
5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
15 ml (1 tbs) brandy
3 cinnamon scrolls (Used in filling)

Step 1 – Beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the egg and beat together.

Step 2 – Sift the self-rising flour and salt together and it add bit by bit to the butter mixture.

Step 3 – Spray two 20cm pie dishes with non-stick cooking spray and spread the dough mixture in the pie dish.

Step 4 – Add the quartered apples, sugar, cinnamon scrolls and currants in a sauce pan. Stew until the sugar is melted.

Step 5 – Place the stewed apples and currants into the pie dish and bake for 40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

Step 6 – In a saucepan add the sugar, milk and previously used cinnamon scrolls together. Bring to a boil until the sugar is melted. Let it cool and add the brandy and vanilla essence.

Step 7 – As soon as the warm apple pie comes out of the oven pour the sauce over the hot pie.