Condensed Milk Cookies - Step by Step

Ever woken up in the middle of the night not really hungry but craving sweet and crunchy homemade biscuits? Tip toe you sneak into the kitchen, raid the fridge and after having stuffed your face with everything possibly imaginable except those biscuits you head back to bed feeling unsatisfied and guilty? Sound familiar? Or do you run around like a headless chicken when your mother-in-law comes for tea expecting a buffet of freshly baked goods, but the only tea time snacks you are able to find is a tin of stale biscuits? We all have our animalistic cookie craving and munching moments, whether you are on a diet feeling naughty, going through a divorce or just committing carbicide in front of the television watching The Ellen Degenerate Show.

Fear not my fellow cookie monsters as I have found an amazing and simple recipe for delicious condensed milk cookies that will satisfy your deepest and darkest desires. If you are thinking whips, chains and crumbs while reading this post then you should probably consider going to a psychologist! You can totally blame your folks for thinking its ‘normal’ finding a stack of cookie boxes under your mattress when there should have been a pile of dirty magazines! Jokes! : )  

Food fetishes and animalistic cookie cravings aside, this recipe is really amazing and idiot proof!  Next time you are in the mood AND on a budget try baking these heavily biscuits! “I promise you it’s not diet food it’s delicious, decadent hmmmmm…..”  COOKEHS!

Here’s how! Read, bake and enjoy! 

 Sweetened Condensed Milk Cookies

Basic to Advanced Cooking Equipment - Knives

Using the right knives makes cooking at home faster and easier. I personally think one should at least own six basic knives: a chef’s knife for chopping, slicing, dicing; a paring knife for peeling fruits and vegetables; a serrated knife for cutting bread, tomatoes and citrus; a meat cleaver for chopping through bone-in poultry or beef; a carving knife and fork for carving roasts, and a boning knife for the de-boning of beef, pork, fish and poultry.

A knife should be as sharp as a razor or it mashes and bruises food rather than chopping or cutting it. It can be considered sharp if just the weight of it, drawn across a tomato, slits the skin. No knife will hold a razor-edge for long. The essential point is that it take an edge, and easily. Knives should be washed separately and by hand as soon as you have finished using them. 

COMMON KITCHEN KNIVES

• 1) Paring knife: A paring knife is a small knife with a plain edge blade that is ideal for peeling and other small intricate work such as de-veining a shrimp, removing the seeds from a jalapeno, ‘skinning’ mushrooms or cutting small garnishes.

• 2) Meat cleaver: A meat clever is a large, most often rectangular knife that is used for splitting of ‘cleaving’ meat and bone. The knife is designed to cut with a swift stroke without cracking, splintering or bending the blade.

• 3) Breadknife: Serrated knives are able to cut soft bread without crushing it, and can be used for the slicing of bread, muffins, scones and other delicate baked goods.

• 4) Carving knife and fork: A carving knife is a large knife made for the slicing of meat including poultry, roasts, hams and other large cooked meats. A carving knife is much thinner than a chef’s knife at the spine, enabling it to carve thinner slices. A carving fork is a long, two-pronged for used to hold meat steady while it is being carved.

• 5) Chef’s knife: A chef’s knife or cook’s knife is an all-purpose knife that is curved to allow the cook to rock the knife on the cutting board for a more precise cut. The broad and heavy blade also serves for chopping bone instead of the cleaver. It is an all-purpose heavy knife for food preparation.

• 6) Utility knife: A utility knife is between a chef’s knife and a paring knife. It is usually a filler for knife sets because of the knife being neither fish nor fowl.

• 7) Boning knife: A boning knife is used to remove bones from cuts of meat. It has a thin, flexible blade that allows it to get into small spaces. A stiff boning knife is good for beef and pork, and a flexible one is preferred for poultry and fish. 

Speciality knives 

• 1) Oyster knife:  An oyster knife has a short, think blade that is used to pry open oysters and separate their meat from the shell.

• 2) Fluting knife: A fluting knife has a small blade that is very straight making it the ideal tool for small tasks such as decorating and peeling.

• 3) Decorating knife: A decorating knife is any knife with a blade designed to make a decorative cut. The most common pattern is the zigzag. Decorating knives are used for making fancy cuts for garnishes and presentation.

• 4) Tomato knife: A tomato knife is a small knife with a serrated blade. Typically the size of a utility knife, tomato knives are ideal for cutting through the tough skin and soft flesh of tomatoes.

• 5) Trimming knife: A trimming knife has a small, curved blade that is shaped somewhat like a boning knife. Trimming knives are ideal for small tasks such as decorating and peeling.

• 6) Mincing knife: A mincing knife or Mezzaluna has a semi-circular highly-curved blade with a handle that allows the blade to be rocket back and forth repeatedly on a hard surface. The rocking motion is ideal for mincing and chopping.

• 7) Fillet knife: As the name suggests fillet knives are like very flexible boning knives that are used to fillet and prepare fish. 

• 1) Grapefruit knife: A grapefruit knife is used to separate the flesh of the grapefruit from the peel and inner membranes. The blade is usually serrated, with a blunt tip.

• 2) Chestnut knife: A chestnut knife is used to score a chestnut with an “X” cut prior to roasting, so that steam does not build up inside and cause the nut to explode. They have very shallow blades so that they can cut through the shell without cutting through the nut inside.

• 3) Deveining knife:  A deveining knife is a small knife used to the remove the colon (“vein”) from the back of shrimp. 

CHEESE KNIVES

• 1) Hard cheese knife: Hard cheese knives are specifically designed for slicing hard cheese. They are very sharp, so they can cut exact slices, and often a forked tip, allowing them to be used as a serving utensil as well.

• 2) Parmesan cheese knife: Parmesan cheese knives are specifically designed for portioning very hard cheeses. They have very short, thick blades that are forced into the cheese and then used as a lever to break off smaller portions.

• 3) Soft cheese knife: Soft cheese knives are specifically designed for slicing soft cheese. They generally have holes in the blade to prevent the cheese from sticking. 

ACCESSORIES

• 1) Shears: Shears are essentially kitchen scissors, though they can be used for many of the same jobs as knives, such as chopping herbs.

• 2) Cut resistant gloves: Most commonly used in commercial kitchens, cut-resistant gloves are used on the opposite hand to the cutting hand. They are for protecting this hand should the knife slip and slice into the user’s off hand. After use they should be washed, and then sanitized, and allowed to air dry, spread out.

• 3) Knife block: A knife block is a common way to store knifes safely and close at hand in the kitchen.

• 4) Honing steel: Contrary to what many believe, the honing steel, also known as butcher’s steel or sharpening steel, is not a sharpener. Honing steel straightens the blade, while the shaprpner sharpens the blade. It is used to hone a knife blade after sharpening in order to restore the edge and improve cutting ability.

• 5) Cutting board: A cutting board is kitchen utensil used in conjunction with a knife. It is a flat surface, generally made of wood, plastic or glass, on which to cut food and which protects counter tops and knives from damage. 

Basic to Advanced Cooking Equipment - Pots and Pans

“Theoretically a good cook should be able to perform under any circumstances, but cooking is much easier, pleasanter, and more efficient if you have the right tools” Julia Child

Proper equipment will last for years and ironically it isn’t nearly as expensive as one would think. The trick is to gradually build your collection based on the dishes that you regularly prepare. As tempting as it may seem don’t go crazy and buy everything you see in the kitchen shop. The equipment will barely be used and just clutter up your cupboard and collect dust. Guilty! :)

Many people have asked me where I buy my equipment from and how I know what brand or range to purchase. My personal opinion is, as a serious cook you should not really worry about the brand, style or matching ranges. By all means go ahead and buy matching orange ‘Le Creuset’ cookware or go blast your money on ‘Jamie Oliver’ kitchen equipment. If cooking is what you are serious about and not the glamorous idea thereof then expensive and ‘stylish’ brands shouldn’t matter to you. There is nothing wrong with expensive and signature cookware and they really do live up to their name. I just personally think one of the best places to shop for reasonably priced kitchenware that won’t burn a hole in your wallet is in a restaurant, hotel or catering-supply shops. The kitchenware is sturdy, professional, and made for hard use.

STOVES

Stovetops and ovens are traditionally the cooking appliances that we use the most. Whether you have a gas or electric stove the type of stove that you own will affect how your food is cooked.

• Electric heat: Electric stoves are still high in demand because they are relatively cheap, clean and easy to use. The biggest drawback to electric ranges is their slow response time. Reducing or increasing heat can take a minute or two.  However, many professional chefs prefer electric ovens because they’re very accurate and consistent.

• Gas: Personally I prefer gas cooktops because of the more precise heat control. You have full control over your heat and can quickly turn the gas flame up or down and the response time is not minutes but seconds. This gives you more control than with an electric stove.

It doesn’t matter how ‘high tech’ your oven is, today’s gas and electric ovens generally hold and maintain oven temperature within a variance of about 5 degrees. It is very important that one should regularly keep their oven in check with a portable thermometer; thermostats have a way of becoming unreliable, which can be disastrous if you are cooking a soufflé or a cake, and will put your timing way off roasting.

BASIC KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

You will need some very basic equipment to start cooking – essential items for working in the kitchen. Here is a short list of cooking equipment and tools that no home cook should be without! 

• Saucepans: Saucepans in a range of sizes are essential. One with a handle can also be set in the oven. Saucepans are used for simmering or boiling cooking things such as vegetables and soups.  Ironically, the saucepan is not the ideal vessel to use for making sauces. 

• Chef’s skillet: A chef’s skillet, poêle, has sloping sides and is used for browning and tossing small pieces of food like mushrooms or chicken livers.

• Sauté pan: A sauté pan, sautoir, has straight sides and is used for sautéing small steaks, liver, or veal scallops, or foods like chicken that are browned then covered to finish their cooking in the sauté pan. 

• Stockpot: For making stocks or large quantities of soup, pasta, and vegetables. 

Commonly used pots and pans 

You use some pots and pans more than others. The most common types of pots and pans create a solid foundation for your kitchen equipment. The pots and pans in this list are the most versatile, and you’ll become very familiar with them. 

• Cast-iron skillet: A cast-iron skillet has many versatile uses. What makes this piece of equipment so popular is the fact that it can get really hot, retain allot of its heat and have the best even heat distribution. This makes the pan the greatest piece of equipment for frying steaks.

• Roasting pans: No kitchen should be without a roasting pan. This ‘pan’ is used for roasting meat in the oven, either with or without vegetables or other ingredients.

• Baking dishes: Round and oval baking dishes can be used for roasting chicken, duck or meats, or can double as gratin dishes. Baking dishes are very versatile and perfect for making casseroles, or baking brownies or cakes.

• Dutch oven: This enameled cast-iron stew pot, called a Dutch oven, is ideal for slow-cooking meals

'There's a fly in my soup!' gets an overhaul! New look! New strategy! New content!

I am confident to say that I am a decent cook nowadays but that wasn't always the case. Like most people not studying to be a chef but who loves to cook, I didn't receive any formal education in the culinary art of cooking nor did I have a sweet grandma to teach me. I had to learn the skills and terms myself. It wasn't always easy and the disasters were sometimes of epic proportions. The biggest problem I constantly faced was not learning how to ‘debone a chicken’ or ‘clean a fish’ but actually finding information regarding any aspect of cooking from a singular reliable source. The internet is a goldmine of information but it is so spread out across the web that finding everything you need in one place is nearly impossible.  This just made cooking tedious, time consuming and less fun.

I have found a couple of prober websites offering information regarding cooking for the novice but the same stupid problem arose every time. You had to either buy their book or pay per view much like pornography in order to receive ANY information at all. Feeling deflated was inevitable.

This gave me an idea to change my current blog from restaurant reviews and complex but amazing recipes to something simpler and more desired. A quick and easy one stop blog for both seasoned cooks and beginners to be able to find any information regarding cooking at a singular reliable source.

This blog will be simple, easy and unique, because it will lead the cook infallibility from the handling of raw ingredients, through each essential step of a recipe, to the final creation of a delicate confection.  We will cover basic cooking topics such as safety, tools and equipment, preparation, fixing cooking disasters, measurements, conversions and understanding ingredients only to name a few.   

If you are a food lover and would like to learn how to cook starting at the bare basics for beginners or feeling confident to take on advanced cooking and becoming a master chef in your own kitchen then this blog is definitely for you. 

Everyday is a braai day in South Africa!

Heading to Paris or Rome? Looking to spend some time in Asia? Or are you just planning a road trip across a South African province?  As any traveller will tell you, enjoying the local food is one of the greatest experiences one can have whether you are traveling abroad and savouring another country’s local cuisine or right here enjoying the food from different parts of your home country.

The Great Karoo

It’s been more than two and a half weeks since my last post and no I haven’t gotten bored of blogging or been thrown into jail. I’ve been away on holiday visiting the ‘parentals’. My holiday voyage didn’t take me to Asia or Italy but instead it took me inland from wet Cape Town to the dusty and dry desert town of Beaufort West in the Great Karoo.

I grew up in Beaufort West and moved to Cape Town a couple of years ago. The foods that I make and eat nowadays are a far cry from what I had growing up in Beaufort West. I am not specifically talking about a particular cuisine as I am talking about ‘braaing’, a social custom much like barbecuing. ‘Braaing’ is considered to be a very common in South Africa.

Having a ‘braai’ or a ‘BBQ’ isn’t always possible for someone like me living in an apartment in the city as an apartment doesn’t always come with a ‘braai’ or ‘braai’ friendly area. It is always a great treat to go home and have something as simple as ‘braai vleis’ and all of the typical side dishes that goes with it.

Join me on my holiday pilgrimage to Beaufort West as I road trip inland and discover what makes us South Africans tick. 

Beaufort West

As always my arrival in Beaufort West was greeted with a typical 'braai' but not so typical South African 'braai' menu. A typical 'braai' menu that you will find at any 'chop and dop' social will have bread and salad as side dishes and meats as the star. A ‘braai’ would generally include boerewors, sosaties, kebabs, marinated chicken pork and lamb chops, steak, sausages of different flavours and thickness, and possibly even a rack or two of spareribs. The drinks van range from wine, brandy whiskey to an ice cold beer.

For snacks and pre-drinks we had whole-wheat crackers with Philadelphia cream cheese and a drizzle of sweet chili sauce on top followed by a glass of 10 year old Talisker single malt Scotch whiskey chilled with ONLY two cubes of filtered ice. More than two cubes of ice WILL water down the Scotch. 

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The meat that was served was medium to medium rare A4 lamb chops spiced with 'braai' seasoning and a generous piece of juicy boerewors. Always a winner at a 'braai'. Nothing fancy but it really does hit the spot!

As always the side dishes included 'braai broodjies' and a green salad. A 'braai broodjie' is a toasted tomato and cheddar cheese closed white bread sandwich grilled on open coals. The filling for the 'braai broodjies' can change from 'braai' to 'braai' according to the host's personal liking. A typical 'braai broodjie' filling can range from just tomato and cheddar cheese too tomato, onion and cheddar cheese.

The salad that was served was NOT a typical salad that you would find at a traditional 'braai'. This lovely salad was a warm exotic mushroom and rocket salad with parmezan shavings on top. Simple but delicious.   

Here's how:

1) Saute your exotic mushrooms in butter.
2) Place the mushrooms on a bed of fresh rocket.
3) Generously sprinkle parmazan shavings on top.

Serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

A couple of my regular readers, but NOT subscribers, you know who you are, has asked me to do a piece on South African 'braais'. I hope you found this post as interesting and mouth watering as I have. As always, read eat and enjoy!