LEMON COOKIES

Ingredients:
160 grams flour
100 grams sugar
60 grams butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 egg
½ teaspoon baking powder

Sift the flour with the baking powder, add the grated lemon zest, stir well and set it aside. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the egg and the lemon juice and blend. To that, add the flour mixture and mix until it forms a very soft dough. Put the dough in the fridge for about half an hour, to chill; then divide it into 16 cookies, arrange them on a cookie sheet lined with baking paper, and bake in a preheated oven, at 180˚C, for 10-12 minutes.

MOSBOLLETJIES

Ingredients:
500 grams grapes
400 grams flour
100 ml milk
60 grams butter
20 grams fresh yeast (10 gr dried yeast)
4 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt

Put the grapes in a deep bowl and press them well. Let them stand for 24 hours, then strain the must, measure out 100 ml and gently heat it. Add the yeast, mix well and leave it for about 20 minutes, to activate. Sift the flour and salt, add the sugar and butter. Gently heat the milk, whisk the egg and stir in the must with the yeast. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, pour in the yeast and must mixture and knead until you have a soft dough (about 10 minutes).

Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with cling film and leave it to prove for one hour. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, knock it back and shape into small balls. Arrange them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, cover with cling film (lightly oil it, to keep it from sticking to the dough), and leave it again to prove, for another hour. Glaze the top of the rolls with a bit of the leftover grape must, and bake, in a preheated oven, at 180˚C, for about 20 minutes.

CINNAMON WALNUT MUFFINS

Ingredients
250 grams plain flour
200 grams vanilla yoghurt
150 grams butter
200 grams brown sugar
3 medium eggs
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
100 grams raisins
100 grams walnuts

Preparation

Place the raisins to soak in hot water, and melt the butter (in a double boiler or in a microwave). Remove it from the heat, add the brown sugar and beat with an electric mixer on high speed, until the butter cools down. Add the eggs, one by one, beating well after each; and then add the yoghurt. When the batter is well combined, add the vanilla, spices, well-drained raisins, and chopped walnuts, and combine with a wooden spoon or a spatula. In the end, add the flour sifted with the baking powder and combine well. Divide into 15 muffin cups and bake in a preheated oven, at 190˚C, for about 20 minutes. Serve with tea or coffee. Yields 15 muffins.

PEANUT MUSHROOM PASTA

Ingredients:
400 grams white button mushrooms
200 ml double cream
150 grams finely crushed peanuts
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 large onion
400 grams pasta

Finely chop up the onion and sauté it on a tablespoon of oil, until translucent. To that, add the chopped up mushrooms and sauté, occasionally stirring and adding more water (I added about 200 ml in total), for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, put the pasta in a lot of salted water and cook al dente. In another bowl, mix the double cream and the tomato paste and set aside. When the mushrooms are cooked and ready, puree them completely in a blender, slowly adding the cream and tomato paste mixture. Pour it into the serving bowl, tip in the crushed peanuts (leave a bit for sprinkling on top), and serve immediately with cooked pasta.

GARLIC CHEESE DIP

Ingredients:
250 grams cottage cheese
100 grams sour cream
100 grams Mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon yellow mustard

Put the cottage cheese in a large bowl, add the sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, minced garlic and shredded Mozzarella cheese, and beat well with a hand mixer (or combine in a blender). Put the dip in the fridge for at least two hours and serve well chilled with chips, pita bread or fresh vegetables.

CHEESE BARS

Ingredients
350 grams Graham flour
250 grams cottage cheese
200 grams yoghurt
1 egg
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 teaspoons baking powder

Preparation

Using a mixer, beat the cheese with the yoghurt, yolk, oil and red pepper flakes until creamy. To that, add the baking powder and continue beating for a minute or two more. Add the flour in a few additions, mixing at first with a wooden spoon, and then with your hands, until you get a firm dough that does not stick to your hands. You will need about 300 grams of flour to achieve that, the rest you use for the kneading and rolling the dough. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, knead briefly, then roll out to about 5 mm thickness and cut into small bars (yields about 80 of them). Beat the egg white with a pinch of salt, then glaze the prepared bars. Bake in a preheated oven, at 180˚C, for 15-18 minutes. Serve with yoghurt.

QUICK MEAT PIES

Ingredients
400 grams lean ground beef
200 grams sour cream
200 grams yoghurt
180 grams flour
1 egg
1 large onion
3 teaspoons baking powder

Preparation

Finely chop or grate the onion, mix well with the ground beef and put in a large, cold sauté pan. Cook the beef and the onion until brown, breaking the meat up as you cook, then put the spices of your choice (salt, pepper, oregano) and set it aside to cool. In another bowl, make the egg and flour batter. Whisk up the egg just to break it up, and then mix well with the sour cream and yoghurt. Sift the flour and the baking powder, and combine with the egg batter. In the end, fold in the cooked meat. Lightly grease the muffin tin or line it with muffin liners, pour in the pie batter and bake, in a preheated oven, at 200˚C, for about 25–30 minutes (do the toothpick test). Serve slightly cooled with yoghurt and a salad of your choice.