condensed milk everyone s guilty pleasure 01-09 prelims.indd 1 2014/01/13 2:04 PM
This book is dedicated to my beloved mother and to all who take delight in the good and beautiful things provided by God. acknowledgements: Thanks to John Joannou, Terry Joannou, Funni Stathakos, Penni Stathakos, Peter Stathakos, Ria Voulakis and Wilma Lensink for all the encouragement and help. 01-09 prelims.indd 2 2014/01/13 2:04 PM
Cleta Joannou condensed milk everyone s guilty pleasure 01-09 prelims.indd 3 2014/01/13 2:04 PM
First edition, first impression 2014 Human & Rousseau An imprint of NB Publishers, a division of Media24 Boeke (Pty) Ltd 40 Heerengracht, Cape Town, 8000 Copyright published edition: Human & Rousseau (2014) Copyright text: Cleta Joannou (2014) No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying and recording, or by any other information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Commissioning Editor: Daleen van der Merwe Photographer: Myburgh du Plessis Stylist: Sonja Jordt Assistant: Christine Capendale Editor: Joy Clack (Bushbaby Editorial Services) Proofreader: Laetitia Sullivan (Bushbaby Editorial Services) Design: Petaldesign Reproduction by Resolution Colour (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town Printed and bound by Craft Print, Singapore ISBN 978-0-7981-5937-1 EPUB 978-0-7981-5938-8 01-09 prelims.indd 4 2014/01/13 2:04 PM
introduction... 6 everything you need to know about condensed milk... 7 cook s guide... 8 ice creams... 10 cheesecakes... 34 cakes... 62 muffins, biscuits, slices & squares... 82 tarts, tartlets & sweet pies... 102 desserts... 136 sweet treats... 158 savoury, bread & rusks... 180 contents 01-09 prelims.indd 5 2014/01/13 2:04 PM
introduction Cooking is an art form, and recipe books tend to be lifetime possessions, so I have attempted to combine food, art and nature as a token of artistic originality and ornamentation. All the recipes contained in this book have been tried and tested to deliver as mouthwatering and delicious a product as possible. The recipes are geared towards food enthusiasts and first-time cooks from all economic profiles, and those who wish to satisfy their palates and those of their guests with honestto-goodness, authentic, home-made, fun, delicious and very-easy-to-make recipes. The recipes given here are for those heavenly indulgent moments on special occasions I don t wish to promote surplus intake of sugars. I have substituted sugar for the equivalent amount contained in condensed milk, and have endeavoured to reduce excessive richness in order to cater for all tastes. I have also tried to show how a little condensed milk with a touch of imagination can make for a delightful culinary experience. Please read the entire recipe beforehand, as there are some recipes that require preparation the day before. There may also be extra ingredients required to serve on the side or for decoration, or you may wish to consider the variations. Where an asterisk * appears after a word in the recipe, this refers to an explanation in the Cook s Guide on pages 8 9. You will also find many useful tips and hints in this section. I trust and hope you will enjoy the recipes as much as my friends and family have. Cleta Joannou Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31... no single existing thing is entirely deprived of participation in the beautiful, for, as the true Word says, all things are very beautiful. Holy contemplation can therefore be derived from all things. St. Dionysius the Areopagite introduction 01-09 prelims.indd 6 2014/01/13 2:04 PM
everything you need to know about condensed milk Full-cream sweetened condensed milk is prepared from standardised bovine milk and pure refined sugar. It does not contain any preservatives. It is manufactured under strict hygienic conditions and does not contain any foreign substances that may present a health risk. Sweetened condensed milk contains a high percentage of sugar (about 40%), up to 8% fats and 28% milk solids. All recipes that specify condensed milk in this book refer to sweetened condensed milk. The shelf life of condensed milk is 12 months in the unopened original packaging if stored under cool (10 25 C) and dry conditions. Typical nutritional information Amount per 100 g Amount per serving (25 g) Energy = 1 381 kj 414 kj Protein = 7.9 g 2 g Fat = 8.7 g 2.2 g Carbohydrates = 54 g 14 g Dietary fibre = 0 g 0 g Sodium = 127 mg 32 mg Calcium = 284 mg 71 mg Butterfat = 8.0 8.7% Total solids = 71 75% Fat-free milk solids = 20% Did you know that condensed milk was one of the first convenience foods ever invented? Condensed milk is made from pure full-cream cow s milk that has been pasteurised and preserved only by concentration and the addition of the best refined sugar. This special blend of milk and sugar gives condensed milk its unique taste perfect for making a wide variety of sweets, puddings and desserts. everything you need to know about condensed milk 01-09 prelims.indd 7 2014/01/13 2:04 PM
Cook s guide Hints and tips All cream cheeses and butter used in the recipes must be at room temperature so that they combine properly with the other ingredients. Eggs should preferably also be at room temperature, especially when making meringues. Seeds of vanilla pods or vanilla paste is preferable to vanilla essence. Ready-made, unbaked pie crusts may be used instead of short crust pastry crusts. Ready-made pie crusts may be used for a quick alternative in most unbaked crust recipes. To reduce sweetness in the recipes that use chocolate as an ingredient, use semi-sweet chocolate. When using baking paper with pencil markings, place the marked side of the template face down. If the cake is too large, make two small cakes in two 16 cm diameter cake tins. Freeze the second cake without its topping, or decorate it and give it to someone as a gift. Salted butter and unsalted butter are interchangeable in these recipes, unless stated otherwise. All eggs used are large, unless stated otherwise. Freezing Avoid using reduced-fat cream for freezing as it will become watery. Rather use full-fat cream and just eat a smaller portion. Cheesecakes with gelatine must set in the refrigerator before they can be frozen. It is not recommended to freeze ice creams, cheesecakes and cakes for longer than a month. Freeze cakes without the toppings. Freezing is not recommended if not specified in a recipe. Water bath or bain-marie Place the ovenproof dish required in the recipe in the centre of a deep oven roasting pan and half-fill the pan with boiling water. Bake as directed in the recipe. Double boiler Use a heatproof (metal or glass) bowl that fits snugly over the top of a saucepan. Add boiling water to the saucepan to about a quarter full it should not touch the bottom of the bowl and simmer on low heat. Place the specified ingredients in the bowl and stir until they melt or thicken (do not allow it to boil). Remove from the heat and proceed as the recipe directs. cook s guide 01-09 prelims.indd 8 2014/01/13 2:04 PM
Dissolving gelatine For best results, sprinkle the gelatine powder over a liquid as directed in the recipe, in a heatproof (metal or glass) jug, and allow it to sponge. Place the jug in a small saucepan with simmering water and stir until the sponged gelatine dissolves. (Do not allow it to boil.) The sponged gelatine may also be dissolved over a double boiler. The same amount of agar-agar (vegetarian gelatine powder) can be used as a substitute, but dissolve it in a liquid by simmering and stirring it on medium heat. If using gelatine leaves (gold leaf is preferable), each leaf is equivalent to 2 ml (just less than ½ tsp) gelatine powder. Soak the leaves in cold water for 5 minutes before dissolving in a warm liquid. Make sure there is a liquid ingredient in the recipe that can be warmed to dissolve the soaked gelatine leaves. If not, use gelatine powder instead. Greasing cake tins and moulds Use non-stick spray or soft butter (when baking) to grease tins and moulds, and use baking paper to line cake tins. Spray ordinary foil with non-stick spray to make non-stick foil. Baking paper or silicone mats are ideal for lining baking trays. Baking blind After lining the greased pie or cake tin with the pastry, cover the pastry with baking paper or non-stick foil and fill with dried beans or rice. Bake in a preheated oven as directed in the recipe. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes, or as directed in the recipe. Conversions 1 ml = ¼ tsp 2.5 ml = ½ tsp 5 ml = 1 tsp 15 ml = 1 Tbsp 60 ml = 4 Tbsp or ¼ C 80 ml = 1 /3 C 125 ml = ½ C 160 ml = 2 /3 C 190 ml = ¾ C 250 ml = 1 C cook s guide 01-09 prelims.indd 9 2014/01/13 2:04 PM