Braai Broodjies for Heritage day + a prize!

Heritage day is around the corner and I have paired up with Netflorist to give away an awesome prize. It is proudly South African and it is perfect for the man in your life! Netflorist caters for all occasions, not just the one’s we remember such as heritage day! Read to the end to see the giveaway. 
I am a braai loving gal and pride myself on my ability to cook with fire. I have my father to thank for that! 
All the countless braai nights and fire builds were not in vain! 

I decided to share a fun recipe that is not only delicious but also gives you a great vegetarian option for braai day. Whether you choose to snack on it or make it the main event, that’s up to you. 

Braai broodjies (BBQ toasted sandwiches) are one of my favourite things at a braai. I mean, let's be honest, cheese on fresh bread flamed to perfection is heaven. These are no different. I’ve shared a basic cheese and tomato because I feel everyone needs that in his or her arsenal and I have also shared a slightly more fancy one. The secret is in the quality cheese and bread so try and find great sourdough that has been freshly baked and melt in your mouth good cheese. 

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Serves 5

Ingredients: 

1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 large red onion, sliced
1 loaf sourdough
200 grams butter
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
250 grams Raclette cheese, grated
250 grams Boerekas or mature cheddar, grated
1 plum tomato, sliced
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 handful fresh rocket
100 grams sundried tomatoes in olive oil
Salt and pepper 

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Instructions:

In a medium frying pan over a medium heat add a teaspoon of coconut oil. 
Add 3/4 of the sliced onion and gently sauté until soft. Add the balsamic and reduce until the onions become sticky. Once ready set aside. 

Slice the sourdough into even 1cm think pieces. 
Butter both sides of each slice generously. 

Now it is time to build the sandwiches. 
Start with a smear of Dijon mustard. Then add a generous amount of both kinds of cheese. 
For half the toasties add a layer of the fresh onion that you saved. Then add the fresh tomato. Close the sandwiches.
For the other half add the sundried tomatoes and the balsamic onions. Top it with the rocket and close the toasties. 
Season the toasties and they are ready to cook! 

Add them to the braai when the fire is hot. I like to add mine to the side so that they do not burn and get a chance to melt. Once the toast is golden and the cheese has melted, about 6 minutes, they are ready! 

Feast! 

***Competition closed

Prize time: I am giving away a custom engraved biltong slicer to one lucky reader! 

All you have to do is comment below with your best braai memory and follow both Netflorist and me on Instagram and you could win! T's and C's apply. Competition for South African residents only. Entries close 21st September at 12 noon. Prize not redeemable for cash. 

Instagram handles:
@netflorist
@trufflejournal

-Melissa 

Blueberry banana bread

I have always been a bit of a fiend for a sugary crust. 
The specific crunch that sugar can create on a crust is perfection. 
Think back to that moment of bliss when you closed your eyes and did a little happy dance over that morsel you just popped in your mouth. 

I suppose it's all about the simple things. Simple things that have the ability to invoke a powerful emotional response.
Complex in their simplicity - these moments and experiences always have so much more going on that meets the eye. 

Unfortunately, it is oftentimes the simple things that are most taken for granted.
In a recent collaboration with Country Road, I had to stop and think about the simple things in life. 
The basics that move me. 

Baking in my kitchen is a staple to my happiness. Only then am I in my element with all my senses being nourished.
To smell a fresh loaf of bread in the oven, to breathe it in and have your heart warmed by it is a simple pleasure that I could go not without. 
In one breath, it has the power to bring my entire childhood back into the here and now rendering me overcome with memories long since forgotten and a lingering feeling of nostalgia that can last for days.

After much thought, I decided to combine my thoughts on these 'simple things' and share something truly special with you.
The Result?

A simple yet sentimental loaf of banana blueberry bread with the ultimate sugary crust.
The baking is a labor of love and smelling it will bring you untold happiness and, well, tasting? You decide. 
Create a moment of reflection for yourself.  

What are your simple things? 

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Serves: 6 cooktime: 1h 30m

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas, smashed - don't have ripe bananas? Put them in the oven at 100 degree Celsius for 40 minutes
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup desiccated coconut
• ½ cup of blueberries (frozen or fresh)
• 1 fresh banana sliced to top the bread.
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

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Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Grease your bread loaf tin a 4x8 inch or 10 x 20cm

In a large bowl using an electronic mixer mix the butter and the mashed bananas.

Mix in the sugar, egg and vanilla.

Add the baking soda and salt and mix it into the batter

Add the flour and coconut and beat, do not over beat the batter. Using a spatula gently fold in blueberries. Be carseful to not break them as you will get a blue banana bread. Top the bread with the sliced banana and sprinkle the top with the sugar. This will result in a perfect crust.

Add your mixture to your baking tin and bake for 1 hour.

Allow cooling on your cooling rack in the tin for 15 minutes and then let it cool further out of the tin.

-Melissa

This blog post is sponsored by Country Road. All homeware can be shopped here.
 

caramelised onion, olive and rosemary focaccia

Everybody loves a carb. You can say what you like but anything to do with fresh bread is more often than not, salivated over. Not to say I am not for a healthy option on my day-to-day eating, as difficult as it can be but this focaccia takes carb loving to another dimension. Get your running shoes ready because when this focaccia comes out of the oven you will feel as if you are carbo-loading for a race. You won't just have one bite. It will turn your kitchen into a delicious smelling bakery that will leave you waiting anxiously peeping into the oven to see when it is done. Luckily the bake time isn't too bad and once it is out, you will have the ultimate focaccia, to not only eat as is but to transform into any delicious sandwich after.  

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serves: 8-10

ingredients:

• 5ml sugar
• 125ml tepid water
• 10g dry yeast
• 150ml boiling water
• 10ml sugar
• 15ml salt
• 60ml olive oil
• 150ml cold water
• 750g cake flour
• caramelised onions

Topping:

• rosemary sprigs
• pitted kalamata olives
• 3 large red onions, sliced
• large knob of butter
• 2 cups balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 3 sprigs rosemary

Instructions for caramelised onions:

Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan and sauté onions until translucent. 

Add the vinegar, sugar and rosemary sprigs and cook on medium heat until vinegar has been reduced and onions are soft

Spice additions:

Thyme, mustard seeds, chilli flakes

Red wine can be substituted for the balsamic vinegar for a different flavour.

Instructions for bread:

Preheat oven to 230C.

Mix together 5ml sugar and tepid water. If your water is too hot it will kill your yeast. Stir in yeast and set aside to let it activate.

Combine 150ml-boiling water with 10ml sugar, salt and oil in a jug.

Add 150ml cold water and combine with yeast mixture.

Sift the flour into a large bowl, make a well in the center and tip in the yeast mixture. Mix to a soft dough adding extra liquid or flour as needed.

Tip dough onto a flour surface and cover with an upturned bowl and allow to relax for 5mins.

Knead thoroughly until smooth, elastic and no longer sticky at least 10mins. if you are using an electric mixer with a dough hook, put it on a medium speed for 10 minutes. 

Turn into an oiled bowl cover with a tea towel and set in a warm place to double its bulk. If you don't have a sunny window let it stand next to a warm oven. 

Roll out the dough and place on an oiled baking sheet.  Press firmly over the surface of the bed forming indentations. Allow bread to double in size once more.

Brush the surface heavily with olive oil, spread caramelised onions evenly over, as well as olives and rosemary. Season with sea salt flakes.

Put in the oven and immediately reduce temperature to 200C.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden once cooled slice into soldiers. Serve with balsamic and olive oil for dunking!

-Melissa

easter ring

There is something special about growing up in a family that honours tradition. I can say that because I am lucky enough to have a mother, that no matter what takes time out of her busy life for the little moments that I will cherish forever. Be it baking on Easter or decorating our Christmas tree. 

I grew up at her knee learning how to bake and be the woman that I am today. She is my best friend and my rock. I am sure that there will be many posts up on my blog where I speak of her. She is a taste connoisseur in my eyes and a master of flavours. She is possibly the birthplace of The Truffle Journal and all things food in my life, unless I go further back to my grandmother.

But back to tradition. Its something I value and something I hope to share. That magical moment in the kitchen baking Easter rings or setting up osterzweig (a German tradition) is something that will stay with me forever. I hope that by trying this Easter ring and sharing it around a table with loved ones will inspire you to do it every year and to bake it with your children, nieces or grandchildren. It has all the essentials to qualify as a glorified hot cross bun meets cinnamon bun, that is a game changer for Easter!

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Serves: 8

Ingredients

Dough:

•   500g flour, sifted

•   5ml salt

•   55g sugar

•   10ml ground mixed spice

•   10ml ground nutmeg

•   5ml ground cinnamon

•   10g instant dry yeast

•   60g butter

•   150ml milk

•   1 egg, beaten

•   125ml lukewarm water

•   150g cake fruit mix

Filling:

•   80g butter

•   60g castor sugar

•   30ml cinnamon

•   180g cake fruit mix

•   1 egg

•   12.5ml milk

Icing:

•   85g icing sugar, sifted
•   15ml water or brandy depending on what you like
•   5ml vanilla essence

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Instructions:

Dough:

In a mixing bowl combine the first six ingredients. Once combined sprinkle dry yeast over.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter in the milk. Once melted set aside to cool.

Add the dry ingredients together including the fruit with the egg, milk and butter mixture and enough lukewarm water until it forms a soft pliable dough. You can do this part in a mixer if you wish using a dough hook. Knead for 10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. It shouldn't be too sticky. If it is, add a little flour until the dough is balanced. 

Lightly flour your counter and place the dough on the surface, covering it with a greased glass mixing bowl.

Allow to rest in a warm environment for 20 minutes. (I leave my oven on to warm my kitchen or put the dough in the sun.)

Once dough has rested you will roll out into a roughly 35cm by 25cm rectangle. Don’t forget to flour your surface when rolling so that it doesn't stick to the counter.

Filling:

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Once this has creamed spread it all over the rectangle like you are buttering toast!

Sprinkle the cinnamon over the butter and then top the rectangle with the fruit mix.

Next you're going to roll up your rectangle like a Swiss roll. Starting at the long side tightly roll up the whole rectangle.

Place it on a lightly greased baking tray, shaping it into a ring. Score the ring into 5cm slices. Keeping slices joined near the inner circle. 

Cover with greased cling wrap and leave in a warm place for a further 10 minutes or until your ring has doubled in size.

In a small jug mix your egg and milk. Brush over the ring after it has risen.

Bake at 200°c, 20-25 minutes. Your ring should be golden brown. If you tap on it and its sounds hollow, it's ready!

Allow to cool

Icing sugar:

Mix your icing sugar with the water and vanilla, make sure you do not have any lumps.

Drizzle it over your ring-when it comes to this part I always say, don't be shy!

You can decorate your ring with cherries if you wish!

-Melissa

banana bread

There is something so deeply nostalgic for me about banana bread. The minute I smell it, it takes me back to warm memories of my childhood, my grand parents and school lunch boxes.

I remember eating it in the holidays at my grandparent’s house after digging in the garden for worms with my grandfather. A great cup of sweet tea and loads of butter always accompanied it. Shortly afterwards we would go fishing with the worms we caught in his strawberry patch.

I was never short of a sandwich trade when ever I opened my lunch box and the wonderfully sweet smell of the banana bread would float out and kiss the noses of my friends. They would all lunge at the opportunity of grabbing a bite or a trade!

This banana bread is great because I have kicked it up a notch with a rich cream cheese frosting, which is silky smooth. You can always leave it off and just have it with butter. Plain or not this banana bread is quick to make and stays beautifully in the fridge for any occasion.

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Serves: 6

Ingredients:

•   3 ripe bananas, smashed - don't have ripe bananas? Put them in the oven at 100 degree Celsius for 30 minutes

•   1/3 cup melted butter

•   3/4 cup sugar

•   1 egg, beaten

•   1 teaspoon vanilla extract

•   1 teaspoon baking soda

•   Pinch of salt

•   1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

•   1/2 cup pecan nuts, chopped

•   1/4 cup desiccated coconut

•   250g cream cheese

•   1 tsp. vanilla extract

•   1/3 cup icing sugar

•   1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Pecan nuts for decoration

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instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180°c

Grease your bread loaf tin a 4x8 inch or 10 x 20cm

In a large bowl using an electronic mixer mix the butter and the mashed bananas.

Next mix in the sugar, egg and vanilla.

Next add the baking soda and salt and mix it into the batter

Add the flour to the batter and mix it in, careful to not over beat the batter.

Lastly add in the pecan nuts and coconut. Mix again just until all the ingredients are evenly combined.

Add your mixture to your baking tin and bake for 1 hour.

Allow to cool on your cooling rack in the tin for 15 minutes and then let it cool further out of the tin.

Now lets get started with the cream cheese frosting:

Sieve your icing sugar into your mixing bowl.

Add all the remaining ingredients and mix. Do not over mix the cream cheese or it will go too soft.

Ice your banana bread and top with pecan nuts for decoration.

Enjoy!

-Melissa