Christmas – Mabalingwe Nature Reserve Blog

Le Fera Loaded Brownies (with bells on!)

(makes 12 servings)

Ingredients

225g dark chocolate, 60% or darker

1 cup butter (230 g)

1 ½ cups sugar (300 g)

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

1 ⅓ cups flour (165 g)

ADD INS (load those babies!)

½ cup salted peanuts (60 g)

½ cup salted pretzels (60 g), crushed

½ cup popcorn (85 g)

½ cup white chocolate chips (85 g)

TOPPING (‘cos they’re not quite decadent enough yet!)

10 chocolate sandwich cookies (Romany Creams, or similar), chopped

CHOCOLATE SAUCE

1 cup chocolate chips (175 g)

1 cup cream (240 ml)

CARAMEL CRISPY RICE

1 cup brown sugar (220 g)

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons cream

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup Rice Krispies

Preparation

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Melt chocolate and butter over a double boiler until melted.

Add sugar and mix well.

Add vanilla extract and salt.

Whisk in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated and batter is glossy.

Fold in flour gently until smooth.

Fold in add-ins.

Pour into greased 23x33cm pan. Bake 25–30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

To make the Caramel Crispy Rice, melt all the ingredients in a medium-sized heavy bottom sauce pan until boiling. Cook for 3 minutes on medium heat while stirring to prevent burning. Add the Rice Krispies and toss until coated, spread evenly onto lined sheet tray and allow to cool.

For the Chocolate Sauce, microwave the chocolate chips and cream in 30-second intervals until smooth.

Allow brownies to cool 15 minutes before drizzling with the Chocolate Sauce, crumbled biscuits and caramel rice.

Cut and serve.

Enjoy!

This Christmas Biltong Stuffing is something reminiscent of South African braai days, of afternoons spent watching rugby and of road trips when you need “padkos”. During the Festive Season it is very easy to get swept up in the traditions of other countries – where they celebrate with large turkey dinners, knitted Rudolf jerseys (not that this is ever appropriate in December South African heat), and all things jolly on snowy evenings – that little room is left for the South African flair. This is, of course, due to the fact that our technology spams us with the beauty and soul-satisfying foodie eats from America, Switzerland and the UK (amongst others). So why not set a unique South African spin on a dish that has become a staple at this time of year?

Cook: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

1kg Pork Sausages
250g Biltong, as you prefer
180g Onion
50g Walnuts, Chopped
3 Free Range Eggs
4 Tots of Brandy
100g White Breadcrumbs
1 Packet Stuffing Spice, available at most grocers
Salt and Pepper, to taste

VARIATIONS

Try a vegetarian-friendly version! There are many delicious stuffing recipes using couscous and dried fruits in place of sausage.
Make your own stuffing spice mix using powdered: 1 tsp. garlic, 2 tsp. thyme, 2 tsp. sage, 1 tsp. cloves, 1 tsp. paprika as well as salt and pepper, to taste.

METHOD

Dice and sauté the onion until aromatic and yellowed. Set aside.

Using a sharp knife cut a slit along the pork sausage casings and squeeze the mince out into a bowl. Discard the sausage casings.

Dice the biltong into smaller pieces.

Now you can mix all of the ingredients into the pork mince, until well-combined, and season with salt and pepper. Be careful with over seasoning as both the sausages and the stuffing spices contain salt.

This mixture is now ready to be stuffed into the cavity of the bird for cooking later.

Alternatively, place the stuffing mixture into greased tinfoil, shape into a rectangular mound, wrap it up tight and bake at 180°C for approximately 30 minutes. Serve with a sticky sweet chutney, or plain.

And enjoy!