Bake a Mother’s Day treat with Hirsch’s Ballito and win!

Get in the kitchen this Mother’s Day and you could win a prize from Hirsch’s Ballito.

Round up the kids and see if you can replicate one of these recipes from Luci Hirsch’s cook book Mum’s On The Run for a breakfast in bed treat for the person who is undoubtedly the heart of your home.

Send in a photo of you and the kids whipping up a batch of scones or fudge and you could win a R500 Hirsch’s voucher and a digital copy of Mum’s On The Run – for mum!

Email your photos to shane@hirschs.co.za or post them on the competition post on the Courier Facebook page.

The competition closes on Monday, May 11 at 12pm.

Recipes

Favourite Fudge

This ever-popular fudge recipe has been around since we first offered our microwave cookery classes in the 80s.

It is a staple to make for cake sales and fund-raisers; a great addition to the birthday party table; for something extra special after a dinner party; or just to have as a treat.

Makes about 36 squares

Ingredients

1 x 397g Tin condensed milk

500g Castor sugar (one packet)

125g Butter or margarine

5ml Vanilla essence

Steps

1. In a very large, hard plastic bowl, place condensed milk, castor sugar and butter.
2. Cook on 100 percent power for 2 minutes; mix well.
3. Cook a further 5 minutes on 100 percent power, and stir at least twice.
4. Reduce power to 70 percent and cook a further 5 – 8 minutes, stirring as often as necessary; when the mixture rises, it is important to stir.
5. Fudge will change colour and begin to show signs of coming away from the side of the bowl.
6. Add in vanilla essence and any other additions you may choose.
7. Beat well, but be very quick.
8. Pour into a greased 24 cm square container to set. Cut into squares with a wet knife before completely set.

Variations

• Add in 30ml cocoa powder.
• Add in 100g chopped nuts such as almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts
• Add in 50g glacé cherries, chopped
• Add in 75g chopped dried fruit
• Add in 75g chopped cranberries
• Add in 30g coconut (100 ml)
• Add in 100ml muesli
• Add in 100g chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
• Add in 100ml popped rice cereal
• Add in 100g chopped Turkish delight and 5 ml rose water
• Add in 100g toasted pistachio nuts or pine nuts
• Add in 3–5ml sea-salt flakes
• Add in 3ml dried chili flakes

Tips

• For softer fudge add in 5 ml white vinegar with the vanilla essence.
• DO NOT SET FUDGE IN THE REFRIGERATOR.
• Grease the lip of the bowl with butter before cooking, as this assists in preventing fudge from spilling over the lip.
• Fudge which remains toffee-like in texture, has not been cooked for long enough.

Four in one scones

Makes about 10 – 12 medium-sized scones

Ingredients

240g Cake flour (500 ml)

20ml Baking powder

60g Butter or margarine, cut into small pieces (60 ml)

30ml Castor sugar

125ml Milk, yoghurt, maas or buttermilk

1 Egg, beaten

To serve: 125ml whipped cream, and about 120ml strawberry jam

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas mark 7.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together.
3. Using a food processor is excellent for the making of pastry and scones. Add the flour and baking powder to the bowl of the food processor, which has been fitted with the double-knife stainless steel blade.
4. Add butter or margarine, and pulse machine to rub in.
5. Add in the sugar; pulse again.
6. Blend the milk, yoghurt, maas or buttermilk and the egg together; and, with the machine running, pour through the feeder tube.
7. The dough will come together in a ball. Stop the machine immediately, and place dough onto a lightly-floured work surface.
8. Pat out to 2 cm thick.(Do not roll out with a rolling pin: this will prevent scones from rising; also, light handling is required.)
9. Cut out shapes with a scone cutter dipped in cake flour.
10. Place onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Brush scone tops with a little milk or beaten egg, if desired.
11. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until well-risen and golden brown in colour.
12. Split open when cooled, and place a spoon of whipped cream on each scone, topped with about 5 ml of strawberry, raspberry or apricot jam.
13. Serve with butter, jam and grated cheese, as an alternative to the cream.

Variations

• Fruit Scones: Add 50 ml currants, raisins or sultanas to the rubbed-in mixture, before adding the liquid in step 5.
• Cheese Scones: Omit sugar. Add 40 g grated strong Cheddar cheese (100 ml), 5 – 10 ml dry mustard powder, and 1 ml ground cayenne pepper to the flour mixture, before adding the liquid in step 5.
• Savoury Scones: Omit sugar. Add 3 – 4 chopped spring onions, and 30 g grated strong Cheddar cheese (75 ml) to the flour mixture, before adding the liquid in step 5. When cool, split in half and sandwich together with a mild garlic or garlic and herb butter.

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