Caramel Sponge Pudding

If ever there was an excuse to indulge in some comfort cooking, the chilly winter season is most definitely it. This latest recipe, which was featured in the May/June issue of Cheers magazine, has comfort food written all over it - a classic (dare I say old-fashioned) dessert that you can easily make at home on those cold days.

No-bake Chocolate Mousse Tart (Gluten free)

Credit for this heavenly recipe goes to my lovely mum. A light and creamy no-bake chocolate tart - it is one of our favourites and always a hit at family shindigs. If I had to imagine biting into a chocolate cloud I think it would be like eating a slice of this! 

Dark Chocolate and Amaretti Semifreddo

The unusual holiday heatwaves seem to be well and truly behind us here in Cape Town, and all of a sudden the dark, chilly mornings and early sunsets are more obvious and a reminder of the cold (and hopefully very rainy) months ahead. As I sit here I am wearing two jerseys and clutching a hot cup of tea and I had second thoughts about posting this recipe given the shift in seasons and the fact that this is a frozen dessert. Then I laughed at this silliness because frankly any time of the year is appropriate for a chocolate dessert, frozen or not. Who's with me? 

How to make easy rainbow meringues (and a rainbow cake!)

Crisp, white meringues are one my favourite things to make, but a few weeks ago I tried something a little different by adding some colours to the mix! The reason? I wanted to top my daughter's rainbow birthday cake with rainbow meringues. I had so many party guests (well, the parents) asking me for the recipe that I have decided to pop it on the blog this week along with my go-to meringue recipe. I am also sharing a few tips for making your own rainbow cake. 

Salted Caramel Toffee Chunk Ice Cream

Here I was thinking that this recipe would be a fully loaded last nod to summer (given the darker mornings and cooler evenings) when Cape Town surprised us with a whopper of a hot day yesterday. Temperatures soared as high as forty degrees in some places - definitely ice cream weather! We spent our public holiday wandering around the V&A Waterfront visiting our favourite haunts (the aquarium and food market are always a must) and strolling around the harbour past the buskers, interesting curio shops and overheating tourists. 

Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake

We are all about the birthday vibes at Cupcakes and Couscous HQ at the moment. If you read last week's post you might remember that we celebrated my daughter's 5th birthday, and this week my little blog... drum roll... turns four!

Chocolate and Kahlua Mousse Cups

Love it or hate it, Valentine's Day is just a few days away and what better excuse to indulge with something decadent and chocolatey. Not that I need a good reason... holiday or no holiday you do not have to ask me twice when it comes to anything chocolate related! Yes, I have been on somewhat of a chocolate mission recently and as a result this has inadvertently become the theme for the rest of February on the blog. I am sure you don't mind. 

Mince Pie Tart with Christmas Custard

Just a few days to go until Christmas (four sleeps to be precise), are you ready? We are looking forward to a family Christmas at home this year and will be celebrating with a relaxed festive lunch next to the pool - cannot wait!

Vanilla Bean and Almond Meringues with Mixed Berry Sauce

At the end of November we packed our bags and headed out of the burbs for a weekend in the Overberg. This was a welcome break after a busy few weeks on the home and work fronts, plus a chance to spend some quality family time together. Our destination was a farm called Landmeterskop near Stanford and were invited to join some good friends who had been there before. What a gem of a place! 

Sugar Free Chocolate Mousse

My regular readers will know that I love a fully loaded treat, but lately I have been on the look out for recipes that are both delicious but free from things like sugar and gluten. I notice such a difference in my energy levels when I avoid these (no more mid afternoon slumps), not to mention feeling more clear headed. So I was intrigued when my son's teacher told me about this amazing sugar free chocolate mousse - of course I had to try it!

Lemon Tart

This is a classic dessert and comes from one of my favourite cookbooks, "The Food of France". I have made this lemon tart many times and it always goes down well with a crowd! I love citrus puddings and bakes, and tarte au citron is one of my absolute favourites. The sweet pastry used in this recipe is also lovely to work with and can be used in all sorts of sweet tarts. 

Chocolate Meringue Pie

A month or two ago I was given a large bag of home grown lemons. My husband immediately requested a home made lemon meringue tart, and as it is also one of my favourites I happily obliged. While I was whisking up the meringue and lost in my own thoughts a wave of inspiration hit me - if I could make a lemon meringue pie, why not make a chocolate meringue pie? (I often have chocolate on the brain, so this sudden idea should not be too surprising.)

Brown Butter Cupcake Brownies

I have a lovely cousin in the U.K. (hi Jules!) and every so often she sends me scrumptious recipes that she finds on the web. A few weeks ago she sent me this link and frankly, if you are going to put the words cupcake and brownie in the same sentence then you are guaranteed to get my attention...I had to try the recipe immediately! It was so darn delicious that I simply had to share it with all of you too.

Spiced Apple Pie with Creamy Caramel Custard

Spring has sprung, and in typical Cape Town fashion the weather has gotten itself all confused. It is getting lighter in the mornings (always a good sign), but you usually still need a jacket for the early mornings, short sleeves for when the sun is blazing at midday, and an umbrella on stand-by for any afternoon downpours. Basically you need to make like a scout and be prepared - for anything!

Saucy Chocolate and Coconut Puddings

While some may not share my sentiments I actually love the school holidays. No lunch boxes, no school runs, and just generally no rushing. Yes, it does mean that productivity grinds to a halt and there is the ever present risk of cabin fever, but how wonderful it is to have a short break from the regular routine and enjoy some quality time with the little ones. We have managed to do a couple of fun outings so far, but when it is cold outside we love to huddle into the kitchen and cook or bake (i.e. make a huge mess!) together.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Truffles and a food demo in Bloemfontein

Two weeks ago, after months of planning and anticipation, it was finally time to hop on a plane and fly to Bloemfontein where I had been invited to demonstrate some of my recipes to the lovely ladies of Bloemfontein Fynproewers. Exciting times! When I landed I was met at the airport by Alma, one of the committee members who took me straight to the demo venue where the other committee members were all busy in the kitchen preparing my dishes for the audience to taste the following day. I had a chance to get my bearings, check the recipes and also familiarise myself with the demonstration area. At this point the excitement and the nerves were really starting to kick in! 

Spiced Apple Slices

Earlier this year we had a few days away with friends in the lovely little town of Montagu. On the drive back to Cape Town my daughter wanted to see where all the apples are grown, but got more than she bargained for when we drove past orchard after orchard full of trees bursting with thousands of apples. She was absolutely delighted (and it was a beautiful drive)! 

Ginger Toffee Puddings

Years ago whilst I was living in the U.K. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go on some skiing trips. Or was I? Learning to ski the first time was terrifying, the second time it was slightly better but not great, and needless to say there was no third time! Dear husband took to it straight away and still pines for the slopes, but on the contrary - whizzing and zig zagging over the slippery ice while feeling that at any moment I might become imprinted onto the nearest tree is not for me as it turns out, and I am quite happy to keep my feet on solid ground!

Milk Tart Phyllo Cups

I am delighted to be teaming up with Mediterranean Delicacies today for a special, #AfroChic recipe that I am sure will entice your tastebuds. I am no stranger to this brand and their products are usually always found in our family picnic basket when we are out and about. But there is so much more to the Mediterranean Delicacies product range than just delicious dips and spreads. Did you know that their product line also includes olives, cheeses, seafood and pastries?

Nectarine Tarte Tatin

We are still enjoying stone fruit season here in sunny S.A. and I decided to take a punnet of gorgeous nectarines and turn them into a tarte tatin. It was pretty darn easy, and before I knew it the tart was in the oven and baking away.