Astrid, Author at The Sweet Rebellion
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Muffins & Buns, Recipes / 04.05.2024

In celebration of National Doughnut Day, I wanted to make some filled doughnuts as it's something I haven't done before. (Side note: technically this is an American holiday, but I tend to get on board with foodie days because why not!)To help me decide on a filling, I asked my Instagram followers to vote between 4 options. The options were Biscoff, Nutella, Caramel/Peppermint Crisp or Vanilla custard. It was a very close race, but these classic vanilla custard doughnuts came out tops. I was secretly quite pleased as these were the ones I was hoping to make! I've often thought...

2 Likes
Jams and Preserves, Recipes / 09.04.2024

Whenever I'm faced with a large quantity of ripe fruit that I can't get through quickly enough, I usually choose to A) freeze it or B) make a jam or curd. Since fruits generally contain a lot of water, their texture will change on freezing and defrosting. This is because the water inside the fruit cells expands on freezing, and the ice crystals rupture the cell walls. Once defrosted, the fruit will inevitably be soft and soggy. This is not an issue if you're planning on using the thawed fruit for smoothies, juices or sauces but if you're planning on...

1 Like
Biscuits & Cookies, Recipes / 24.03.2024

I realised recently that I have four macaron recipes on the blog, yet somehow I never got round to sharing my all-time favourite - Chocolate Macarons! For the most part, once you've mastered a basic macaron recipe, you can make just about any type of macaron you want by simply changing what flavour and colour you add, and using different fillings (buttercream, ganache etc). All of my macaron recipes are based on one standard recipe. In order to make these Chocolate macarons I had to tweak the recipe slightly. The reason for this is that the addition of cocoa powder...

3 Likes
Biscuits & Cookies, Desserts, Recipes / 26.02.2024

27 February is National Milk Tart Day in South Africa. I love the fact that there is an entire day dedicated to this delicious dessert - not that I ever need an excuse to eat milk tart but it does always get me thinking of other ways to enjoy this lekker, local delight. The idea for these soufflés came to me late at night and I was so excited I started working on the recipe straight away! Since a milk tart filling is basically a cinnamon infused custard, and soufflés are essentially a combination of a custard and a meringue,...

3 Likes
Desserts / 18.02.2024

This is one of my favourite desserts when I need something comforting that requires minimum prep. Not only is it incredibly easy to make but is also very forgiving. Don't have maple syrup? Use honey. Don't have hazelnuts? Use almonds. Don't have vanilla pods? Use a teaspoon of cinnamon. Don't have rum? Use Frangelico or port. You can really get creative with the ingredients and customise it just to your liking. I've made this recipe many times with slightly different ingredients, and each time it is delicious! All that's needed is a something creamy on the side -...

2 Likes
Brownies & Bars, Recipes / 08.02.2024

I’ve long since been a fan of Millionaires Shortbread. If you’ve never had this decadent treat, it’s made up of crisp shortbread, a gooey caramel layer and finally a layer of chocolate. Very rich indeed, which is probably how it got its name! As if this treat wasn't tempting enough, I’ve made my own version with dark, milk and white chocolate on top. This looks incredibly impressive, but is simple to achieve with nothing more than a skewer. Plus, you don’t need a sugar thermometer to make the easy caramel layer, just plenty of Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter for that perfect...

5 Likes
Cakes & Cupcakes, Desserts, Recipes / 24.01.2024

Let me just be clear about one thing. I am completely and utterly addicted to Biscoff spread. This glorious stuff (also known as cookie butter or speculoos spread) is a made from speculoos cookie crumbs and has a lightly-spiced, biscuity, toffee flavour. The texture is similar to Nutella - thick and spreadable, and gloriously liquid when melted. Originally invented in Belgium, speculoos spread is popular in Europe and has recently grown a cult following in the US as well, where it is marketed as Biscoff. Sadly for South Africans, this product is not easily available. So you can imagine my...

6 Likes
Desserts, Recipes / 07.12.2023

SponsoredTrifle is one of my husband’s favourite desserts – and definitely his favourite Christmas dessert. That’s why I have quite a few trifle variations on my blog and couldn’t resist adding another one this year! This time I thought I’d use some of my favourite gingerbread biscuits to make little gingerbread trifles. Since pears work so well with the spicy ginger flavour of the biscuits, I used those for my fruit layer and then some ginger ale jelly for a little freshness. Of course, a trifle wouldn’t be a trifle without Danone Ultra Mel Vanilla Custard! In order...

4 Likes
Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts / 06.12.2023

When cherry season rolls around late November, I have so many recipe ideas that I can't wait to try. Whereas my Cherry Chocolate Mousse Tart falls more into the "dessert" category, these Cherry Cream Cheese Danishes are ideal to serve as a tea-time treat or a fancy brunch. The Danishes are best served straight from the oven (while the pastry is still crisp and the filling warm and bubbly) but what I love about this recipe is that you can make all the elements ahead of time, then simply assemble before serving and have them on the table in...

3 Likes
Desserts, Recipes, Tarts & Pastries / 30.11.2023

It was actually the beautiful crackly appearance of Choux Craquelin that tempted me to try it. But it's the amazing crunchy texture that has me making it again and again! Craquelin is a simple cookie-like dough made with just butter, sugar and flour. It is rolled very thin, cut into circles and placed on top of the choux buns (profiteroles) before baking. In the oven the craquelin bakes into the most delicious, crispy topping that totally transforms the choux buns. A really quick, easy step that is well worth the effort. The mousseline filling is essentially a crème pâtissière enriched with butter...

1 Like