Making the most of the public holiday
It’s your duty to vote
The most important thing you have to do on 29 May 2024 is to make your mark. To go out into the streets, celebrate our robust democracy and the fact that we have had 30 years of democracy (warts and all) and feel a bit of Mzanzi Magic.
The second most important thing you should do is to treat yourself and your loved ones.
Let’s call it a reward for braving the voting lines and winter chills.
What better way to do this than by cooking up a showstopper winter dessert that’s is bound to get everyone’s vote, no matter the colour of your beret.
There are no fussy techniques or finicky ingredients in these recipes. They are just good old fashioned, home-made, comfort puddings.
First up is a classic from the US (who, incidentally, are also heading to the polls later in the year…)
Skillet-cookie.
This is a soft, doughy cookie (not a hard biscuit) that you load with chocolate chunks or nuts or sprinkles, bake in a pan, and then eat with ice-cream, straight from the oven.
And yes – it is exactly what it sounds like. (the Yanks call a pan a skillet..)
There are so many recipes and variations on this, but the basics stay the same. We have tried both, and these two recipes, by Martha Stewart and How Sweet Eats
Martha’s recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips and suggests adding chopped nuts to the batter. Her batter can also be frozen for a couple of months and then baked as and when you need your cookie fix.
How Sweat Eats’s recipe for their Salted Chewy Gooey Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie adds an interesting twist by sprinkling over course sea salt flakes and serving the cookie with vanilla ice-cream. Whichever recipe you choose, we promise it won’t disappoint.
Not a cookie fan? Pots de crème are the answer.
If you don’t like sharing dessert (we get it) and you are looking for a luxurious individual pudding, why not try a chocolate pot?
These delectable desserts are pure pamper in each bite. Each little pot is a perfectly balanced creamy, chocolaty treat. Something between a light chocolate mousse and a creamy ganache, there really is no comparison to the taste of a chocolate Pots de crème.
Note – these are also sometimes called chocolate possets or simply chocolate pots.
Although once again many recipes exist, they all have the same basic ingredients: cream, eggs and great quality chocolate.
No mess, no fuss, no bake!
Traditionally a bit tricky to make, because you basically make a chocolate custard that you have to bake, we have found an easy, no bake blender recipe that delivers all the flavour of a traditional pots de crème
Quick, sweet and easy.
This Café Sucre Farine recipe takes about a quarter of the time of a traditional chocolate pot, keeps your washing up and cleaning to a minimum and can be made ahead of time.
The variation-options are limitless, with everything form a kalua cream topping, to a caramel and mint version being explained on the blog. Whatever makes you happy!
