Cook up a storm this Mother’s Day to treat yours

WITH Mother’s Day coming up, if you haven’t decided yet on a gift, here are some mouth-watering treats that will have you cook up a storm.

Taken from the Cape Town-based food stylist and blogger Sam Linsell, here are some of her Mother’s Day recipes that will have your mom smiling from ear to ear.

My grandmother Betty’s crunchie recipe: it’s legendary WHAT YOU NEED:

230gm butter

1tbs golden syrup

2 cups of oats

1 cup of flour

1 cup coconut

1 cup brown sugar

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

INSTRUCTIONS:

* Preheat the oven to 180°C.

* Mix the flour, oats and coconut in a bowl.

* Melt the butter in a small pot and then add the syrup and sugar and heat.

* When the butter is bubbling, add the bicarb and stir through and remove from the heat.

* Pour the butter mixture into the dry ingredients and stir together by hand.

* Using the back of a metal spoon, gently press the crunchie mixture into a greased or lined baking tray (30cm x 20cm or similar, depending on how thick you like the crunchies).

* Bake for 15 minutes at 180°C, then turn the oven down to 160°C and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden brown.

* Allow to cool in the pan before slicing.

Victorian sponge cake with strawberry jam

WHAT YOU NEED:

225gm butter 225gm castor sugar

4 medium free-range eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

225g self-raising flour

1½ tsp baking powder

100ml milk

Icing/frosting filling:

100g butter ,softened

140g icing sugar, sifted

½tsp vanilla extract

1-2 tsp milk

160g Bonne Maman strawberry preserve

Icing sugar for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS:

* Preheat the oven to 190°C and line two 20cm springform baking tins with baking paper.

* Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and castor sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

* Add each egg one at a time, ensuring it’s well incorporated before adding the next one. Add the vanilla extract.

* Sift the flour and baking powder twice and then add that to the cake batter while mixing on low. Add the milk and briefly whisk to combine. Do not over mix.

* Scrape down the bowl of the mixer and divide the batter evenly between the two cake tins. Even the top out with a spatula.

* Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown and springy to the touch. The cake is done when you insert a sharp knife into the middle, and it comes out clean.

If necessary and to prevent over-browning, loosely cover the cakes from about 10 minutes into the baking time.

* Cool on a rack.

* Make the icing by whisking all the ingredients until pale and fluffy.

* Assemble the cake, starting with a layer of icing then a layer of Bonne Maman preserve.

Place the second layer on top and dust with icing sugar.

SAM LINSELL CRUNCHIES made with my grandmother Betty’s recipe. |

SAM LINSELL VICTORIAN sponge cake. |