Served with cinnamon ice cream and brandy snaps. Fruit crumbles are extremely popular at Wickedfood cooking school, especially in a group cooking classes, and this recipe is a perennial favourite at La Petite Ferme restaurant in Franschhoek, that the staff dare not remove from the menu. Source a good vanilla ice cream, or use homemade to accompany the crumble. The recipe is from our cookbook-of-the-week,  Franschhoek Food.

Crumble Topping

Brandy snaps

1. Combine , sugar and spices in a large pan, and cover with the water. Bring to a simmer, stirring gently, until the sugar has dissolved. Continue simmering until the plums are tender but not mushy – the time will depend on the firmness and variety. Leave to cool, then drain the plums and remove their stones and the spices.
2. Divide the plums among 4 ovenproof moulds or spoon them into one medium-sized flan dish.

Crumble Topping

1. Melt the butter and stir in the castor sugar until well mixed.
2. Stir in the flour and cinnamon, then add the mint and knead lightly until you have a soft, smooth dough.
3. Chill in the fridge until firm enough to grate.
4. Using the coarse side of a grater, grate the dough over the plums, then bake the dessert at 180°C for about 10 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.

Brandy snaps

1. Melt the butter and honey together.
2. Add the castor sugar and beat until the mixture is thick and creamy, then stir in the flour. Chill the dough until firm.
3. Roll small chunks of dough into balls, and place on a greased baking tray, well spaced to allow for spreading. Bake at 180°C for 10-12 minutes, until the snaps are a deep golden brown.
4. Remove and leave to cool for a few minutes until they are not too hot to handle. Either mould them around an oiled spoon handle to make ‘cigars’ or cut into desired shapes. This recipe makes about 24.

To Serve

1. Accompany portions of plum crumble with a scoop of ice cream and finish with a brandy snap.

Serves 4-6

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Franchhoek is justly regarded as South Africa’s food capital, and has more good restaurants than any other town in South Africa.  Many of the leading chefs practise their culinary skills in the town, and it is such a food mecca that even the likes of the world’s top chef, Heston Blumenthal, has considered setting up in the town.

Franchhoek Food by Myrna Robins features 18 of the Valley’s best chefs, including Matthew Gordon, Reuben Riffel, Topsi Venter and Margot Janse. And apart from these superstars, there are also features on a number of the perhaps lesser known chefs who are also carving out a niche for themselves:

• Neil Jewell, of Bread & Wine, who is continually producing some of the best processed meats in the valley, if not in the country;
• La Petite Ferme -  with arguably the best restaurant view in the country, just have a look at the website, who specialize in hearty home cooking with flavour – Click Here for a delicious recipe from the restaurant; and
• Sandra Van Zyl of Kalfi’s, who despite only having 10% vision, manages continually to serve some of the best  South African traditional Cape cooking in the valley. Try her pickled fish, chicken pie or bobotie recipes.
  

This is haute cuisine cooking, with a touch of  history and some great photography of the finished dishes. Although many of the dishes are quite sophisticated, there are a number of dishes that are very easy to create in the home kitchen to impress friends and family.

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.