This recipe for Melting Moments was kindly shared by Fatima Sydow, a talented baker and cook. This is how Fatima describes her passion for cooking, “I cook and bake because I believe that's the closest I'll come to spending time with our dearly departed, our beloved ancestors who passed on these amazing recipes, for every recipe has a story, filled with love and family. ”

She loves the whole experience of being in the kitchen since she was a young little girl. She was 9 years old and she tried to make meringue and chocolate mousse, both were flops, but her tenacious personality made her determined to try again. She said, I was hooked. And as the saying goes, the rest is history.

Fatima lives in Cape town and she is an early retired baker who used to sell her products. She and her family run a catering company that specializes in Cape Malay cuisine. Her late mom used to cook for all the family functions. Fatima was her right hand person, making her first massive, 100 litre pot of delicious chicken curry on the fire. That was a special moment for her.

Tips from Fatima

If your biscuit bakes flat, it may be that you used too little flour or you used a margarine with too much water ratio to fat. Try to use butter only, if the butter is out of your budget, use a margarine with a 70% fat content.

Dip in melted chocolate and nuts. Add Smarties. Be creative. An old granny tip - Take only the nozzle and press the dough inside and let it fill over - keep in one palm of your hand. Take the thumb of your other hand and press the dough through keeping the nozzle down on your baking tray. Practice makes perfect.

Fatima's excellent recipes can be viewed at Cape Malay Cooking by Fatima