Mrs, Beatrice Tollman's Recipes

Mrs. Beatrice Tollman is the Founder and President of the award-winning Red Carnation Hotel Collection,  which includes three properties in South Africa: The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, The Oyster Box and Bushman’s Kloof. These properties are featured on many of our luxury South Africa itineraries.

Recently, Mrs. Bea Tollman was recognized by her peers in the hospitality industry with a 2016 Catey Lifetime Achievement Award for her lifelong commitment to outstanding service, luxury and quality. She is also renowned for her outstanding recipes—many of which are featured in her cookbook “A Life In Food”. These recipes have been perfected over the years and are now staples of the Red Carnation Hotel collection.

To celebrate Bea Tollman’s achievement, we decided to roll up our sleeves and make some of her most requested desserts: Meringue Layer Cake and Honeycomb Ice Cream.

  

Meringue Layer Cake

This is a favorite at the 5-Star Oyster Box Hotel in Durban South Africa and, after sampling it ourselves, it is easy to see why! This delicious and beautiful dish was a hit with all who tried it.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

• 4 large egg whites
• 220g caster sugar, sieved
• Confectioner’s sugar
• Parchment paper

 

For the Filling

• 2 egg whites
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa
• 125g sweet chocolate, melted

Whisk the egg whites in a large clean bowl with an electric hand whisk on a low speed for 45 seconds until they are foaming. Switch to medium speed and whisk for a further 2 minutes, then turn the whisk to high speed until the whites are stiff. Still on high speed, slowly add the sugar one dessert spoon at a time. Spread the mixture onto prepared baking sheets in four 15 cm circles. Place in a pre-heated oven at 140°C and leave for 30 minutes, then turn the oven off and leave for a further 4 hours or overnight.

In the top of a double boiler, over hot but not boiling water, beat the egg whites for the filling until foamy. Gradually beat in the sugar, cocoa, butter and chocolate. When fully combined remove from the heat and leave to firm as it cools. When the filling is firm enough, make a tower of meringue layers with chocolate mix spread over each.

Make a latticework of 10 mm wide strips of parchment paper on top of the final chocolate spread layer on the cake and dust heavily with confectioners sugar. Remove the paper; the sugar will have etched an attractive design.

To enjoy at its peak, the meringue circles should be left to ripen for 24 hours under a glass dome or in a large plastic container, prior to adding the icing and serving.

 

Honeycomb Ice Cream

This divine and surprisingly easy dessert is the perfect summer treat and was the most fun to make (mostly due to sampling the recipe along the way).

Ingredients (Serves 8)

• 1 cup (250 ml) corn syrup
• 8 oz (250 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 quart (1 liter) premium vanilla ice cream

Dissolve the syrup, sugar and vinegar over a medium heat. Turn the heat up high and boil until the syrup turns into a light caramel color. Remove the pan off the stove and quickly stir in the baking soda. Then pour the mix into a baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper and greased with butter. Leave to cool and harden; do not refrigerate. Once hardened, this brittle and crunchy slab becomes your honeycomb base.

Slightly soften the vanilla ice cream in a chilled ceramic bowl. Carefully break the honeycomb slab into various sizes, none more than 1/2" square, and quickly fold half into the ice cream. Pour the ice cream into a desired ice cream mould or back into original ice cream container and freeze again. Keep the remaining honeycomb in an airtight container to add as a topping to the ice cream when serving.

We hope you enjoy making them as much as we did, and if you are looking to experience some world class cuisine on your next safari, ask our safari specialists about our South Africa Culinary & Wildlife Safari.

To celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day, we are highlighting The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) inspirational Lucille Sive, CEO of TTC’s Africa Division who is dedicated to female empowerment and promoting gender parity across the globe.

Sive is thrilled to be celebrating International Women’s Day on the same day as her birthday. Born in South Africa, Sive has been a model of inspiration for women in the working field after becoming the first female executive in North America for TTC outside of the Tollman family, who founded the company. Sive has also devoted an incredible 34 years of service to African Travel and the travel industry. She currently serves as CEO of TTC’s Africa Division and is affectionately known in the travel industry as "The African Queen."

This year, Sive has truly represented the International Women’s Day "#BalanceforBetter" theme with her heavy involvement in community projects that help women in South Africa. She has a great love and passion for Africa and immerses herself in working with women in their communities.

Since joining TTC, Sive has single-handedly partnered with about ten organizations that give a “hand up” rather than just a "hand out." One of her favorite community projects is Uthando - a unique non-profit organization which raises funds for life-changing community development programs in Cape Town. Out of the many projects by Uthando, which means “love” in Xhosa, many of them help disadvantaged women in the Khayelitsha township gain skills and earn income.

"There’s something about Uthando that spoke to my heart," Sive said. "They are the most amazing organization and everything they do is for uplifting the township."

The eKhaya eKasi “Home in the Hood” Art and Education Centre is a vibrant community resource that offers after-school programs in literacy and performing arts for children and assists unemployed adults with job skills and entrepreneurship training. Beading and weaving are among the skills women learn here, and the artisanal gifts they make and sell allow them to support their families while improving the health of their local community. African Travel, Inc. gives blankets made by the women at eKhaya eKasi to local orphanages and underprivileged children. Guests who book a trip through African Travel, Inc, will also receive beaded rhinos made by the women of the eKhaya eKasi as gifts.

"These women are amazing and have done the most amazing work for us," Sive said. "Uthando doesn’t just show these ladies how to bead, they teach them how to sell them at a good price and to make a business out of it."

Sive shares a fond memory when she ordered 1,000 beaded rhinos from eKhaya eKasi’s director, Lulama Sihlabeni. "Lulu nearly fell off her chair when I confirmed the order," Sive said with tears in her eyes. "To be able to help empower these ladies who are making a difference in their community was really special."

Sive is excited to announce that in 2019 TTC’s Africa Division will be working with Sexy Socks, a charitable company whose mission is to provide every child in South Africa with a pair of socks to wear to school. The socks are eco-friendly, made with unique bamboo fibers and crafted by the local women in Cape Town. For every pair of Sexy Socks purchased by African Travel a pair of socks is donated to a child in need.

Sive believes that regardless of gender, success and good leadership is achieved through hard work, dedication, making mistakes, learning as you go and staying true to yourself. We honor this inspiring and accomplished woman on March 8, International Women’s Day.