Amarula and The Great Marula Menu embodies the spirit of South Africa. And it was with much gees that South Africans came together to contribute their recipes to this endevour. The project was driven by The Lazy Makoti and J’Something, two South African icons. They wanted to create a space at their table, where there is always room for one more. I am proud to share with you, that two of my recipes feature in this cookbook.
Today’s recipe book review from Lavender and Lime ♥ The Great Marula Menu ♥ #LavenderAndLime Share on X
The Great Marula Menu is a delicious collaboration between Amarula and passionate home cooks from across South Africa. A curation of the best Amarula-inspired recipes shared by devoted Amarula fans, the book is a true reflection of community and a shared love of great flavours. With contributions from renowned culinary figures The Lazy Makoti and J’Something, who bring their unique talents to the table, The Great Marula Menu promises a cultural journey through diverse South African home cooking.From tasty lunches to moreish mains, scrumptious desserts and inspired cocktails, each recipe contains either a splash or a generous pour of this world-famous liqueur. But more than this, the book is a tribute to the land where the marula trees grow. Gathered within these pages, you’ll find a representation of this nation’s vibrant imagination – all brought together in the spirit of generosity. It’s a delightful blend of Amarula’s spirit, culinary expertise and the warmth of home cooking, inviting everyone to savour the rich tapestry of South Africa’s food culture.
Chapters are divided into:
- Brunch
- Starters & Sides
- Mains
- Sweet Things
- Drinks

Recipes that caught my eye:
- Boozy Chocolate Flapjacks (p17)
- Eggs Oum’Ben (p21)
- Marula Mocha Muffins (p23)
- Coffee Granola (p25)
- Spice-Roasted Pears (p27)
- Candied Orange Buttermilk Rusks (p31)
- Ginger Marula Muffins (p35)
- Cinnamon Coffee Buns (p37)
- Lazy Wings (p43)
- Spinach Soufflé (p51)
- Duck Leg Croquettes (p59)
- Coconut Fish (p75)
- Risotto with Amaroux Sauce (p77)
- Chilli Cream Prawn Pasta (p79)
- Velvety Seafood Curry (p81)
- Marula Mushroom Risotto (p85)
- Berry Cheesecake Ice Cream (p105)
- Amarula Biscuits (p109)
- White Chocolate Amarula Fudge (p113)
- Chai & Amarula Raspberry Choc Ice Cream (p117)
- Amarula Souskluitjies (p133)

My recipes in The Great Marula Menu:
- Braised Venison (p99)
- Amarula, Mushroom & Fennel Ice Cream (p115)

What I made:
I started off by making the flapjacks, which were great. But, my boozy sauce split and I was not sure if it was the recipe or the batch of chocolate I have. Turns out, it was the chocolate, as it split for another recipe I made. If this happens to you, just add a tablespoon of warm milk to the chocolate and it will bring it back together. The lazy wings recipe was perfect for when I discovered that I had bought a chicken pack with wings in it. I created a Marula polenta to serve with them, to make a complete meal. The spinach soufflés were amazing and made for a wow lunch. And the Souskluitjies made for an even better dessert.

My impressions:
Of course, I am a bit biased in saying I love this recipe book. But, what I loved more was the true passion each person I met, showed for their recipe. I was honoured to be invited to the launch, where I got to meet a lot of people. Most importantly, I got to give a special person at Penguin Publishers a huge hug. I am forever grateful for all the recipe books they have sent me over the years.
Cook the book:
Publishing information:
Penguin Random House South Africa sent me this recipe book to review.
See the links below for blog posts I published on January 30:
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- 2023: Happiness In A Mug Cake
- 2022: The Fuzz-Fuzz
- 2019: Coachman On The Bay
- 2017: Bread Sauce
- 2015: Harvest Dinners At Vergenoegd Wine Estate 2015
- 2014: Watermelon Granita
- 2013: Rouille
A huge hug and my warmest congratulations on your contribution to what will certainly be a volume I shall put onto my own bookshelf! How exciting to put a permanent little stamp on a forever volume in your own country! Have just been to my ‘on-line bookshop’ who only had a Kindle version . . . Amazon Au promised to do better! Put my name down!! Besides your recipes the seafood curry and mushroom risotto especially attract. I have watched 4 South African food shows here over the years . . . y’know > we both may come from partly British food backgrounds, but the recipes do come over somewhat different 🙂 !
Eha, you have made my heart smile 🙂
Very exciting! Congratulations!
Thank you 🙂
congrats Tandy. How lovely to have your recipes included here.
cheers
sherry
Thank you so much!
Hi Tandy, congratulations on having two recipes in this book. It looks like a good one. I’ll see if I can find it locally.
Thank you! It is available at Exclusive Books 🙂