Hertzoggies

Apparently these little tartlets were named after an Old president of South-Africa J B M Hertzog.  They look complicated to make, but they really are not.  They are usually made in a muffin tin or patty pan tin that is not that deep (this recipe makes about 30) but I like it bite size so I make it in a mini muffin pan. This recipe is from the You winning recipe book, a lovely book to have with wonderful recipe's in it.

What you need:
Crust:
250g Flour
25g   Castor Sugar
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
125g Butter (room temperature)
3 large Egg Yolks
15 ml Water
Filling:
6 Tbs fine Apricot Jam
3 large Egg Whites
250g Castor Sugar
500ml desiccated coconut (not sweetened)

Heat the oven to 180C

Sift together the flour, castor sugar, baking powder and salt.

Rib the butter into the flour mixture, until mixed and has a crumb texture.

Beat the egg yolks, mix with the water and add to the flour mixture.

Mix until a soft but manageable dough forms.

Add a few drops more water if needed.

Cover and set aside for a few moments.

Spray the muffin tins.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface.

Cut circles large enough for the hole of the muffin tin.  Remember not to measure the size of the hole the dough must go inside, so you will need something a bit bigger.

Now place these circles in the hollows and lightly press down to take the shape of the hollow.

Put about a half teaspoon of jam in the hollow.

Now beat the egg whites until stiff.

Slowly add the sugar bit by bit, beating well after each addition.

Fold in the coconut.

Put a spoon full on each tartlet to make a pretty dome on top.

Bake for 20 - 25 min in the centre of the oven.

Allow to cool on cooling rack once cooked.

Serve as is with tea.

Gluten-free Rusks

Finding Gluten-free rusks is so difficult and when you find them they are so very expensive.  This recipe has been adapted from a Gabi Steenkamp gluten-free rusk recipe.

It really is easy to make, and tasty!  I find that soya products have an after taste, so I have used a gluten-free flour mix {Health Connection Wholefoods} that contains a combonation of rice flour {26%}, potato flour {26%}, topioca flour {26%}, chickpea flour {13%} and xantham gum {9%}.

I have also added some seeds to the rusks,   a miracles plus plus {Nature's Choice} mix containing flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds.

What you need:
2 cups gluten-free self raising flour
1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour mix
1/2 Tablespoon Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2/3 cup Margarine
2/3 cup Sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon bicarb of soda
hand full of seeds

Pre-heat oven to 160C

Prepare a bread pan, "cook n spray" the tin,  and line the base with baking paper.

Melt the margarine in a saucepan oven moderate heat and add sugar.

Sift the dry ingredients, except sugar and bicarb {self-raising flour, gluten free flour mix, baking powder, salt}

Add the bicarb to the buttermilk.

Add the margarine, buttermilk and egg to the flour mixture and mix together.

{At first I thought that the texture is not right, because it is very dry, but it turns out to be just right}

Place the mixture in the bread tin and sprinkle with seeds, and softly press the seeds into the mixture.

Bake for about an hour, or until cake tester comes out without batter.

Remove from the oven and allow to dry on a drying rack.

Gently cut into fingers.

Then pack in a baking tray with the oven on 120C for about 8 hours {easiest to leave it overnight}

Serve with coffee or tea.

Pancake recipe {Basic}

We had a rainy and windy easter week-end in Cape Town {South Africa}, which is perfect weather for pancakes {comfort food}.  

I'd say probably the best part of big fetes and get togethers in farm communities is buying pancakes from the ladies baking hundreds of pancakes on their little gas burners. But making them yourself on a cold day is so rewarding. 

I got this recipe in one of my gran's cook books "Uit die hart van Citrusdal" which means "out of the heart of Citrusdal", and Citrusdal is a small farming community about 2 hours drive from Cape Town. So here it is, making about 30 pancakes.

FYI:

Pancakes in South-Africa is the same as Crepe's else where... very thin, and the size of the pan that you are using.

What you need:

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1/4 cup vinegar
about 1200ml water
4 teaspoons baking powder

Method:

Mix the flour and the salt with a fork.

Beat the eggs the eggs, and mix with the oil and vinegar.  Then add to flour mixture.

Mix thoroughly.

Add water until the mixture becomes the right consistency {It should be a thick pourable mixture}.

Lastly add the baking powder and stir immediately. Let the mixture rest for about a half hour. 

Heat the pan, add a tablespoon of oil, and spread it.  
When the pan is hot, pour about a half a cup {depending on the size of your pan, but you should just cover the surface} of pancake mixture in the pan {tilting the pan in circle movements to spread it evenly and the whole pan is covered} 
Cook until little bubbles form on the pancake, then turn the pancake around and bake for about another 10 seconds or so on the other side. You should be able to flip the pancake {sometimes you just need to loosen it all around the edges before you flip it} but be careful, it might end up on the floor ;-) 

You only need to put oil in the pan before the first pancake, there after you just add the pancake mixture.

Traditionally in South-Africa we eat it with cinnamon sugar and a few drops of lemon juice.  

Spreading the Cinnamon sugar on the open pancake then starting at the one edge, roll it into a little roll.

 

Then serve with a slice of lemon or squeeze a few drops over the pancake.

{Cinnamon sugar: For every half a cup of sugar, add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon} 


FYI:
Pancakes freeze well.  Stack them with layers of wax paper between them.

Braai broodjies

In South-Africa we make a sandwich that we put on the grid when we braai... we call it "braai broodjies" or translated in english "barbecued sandwich".  They are so simple but yet so yummy.  

What you need:

• Tomato {thinly sliced}
• Onion {thinly sliced}
• Cheddar cheese
• Spreadable butter
• White bread {or brown}

First step is to butter your bread, both sides.  Then turn them over so that the buttered sides face to the outside.

 Then you add a good helping of cheese.

Depending on the size of your tomato, add about 3 slices of tomato.

Salt and Pepper to taste. 

Then the onion rings.

End off with another good helping of cheese.

And close the sandwich.

The easiest to braai these is in a grill that you close it in... some people even tie them with a string so that it doesn't fall apart when turned on the fire.

Recommended that you braai them last.  Coals should not be too hot, should just be enough heat for the cheese to melt and the bread to get some colour.  

Some people spread some chutney on the sandwich, but it MUST be Mrs. Balls! What we usually do is do half with and half without chutney, and the ones with chutney we cut off one small corner :-)

While you are making some braai broodjies... let me teach you some Afrikaans {my home language} a word used alot is "LEKKER"

lekker

adjective (S. African slang) delicious, tasty, luscious, choice, savoury, palatable, dainty, delectable, mouthwatering,yummy (slang), scrumptious (informal), appetizing, toothsome, ambrosial We had a really lekker meal. (www.thefreedictionary.com)

Trust me these are yummy, getting "hungry" as I'm doing this post ;-)