Hertzoggies (Classic South African)

Hertzoggies are light pastry tartlets with a delectable apricot jam meringue filling. Back in the day, homemade ‘konfyt’ using home –grown fruits such as apricots, formed the basis of fruit pie fillings. The convenience of quality canned jams provides us with the chance to enjoy these traditional tea-time classics. 

This is my absolutely favorite baked goods, so I just had to go and find a recipe, try it you wont be disappointed.

 Ingredients(Makes 18)

• 500 ml  cake flour  (240g)
• 10 ml  baking powder
• pinch  salt
•  25 ml   sugar
• 125  g   margarine
• 3 large  eggs, separated
•  40  ml   cold water
• 200 ml  white sugar (160g)
• 400 ml  coconut (135g)
• Apricot Jam

 Method

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 180° C. Lightly coat 18 patty-pan cavities with cooking non-stick spray.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Rub in the margarine thoroughly.
3. Add in sugar, followed by the egg yolks and water, working lightly to bind together to form a ball of firm but pliable pastry.
4. Roll out the pastry fairly thinly on a floured worktop, and cut out 7cm diameter rounds.
5. Gently press them into the prepared patty-pans, and spoon a scant teaspoon of jam into the base of each.
6. Beat the egg whites until stiff.
7. Fold the sugar and coconut into the egg white.
8. Spoon generous dessertspoons of this topping over the jam, to cover completely.
9. Bake for 20 minutes.

Hints and Tips

• Use this recipe to bake one large tart measuring 23 cm diameter.
• Give the jam a rapid stir before scooping into the pastry cases; it thins the consistency somewhat, making the spreading into the small bases easy.
• Do not be over-generous with the jam which may bubble its way through the topping if too liberal and spoil the look of the baked tartlets.