South Africa boasts a rich culinary heritage, and its cookies are no exception. From traditional recipes passed down through generations to innovative gourmet creations, there's a South African cookie for every palate. Cookies are often considered snack food, something to down with a glass of milk before bed or with a cup of tea as an afternoon pick-me-up. If you’re a budget traveller who wants a mini tour around Africa, then the best way to do so is through food. You can recreate tons of recipes, including desserts like cakes, puddings and cookies from the comfort of the kitchen for yourself and your loved ones.
Traditional South African Cookies
Hertzoggie Cookies
Hertzoggie Cookies are one of the most popular cookies in South-Africa. This is another South-African cookie favorite! But I love a good Hertzoggie and the ones at the supermarkets are really becoming a joke. I have baked some before, made a complete mess as I used too much jam in the filling. I made the Hertzoggies exactly as per the recipe and I am happy with the results. NB: However tempting it might be - DO NOT overdo it with the jam!
Recipe for Hertzoggie Cookies:
- Sift the Flour, Baking Powder, Salt and Sugar together into a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the Butter and rub it into the Flour with you fingertips.
- Mix the Egg Yellow and Water and add to the Flour mixture - mix until a dough has formed - place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 180 deg C (350 deg F) - spray 4 x 12 hole patty pans with cooking oil.
- Roll out the dough and cut into circles, slightly larger than the patty pan holes, fit the rounds into each hole - place a teaspoon full of the Apricot Jam in the center of the cut-out dough.
- Beat the Egg whites until just foamy - do not over beat - add the Coconut and the Caster Sugar - mix well by hand.
- Use approximately 1 tablespoon full of the Egg/Coconut mixture and spoon over the Apricot Jam - bake for 12 - 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool in the pans - transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool in the pans - transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Nutrition value, where given, is not always accurate.
Soetkoekies (Spicy Wine Cookies)
"This is an ancient and very beloved cookie recipe in South Africa. My grandmother made these in large quantities before the December beach holidays. Remember, it's summer then, down here! There are slight variations on this recipe, as is usual with traditional recipes. There could be a Dutch influence here, sort of mixed with Malay (think Dutch Speculaas biscuits). In the old days this cookie was always made with butter and soft, rendered pork or mutton fat, but I have since found out it's not that easy for US cooks to find such fat to render. The dough should be rolled out really thinly -- about 1/6th of an inch -- to get a crispy cookie. Please note that baking time is about 7 mins.
Read also: Moroccan Cookies
Soetkoekies are of Dutch origin and have been a favorite South African treat for many years, together with other traditional cookies such as crunchies and rusks. The Dutch colonised Cape Town in 1652 and rapidly established their cooking traditions at the Cape, so this is probably one of the older recipes still in use in South Africa.
Unsurprisingly, given their Dutch roots, there is a definite correlation between the ingredients and flavors of these cookies and Dutch Speculaas. The main differences between the two are the omission of the white pepper and cardamom from the Soetkoekies and the addition of the red wine. However, in appearance and texture they are quite different. While speculaas is made in shaped molds, soetkoekies are drop cookies. And whereas speculaas is quite crisp and crumbly, soetkoekies are deliciously chewy.
Traditionally, these cookies used to be decorated with red stripes using "rooi bolus" (a ferris-oxide mixture used as food colouring) as a coloring.
Recipe for Soetkoekies:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup chopped almonds
- 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 egg white, beaten
Instructions:
Read also: Sweet African Treats
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
- Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, brown sugar, and almonds and whisk together.
- Cut in the butter. Stir in the eggs and red wine.
- Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and place on cookie sheets about 2" apart.
Rusks
Originally made as a dried bread to take on long journeys, the rusk has evolved into more of a dried cake. In many countries the rusk is used for teething babies to gnaw on, but in South Africa, it is most definitely for those who already have their teeth. Similar to biscotti in the sense that it is first baked then dried, the rusk is different in that it is full of fiber-rich bran, seeds, and nuts. Rather than shaped into an oval and sliced into oblong pieces like biscotti, rusks are baked more like a sheet cake then cut into squares or rectangles or broken off into chunks. Their dense yet porous structure makes them ideal for dunking into a mug of coffee or a steaming cup of rooibos.
One of the great things about rusks is you can let your imagination run wild with variations. The basic recipe is a simple dough of flour, sugar, bran flake cereal, baking powder, salt, eggs, buttermilk, and butter. After that, you can mix and match flours, substitute coconut milk for buttermilk, and add in nuts, seeds, fruits, and spices to suit your mood.
You might try rusks studded with almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans and flavored with maple or vanilla. Or spice things up with cardamom and dried cranberries or star anise and black currants.
Recipe for Rusks:
Dark Chocolate Orange Rusk
Read also: Baking with Chris Morocco
Over a holiday, a Dark Chocolate Orange Rusk would be just the ticket for making mornings special.
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Line 9-inch by 13-inch pan with baking paper and set aside.
- In large bowl mix dry ingredients, including dark chocolate, together.
- In small bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, orange zest, and melted butter, then pour into dry mixture and stir well until it forms a dough.
- Press dough into oven dish, making sure it goes into all the corners. Place in oven and bake 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 180 F.
- Invert cake onto large cutting board, and cut or break into desired shapes. Return pieces to baking dish (you may need a second dish to enable air to circulate freely between pieces), and place in oven for 8 hours until rusks are dried out.
FATIMA SYDOW'S HERTZOGGIES
Gourmet Cookie Innovations
Explore the most scrumptious, gooey, and irresistible gourmet cookies in South Africa. Each bite brings a burst of flavour that’ll make your taste buds dance.
Examples of Gourmet Cookies:
- Classic Chocolate Chip: The timeless classic that’s always a hit.
- Vegan Chocolate Chip: This plant-based cookie is just as delicious as its non-vegan counterpart!
- Triple Chocolate: Triple the chocolate, triple the indulgence. This cookie is the perfect little treat to brighten your day.
- Pretends to be breakfast? Honestly?: A sugar cookie bursting with crunchy pecans and gooey chocolate chips.
- Campfire nostalgia without the campfire: Packed with gooey chocolate chips and melted marshmallows, this cookie is our playful take on the nostalgic campfire classic.
- Salted Caramel Pretzel: Sweet, salty, and crunchy - a triple threat!
- Lemon Meringue: South African classic meets cookie innovation. This zesty sugar cookie is topped with lemon curd and Swiss meringue.
- Reese’s Peanut Butter: Rich, creamy, and dangerously additive. Our Reese’s Peanut Butter cookie is a match made in heaven for peanut butter lovers.
- Strawberries & Cream: The perfect balance of tangy cream cheese and sweet strawberries. The soft, buttery cookies are filled with a luscious raspberry cream, offering a burst of fruity sweetness and creamy goodness in every bite.
- Cappuccino Cookie: Sugar cookie base with a cappuccino frosting topped with a chocolate ganache.
- Cranberry Chai White Chocolate: A sugar cookie infused with chai spices, tangy cranberries, and creamy white chocolate chips.
- Pina Colada Cookie: A Pina Colada Cookie is a tropical escape in every bite. These cookies are infused with the flavors of coconut and pineapple, reminiscent of the classic cocktail.
- Brookies: This irresistible treat combines the best of both worlds, featuring a rich brownie base swirled with chunks of cookie dough.
- Hot Fudge Sundae: Rich chocolate cookie crowned with whipped cream and a cherry on top.
- Oreo Stuffed: We stuffed an Oreo in a cookie.
- Peppermint Chocolate: A rich combination of refreshing peppermint and creamy chocolate.
- Red Velvet: A rich red velvet cookie stuffed with creamy white chocolate ganache and loaded with white chocolate chips.
All orders will take a minimum of 48 hours to complete once your order has been confirmed.
Popular articles:
tags: #Africa
