Ingredients
Pastry
- 250 gplain flour
- 125 gcold butter
- 50 gsugar
- 1 tspbaking powder
- 1egg yolk
- 2 tbspcold water
Filling
- apricot jam
Topping
- 2egg whites
- 100 gcaster sugar
- 150 gdesiccated coconut
Directions
- Rub the butter into the flour, sugar and baking powder, bind it with the yolk and water, and chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll it thin and line small tartlet tins.
- Put half a teaspoon of apricot jam into each, and no more than that.
- Be sparing with the jam. It boils up during baking, and a generous spoonful lifts the coconut cap straight off and runs over the sides.
- Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then add the sugar a spoonful at a time until stiff and glossy.
- Fold in the coconut with a light hand.
- Fold rather than stir. The meringue is what makes the top light, and beaten down with the coconut it bakes into a heavy chewy slab.
- Spoon the coconut meringue over each tartlet and spread it to the pastry edge, sealing the jam underneath.
- Seal it right to the edges, because any gap is where the jam escapes.
- Bake at 180°C (355°F) for 20 minutes, until the pastry is pale gold and the coconut top lightly browned.
- Cool them in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out, because they are fragile while hot.
- They are named for Prime Minister J. B. M. Hertzog, who was fond of them.
- Cape bakers made a rival version capped with pink icing instead of coconut, the tweegevreetjie or two-face, when his promises to Cape voters went unmet.
Technique
- Apricot jam is the traditional filling; others work but are not quite the thing.
- Desiccated coconut rather than fresh, which holds too much moisture for the meringue.
- They keep several days in a tin and are a standing item at church bazaars.
Substitutions
- Any thick jam that will not run when heated.
- Shop-bought sweet shortcrust pastry.
Variations
- Tweegevreetjie, with pink icing in place of the coconut meringue.
- With a whole almond pressed into the top of each.
- Made as one large tart and cut into squares.
History
Named for Prime Minister J.B.M. Hertzog; Cape bakers made a rival version, the tweegevreetjie, when his promises to Cape voters went unmet.
Frequently asked questions
What is Hertzoggie?
Hertzoggie is a dessert from South Africa: jam-filled tartlet under a coconut meringue cap. Named for Prime Minister J.B.M. Hertzog; Cape bakers made a rival version, the tweegevreetjie, when his promises to Cape voters went unmet.
How long does Hertzoggie take to make?
Hertzoggie takes 30 min plus 30 min chilling of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 18 tartlets. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Hertzoggie?
Yes, within limits. Any thick jam that will not run when heated. Shop-bought sweet shortcrust pastry.
What is the most important thing to get right in Hertzoggie?
Put half a teaspoon of apricot jam into each, and no more than that.
