Hertzoggies is a sweet, pastry with jam in the middle and coconut meringue on top. It’s delicious and easy to make, even for the beginner.
Pastry:
250g (450ml measured unsifted) Cake Flour
25g (37.5ml) Castor Sugar
10ml Baking Powder
1ml Salt
125g Butter or Margarine at room temperature
3 Extra Large Egg Yolks
15ml Cold Water
Filling:
50 – 75ml Smooth Apricot Jam
3 Extra Large Egg Whites
250g (300ml) Sugar
160g (500ml) Desiccated Coconut
Method:
Sift together the cake flour, castor sugar, baking powder and salt. Rub the butter or margarine in lightly with your fingertips until well mixed. Beat the egg yolks lighlty, add them to the flour mixture and mix to a soft, workable dough. Add a little water if the dough is too stiff. Knead the dough well, cover and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Grease the patty pans, or spray them with non-stick cooking spray.
Roll out the dough thinly on a floured pastry board. Cut out large circles with a biscuit cutter and line the patty pans with them.
Place a little apricot jam in the centre of each circle.
Beat the egg whites until very stiff. Gradually beat in the sugar, then stir in the coconut. Place spoonfuls of the filling on top of the apricot jam.
Bake the biscuits on the middle shelf of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow them to cool slightly in the pans, then transfer them carefully to a wire rack to cool down completely.
This recipe I got from my mother in-law. We did not have enough apricot jam so I added some blueberry jam, I would definitely recommend adding tablespoonsfuls of jam and less meringue to even out the filling and topping.
Serve and enjoy!