Recipe by: Dee and Senzo
Dee and Senzo's Hertzoggies, Lamingtons and Koeksisters
Fig and Apricot Hertzoggies
Fig and Apricot Jam
225g fresh figs
225g dried apricots
225g sugar
300g water
20g lemon juice
- Roughly chop the apricots and place all of the ingredients into a saucepan. Cook on a low heat until it reduces and has a thicker consistency. Once it is ready, remove from the heat and let it cool completely.
Coconut Swiss Meringue
2 cups castor sugar
6 egg whites
Place the egg whites and sugar into a stainless steel bowl and place over a saucepan with water. Stir constantly until there are no more sugar granules. You can test this by putting your finger into the egg and sugar mixture and rubbing it together.
Once it is ready, transfer to a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and whisk until it is cool and has formed stiff peaks.
Fold in the desiccated coconut and store in a piping bag with a round nozzle
Pistachio Sweet Crust Pastry
80g unsalted butter
43g icing sugar
pinch fine salt
60g ground pistachios
32g eggs
167g flour
- Soften the butter in the microwave, make sure it does not melt.
Combine the soft butter with the icing sugar and fine salt until it is smooth. Add the ground pistachios, eggs and lastly the flour. - Combine to form a dough. Rest the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- After resting the dough, roll it out and use a round cutter to get the desired shape. Line muffin tins with the dough and rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes with blind baking beans in the center.
- Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool. Once the tart shells are completely cool, fill with the fig and apricot jam and finally top with the coconut Swiss meringue. Use a blowtorch to lightly colour the meringue.
Lemon and Strawberry Lamingtons
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
125g unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
juice and zest of 1 lemon
350g strawberries
- Preheat the oven to 190C. Grease and line a square baking tin.
- Combine the dry ingredients together and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, making sure the eggs are well incorporated before adding the next one. Add the vanilla and then add the lemon zest and juice.
- Add the flour mixture and stir thoroughly without overmixing.
- Roughly chop up the strawberries and fold in.
- Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
- Let it completely cool before cutting into even squares.
Syrup
4 cups icing sugar, sieved
1/2 cup milk
150g white chocolate
A few drops red food colouring
- Heat the icing sugar with the milk and when it comes to a boil, pour it over the white chocolate to make a ganache. Colour the ganache with a bit of the red food colouring.
- Place a bare lamington square on a fork and dip into the ganache. Place the dipped lamington on a cooling rack to get rid of the excess ganache, then roll in desiccated coconut.
Senzo's Jam
1 lb black figs
3 cup granulated sugar (Selati)
1/4 cup water
2 tsp lemon juice (juice of 1/2 small lemon)
- Pull the stems off the figs, then puree them in a food processor or chop the figs to small pieces until mostly smooth (a few chunks are okay to give it some texture).
- Transfer the fig paste to a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pot. Stir in the sugar, water, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium.
- Boil, stirring nearly constantly, until it becomes jam-like in consistency. At this point it’ll look kind of shiny and will fall off a spoon in bigger clumps or sheets, as opposed to small drips. If you are unsure, turn off the heat and place a bit of the jam on a cold plate (stuck in the freezer before you begin), let it sit for a minute or so, then check the consistency to see if it is jam-like. If needed, return to the heat for a few more minutes.
- Once it is finished cooking, remove from the heat.
- Carefully transfer the jam to a clean jar. Screw the lid on a bit, but don’t tighten it. Let it cool for an hour or so, then transfer to the fridge (still with a semi-loose lid). After it has cooled completely you can tighten the lid – it just gets stuck if you tighten it while hot. Store in the refrigerator.
Orange and Cardamom Koeksisters
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
60ml butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
6 cardamom pods
Zest of 1 orange
Oil for frying
- Dry toast the cardamom pods in a saucepan. You’ll know they’re ready when you can smell their fragrance. Remove from the heat and grind in a mortar and pestle. Sieve the husks out and discard the husks.
- Combine all of the ingredients together in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Mix on low for 5 – 6 minutes then rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
- While the dough is resting, make the syrup by combining all of the ingredients in a saucepan. Let it come to a boil until the sugar has dissolved. Let this cool in the freezer.
- After resting the dough, divide it into equal portions which you will be braiding.
- Heat the oil to 160C and deep fry the braided koeksister dough.
- When they come out of the oil, place them on a paper towel to drain excess oil and then immediately soak them in the ice cold syrup.
Syrup
4 cups water
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp creme of tartar
2 tbsp rose water
- Make the syrup by combining all of the ingredients in a saucepan. Let it come to a boil until the sugar has dissolved. Let this cool in the freezer.
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