Hertzoggies (Cookies!)

Yes, it's really their only name! It's a tremendously popular cookie or tartlet, often found in home industry outlets. They were named after a prime minister of South Africa (1924 -1939), J B M Hertzog. Must have been his favourite teatime snack! Please note that no South African dessicated coconut is sweetened.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Yields: 30 cookies

Ingredients

• CRUST

• 250  g flour, unsifted
• 25  g  superfine sugar
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 125  g butter, room temp
• 3  large  egg yolks, from very large eggs
• 15  ml water

• FILLING

• 4 -6  tablespoons  apricot jam, fine
• 3  large  egg whites, from very large eggs
• 250  g sugar
• 500  ml  desiccated coconut

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, superfine (caster) sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. Rub the butter lightly into the flour with fingertips until like crumbs.
3. Beat egg yolks lightly with the water, and add.
4. Mix until a soft, manageable dough forms. Add a tiny bit more water if the dough is too firm.
5. Knead this dough well, cover, and set aside.
6. Heat oven to 180 deg C/350 deg F.
7. Grease the hollows of patty pan tins, or spray with nonstick spray. (I'm talking about the shallow hollows -- not deep ones like for muffins).
8. Roll the dough out thinly on a floured surface.
9. Press out circles large enough to form adequate pastry crusts for the patty hollows.
10. Line the patty hollows with the pastry.
11. Put a small blob of jam in each crust -- about 3/4 teaspoon.
12. Whip the egg whites until quite stiff.
13. Slowly add the sugar and whisk well after each addition.
14. Stir in the dessicated coconut.
15. Put spoonsful of this filling in the patty hollows over the jam blobs. Try to do this neatly as it affects the final shape of the cookie.
16. Bake the cookies 20 - 25 minutes in centre of oven.
17. Cool slightly in the pans, then lift out and cool on wire racks.
18. About 30 cookies.