Not to be confused with a Hertzoggie, Anthea’s Jan Smuts Cookies get a topping of Madeira cake mixture instead of coconut, and a base of thinly rolled pastry instead of a biscuit crust.
The recipe I’m sharing is of the Jan Smuts cookie - a version of Hertzoggies where jam is usually covered with coconut. Instead, a topping of Madeira cake mixture is placed on top and instead of biscuit crust, a base of thinly rolled pastry is the base.
I grew up in a family of excellent bakers and cooks. I remember my mom and grandmother producing the most delicious bakes, especially for birthdays, special occasions and Sunday afternoon tea.
I don’t know where they had the time and energy to prepare traditional Sunday lunch and bake for teatime. They had a way with recipes that turned “ordinary” into “excellent”! One such recipe is the popular mince frikadel - to the usual mixture they added 30ml Mrs Balls chutney to the mixture. It just takes the frikadel to another level of deliciousness.
My mom makes the most amazing curries. She does not use masala, she can smell if the ground spice is burnt or mixed with starch. She mixes pure spices (or grinds the whole spices) in accordance to the type of curry she wants to make. The quantities differ for lamb, seafood or vegetable curry and breyani and only fresh garlic and ginger is used. I am blessed to have watched her and learned to almost master her curry and breyani making. I don’t think that I am as good as my mom, aunt and Gran, but I think I can hold my own pretty well.
Here’s my take on the Jan Smuts cookie. I hope you try this and enjoy it as much as my family does.
Anthea’s Jan Smuts Cookies
Anthea Jacobs
Ingredients
1 packet flaky pastry
jam (traditionally apricot but I only had blackcurrant)
Cake mixture
¾ cup castor sugar
180 ml butter (soft)
3 large eggs
5 ml vanilla essence
1¾ cup self raising flour
5 ml baking powder
100ml milk
Method
Set oven on 180 °C. Roll the pastry out thinly, cut rounds and place discs in kolwyntjie plaatjies (a muffin pan will do). Place 5 ml jam in each disc.
Beat castor sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat eggs in one at a time. Add the essence. Add sifted flour and baking powder. Add the milk.
Drop spoonfuls of cake batter over the jam and bake for 25 mins until golden.
Remove the baked cookies from tray immediately and cool on cooling rack.
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