Apricot Handtertjies from South Africa
Why I Love This Recipe
This recipe must be more than 100 years old and is traditionally South African. When I was a kid my grandmother made these when we came to visit as she knew how much we loved them. The pastry is simple yet light as a feather. These half moon tartlets just mealt in your mouth with a burst of slightly sour apricot jam [jelly] in the centre.
You can use Strawberry or Raspberry jam [jelly] BUT it's best with Apricot!
I hope you try this and share a little bit of sunshine from my country.
Ingredients You'll Need
3 cups of cake flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
3 beaten eggs [at room tempreture]
375grams of butter [at room tempreture]
30ml of white vinegar
pinch of salt
Apricot Jam [Jelly] slightly sour is a plus
1 beaten egg for brushing pastry
Directions
Heat stove to 250 degrees centigrade [500 degrees Faherenheit or Gas 7-8]
1. Sieve the baking powder into the flour.
2. You can use your mixer or use the hand method of rubbing butter into the flour until you have a fine crumbly mixture.
3. Add 3 beaten eggs, vinegar and pinch of salt to mixture.
4. When the dough forms, remove it from mixer or hand mixing bowl immediately.
5. You can use the dough immediately or form a ball and cover with plastic wrap and place in your refrigerator until you have time to make the tartlets.
6. If you kept dough in the refrigerator then leave outside until it reaches room tempreture before rolling out to a 5mm thickness.
7. Use a cookie cutter of between 7-8cm and cut rounds from your pastry.
8. Place a tiny dollop of Apricot Jam [Jelly] in the centre.
9. Use a little water on finger and place on outer circumference of pastry.
10. Fold over into a half moon and press the edges down to close edge of pastry.
11. Brush each tarlet with beaten egg
12. Place in oven for 10 - 12 minutes until golden brown. Do not be concerned if a little Jam [Jelly] boils from some of tartlets as this can be normal.
13. Leave to cool on drying rack and then place in a sealed container.
14. These can be kept up to a month in a sealed container if required or enjoy immediately with tea or coffee.
