Here are a few recipes handed down from generation to generation and remain popular today.

OLD FASHION MILK TART:

Ingredients:

Rich pastry:

• 2 cups flour
• 12 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons castor sugar
• Yolk of one egg
• A little water
• Pinch of salt.

Milk Tart:

1 pint of milk
¼ teaspoon of salt
4 eggs
2 heaped tablespoons of flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon for the top of the tart

Methods:

Pastry:

1. Mix dry ingredients, rub in butter, add egg and as little water as possible for a stiff paste
2. Roll out and line two tart pans
3. Allow to stand in fridge for 30 min
4. Blind bake in oven for about 10 min

Milk Tart:

1. Boil milk in double boiler
2. Make a paste using the flour and a little cold milk, sugar and salt
3. Add the flour paste to the boiling milk mixing all the time
4. The mixture must be a smooth thick cream, remove from heat and cool slightly. The mixture must not be cold when poured into the lined tins.
5. Mix in four egg yolks. (Well beaten)
6. Beat egg whites until stiff, forming a peak
7. Fold in egg whites gently with a knife
8. Pour mixture into the lined tins
9. Sprinkle with cinnamon
10. Bake in a hot oven until pastry is brown. The greater heat must be at the bottom. Allow to cool.

SOUSKLUITJIES (Dumplings in Cinnamon Sauce)

Ingredients

• 120 g cake flour
• 10 ml baking powder
• 2 ml salt
• 15 g butter
• 1 egg
• 125 ml milk
• butter and cinnamon
• sugar to serve

Method:

1. Sift the dry ingredients together and mix in the butter with fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Mix egg and milk and add to above
3. Boil water (must be about 3.cm deep) with a pinch of salt in a casserole with a lid.
4. Use a teaspoon dipped in boiling water to put spoonfuls of the dough into the boiling water
5. Cover with tight fitting lid and cook slowly for 10 minutes (don’t peek, as this will cause the dumplings to “fall down” and become rubbery)
6. Remove from heat, pour into a serving bowl and put dots of butter on top
7. Sprinkle a lot of cinnamon sugar over and serve
   with vanilla custard.

KOEKSISTERS:

Ingredients:

• 7 cups flour
• ½ cup of sugar
• ½ cup of butter
• Two eggs
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ cup of milk
• 4 tablespoons cream
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Syrup Ingredients:

• 3 cups water
• 3 cups sugar
• ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar
• Stick of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice (or a few pieces lemon rind)

Syrup Method:

1. Dissolve the sugar and cream of tarter in the water; add cinnamon
2. Bring to a boil, putting a lid on the pot to allow the steam to wash down the crystals, allow too simmer for 3 min
3. Carefully remove the pot from the stove, (do not shake the pot)
4. When cool enough, place the pot in the freezer until syrup is ice cold. (preferably overnight)

Method:

1. Cream the butter
2. Add the sugar gradually and the eggs, well beaten
3. Sift in the flour with the baking powder and salt alternately with the milk and cream
4. Kneed the ingredients and cover loosely with cling wrap, stand for an hour
5. Toss on a floured board
6. Sprinkle lightly with a little flour and roll to about a quarter inch thick
7. Cut in strips about 4 inches long and plait together 3 bits loosely
8. Remove the syrup from the fridge to allow the syrup to defrost at room temperature
9. Fry in vegetable oil until golden brown on both sides. The heat should be around 360ºF. Use enough oil to allow the koeksisters to float to the top.

OVEN SCONES:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ¼ cup of butter or lard
• ⅔, cup of milk, preferably sour milk.
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• One egg yolk mixed with a little milk

Method:

1. Rub the butter / lard into the dry ingredients
2. Add the sour milk to make a soft dough
3. Roll out ½ inch thick and cut into shapes
4. Brush the top with egg mixture and bake in hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes

WARTIME FRUIT CAKE:

Ingredients:

• 1½ lbs. Boer meal or flour
• 1 lb. butter
• 1 lb “Government” sugar
• 1 lb. raisins
• 1 lb currents
• 1 lb sultanas
• ½ lb. mixed peel
• 1 lb. cherries
• ¼ lb almonds
• 9 eggs
• 2 teaspoon nutmeg or mixed spice
• 4 tablespoons caramel
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon of vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

Method:

1. Cream butter and sugar well
2. Add eggs one at a time
3. Add all liquids, mix, then add the fruit
4. Sieve the flour, baking powder and soda into the mixture
5. Pour into lined cake tins and bake for 3-3½ hours in medium oven

BOBOTIE:

Ingredients:

• 2 coarsely chopped onions
• 1 crushed clove garlic
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 2 pounds ground beef or lamb
• 3 thick slices white bread
• 1¼ cup milk
• 2 eggs

Method:

1. Fry the onion and garlic in the butter.
2. When the onions are golden brown; transfer to a large mixing bowl
3. Add the curry powder, raisins, mixed herbs, lemon juice, salt, sugar, vinegar,
   and ground meat. Mix well.
4. Soak the bread in 1 and 1/4 cup milk. Squeeze out the bread, reserving the milk.
5. Mix the bread adding 1 egg into the meat mixture
6. Put the mixture into a buttered pie dish
7. Beat the left over milk with one egg and pour over the meat mix
8. Bake in a moderate oven for 1 hour, or until the mixture is set and top
   is lightly browned.

RUSKS:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unbleached white flour
• 2 cups whole wheat bread flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
• 2 teaspoons almond essence
• ½cup melted butter
• 2eggs
• ¾ cup of buttermilk

Method:

1. Heat oven to 400 F
2. Use a large mixing bowl and mix the dry ingredients well
3. Mix the wet ingredients and add to the dry ingredients. Mix until a soft dough.
4. Roll the dough out to ½inch thick
5. Cut the dough into rectangles about 2 by 4 inches
6. Place 2 inches apart on buttered baking sheet’
7. Bake the rusks for about 25 minutes
8. The rusks must be crispy and golden brown
9. Dry the rusks on a baking sheet in an oven with a very low heat for about 24 hours
10. The rusks must be hard and dry
11. When cooled store them in an airtight container