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Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

Hertzoggies

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.45 from 20 ratings South African
Hertzoggies - a very traditional South-African biscuit.My fondest memories of hertzoggies were when my mother used to make these biscuits for us every December school holiday to take with on our usual yearly vacation to L'Agulhas, Struisbaai. So mom, this recipe on my blog I dedicate to you! For looking so well after our stomach while on holiday!! She used to make 3 types of biscuits, enough for our family of 5 to enjoy as a nibble. Oh how I am taken back in time with this memory! My mother used to make squares as a quicker way - as a chef I prefer the round ones!It all depends how much time you have on hand.If you are not familiar with Hertzoggies - please feel free to read more about the history of it.This lovely biscuit I used to make for the Gedenkschool Trustee Afrikaans men while working at Augusta Kleinbosch Guest Farm. It was always lovely to make them some true Afrikaans food - sometimes I made some other foods as well. It is also with sadness that I must recall that some of them are no longer with us anymore, even a more special way to think of them for the lovely persons they have been. And Augusta Kleinbosch have not yet been rebuilt after the fire of January, 2017.I keep referring to Augusta Kleinbosch on my The Smoking Chimney website - and it is with great pleasure that I can admit I had my best chef years there. I have been in search to find a special place to work at, since then, and also a lovely team too like I used to have over there - but nowhere to be found. I guess it only happens once in a lifetime.
Traditional South African Hertzoggies with a sweet pastry crust, jam filling, and coconut meringue topping.
Prep 45 min
Cook 20 min
Total 1 h 5 m
Serves 12

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Ingredients

Crust

  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 2½ Tablespoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 125 g butter
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 teaspoons water

Topping

  • apricot jam
  • 3 egg whites
  • 250 g sugar
  • 200 g coconut

Method

Crust

  1. Sift all dry ingredients together for the crust

  2. Rub in the butter into the dry ingredients

  3. Whisk the egg yolks and the water together and add to the dry ingredients mixture

  4. It should form a dough

  5. Roll the dough out thinly and press rounds with a suitable mold to cover each hollow of the cupcake pan or cover the baking tray bottom with the dough and press it down evenly

Topping

  1. Spoon enough apricot jam to cover each hertzoggie

  2. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and add the sugar spoon by spoon until it becomes a stiff meringue

  3. Mix the coconut into the egg white mix and spread evenly over the apricot jam.

  4. Bake for about 30 minutes at 160° Celsius or until golden brown

  5. DO NOT BAKE TOO BROWN

  6. Take out immediately after baking and let cool

  7. Enjoy your pure South-African High Tea

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