In the culinary world, soetkoekies, also known as melkkos, are delightful pastries that have captured the hearts of many. These traditional South African treats are characterized by their soft, pillowy texture and sweet, buttery flavor. Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting out, this article will guide you through the journey of creating perfect soetkoekies. With step-by-step instructions and a focus on simplicity, we aim to make the process enjoyable and accessible to everyone. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and let's embark on a baking adventure to create these delectable morsels that are sure to please taste buds and bring joy to any occasion.
Let's cook with our recipes!
SOETKOEKIES ( SPICY WINE COOKIES)
Yum! Spices, sugar & wine all together in a cookie. Soetkoekies are of Dutch origin and have been a favourite South African biscuit-tin filler for many years. Posted for ZWT 2006 - South African region. From: The Cookie Tin
Provided by SusieQusie
Categories Dessert
Time 35m
Yield 36 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray or grease a cookie sheet.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, brown sugar, and almonds in a large bowl.
- Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture.
- Add the beaten eggs and red wine and mix dough together until it can be formed into a ball.
- Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and place on cookie sheets about 2" apart.
- Brush each cookie gently with the egg white.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes - until golden brown. Remove to a rack to cool completely.
SOUTH AFRICAN TRADITIONAL SOETKOEKIES (SWEET COOKIES)
This is an ancient and very beloved cookie recipe in South Africa. My grandmother made these in large quantities before the December beach holidays. Remember, it's summer then, down here! There are slight variations on this recipe, as is usual with traditional recipes. There could be a Dutch influence here, sort of mixed with Malay (think Dutch Speculaas biscuits). In the old days this cookie was always made with butter and soft, rendered pork or mutton fat, but I have since found out it's not that easy for US cooks to find such fat to render. The dough should be rolled out really thinly -- about 1/6th of an inch -- to get a crispy cookie. Please note that baking time is about 7 mins. per tin of cookies, but you'll have to do it in batches, so I guesstimated the actual time you'll spend baking.
Provided by Zurie
Categories Dessert
Time 1h5m
Yield 80-90 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 380 deg F/180 deg Celsius.
- Grease cookie tins.
- (** The story of the fat: we can always buy raw pork or mutton fat from a butcher or supermarket butchery dept. To render, cut this fat into small cubes, put (in batches) in a heavy-bottomed pot, and leave over low heat for the fat to "melt out". Pour off the fat at frequent intervals into a container, to prevent the fat browning in the pot. Do this before you start baking, and save the fat in the fridge in a closed container).
- In a large container mix very well: the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and all the spices.
- Rub in the butter and Crisco or fat with your fingers and palms until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Whisk the eggs, add just 1/2 cup sweet wine to the eggs, then stir into the dry mixture.
- Stir this in well, and if still too dry to form a dough, add more of the sweet wine to form a fairly stiff dough.
- The dough is easy to handle and can be kneaded at this stage to mix well and to form a dough you can roll out.
- Roll out thinly, in batches, on a floured surface. Keep gathering up the unused dough, press together, and roll out again.
- Make sure your oven grid is in the centre of the oven, as cookies burn easily on the bottom, especially if you use dark tins.
- Press out large round cookies, carefully place on the greased tins, and bake in batches in the preheated oven.
- Check cookies after 5 minutes; don't let them burn. Cooking time depends on your oven and size of cookies, but is generally about 7 minutes.
- Remove with an egg-lifter, and let them cool and harden on wire racks. Store in airtight tins.
- The amount given below is a guess: any smaller and you will get up to 130 cookies or more. The cooking time is based roughly on the several batches you will have to cook.
- Can be made weeks before using.
- Although I give an approximately number of cookies, it will depend on your cookie cutter. A smaller cookie cutter will yield up to 130 or more cookies.
SOETKOEKIES
Categories Cookies
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, brown sugar, and almonds in a large bowl. Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture. Add the beaten eggs and red wine and mix dough together vigorously until it can be formed into a ball. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rough circle about 1/4" thick. With a cookie cutter, cut the dough into 2" rounds. Arrange the rounds about 1" apart on a buttered cookie sheet. Continue cutting cookies, then brush each gently with the egg white. Bake for 15 minutes - until golden brown. Remove to a rack to cool completely.
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients. This will make a big difference in the taste of your cookies.
- Follow the recipe carefully. Don't skip any steps, and make sure to measure your ingredients accurately.
- Don't overmix the dough. Overmixing will make the cookies tough.
- Chill the dough before baking. This will help the cookies hold their shape and prevent them from spreading too much.
- Bake the cookies at the right temperature. If the oven is too hot, the cookies will brown too quickly and the centers will be undercooked. If the oven is too cool, the cookies will take too long to bake and they will be dry.
- Let the cookies cool completely before storing them. This will help them keep their shape and flavor.
Conclusion:
Soetkoekies are a delicious and versatile treat that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. They are perfect for parties, potlucks, and holiday gatherings. With a little planning and effort, you can easily make soetkoekies at home that are just as good as the ones you buy from the store. So what are you waiting for? Give one of these recipes a try today!
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