South African traditional soetkoekies sweet cookies are a delightful treat that has been enjoyed for generations. These cookies are characterized by their crispy texture, sweet flavor, and unique spices. Soetkoekies are often served during special occasions, such as holidays and family gatherings, but they can also be enjoyed as a everyday treat. With a variety of recipes to choose from, you are sure to find one that suits your taste preferences. In this article, we provide a comprehensive guide to help you find the best recipe for your next batch of soetkoekies. We will explore traditional recipes that have been passed down through generations, as well as modern variations that add a contemporary twist to this classic cookie. With step-by-step instructions and helpful tips, you will be able to create delicious soetkoekies that will delight your family and friends. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and let's embark on a journey into the world of South African soetkoekies!
Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!
SOETKOEKIES - SWEET WINE AND SPICE SOUTH AFRICAN COOKIES
Make and share this Soetkoekies - Sweet Wine and Spice South African Cookies recipe from Food.com.
Provided by CaliforniaJan
Categories Dessert
Time 30m
Yield 30 2-inch cookies
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two baking sheets with cooking spray. Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt together and set aside.
- In a deep bowl, cream the butter and the dark-brown sugar together, mashing and beating them against the sides of the bowl until they are thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, then add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Beat in the wine and chopped almonds.
- With your hands, vigorously knead the dough in the bowl until it can be gathered into a somewhat firm, compact ball. If the dough then seems too soft, knead in up to 1/4 cup more flour, adding it a tablespoon or so at a time.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rough circle about 1/4 inch thick. With a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, cut it into 2-inch rounds. Arrange the rounds about 1 inch apart on the buttered baking sheets. Then gather the scraps of dough into a ball, roll it out into another circle, and cut out rounds as before.
- Press a blanched almond half lightly into the center of each Soetkoekie and brush the entire top surface of the cookie with the beaten egg white-and-water mixture.
- Bake the cookies in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, or until they are crisp and firm to the tough. With a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a rack to cool. The cookies will keep for up to two weeks in a tightly covered jar.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 99, Fat 3, SaturatedFat 1.1, Cholesterol 11.1, Sodium 81.1, Carbohydrate 16.1, Fiber 0.5, Sugar 9.1, Protein 1.8
SOETKOEKIES RECIPE
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- In a large bowl using electric beaters, beat the butter with sugar and eggs until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes.
- In another large bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder, spices and salt together.
- Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix to form a soft dough.
- On a well-floured surface, roll out small batches of dough at a time, sprinkling more flour on top of the dough if necessary (the dough can be quite soft and sticky). The thickness should be about 5 mm.
- Press out circles with a cookie cutter, then arrange on a lined/greased baking tray, with at least 2 cm of space between each cookie.
- Bake for 8 - 10 minutes until pale and slightly golden (not too dark), remove from oven and cool on wire racks.
- Store in an airtight container - it keeps well for several weeks.
Nutrition Facts :
SOETKOEKIES
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C
- Cream butter, sugar and the together.
- Sift together cake flour, spices and salt.
- Stir through the orange rind
- Mix sifted ingredients with butter mixture until a fairly soft dough is formed.
- Cover and allow to rest for at least a half an hour.
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease baking trays or use a non-stick spray.
- Roll the dough out
- Roll out dough thinly between two sheets of glad wrap or baking paper until it is about 3 mm thick.
- Cut out circles, 4 to 5cm in diameter, using a cookie cutter. I used a star cookie cutter
- Place dough shapes slightly apart on baking sheets.
- Bake biscuits for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Ice if desired and store in an airtight container.
- Sift one cup of icing sugar into a bowl.
- Slowly add 1 tbsp of milk, and a drop or two of food colouring if desired, and mix through.
- If the icing is too thick, add more milk, 1 tsp at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved.
OLD-FASHIONED SOETKOEKIES RECIPE
Steps:
- Cream butter, sugar and the five eggs together. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Mix sifted ingredients with butter mixture until a fairly soft dough is formed.
- Cover and allow to rest for half an hour.
- Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease baking trays or use a non-stick spray.
- Roll out dough thinly on a surface dusted with flour. Cut out circles, 4 to 5cm in diameter, using a cookie cutter.
- Place dough circles slightly apart on baking sheets. Mix beaten egg and milk, and lightly paint over biscuits. Sprinkle a little sugar in the centre of each biscuit for decoration.
- Bake biscuits for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts :
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 78.2, Fat 2.8, SaturatedFat 1.5, Cholesterol 9.9, Sodium 86.3, Carbohydrate 12.2, Fiber 0.2, Sugar 5.3, Protein 0.9
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.
KRAKELINGE (SOUTH AFRICAN COOKIES)
Make and share this Krakelinge (South African Cookies) recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Annisette
Categories Dessert
Time 25m
Yield 5-8 dozen
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven 400°F.
- In bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg.
- Sift flour and baking powder together and stir into the butter mixture.
- Roll dough about 1/4 inch thick. Brush with the egg yolk, then sprinkle generously with sugar and then the almonds.
- Cut into narrow strips. Form each strip into a figure-8 shape.
- Bake on lightly greased baking sheet 8-10 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 700.9, Fat 39.4, SaturatedFat 24, Cholesterol 177.7, Sodium 351.1, Carbohydrate 77.7, Fiber 2, Sugar 20.3, Protein 9.9
SOUTH AFRICAN SAUSAGE (BOEREWORS)
This is the best sausage I have ever had. It will make any South African Homesick instantly. It is very filling. I got it when I lived in South Africa for a couple of years.
Provided by Zookeenee
Categories Pork
Time 1h15m
Yield 40 sausages
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Skip the first few steps if you are using ground beef and pork.
- Prepare beef and pork by trimming off all sinew, and other nasty bits and pieces that may affect the texture.
- To facilitate mincing, cut meat into long, narrow strips about 3 inch in diameter and freeze for about 30 minutes.
- Mince meat through a course mincer for a rough texture, or finely if you prefer.
- Allow the meat to be fed through with very little assistance from the tamper.
- Finish off by mincing a piece of bread to remove every vestige of meat from the mincer.
- Roast coriander and cloves in a dry frying pan, tossing the spices about until uniformly brown and aromatic.
- Don't allow to burn.
- Grind spices with a pestle and mortar, sift to remove husks, mix with remaining spices and sugar and sprinkle over the mince.
- Lightly mix in wine or vinegar.
- Drain the casings and place over one end of the filling horn (I use the kitchen aid attachment and carefully push all of the casings on leaving a 3 inch length hanging down).
- Tie a knot in this.
- Grabbing hold of a second pair of hands at this point makes wors-making less traumatic.
- You can then feed the mixture in while your assistant hold the casings, guiding the filling inches.
- Feed the mixture into the mincer a little at a time, while securing the casing with a gentle pressure of one hand on the horn to control the unrolling of the casing as its filled.
- Mould the sausage with your hand to make it uniformly thick.
- Don't pack the casings too full, or the wors will burst while cooking, but try to avoid air bubbles.
- After the casing has been filled, remove it - still attached to the horn - from the machine.
- Push any remaining filling into the casing and tie a knot in the end.
- BBQ quickly over hot coals.
- The skin should be crisp and the middle just pink.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 395.4, Fat 39.2, SaturatedFat 16, Cholesterol 66.8, Sodium 383.6, Carbohydrate 0.7, Fiber 0.2, Sugar 0.2, Protein 8.7
Tips:
- Make sure to use room-temperature butter for the best results. This will help the dough come together more easily and will prevent the cookies from being too crumbly.
- If you don't have any baking soda, you can use 1 teaspoon of baking powder instead. Just be sure to dissolve it in 1 tablespoon of warm water before adding it to the dough.
- If you want chewier cookies, you can add 1/2 cup of oats to the dough. Just be sure to pulse them in a food processor until they are finely ground.
- For a fun twist, you can add your favorite spices to the dough. Some popular options include cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- Be sure to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. This will help the cookies hold their shape and prevent them from spreading too much.
- Bake the cookies until they are just set in the center. Over-baked cookies will be dry and crumbly.
Conclusion:
Soetkoekies are a delicious and easy-to-make treat that are perfect for any occasion. They are also a great way to use up any leftover bits of butter and sugar. So next time you are looking for a sweet snack, give soetkoekies a try. You won't be disappointed!
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