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Viennese Finger Cookie
Viennese Fingers is a delicate shortbread type of cookie with the ends dipped in rich, milk chocolate. A classic teatime treat.This is one of my most favourite biscuits to munch on. It melts in your mouth and goes so well with a hot drink. I guarantee your cookie tin won’t stay full for long!
For best results use pure butter at room temperature. Gradually add the flour to get a soft dough. I use a large star nozzle to pipe my cookies. It’s quite easy to make these impressive cookies with few ingredients.
Chocolate Dipped Viennese Biscuits
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive since 2011!
Ingredients:
500g cake / plain / all-purpose flour
250g soft butter
1 cup cooking oil
1 cup icing sugar
4 dessert spoons custard powder
Method:
Cream the soft butter, oil and icing sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Stir in the custard powder and gradually add the flour. Mix well to form soft dough.
Use a nozzle to pipe “fingers”. If you find it easier transfer the dough into a strong piping bag. Otherwise just take pieces of dough in your hand and use your hand and fingers to push the dough through the nozzle. I use a large star nozzle for this.
Pipe directly onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I always use parchment paper to line my sheets to prevent my cookies and bakes from sticking. I never grease my baking trays.
Bake in a pre- heated oven at 180°C for 8-10 minutes until light golden in colour.
Leave to cool in the baking sheet for 10 minutes before gently transferring onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile melt your chocolate in the microwave in bursts of 30 seconds until melted.
- I recommend a glass bowl with the chocolate broken into chunks.
- Then 30 second heat burst – take it out and stir.
- Repeat until just melted – always using 30 second burst of the microwave before stirring or you will burn the chocolate.
Alternatively, melt on the stove top using a bain-marie.
How to melt chocolate in bain-marie
- Place a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the bowl is very clean and does not have any moisture in it or else the chocolate will split.
- Warning – The bowl should not touch the surface of the water at all.
- Chop up the chocolate into small pieces and place in the bowl.
- Stir with a spatula. Always use a spatula so that no bubbles form.
- When the chocolate almost melts, remove bowl from heat and place on a towel.
- Stir with spatula until every last piece of chocolate melts completely.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and the melted chocolate is ready to use as needed.
Dip the ends in melted cooking chocolate.
Dip in crushed nuts optional
Watch how I make my Eet Sum Mor Biscuits below.
Date Truffles
Salwaa’s Date Truffles
Delicious date balls or truffles made with dates, pistachios, crushed tennis biscuits and covered it with coconut and chocolate. It’s a very nice sweet and it goes well with mint tea. These date balls makes a great gift.
Add apple sauce instead of an egg. See my notes at the end.
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive since 2011!
Ingredients:
250g dates (pitted)
1 packet Tennis or Marie biscuits
110g butter or margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten*see variation below*
Desiccated coconut
Method:
Chop the dates ensuring no pits remain.
Crush the biscuits.
Combine the dates, butter, vanilla essence and sugar in a small pot.
Cook over low heat until well mixed and soft.
Allow to cool slightly, add the beaten egg and crushed biscuits and mix well.
Shape into small balls by hand and roll in the coconut.
Store in the fridge.
Variation:
Use 2 tablespoons apple sauce instead of the egg.
Dip the date balls in melted chocolate then dip in chopped nuts. I used pistachio nuts and almonds.
Or, press flat and evenly into a flat baking tray, cut into squares.
Peppermint Chocolate Squares
Delicious chocolate cookies / biscuits with a hint of peppermint. Topped with peppermint / Aero chocolate.
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive since 2011!
www.YouTube.com/capemalaycooking
Ingredients:
1 large egg
1/3 cup cooking oil
½ cup sugar
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp peppermint essence
1½ cups desiccated coconut
2 cups self-raising flour
100g soft butter
Topping: Peppermint crisp or aero chocolate
Method:
Preheat your oven at 180°C.
Lightly grease a 20 x 20 centimetre square baking tin.
In a large mixing bowl add the butter and oil. Whisk the butter, sugar and oil until light and creamy.
Add the egg and mix until creamy.
Add the coco powder and peppermint essence, stir to combine.
Add the self-raising flour & coconut and mix by hand to make fairly stiff dough.
Press the dough evenly in the greased baking tin. Lightly scrape the top of the dough with a fork for a rustic effect.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for approximately 10 – 15 minutes.
Grate the chocolate over the cake immediately upon removal from the oven. The chocolate will melt over the warm dough.
Allow to cool slightly before slicing into squares. Gently remove the squares from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before storing in an airtight container.
Makes 20 – 24 biscuit squares.
Variation:
Roll the dough between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper, scrape the dough lightly with a fork for a rough texture. Use a square or round cookie cutter to cut out shapes.
Transfer the cut out shapes onto a lined baking tin. Bake at 180°C for about 8-10 min or until the cookie is firm to the touch.
Transfer onto a cooling rack. Grate peppermint / aero chocolate over the warm cookies and top with an aero bubble chocolate.
Store in an airtight container when the cookies have cooled down completely.
© Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
Afghan Biscuits
I adapted the Afghan biscuit recipe from More Cape Malay Cooking by Faldela Williams
This biscuit is so called because it resembles that of an Afghan turban, writes the late Faldela Williams.
Ingredients:
200g soft butter
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 & 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup cornflakes
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Milk chocolate to finish
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
Cream the butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy.
Mix the flour and cocoa with the butter mixture.
Mix in cornflake and walnuts.
Mixture should resemble a soft dough.
Drop teaspoonfuls of dough onto baking tins lined with greaseproof or parchment paper.
Bake for about 12 -15 minutes.
Cool slightly in the tins before removing.
Allow to cool completely before drizzling with melted chocolate.
Top the chocolate with half a walnut, optional.
Makes about 30 biscuits.
Find more recipes like this in Salwaa’s Biscuits and Cakes Ebook
Shop online at http://www.capemalaycookingdelights.com/shop
Romany Creams
Salwaa’s Romany Creams
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
Romany Creams
Romany Creams, one of South Africans favourite tea time treats. A crunchy chocolate flavoured biscuit sandwich together with good quality chocolate. Traditionally it’s made round but I’ve made them into squares as well! It’s a hit with kids as well. Instead of sandwiching together with chocolate, finish with a colourful smartie on top. Use a drop of chocolate to paste the smartie in place.
Smartie Romany Creams
Ingredients:
2 extra-large eggs
¾ cup cooking oil
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
3 cups desiccated coconut
3 – 4 cups self-raising flour
125g soft butter
Cooking chocolate to complete
Method:
Cream the butter, sugar in a large bowl until light and creamy.
Add the eggs. Mix well.
Add the coco powder and stir to combine.
Gradually add the self-raising flour & coconut.
Mix by hand to make fairly stiff dough.
Roll out dough to 2-3mm thick on a lightly floured surface.
Using a fork, scrape lines over the dough to create a slightly rough texture.
Cut out round shapes with a biscuit cutter.
Transfer onto baking sheets.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for approx 8-10minutes.
Allow to the biscuits to cool on a wire rack.
Melt the chocolate over a double boiler.
Sandwich two biscuits together using the melted chocolate.
Leave to set. Yields approximately 40 complete biscuits
Cook’s Tip:
Place a piece of greaseproof paper or plastic wrap over the dough before rolling. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin.
Visit our online store for authentic Cape Malay treats and artisan spice mixtures.
Caramel Cookies
Crunchy Caramel Cookies
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
I developed this recipe after extensive research and I have to admit my children, who are my biggest critics, loved it.
Ingredients:
250g soft butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsps caramel essence
2 large eggs
3 cups self-raising flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 cups caramel chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
#capemalaycooking
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line baking trays with greaseproof paper.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the caramel essence and eggs.
Sift in the self-raising flour and bicarbonate of soda. Mix until the flour is incorporated with the butter mixture. Add the caramel chips and walnuts. Mix until combined. The dough will be a soft consistency.
Spoon a dessertspoon of the cookie mixture on to the baking trays and just let it drop off the spoon, you may want to use another spoon or you finger to push it off the spoon. The cookies will spread quite alot so leave lots of space in between .
Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 – 20 minutes. If you want a soft chewy cookie remove at 15 minutes if a crunchy cookie is required bake 5 minutes longer. Leave to cool on the baking tray, when completely cold move to a cooling rack. Makes about 36 cookies.
© Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
Chocolate Coconut Dreams
Chocolate Coconut Dreams
Ingredients:
2 cups cake flour (plain flour)
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sugar
1 ¼ cup desiccated coconut
250g soft butter
5ml bicarbonate of soda
25ml boiling water
25ml cocoa powder
25ml golden syrup
2 large eggs, beaten
To complete: 200g cooking chocolate
Method:
Combine flour, oats, sugar & coconut in a large mixing bowl.
Rub in butter with finger tips to resemble fine crumbs.
Pour boiling water over bicarbonate of soda, stir in cocoa powder and golden syrup.
Beat eggs well and combine all ingredients. Mix well to form soft dough.
Divide into approx. 30 small balls. Place on a baking tray and press flat with a fork.
Bake in a preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius for 10-12 minutes.
Cool on a cooling rack and dip the top of the biscuits in melted cooking chocolate.
Saboera Biscuits
Saboera Biscuits
Traditional Cape Malay biscuits subtly flavoured with spices and rose water.
Saboera Biscuits
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
250g soft butter or good quality baking margarine
¼ cup sunflower oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 extra large egg
1 tsp rose water
4 x 250ml cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp ground dried naartjie (satsuma) peel
To complete:
½ cup sugar poured into a side plate
Black currants
Method:
In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar together using a whisk until light and fluffy
Add the oil, egg, vanilla essence, rose water and mix well to combine
Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into the wet mixture and mix to form a firm dough
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until approximately 5mm thick
Cover the dough with greaseproof paper or cling film whilst rolling to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin
Cut oblong shapes with a cookie cutter
Press 3 currants on top of the biscuits, slightly spread out
Saboera Biscuits
Dip each biscuit (the top side only) in the sugar and place onto a baking tin, leave some space between each biscuit in case of spreading
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 12 -15 minutes or until light brown
Makes 70 depending on the size of the cookie cutter.
© Cape Malay Cooking
Soet Koekies / Essies Biscuits
Soet Koekies
Soet Koekies
Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights - Salwaa Smith 
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