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Fruit Mince Pies
Fruit Mince Pies – Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
A mixed fruit mince pie is a fruit-based spicy mincemeat sweet pie of Middle Eastern origin that is traditionally served during the Christmas season. However, the pies themselves are a British invention.
Mince pie ingredients can be traced back to the 13th century. Returning crusaders brought with them Middle Eastern recipes that contained meats, fruits and spices. As fruits and spices became more plentiful in the 17th century, the spiciness of the pies increased.
Treat your family with my homemade mincemeat recipe. For the base I used my milk tart base recipe. Makes 18 mince pies or 1 large tart and 6 small pies.
Mincemeat filling:
3 medium red apples
5og butter
2 cups mixed fruit mixture
½ cup soft brown sugar
Zest and juice of 1 orange
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp almond flakes
½ tsp mixed spice
Peel, core and dice the apples into small pieces. Add all the ingredients into a deep saucepan Bring to the boil, then simmer over low to medium heat. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring often. Cool completely before using.
Short bread base for the mince pies:
1 large egg
125g butter/margarine
¼ cup cooking oil
¾ cup sugar
2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup cake flour
1 tsp vanilla essence
l level tsp baking powder
Castor and icing sugar for sprinkling
Mix the egg, sugar, softened butter and oil together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla essence, mix. Add the flour and baking powder and mix well to form a dough.
Roll out the pastry to 3mm thick. Using a round cutter, cut out 18 bases and place them into muffin trays. Put 1 heaped tablespoon mincemeat mixture into each. Re-roll out the pastry, use a star cookie cutter to cut out 18 star and press them lightly on top of the mincemeat to form a seal.
Sprinkle with caster sugar. Bake mince pies for 15-20 mins in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (fan) until golden brown. Leave to cool before taking them from the muffin trays and dusting with icing sugar. Serve and enjoy 🙂
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Triems / Madeira Cake
Triems – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa Smith
(Plain Loaf Cake)
Not all cakes needs strawberries or cream to enjoy. This plain loaf is very delicious and very popular amongst the Cape Malays. This loaf cake is usually served at large gatherings and is often included in a barakat (gift of food or cakes) at a gadat or thikr gathering. It’s usually made in loaf tins and sliced into thin slices. Triem is the Cape Malay version of a Madeira loaf.
Triems / Madeira Loaf
Makes 2 loafs
Ingredients:
125g soft butter or margarine
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 cup white sugar
6 large eggs
4 cups self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
Extra butter for greasing (approx. 2 tablespoons)
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease 2 loaf tins well with the extra butter and sprinkle with flour.
In a large mixing bowl add the butter, sugar, oil and eggs. Whisk until creamy using an electric beater, about 5 – 10 minutes.
Add the flour , baking powder and milk. Whisk until all the ingredients have incorporated. Divide evenly between the 2 loaf tins. Bake at 180C for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out dry. Cool 5 minutes in the loaf tins before removing from the tins, leave to cool completely before cutting.
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Add 1 of the following for variation
– 1 tsp fine cardamom powder, or
– 1 tsp vanilla essence and 1/2 cup dessicated coconut, or
– 1 Tbsp fine aniseed powder
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Chocolate Cake
This is my favourite go to recipe when making a chocolate cake. It is so easy to make, very versatile, taste good and can be decorated as simply or elaborately as you wish. This recipe makes a 20cm two layer round cake and can be doubled if a larger cake is required. Taste good with plain butter cream, whipped fresh cream, ganache or just about any frosting.
Ingredients:
3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup cake flour
In a large mixing bowl and using an electric beater mix together the egg yolk, sugar, water and oil until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the dry ingredients and fold it into the wet ingredients.
Use a clean, dry bowl and whisk, whip the egg whites until stiff. Fold the stiff egg whites into the cake mixture. Divide into 2 well greased round (20cm) baking tins and bake in a preheated oven at 180C for approximately 15-20 minutes. Decorate with cream, butter cream, icing sugar, etc…
How To Make Ganache
200g good-quality dark chocolate , about 60% cocoa solids
284ml fresh cream
Method:
Pour the cream into a pan and heat until it is about to boil.
Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate.
Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Allow ganache to cool before pouring over cakes as a glaze.
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Number 1 Birthday Cake
I made a number 1 birthday cake for my granddaughter, Aisha, who turned 1 last week. For this cake I made a double batch of my chocolate cake mixture. I drew a number 1 on a A4 paper, cut it out, then shaped the number 1 from there onto the cakes. With the left over cake pieces I made a chocolate trifle.
Chocolate Cake
To make the number 1 cake you will need to make 2 batches of chocolate cake mixture.
Ingredients for 1 cake:
3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup cooking oil
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup cake flour
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a 25cm x 20cm baking tin. In a large mixing bowl and using an electric beater mix together the egg yolk, sugar, water and oil until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the dry ingredients and fold it into the wet ingredients.
Use a clean, dry bowl and whisk, whip the egg whites until stiff. Fold the stiff egg whites into the cake mixture. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for approximately 15-20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Now mix and bake the second layer as above.
Cool the cakes on a cooling rack
Draw and cut out a number 1 on an A4 paper
Place the number 1 shape in the centre of the cake, secure with toothpicks. Cut the cake around the number 1
Sandwich the layers together with chocolate butter cream
To make the butter cream you will need
125g soft butter
1 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Enough milk to make it spreadable
Cream the butter until smooth. Add the icing sugar and cocoa powder mix together. Add drops of milk to make the mixture soft and spreadable. Sandwich the 2 layers together using the butter cream.
Spread ganache over the cake
To make the ganache you will need:
400g good quality chocolate
200ml fresh cream
Method:
Pour the cream into a pan and heat until it is about to boil.
Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate.
Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Allow ganache to cool before pouring spreading over the cake.
Decorate with sweets or as you like
I used the left over cake pieces to make a chocolate trifle. I’ll share the recipe in my next post.
Triangle Cheesecake
Triangle Cheesecake
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive since 2011!
One of the first cheesecake recipes I learned to make as a teenager many years ago and it is still one of my favourites to make and share with my family.
Triangle Cheesecake
Ingredients:
125g butter
1 large egg
250g cream cheese
24 tennis biscuits
1 cup fresh cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
15 glacé cherries
Flake chocolate to decorate
Foil
Method:
In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together.
Add the egg, vanilla essence and cream cheese.
Place 3 rows of tennis biscuits on a piece of foil.
Place rows length wise side by side.
Spread the cream cheese mixture over the biscuits.
Add a row of cherries down the centre.
Lift the foil from sides of the pyramid leaving the center biscuits to form a base, pinch the two sides together to close.
Leave to set in the fridge overnight.
Before serving, spread the cake with whipped cream and garnish with the chocolate.
Cook’s Notes
You can replace the egg with one tablespoon apple sauce.
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Lemon Meringue
Lemon Meringue – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa Smith
Lemon Meringue
This recipe makes a medium meringue and can easily be doubled if a large one is required. This one cuts into approximately 6 – 8 slices.
Crust:
½ packet tennis/marie/tea biscuits
100g butter, melted
Filling:
1 tin condensed milk
½ cup lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
3 extra large egg yolks
Topping:
3 extra large egg whites
1 Tbsp caster sugar
¼ tsp cream of tartar
Make the base by crushing the biscuits finely, mix with the melted butter. Lightly grease a flute pie dish or any other suitable dish. Pour the biscuit crumbs into the dish and press down firmly using the back of a spoon. Refrigerate until firm or leave in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes.
Meanwhile make the filling. Mix together the condensed milk, egg yolk, lemon juice and lemon rind in a medium mixing bowl. When the base has set pour the filling on top.
Using a clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold in the castor sugar and the cream of tartar. Pile the egg white on top of the filling. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for
15 – 20 minutes until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven, leave to cool down completely and refrigerate for about 2 hours before serving.
Lemon Meringue
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Gheema / Beef Curry
Gheema / Beef Curry – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights, Salwaa Smith
Boneless beef cut into small cubes made into a curry and served with roti or white rice. Curry is almost always accompanied with atchar or sambals.
Gheema Curry
Ingredients:
3 onions finely chopped
2 ripe tomatoes grated
1/2 green and red pepper finely chopped
2 tsp garlic grated
2 tsp ginger grated
3 green chillies slit
3 bay leaves
3 pieces stick cinnamon
7 cardamom pods
5 allspice
10 curry leaves
2 tsp tomatoe paste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 kg beef steak cut in small pieces
2 tbsp leaf masala / roasted masala
2 tsp salt or to taste
2 tsp tumeric
1 1/2 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp whole fennel / bariship seeds
Few potatoes (optional), peeled and cut into quarters
Method
Braise chopped onion in oil until transparent or slightly brown
Add garlic, ginger, green, red pepper and braised a further 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add cardamom, allspice, stick cinnamon and bay leaves.
In another hot pan take all the whole spices, fennel, cumin and coriander and warm it in the pan for about 1-2 minutes take care not to burn these spices. Make it semi fine in a mortar and pestle and put aside. The aroma is beautiful.
Braise for a further 5 minutes then add salt and all the spices.
Add beef steak and cook for about 45 minutes until beefsteak are soft and tender adding little bit of water at a time.
Now add tomatoes and tomatoe paste as well as curry leaves give the pot a vigorous stir then add potatoes and cook until potatoes soft not forgetting to add little of water as needed and stir occasionally.
Serve with roti, white rice or flat bread or naan bread.
Click here for details of where to buy the Cape Malay & Other Delights Cookbook by Salwaa Smith
Enjoy
Orange Biscuits (lemoen koekies)
Orange Biscuits (lemoen koekies)
Traditional Cape Malay biscuits flavoured with orange essence and dried citrus peels.
Orange Biscuits / Lemoen Koekies
Ingredients:
250g soft butter or good quality baking butter
1 cup sugar
1 extra large egg
¼ cup sunflower oil
3 tsp orange essence
4 x 250ml cake flour, sifted
1 tsp ground naartjie/orange/satsuma peel (dried and ground)
1 tsp baking powder
Cachous (sen-sen) sweets to complete
Sen-Sent Sweets / Pink Cachous
Method:
Using a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar
Add the oil, essence and egg, mix well
Add the flour, baking powder and citrus peels
Mix well to form a firm dough
Roll out the dough approximately 5mm thick on a lightly floured surface
Cover the dough with cling film or greaseproof paper to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin
Take a fork and lightly scrape the surface of the dough to make a line pattern
Cut out rounds with a cookie cutter and place the biscuits on a baking tray (no need to grease the baking tray)
Place a sen-sen sweet in the middle of each biscuit
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 12 – 15 minutes or until lightly browned
Makes approximately 70 biscuits.
Orange Biscuits
Lemoen Koekies
© Cape Malay Cooking
Crayfish Curry
Crayfish Curry
Crayfish Curry
Crayfish Potjie
Crayfish Potjie
Boeber – 15th Ramadaan
Boeber – Traditional Milk Drink
A traditional South African Cape Malay recipe, the taste is so rich and sugary. Boeber is made of milk, vermicelli, sago, sugar or condensed milk flavoured with cardamoms, stick cinnamon and rose water. If you like a “thicker” boeber add more sago. Boeber is traditionally served on the fifteenth night of Ramadan to celebrate the middle of the fast. The evening of the 15th day of Ramadaan is special for those who had fasted the first 15 days. They are known as people who are ‘op die berg’ Many, many years ago after the taraweegh salaah, boeber was served at the mosques. Every family also made boeber for this particular night. After Taraweegh salaah, boeber was also sold at boeber houses at two pence a glass. There, friends would assemble and, if it were a Friday or Saturday, would stay up until sower (suhur) and then go to the masjid for Fajr.
To make boeber you will need the following
100g butter
1/3 cup sago
1 cup water to soak the sago
1 – 1 1/2 cups crushed vermicelli
3 cinnamon sticks
5 cardamoms
50 g sultanas
2 litres milk
15 ml rose water (optional)
150 – 200ml white sugar (depending on your taste buds)
50g blanched almonds
Method:
Soak the sago in the water for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan.
When it has melted, add the vermicelli and toss it so that the butter covers it and it starts to go golden brown.
Add the cardamom, cinnamon and the sultanas.
Stir before pouring the milk into the pan.
Bring to the boil before adding the pre-soaked sago and then simmer for about 30 minutes stirring constantly otherwise it will stick. The sago should become transparent.
Add the rose water (if using), sugar and almonds and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Serve hot and enjoy!!!
Serve hot and prepare to enjoy this rich, spicy and flavourful drink.
© Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights - Salwaa Smith 
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