VAN DER SPUYTJIES
1 koppie koekmeel
1 teelepel bakpoeier
¼ teelepel sout (1.5 ml)
¼ teelepel suiker (1.5 ml)
60 ml botter
1 eier
nog botter gesmelt
kaneel en suiker
Sif die droë bestanddele en vryf die 60 ml botter in.
Klop eier voeg by droë bestanddele meng tot taamlike stywe deeg.
Knie barsies uit.
Rol deeg dun uit en druk deeg af met kleinkoekie afdrukkertjie.
Plaas deeg oor gesmeerde okkerneutdop, bedek net die helfde van die neutdop.
Rol deeg in gesmelte botter en doop in kaneelsuiker.
Plaas op bakplaat. Bak by 190 ºC tot ligbruin.
Verwyder terwyl warm is van die dop af.
Laat koud word.
Vul doppies met vulsel en plaas die oopkante teenmekaar.
Vulsel:
Klop olywhip room styf.
Meng met gemmerstukkies en rooi en groen kersies.
Of gebruik nagemaakte room.
Resep: Rina Botha

GEMMERKOEKIES MET WITPEPER
Maak 8 dosyn koekies
500 ml suiker
375 ml sonneblom- of canola olie
2 eiers
125 ml molasse
1 kg koekmeel
15 ml fyn gemmer
2,5 ml vars gerasperde neutmuskaat
mespunt fyn witpeper
10 ml fyn kaneel
5 ml sout
20 ml bakpoeier

Verhit oond tot 180°C. Voer bakplate met bakpapier uit.
Meng die suiker en olie goed saam in ‘n groot mengbak. Voeg die eiers beurtelings by en meng goed deur na elke byvoeging. Meng molasse by.
Gebruik ‘n aparte mengbak en sif die droë bestanddele saam; meng dit dan geleidelik by die eier-suikermengsel in tot goed ingewerk.
Vorm okkerneut-grootte balletjies met die handpalm. Plaas die bolletjies op die bakplaat met 5 cm spasies tussenin. (Dit sprei uit as dit bak). Bak sowat 12-15 min tot goudbruin. Die koekies moenie bleek wees nie. Die koekies sal krakerig bo-op lyk. Laat sowat 2 minute in die pan staan en plaas dan op die afkoelrak.
Resep geplaas deur James Gillespie-Blaauw

CHERRY COCONUT OATS BARS
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
½ cup cold butter, cubed

FILLING:
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup quartered maraschino cherries
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut

In a small bowl, combine flour and confectioners’ sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press into a lightly greased 13 x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350°C for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.
For filling, in a small bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to the egg mixture and mix well.
Stir in walnuts, cherries and coconut. Spread over crust.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until firm.
Cool on a wire rack.
Cut into bars.
Recipe: Natasha Meyer

BANANA DROP COOKIES
1¼ cups sugar
2/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup banana, mashed well
2 eggs, beaten
2¼ cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
For topping (optional):
¼ Cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon combined

In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon.
Cream sugar, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and beat well. Stir in banana.
Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet. Chill 30 minutes in refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Drop teaspoon sized balls of dough two inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture; if desired.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until browned. Cool 2 minutes, then transfer to racks.
Recipe and photo: Nadia Thölix

KATE’S QUICK MUESLI BARS
200 gr dark chocolate (chocolate of your choice)
2 cups muesli
1 cup dried soft fruit of your choice (slivers of apricots/ glazed cherries sultanas/ cranberries) or a combination of your choice
½ cup flaked almonds
½ tin condensed milk

Line a 20 cm x 20 cm baking tin with baking paper.
Melt chocolate over boiling water spread over base of baking tin let it cool then refrigerate until hard.
Mix remaining ingredients and spread over choc.
Press down in baking tin with spoon.
Bake at 180ºC for 20 minutes.
I would make two batches to use up the condensed milk.
These are apricot and almond,I used roasted almonds and crush them roughly.
Recipe and Photo: Kate Fayle

APPLE TURNOVERS
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups water
4 apples – peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the lemon and 4 cups water in a large bowl.
Place the sliced apples in the water to keep them from browning.
Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat.
Drain water from apples, and place them into the hot pan.
Cook and stir for about 2 minutes.
Add brown sugar, and cinnamon, and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes.
Stir together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water.
Pour into the pan, and mix well. Cook for another minute, or until sauce has thickened.
Remove from heat to cool slightly.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Unfold puff pastry, and repair any cracks by pressing them back together.
Trim into a square.
Cut square into 4 smaller squares.
Spoon apples onto the centre of each square.
Fold over from corner to corner into a triangle shape, and press edges together to seal.
Place turnovers on a baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them.
Bake for 25 minutes in preheated oven, until turnovers are puffed and lightly browned.
Cool completely before glazing.
To make the glaze, mix together the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl.
Adjust the thickness by adding more sugar or milk if necessary. Drizzle glaze over the cooled turnovers.
If you do not wish to make the glaze, you can brush beaten egg over the top of each turnover, and sprinkle with white sugar before baking.
Recipe posted by Amanda Conradie

LOVELY HERTZOG COOKIES
500 ml (280 g) cake flour
10 ml baking powder
1 ml salt
50 ml (40 g) castor sugar
125 g margarine
3 large eggs, separated
50 ml water
200 g smooth apricot jam
300 ml (240 g) sugar
500 ml (160 g) desiccated coconut

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add castor sugar and rub in margarine.
Beat egg yolks and water together and add to dry ingredients, mixing to form a soft dough.
Roll dough out thinly and press out circles. Line the base of greased patty pan tins with dough circles.
Spoon a teaspoonful of apricot jam onto middle of each circle of dough.
Beat egg whites until soft peak stage. Add the 300 ml sugar gradually, while still beating, Add coconut and spoon egg mixture onto apricot jam filling.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC for 20-25 min. Turn onto a wire rack.
Recipe and photo: Nicolette Papas

CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINTS
60 g dark chocolate
125 g butter, softened
2 cups (400 g) brown sugar
2 egg
1/3 cup (80 ml) strong black coffee
2½ cups (350 g) cake flour
2 tbsp (30 ml) cacao powder
2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla essence
icing for coating

Preheat oven at 180ºC. Grease and line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone baking mat.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler. Let cool slightly.
In die bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until pale in colour. Add the eggs one at a rime, scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Add the coffee and stir through. Sift the cake flour cocoa powder baking powder into the butter mixture. Lastly mix in the melted chocolate and vanilla essence.
Roll the mixture into small balls. If you find the batter too soft to form balls, add 1 tbsp (12 ml) flour at a time until it is easier to work with. Dip into the icing sugar, making sure each ball is well coated, and place on the prepared baking tray. Leave enough space between the cookies as they do spread out during baking. Flatten the cookies slightly, making small indent in the center with your thumb.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool slightly on the baking tray and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Note: You can place a piece of chocolate in each indentation.
Recipe and photo: Nicolette Papas

THE BEST EVER GINGER MOLASSES COOKIE
1 ¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
½ cup molasses
4 cups all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp grated fresh ginger or powdered ginger
½ tsp ground cloves
1/3 cup white sugar for rolling

Add the butter to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter on medium high speed until it is soft and creamy and the colour begins to turn pale (use a hand mixer if you wish).
Add the sugar and beat on medium high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times.
Beat in the eggs on medium high speed one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
Beat in the molasses and scrape down the bowl to ensure everything is evenly combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, grated ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Whisk these ingredients together to they’re combined and dump the mixture into the bowl of the stand mixer with the butter mixture.
Combine the butter mixture and the dry ingredients on low speed just until no streaks of flour remain. You’ll have to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times to make sure everything is incorporated.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for one hour.
After one hour has passed, preheat your oven to 180ºC.
Remove the dough from the fridge and shape it into about 36 balls with your hands, rolling each ball of dough in the white sugar and placing it on a baking sheet prepared with some parchment paper. Remember to space the cookies out appropriately…this recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies so you’ll likely need to bake 3 or more sheets of cookies.
Bake each sheet of cookies for 10-11 minutes at 180ºC.
When you remove the baking sheet from the oven, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet until they’ve cooled almost completely. This will help them achieve that soft and chewy texture as they continue to bake on the inside even after they’ve been removed from the oven.
Recipe and photo: Nicolette Papas

GROOTMAAT HERTZOGGIES
(Maak 8 dosyn doppies)
4 koppies meelblom
250 g margarien
1 koppie suiker
3 teelepels gelyk bakpoeier
1 eetlepel vlapoeier
2 eiers
1 teelepel sout

Room suiker, botter en eiers.
Meng die droë bestanddele met jou hande in die bottermengsel.
Plaas in plastieksak om klam te bly.

Klappervulsel:
7 koppies klapper
125 g margarien
2 teelepels vanilla
2 koppie suiker
8 groot eiers
knippie sout

Room botter en suiker.
Voeg eiers, vanilla en sout by en laaste die klapper.
Gebruik bogenoemde soetkors, en rol uit tussen 2 lae plastiek.
Gebruik middelslag afdrukkertjie 6 cm om die deeg mee af te druk.
Plaas in gesmeerde kolwyntjiepanne.
Sit ‘n half teelepel appelkooskonfyt in holte van deeg.
Sit klappervulsel bo oor, maak seker konfyt is oral bedek.
Bak teen 180°C totdat deeg ligbruin is en die klapper ‘n mooi kleur het.
Foto: Cornelia van der Wetshuizen