Krakelinge South African Cookies Recipes

ROMANY CREAMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream together butter and sugar; add flour, coconut, and baking powder.
• Dissolve melted baking chocolate by whisking into boiling water; add to mixture.
• Roll mixture into small 1-inch balls.
• Place balls on greased cookie sheet and, using a fork, press criss-cross to flatten.
• Bake in a moderate oven, 350F, for 10 to 12 minutes until desired doneness (some people like them crispier than others); let cool on a wire rack.
• Make the butter cream filling: cream one-third of the confectioners' sugar with softened butter and salt in large bowl.
• Blend vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons milk and remaining sugar into mixture.
• Gradually stir in remaining milk to filling until desired spreading consistency is reached.
• When cookies have cooled completely, sandwich them together with the butter cream filling (or chocolate from melting a slab of milk chocolate over low heat or in microwave).

KRAKELINGEN

Steps:

• In large mixing bowl, cut butter into flour till pea sized.
• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon water over 1/4 section of dough.
• Fluff that section with fork and push aside. Repeat with rest of dough in sections.
• Divide into half. Roll into balls. Wrap in saran wrap, and refrigerate.
• Preheat oven to 375°.
• When cool, tear off pieces about 2 tablespoons worth and roll into snakes. Shape into hearts, ribbons, wreaths, or pretzel shapes.
• Gently press both sides of cookie into granulated sugar that has been spread out thinly on plate.
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until slightly browning.

SOETKOEKIES - SWEET WINE AND SPICE SOUTH AFRICAN COOKIES

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.

SUGAR COOKIES (SOUTH AFRICA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven 400°F.
• In bowl, cream butter and shortening. Add cloves, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and orange peel. Mix well.
• Beat in eggs, sugar, and almonds.
• In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add to butter mixture alternately with the brandy and wine.
• Chill dough for about 30 minutes to an hour, or until firm enough to roll.
• Turn chilled dough out on a floured board and roll until the dough is very thin.
• Using pastry cutters, cut the dough into desired shapes.
• Bake on greased cookie sheets for 10-15 minutes, or until nicely browned.

KRAKELINGE (SOUTH AFRICAN COOKIES)

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.