There are some things that just never go out of style! The Hertzoggie is a true South African classic, and with good reason, it’s delicious. We’ve played with variations of this traditional favourite at both JAN in Nice and Klein JAN in the Kalahari over the years, but there’s just something about it that I love to keep revisiting with new ingredients and ideas. This time I opted for meringue, sago pudding, vanilla cream and seasonal apricots, and pairing it with condensed milk ice cream means it’s sure to be a hit!
Hertzoggie meringue with doily
TIME: ice cream, overnight; meringue, 3 ½ hours; sago pudding, 1 hour; doily, 1 hour | SERVES: 10 – 12
for the condensed milk ice cream
2 x 290 g tins each dessert and cooking Cream
1 x 385 g tin full cream sweetened condensed milk
2 ml vanilla essence
for the meringue
200 g egg white
400 g caster sugar
pinch of salt
for the sago pudding
70 g (100 ml) sago
1 cinnamon stick
500 ml milk
80 g (100 ml) sugar
pinch of salt
for the tuille doilies
50 g egg whites
50 g (60 ml) caster sugar
50 g (55 ml) butter, melted
50 g (90 ml) cake flour
for the apricots
6 fresh apricots, pitted
45 ml caster sugar
for the vanilla cream
2 x 290 g tins each dessert & cooking cream
3 ml vanilla paste
for the assembly
plain yoghurt
toasted coconut
for the condensed milk ice cream
Whisk the cream till stiff peaks. Add the condensed milk and vanilla. Mix well and place the mixture in a suitable container for your freezer. Place in the freezer overnight.
for the meringue
Heat the oven to 65 °C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Place all the ingredients in the mixing bowl of an electric mixer. The bowl should be able to fit over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk with a balloon whisk until the temperature reaches about 33 – 35 °C. Place the bowl in your electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk for 10 – 15 minutes.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a plain 24mm nozzle. Pipe round domes on the baking tray and place in the oven for 2 – 3 hours until the outside is dry but still soft on the inside. Take out and cool. Scoop the soft meringue out, leaving a thin crust of meringue.
for the sago pudding
Rinse the sago. Place the sago, cinnamon and milk in a saucepan. While stirring bring to boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook till soft. Give the sago every now and then a stir. Once the sago is transparent and cooked take of the heat and add the sugar and salt. Mix well and let it cool. Spoon in a piping bag.
for the tuille doilies
Heat the oven to 160 °C. Place the egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk till medium peaks form. Gradually add the caster sugar and whisk well after each addition. Pour the melted butter into the egg whites in a thin steady stream. Use a metal spoon and fold in the flour. Spread the mixture evenly and thinly onto a patterned silicone mat. Place in the oven and bake for 6 minutes. Take out and leave for a couple of seconds before removing the tuille from the silicone mat.
for the apricots
Cut the apricots in small blocks and add the caster sugar. Mix well and keep in the fridge till needed.
for the vanilla cream
Pour the cream into a jug and add the vanilla paste and mix well. Keep in fridge till needed.
for the assembly
Brush the top of each meringue with a very thin layer of yoghurt and gently dip the meringue into the toasted coconut.
Pipe some sago pudding into the meringue. Spoon a little ice cream on top of the sago. Spoon some apricots on top and gently flip the meringue into your serving bowl. Very gently place doily on top and serve with the vanilla cream.