This week is our first country challenge. To me these are the most fun challenges because they really expand my horizons. I am going to make some suggestions for South Africa challenge week here, but I’m no expert on SA. So please do share if you have recipes, favorite dishes or tips! And in particular, if you have a favorite SA food blogger, do drop a link in the comments.
Alright, so here is the fruit of my googling :
Malva Pudding : This one came up repeatedly in my searches, including in a reddit thread where some truly awesome person wanted to bake a cake for their SA roommate! It is made with apricot jam and has a spongy texture and is soaked in cream. Apparently this pudding was popularized by a chef named Maggie Pepler who worked for the SA ambassador in London.
Melktert : Literally “Milk Tart”, the Dutch brought this dessert with them to South Africa.
Peppermint Crisp Tart : A no-bake, chilled dessert made with a favorite SA chocolate bar. Sounds delicious though the primary ingredient may be hard to find where you live, so you may have to get creative with substitutes.
Koeksisters : Described as a “sticky donut treat”, it’s fried and sweetend dough. What’s not to love!
Roosterkoek : For a non-sweet option, try this “grill cake” which is apparently popular at South African barbeques. It is meant to be cooked on a bbq grill but the recipe includes an oven option.
Buttermilk Rusks : A twice baked biscuit (cookie for the Americans) that’s meant to be dunked in a hot drink like tea or coffee.
Happy baking!
They can’t all be winners. It’s enough that you tried.