What Are Hertzoggies? The South African Apricot Coconut Tartlets Explained
Hertzoggies are small South African tartlets with a pastry base, apricot jam and a coconut topping. Here is what they are and how they are made.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Hertzoggies are small South African tartlets made from a shortcrust pastry case filled with a spoon of apricot jam and finished with a coconut topping, then baked until golden. They are a nostalgic Cape teatime treat, named after the South African Prime Minister J B M Hertzog, and a related version topped with pink-and-brown coconut icing is known as a tweedehertzoggie, meaning second Hertzoggie. Sweet, homely and easy to make in batches, they turn up on tea tables and at bake sales across the country. In the UK the pastry ingredients, apricot jam and desiccated coconut to make them are sold by African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Hertzoggies are South African tartlets with a pastry base, apricot jam and a coconut topping.
- They are baked until golden and are a much loved Cape teatime treat.
- They are named after South African Prime Minister J B M Hertzog.
- A version with pink-and-brown coconut icing is called a tweedehertzoggie, meaning second Hertzoggie.
- They contain gluten from the pastry, egg from the topping and coconut.
Few things say old-fashioned South African teatime quite like a plate of hertzoggies, their golden coconut tops peeking over little pastry cases and a hidden spoonful of apricot jam waiting inside. They belong to a world of tin cake boxes, church bazaars and grandmothers who baked in batches, and for many South Africans abroad the smell of them in the oven brings that whole world straight back. They are humble, generous and unmistakably homemade.
There is real heritage in these little tartlets, in their odd, proud name and in the way they have been passed down through Cape kitchens for generations. To bake hertzoggies in Britain is to keep a small, sweet tradition alive far from home, and to hand one to a friend with a cup of tea is to share a piece of it. That comforting bite of pastry, jam and coconut is the quiet taste of home.
What Hertzoggies Actually Are
A hertzoggie is a small baked tartlet built in three simple layers. The base is a shortcrust pastry case, pressed into a patty tin or small tart mould. Into each case goes a spoonful of apricot jam, and over the jam sits the topping, which is where the coconut comes in: traditionally a light coconut meringue, though some bakers use a soft coconut sponge instead. The little tarts are baked until the pastry is cooked through and the coconut top turns golden. The result is sweet and homely, with a crumbly base, a tangy layer of jam in the middle and a soft, toasty coconut finish.
They sit firmly among the classic bakes of the Cape teatime table, in the same nostalgic company as milk tart and koeksisters. Like those treats they are the kind of thing made in batches for a crowd, appearing at bazaars, tea parties and family gatherings. You will find hertzoggies among the well loved recipes of South African food, a small but iconic part of the country's baking tradition.
Where the Name Comes From
The curious name is genuinely part of the story. Hertzoggies are named after J B M Hertzog, a South African Prime Minister, and the little tarts became linked with him in popular baking lore. The naming is well documented, and it is what gives these tartlets their distinctive place in South African food history.
The name also explains a close cousin. A related version, topped not with plain coconut but with pink-and-brown coconut icing, is known as a tweedehertzoggie, which means second Hertzoggie in Afrikaans. So while a standard hertzoggie carries its coconut meringue or coconut sponge top, its iced relative wears the two-tone coconut icing that sets it apart. Both belong to the same family of jam-and-coconut tartlets, just dressed a little differently.
How Hertzoggies Are Made and Served
Making hertzoggies starts with the pastry. A shortcrust dough is rolled out and cut to line small patty tins, then a little apricot jam is spooned into each case. The coconut topping is mixed separately, most often a meringue of whisked egg white and sugar folded through with desiccated coconut, and this is spooned over the jam before baking. In the oven the pastry firms up and the coconut top sets and turns golden, giving each tartlet its neat, domed finish.
They are made to be shared. Hertzoggies are a teatime and coffee-time treat, served in their little cases straight from the tin, and they keep well enough to fill a cake box for a bazaar or a family visit. A batch goes a long way, which is part of their charm: they are exactly the kind of sweet, portable, crowd-pleasing bake that suits a full tea table. Because they contain gluten from the pastry, egg from the meringue and coconut, they are worth flagging for anyone with those allergies before you pass the plate around.
Where to Buy Hertzoggie Ingredients in the UK
Hertzoggies are a homemade bake, and the ingredients are easy to gather in Britain. You will need flour and butter for the shortcrust pastry, apricot jam for the filling, and desiccated coconut, egg white and sugar for the topping; shops serving South African customers often carry familiar apricot jam and the baking staples that make the tartlets taste the way they should. None of it is hard to find, so hertzoggies are a simple and affordable treat to make at home. You can find African food stores near you to see what is stocked nearby.
Frequently asked questions
What are hertzoggies?
Hertzoggies are small South African tartlets made from a shortcrust pastry case filled with a spoonful of apricot jam and topped with coconut, usually a coconut meringue or a soft coconut sponge, then baked until golden. They are a nostalgic Cape teatime treat, named after the South African Prime Minister J B M Hertzog.
Why are they called hertzoggies?
Hertzoggies are named after J B M Hertzog, a South African Prime Minister, and the little tarts became linked with him in popular baking lore. The naming is well documented and gives the tartlets their distinctive place in South African food history. A related version topped with pink-and-brown coconut icing is called a tweedehertzoggie, meaning second Hertzoggie.
What is the difference between a hertzoggie and a tweedehertzoggie?
A standard hertzoggie has a pastry case with apricot jam and a coconut meringue or coconut sponge topping baked until golden. A tweedehertzoggie, meaning second Hertzoggie in Afrikaans, is the same jam-filled tartlet but finished with pink-and-brown coconut icing instead of the plain coconut top. Both are close cousins in the same family of tartlets.
Do hertzoggies contain allergens?
Yes. Hertzoggies contain gluten from the shortcrust pastry, egg from the coconut meringue topping, and coconut. Anyone with those allergies should take care, so it is worth mentioning what is in them before sharing a plate. Ingredients can vary between recipes, so check when in doubt.
Where can I buy hertzoggie ingredients in the UK?
Hertzoggies are made at home, so African food shops are a good place to buy the ingredients: flour and butter for the pastry, apricot jam, and desiccated coconut, egg white and sugar for the topping. Shops serving South African customers often stock familiar apricot jam and baking staples. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks them.