8 down 72 to GO! Konfyttertjies

Apricot jam tartlets or Konfyttertjies as it is called in Afrikaans is a very simple and easy tartlet to make. The whole recipe calls for only three ingredients granted you have made the puff pastry ahead of time that is.

Konfyttertjies is basically puff pastry filled with the best apricot jam you can find, preferably homemade and then brushed with egg yolk. The pastry is baked and enjoyed with a cup of sweet Rooibos tea.

I am going to go out on a limb here but I am guessing before now I haven’t had this treat in at least 10 years. If there is a treat I have recently eaten that brought back long forgotten memories it is this.  

One thing comes to mind, Beaufort West and the spectacular beauty of the Great Karoo. I might have made a home for myself in Cape Town, but my heart will always belong to the Karoo.  I remember once or twice having konfyttertjies and for some reason one person always come to mind, my grandmother. The lady who still bakes pancakes for the church bazaar and recently gotten her Master’s degree for her theses:  "The interdisciplinary archaeological research of musical instruments of ancient Israel and Palestine during the Iron Age."  Not bad wouldn't you agree? 

My grandmother introduced me long ago to konfyttertjies and since then it has become one of my most beloved treats. Sometimes we need a push from the past to bring us back to our roots. For me that push was the taste of sweet and sticky homemade apricot jam in a puff pastry shell with the scent of Rooibos tea lingering in the air.

This might not be a five star dessert or treat, but it is definitely special and dear to me. Simplicity at its best! 

KONFYTTERTJIES

•  Puff pastry dough
• 1 egg yolk
• Apricot jam

Step 1 – Roll out the puff pastry dough until 5mm thick. Work quickly in order to keep the pastry cold.

Step 2 – With a teacup or circular cookie cutter, cut out little circles.

Step 3 – Wisk the egg yolk and with a pastry brush, brush the edges of the dough.

Step 4 – Place one teaspoon of apricot jam in the middle of the dough.

Step 5 – Fold the one side over on itself and with the tip of your finger push the edge of the pastry down.

Step 6 – Lightly brush the top of the pastry with some egg yolk

Step 7 – Bake in a preheated oven at 200-220 degree Celsius for 10 minutes or until golden on top.

Enjoy with a cup of Rooibos tea.