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Mamma’s coconut tart (klappertert)

by Jeanne Horak on July 11, 2010 38 Comments in Baking (sweet), Recipes, South African

Klappertert

 

One of the things in life that has held a fascination for me for as long as I can remember is language. My mom always maintained that this was because she was pregnant with me while she was doing her Honours degree in English, and that I attended most of her lectures with her, but I maintain that she and my father instilled this fascination in me.

She loved poetry and read it to me from when I was very young – and I loved it.  Whereas most people make acquaintance with poetry in school and think it is desperately dull because they are started off on stuff like Elegy in a Country Churchyard, I grew up on TS Eliot’s joyous Macavity and Skimbleshanks, Hillaire Belloc’s atmospheric Tarantella and the fabulously evocative Cargoes by John Masefield.  What’s not to love?  How do you end up not loving language when you are surrounded by all these fabulous words?

But it’s not only English words that fascinate me – Afrikaans words do too. As you probably know, Afrikaans is one of the 11 official languages of South Africa and is derived from the Dutch spoken by colonists who established a refreshment station at the Cape of Good Hope in the mid-1600s.  Afrikaans is not merely a watered-down version of Dutch has evolved under the influence of other languages such as French, English, portuguese, native African languages, and the Indonesian language spoken by slaves at the Cape.  For instance, on a recent trip to Amsterdam we had been speaking Afrikaans to our bemused Dutch waiter and we were all understanding each other, but he was clearly struggling to figure out why our “Dutch” was so oddly accented.  When he asked how the food was and we responded “baie goed” (very good), his face lit up: “Oh, so you are South African!”.  How did he know this from a 2 word-answer?  Because in Dutch the word for very is heel.  Afrikaans, on the other hand uses the word baie (say bi-ya), meaning both very and many, which is derived from the Indonesian word banyak (meaning many) which became baiang, and then baie.  Other Indonesian words snuck into the Dutch language even earlier and were inherited into Afrikaans as “Dutch” words, even though their roots lie in Indonesia.  A nice example is coconut which is called klapper, derived from the Indonesian word for coconut kalapa (or kalepa).

Mmmm, coconut.  Growing up in Port Elizabeth in the 1970s, we did not really see fresh coconuts, so when a recipe called for coconut, it was the desiccated flakes that were referred to and that I learned to love.  People are still slightly filled with horror when they see the dessicated coconut in my store cupboard (gasp – you mean she does not crack open fresh coconuts and grate the flesh herself??).  It’s almost as bad as having a little shaker of ready-grated Parmesan “cheese” :o)  But it is pretty good for baking one of my favourite tarts from childhood.  As I’ve mentioned before, I am clearly an anomaly as I am a South African who does not much like milk tart – but give me a coconut tart and I am in heaven. These tarts are ubiquitous in South Africa – available at every school bakesale and home industry shop – and my mom made a mean one.

This is my mom’s coconut tart recipe, taken from her hand-written index book which I inherited. Sadly, she did not include a recipe for a crust, so I used her standard shortcrust pastry recipe from elsewhere in the book.  There are other coconut tart recipes that call for a sweet crust but as I recall my mom’s recipe, the crust was almost a savoury quiche crust, which was perfect to counteract the sweetness of the filling. However, if you have a sweet tooth, make a normal sweet shortcust base.  The apricot jam is a typically South African touch and seems to help stop the base from absorbing the filling’s liquid and stay crisp.  The tart is best served warm, straight from the oven with a chewy golden crust on top, but can also be kept in an airtight container for a couple of days, or even frozen.

KlappertertCollage

 

COCONUT TART (KLAPPERTERT) (makes one 18-20cm tart) For printable recipe, click here

Ingredients:

FOR THE CRUST:
1 cup (250ml) plain flour
pinch of salt
113g butter, cubed
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
iced water

FOR THE FILLING:
2 cups (500ml) desiccated or fresh grated coconut
1 cup (250ml) granulated sugar
2 Tbs (28g) butter
1 cup (250ml) water
pinch of salt
2 eggs, separated
3/4 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp almond essence
3-4 Tbsp apricot jam (preferably smooth)

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

In a small saucepan, gently simmer together the coconut, sugar, water, butter and salt for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, make the pastry

In a mixing bowl, using either your fingers or a food processor, rub the cubes of butter into the flour and salt mix.  The mixture should end up resembling breadcrumbs. Stir in the lightly beaten egg yolk and iced water and mix until the dough comes together to form a ball.  If mixture is too crumbly to come together in a ball, add iced water 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing between each addition.  Knead mixture lightly with your hands until it comes together.  Press into an 18-20cm loose-bottomed pie dish.  Spread the apricot jam over the base of the pie crust.

When the coconut mix has cooked for 15 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the lightly beaten egg yolks, vanillla essence and almond essence.  Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold into the coconut mix.

Spoon the filling into the pie crust and bake in the bottom half of the oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the coconut filling has set in the centre and is turning golden brown. (To check, wiggle the oven shelf a bit – you will be able to see whether the centre of the tart wobbles or not!).

Serve hot, with cream if desired.

If you liked this tart, you might also like my South African milk tart (melktert), my rhubarb, strawberry and ginger tarts, or my nectarine and ginger tarte tatin. 

 

Other bloggers baking with coconut include:

  • Courtney’s coconut cream pie
  • Asha’s white-out coconut layer cake
  • Margot’s Rafaello almond and coconut cake

 

More deliciousness for you!

  • Cape brandy pudding (or tipsy tart) revisitedCape brandy pudding (or tipsy tart) revisited
  • Souskluitjies (cinnamon dumplings) revisitedSouskluitjies (cinnamon dumplings) revisited
  • Waiter, there’s something in my… melktert!Waiter, there’s something in my… melktert!
  • Double peanut butter cookiesDouble peanut butter cookies

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  1. Cookin' Canuck says

    July 12, 2010 at 7:02 pm

    What a beautiful tart! I love the story about your fascination with language.

    Reply
  2. Liz says

    July 12, 2010 at 8:20 pm

    My Mum used to make something very similar to this as well as a fantastic Bakewell tart. She always baked on Tuesdays and Thursdays so coming home from school to see what delights were on the kitchen table was something to look forward too when running reluctantly up and down the wing on the hockey field. What is nostalgia except a longing for the food of childhood…(as someon wiser than me said)

    Reply
  3. nina says

    July 12, 2010 at 8:55 pm

    In m,y house, this was known as Sultan’s genot. Never mind the name though, I love all things coconut!!!

    Reply
  4. Firefly says

    July 13, 2010 at 7:32 am

    Klappertert is lekker. My mom used to bake it as well when we still lived at home, but these days she doesn’t bake that often and I seem to be forgetting all these lovely things

    Reply
  5. Kerrin @ MyKugelhopf says

    July 13, 2010 at 9:36 am

    love this post, and not only because it’s dessert time ! i am fascinated by languages – studied linguistics at university and just love the different sounds. fun to be living in a swiss region whose spoken and written languages are not the same ! OY !
    and i also do have a sweet tooth, surprise surprise. so i am loving this recipe here. with shortcrust for me. in the place of the apricot jam, what do you think about coating the pastry with melted white chocolate ? would also prevent it from getting soggy. hmmm, another sweet idea. either way, looks fantastic above !

    Reply
  6. George@CulinaryTravels says

    July 13, 2010 at 9:38 am

    What a beautiful tart and I loved reading about your fascination with language.

    Reply
  7. Jane-Anne says

    July 13, 2010 at 9:39 am

    Yum. Yum. Yum!

    Reply
  8. bellini valli says

    July 13, 2010 at 10:54 am

    With the jam in the bottom this reminds me of tarts my mom used to make. When I figure out a way to open a coconut easily and remove the flesh I may consider making my own shredded coconut. It does sound worth it, but I would be just as happy with your mom’s tart.

    Reply
  9. Charlie says

    July 13, 2010 at 11:26 am

    This made me very nostalgic for my own mum’s cooking. I still make the things she used to cook and they always cheer me up. Your mum’s coconut tart looks like heaven and I love the fact that baie means very and many x

    Reply
  10. Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

    July 13, 2010 at 12:06 pm

    I don’t grind my own coconut flesh either so I won’t hold it against you. Looks like a fabulous tart.

    Reply
  11. Ken says

    July 13, 2010 at 12:20 pm

    I bet this tart smells amazing while baking in the oven. The scent of coconut fills the kitchen. I’ve eaten a similar tart in my childhood and can’t wait to bake this beauty.

    Reply
  12. Cook Your Life says

    July 13, 2010 at 1:04 pm

    This tart looks superb. I too am a huge coconut fan, although I’ve never bought a real one!
    There is a simalar english version with raspberry jam as the base, however I imagine aprioct lends a slightly more bitter taste, no doubt perfectly offsetting the sweet coconut.
    I think I will be giving this a go over the weekend! Thanks

    Reply
  13. Barbara @ Modern Comfort Food says

    July 13, 2010 at 11:00 pm

    What a joy to find your site! Although a vreemdeling, I lived and worked in Pretoria for 12 years until very recently and frequently get cravings for South African dishes, including klappertert, bobotie, rusks, and many others. I love your take on this oh so temping tart, particularly the wise use of an unsweetened pastry shell and the delicious-looking, nicely browned, crunchy top you’ve achieved here. Wonderful! Many thanks for sharing your recipe with us!

    Reply
  14. Johanna GGG says

    July 14, 2010 at 3:10 am

    mmmm I love dessicated coconut in baking – it might look like dandruff but it tastes wonderful – I grew up with it too and wouldn’t be without it in my pantry as it is part of some of my favourite comfort foods from childhood – this tart looks just my sort of thing and I know I would enjoy calling it klappertert

    Reply
  15. Sherri says

    July 14, 2010 at 6:29 am

    This tart looks amazing. I am a fan of coconut and will give this a try. I enjoyed reading about your like of languages. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  16. Heather Davis says

    July 14, 2010 at 8:20 pm

    Who has time to grind coconut when you have a great alternative ready prepared? Life’s too short eh! The tart looks gorgeous and I love it’s name. Klappertert. Languages are fascinating and I enjoyed reading about your experiences in Amsterdam.

    Reply
  17. Gillordeincatering.wordpress.com says

    July 14, 2010 at 11:08 pm

    Baie dankie for telling me about the etymology of “Baie”! Love the sound of this Klappertert – will try to make it tomorrow 🙂

    Reply
  18. Bruce says

    July 16, 2010 at 12:29 pm

    I am not usually one for coconut, but strangely enough I love Coconut tart. Growing up on the Highveld it, and melktert of course, were the staple at most braai’s. Not had it with apricot jam though, must get my mom to experiment.

    Reply
  19. grace says

    July 17, 2010 at 10:33 am

    i think it’d be absolutely awesome and amazing if the fact that your mother was taking english courses while pregnant with you was responsible for your love of languages!! what a cool notion. speaking of absolutely awesome and amazing things, i consider coconut the be one of god’s finest creations and this tart is perfect. i like the crust you chose and the images are gorgeous!

    Reply
  20. Kit says

    July 20, 2010 at 7:47 pm

    Great post, Jeanne! I love the melting pot that South Africa is, revealed in its food adn language. I’ve never yet made a coconut tart, so I’m going to have to try this one and add it to the repertoire. We always call it desecrated coconut… but I’ve never in my life grated fresh coconut and I always have it in the larder, mostly for crunchies till now.

    Reply
  21. Jamie says

    July 22, 2010 at 3:31 pm

    I understand about your fascination with language: we play word and language games with the boys, comparing samenesses and differences, translating phrases from one to another. And when we travel we try and use our different languages in order to communicate as there are overlaps. And I love coconut and this tart is a beauty1 It looks and sounds delicious. And for you much more so as it was your moms. xo

    Reply
  22. Ursula Garcia says

    August 24, 2010 at 10:49 pm

    To my sorrow, my American born children don’t care for milktart (I’m sure you can empathize), finding it too bland. However, my son adores all things coconut, so maybe this will be a pleasing substitute!

    Reply
  23. Carol - Glassware says

    September 21, 2010 at 9:57 am

    Looks great! Makes me hungry just looking at it.

    Reply
  24. enrique fourie says

    March 10, 2011 at 6:25 pm

    guys do try this one! Something i used to make as a child out of the HUISGENOOT , wenresepte!

    Reply
  25. Clare Binley says

    March 1, 2012 at 4:45 pm

    My husband is from the Strand and I want to make this for him. We live in LA and have sweetened shredded coconut on the shelves. Will this do or should I look for unsweetened shredded or simply buy fresh?

    Reply
    • carol says

      January 24, 2018 at 7:33 pm

      Trader Joe has unsweetened, organic coconut flakes which work well in Crunchies!

      Reply
  26. Tash says

    April 19, 2013 at 12:17 pm

    Are you supposed to blind bake the pie crust first? It’s not really clear from your recipe, but I’ve never not blind baked a crust before…

    Reply
    • Jeanne says

      April 19, 2013 at 1:36 pm

      Hi Tash – no, you do not bake the crust blind – as the recipe says you simply press it into the pie dish and spread the jam over it before adding the filling. The jam forms a barrier between the filling and the crust, which fulfills much the same role as blind baking does. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  27. Margot says

    January 23, 2016 at 11:37 pm

    Oh, that looks delicious Jeanne and would be perfect for our Inheritance Recipes link-up! 🙂

    Reply
  28. Nadia@maisontravers says

    March 28, 2016 at 7:22 pm

    This takes me back to the 1970’s eating this as a child in Goodwood, a very Afrikaans suburb in Cape Town. Definitely going to make it.

    Reply
  29. Anna@healthoop says

    April 6, 2016 at 5:24 pm

    I love to drink coconut and love to make cake with coconut milk. It always bring me a good taste. This coconut tart is a yummy recipe that I must try to cook someday. Thanks for sharing this tasty recipe.

    Reply
  30. Mrs.merchant says

    June 1, 2016 at 1:31 pm

    I tried this recipe today & it was perfect. 5 stars.

    Reply
  31. Maria says

    August 2, 2017 at 3:43 pm

    Love the recipes.Definitely gonna try them.

    Reply
  32. carol says

    January 24, 2018 at 7:31 pm

    A Port Elizabethan after my own heart – give me decadent coconut over milk tart any day!
    Carol

    Reply
  33. A Neate says

    June 16, 2018 at 2:14 pm

    I cooked this often when we lived in South Africa so pleased to have found the recipe once again. I’ll share it with the rest of the family over the week end after our Braai.

    Reply
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📸 by @tasteofsavoie
If you, like me, are mssing your Pret-a- Manger Bi If you, like me, are mssing your Pret-a- Manger Bircher muesli during lockdown, you will want to bookmark this post right now! 🔖

I have learnt a few things during lockdown. I have learnt that I am more comfortable spending long periods alone than I had ever imagined; that I suffer a lot more from FOMO (fear of missing out!) than I would like to admit; and that pre-Covid I spent rude sums of money on commuting and barista coffee...! 

I also learnt that although I miss travel and social events and meals out, it is often the smaller things that you miss most acutely - the freedom to call up a friend you haven't seen in a while and inviting them over. Hugging (or even seeing) my family. And grabbing a macchiato and a Pret Bircher muesli on the way to work. Don't ask me why, but it became a small obsession of mine to create a fakeaway Pret Bircher during lockdown - and I think I have succeeded! Here's how:

For 2 servings you will need:
100g rolled oats
200ml milk or water
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds 
1 Tbsp shelled pistachio nuts
1 Tbsp dried cranberries 
2 small apples
175g plain yoghurt
Honey
Pomegranate rails

Mix the oats, seeds, nuts and cranberries together then add the milk/water and a pinch of salt. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight. 

When ready to serve, grate the apples and mix them in with the oats and yoghurt (add a little extra milk to loosen if needed). Stir in honey to taste and serve topped with pomegranate arils and pistachios. Full recipe and more photos are available now on the blog - click the live link in my profile.

Did you try any fakeaway recipes over lockdown? Please let me know in the comments - I would love to hear about it!
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

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