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Ginger tart (gemmertert)
Ginger tart is an old South African treat: it appeared in the South African “Kook en Geniet” (Cook and Enjoy) recipe book as far back as the 1950s.
It also happens to be what our friend Elsa makes every year for her husband Eddie’s birthday.
Ingredients
Crust
- 150 gram ginger biscuits (see notes)
- 50 gram butter
Filling
- 1 cup (250 ml or 300 gram) golden syrup, preferably Lyle's golden syrup
- 1 cup (250 ml) boiling water
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped preserved ginger (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) custard powder
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cornflour
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) cream
Method
- Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs and add to the melted butter. Alternatively, crumb biscuits in a food processesor, add butter and mix together.
- Press firmly into a pie plate and set aside.
- Chop the preserved ginger. Keep the syrup it was preserved in, you will need it in the next step.
- Combine the golden syrup, the syrup from the preserved ginger, ground ginger and boiling water. Add the chopped preserved ginger.
- Mix custard powder and cornflour into the cold water and add to the mixture.
- Boil for 3 minutes and pour the mixture into the prepared crust.
- Refrigerate the tart to allow the filling to set.
- Decorate with whipped cream.
Notes:
Ginger preserved in syrup, or “ginger nuts”, can be bought at Asian foodshops. Alternatively, use freshly grated ginger root.
The “Kook en Geniet” used shortcrust dough to make a baked base for their ginger tart, but using ginger biscuits to make the crust works well.
Comments
Just made this tart and the taste is absolutely delicious !!! One thing though, it is extremely difficult to mix 30ml custard powder and 30ml maizena with 30ml water - actually impossible, had to let other mixture cool down and use that to dilute powder mix. I will definately make this ginger delight again and again, so thankyou!!!
I am glad you enjoyed the taste of this tart as well Irma.
Generations of people who made this recipe from the Kook en Geniet (Cook and Enjoy) used 2 tablespoons water with the 4 tablespoons cornflour / custart powder mix.
But to be honest, I also found it a bit difficult to dissolve the mixture into a paste - however a paste did eventually form for me with the 2 tablespoons water.
A teenly little bit of water extra to add to make a paste, should not make a difference in the consistency of the tart.
If you make the tart again, and have difficulty again with the paste, simply add a teeny bit morecold water.
It is much more important for the paste to be added lump-free and to ensure that the cornflour / maizena is dissolved properly in cold water into a paste than to make life difficult for you.
Next time, initially start with 2 tablespoons water and add a little bit more (up to a tablespoon extra water) should do the trick.
That is then up to a total 3 tablespoons ( 45 ml) water instead of 2 tablespoons of water (30ml) if needed
You say "Combine the golden syrup, ginger syrup,......
But there is no referal to ginger syrup in the ingredients???.
Thanks for your question :-) We meant the syrup that was used to preserve the ginger.... I've changed the recipe to make it clearer.