Tasty squares (konfyt vierkante)

Tasty squares, an old-fashioned South African recipe, might have its roots in Holland.

This is more or less the recipe that Marietjie’s mum baked, but we prefer to go light on the cloves and almond essence.

You can bake the light version, or the traditional one, and you can also double the recipe and bake it in an oven pan if you want to.

Makes about 12 squares.

Ingredients

  • 115 gram butter
  • 1/2 cup (110 gram) sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 teaspoon (3 ml) ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) salt
  • A pinch of ground cloves, or up to to 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) for the traditional version
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) vanilla
  • A drop of almond essence, or up to to 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) for the traditional version
  • 1 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) baking powder
  • Apricot jam

Method

  1. Soften the butter if necessary. Mix the butter and sugar together until it is creamy.
  2. Add egg and mix well.
  3. Add the cinnamon, salt, cloves, vanilla essence and almond essence and mix thoroughly.
  4. Sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture, and combine. The texture should be light and creamy.
  5. Lightly knead together to form a dough.
  6. Divide the dough in half and refrigerate one half of the dough.
  7. Line the pan with baking paper. Use a brownie tin that measures about 28 cm x 17 cm, or an oven pan if you’re making double the recipe.
  8. Press and spread the unrefrigirated dough into the paper-lined tin to form a crust.
  9. Spread apricot jam over the dough.
  10. Grate the refrigerated dough over the jam-smeared base.
  11. Bake for about 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C until pale brown.
  12. Cut into slices or squares