Like blanket jackets, double belts, Alphaville and bubble skirts, if you were Afrikaans in the eighties a triangular frozen cheesecake would have surfaced at a braai near you. In a poeding landscape populated by trifle, malva pudding and dodgy fridge tarts made with Moirs packets, this triangular log was a breath of fresh air. For some reason it was called Expo kaaskoek where I grew up. Like pastorie hoender and coca cola chicken it fell out of favour when people discovered ratatouille and pesto but I never completely forgot about it. In fact, it was a childhood food memory that I wanted to recreate. I finally found the recipe a few weeks ago and was planning to make one, soon, so imagine my glee when at a friend’s birthday party an Expo kaaskoek was served! Complete with cherry in the centre, chocolate frosting, rich cream cheese filling and tennis biscuits as scaffolding. Behold… the bubble skirt of eighties desserts:
Boere Casata?
Three rows of tennis biscuits on a sheet of foil, spread the cream cheese mixture on top, put a row of cherries down the centre of the middle row and flip the two rows of biscuits up to form a triangle. Wrap and put in the freezer. Once frozen, make the chocolate icing, unwrap and place on a plate or board, coat with chocolate and refreeze. On the day, slice and serve. I know you want this recipe…
And with all the fancy food that has come my way since the eighties, this is still a winner. Rich but frosty enough to be refreshing. And the shape still tickles me.
Happy birthday Maretha, and thanks for the yummy flashback!
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