Neenish tart

A neenish tart (or neenish cake) is a

icing sugar paste, or lemon and sweetened condensed milk mixture, with dried icing on the top of the tart in two colours. The addition of a layer of raspberry jam is a common recipe variation. The colours used for the icing are usually some combination of brown, white, and pink. They are almost exclusively sized as individual servings, 60–80 mm in diameter. The tart was originally created in Australia and is mainly found there, alongside New Zealand and the Falkland Islands.^[1]

The origin of the name "neenish" is unknown. A column in the

Sydney Morning Herald attributed the name to a woman named Ruby Neenish,^[2] but this was later revealed to be a prank.^[3] Alternative names such as nenische (recorded in 1929) and nienich (recorded in 1935) suggest a German origin, although neenish was known before the alternatives, suggesting these names were to give a "continental" flavour to the tart.^[4]

"Nenish cakes" appear in Sydney newspaper advertisements as early as 1895,

gelatine and pink christabelle and white icing on top. A 1932 recipe in Miranda's Cook Book calls for custard filling and chocolate and white icing.^[8]

The lemon-flavoured version of the tart most familiar to New Zealand residents is found in the Edmonds Cookery Book. It includes a filling made from butter, icing sugar, sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice, set in a sweet short pastry crust and topped with half standard white icing and half chocolate (cocoa added) icing.^[9]

In Australia the term

passionfruit

icing.

References

^ "neenish tart n." – Australian Oxford Dictionary. Accessed 23 May 2011.
^ Turpin, Andrew kkjn (2003). Neenish Tarts – University of Melbourne. Published 12 November 2003. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
^ "The origins of the neenish tart: A sweet mystery and a little scandal". Radio National. 12 July 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ Oxford Word of the Month: Neenish Tarts Archived 7 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
^ [1] Sunday Times(Sydney), 22 September 1895, p. 1
^ [2] Sydney Mail, 9 November 1901, p. 1211.
^ Daily Telegraph, 28 January 1903
^ Miranda's Cook Book, "Neinich Tart" Archived 9 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, reproduced by Andrew Turpin.
^ Edmonds Cookery Book (24th De Luxe ed.). 1987. p. 37.

[The_Australian_Oxford_Dictionary-1] "neenish tart n." – Australian Oxford Dictionary. Accessed 23 May 2011.

[2] Turpin, Andrew kkjn (2003). Neenish Tarts – University of Melbourne. Published 12 November 2003. Retrieved 11 August 2012.

[3] "The origins of the neenish tart: A sweet mystery and a little scandal". Radio National. 12 July 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[wotm-4] Oxford Word of the Month: Neenish Tarts Archived 7 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine.

[5] [1] Sunday Times(Sydney), 22 September 1895, p. 1

[6] [2] Sydney Mail, 9 November 1901, p. 1211.

[7] Daily Telegraph, 28 January 1903

[miranda-8] Miranda's Cook Book, "Neinich Tart" Archived 9 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, reproduced by Andrew Turpin.

[9] Edmonds Cookery Book (24th De Luxe ed.). 1987. p. 37.

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See also

References