I decided I would share one of my sweet treats for Weekend Engagement #96 because I'm a bit of a dessert fiend.

My culinary capabilities leave a lot of room for improvement but I'm not bad with baking or making sweet things. Luckily this one is pretty versatile and can be used as a savoury option as well - essentially like a crepe that you can fill with mince or veggies like a rotie.

South African Pancakes (Pannekoek)

Ingredients:

2 Large eggs

0,5 to 1 cup water depending on the consistency you need and how much it thickens as it stands

2 cups milk (500ml)

0,5 cup vegetable oil (don't use olive oil - it will be gross if you do but if you are making the sweet variety you probably could use coconut oil - I haven't tried that though)

2 cups cake wheat flour

Half a teaspoon salt

2 table spoons sugar (optional : for sweet version only)

1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla essence (optional : for sweet version only)

Let's make this!

Beat the eggs and milk together, then add the vegetable oil and mix. If using the sugar and vanilla, add this and mix. Mix the salt into the sifted flour and mix it in about two to three table spoons at a time mixing in between to get a smooth consistency.

Pour about two tablespoons of sunflower or vegetable oil into a cup and get out a clean basting brush (silicon ones are awesome for this purpose) - I've found this to be the best way to apply oil to the pan.

Heat your pan and apply oil evenly with the basting brush.

Check the consistency of the mixture as you may have to water it down slightly because it is bound to thicken up as it stands. Some people leave it in the fridge for 30 minutes to thicken before starting but I'm too impatient for that. I thin it down as necessary while I'm making them. You are aiming for it to be quite runny. This is more an art than a science and you kinda get the hang of the right consistency from trial and error more than measurements.

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Wisdom from my late mother:

THE FIRST PANCAKE IS ALWAYS A FLOP

_{Many of our family dogs have been very happy about this fact. Eat it at your own peril.}

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Spoon about three quarters of a ladel into the pan (again this varies on the size of your pan) and swirl it around to cover the pan. Watch the pancake for bubbles popping and carefully scoop the edges of the pancake away from the sides of the pan before flipping it with the spatula/egg lifter or if you're fancy (I'm certainly not) then flip it in the air and try to catch it with the pan. Try not to hit the ceiling with it.

_{I've also found that using the ceiling to test if spaghetti is aldente is a really bad idea and those marks never come off even if the spaghetti does. I've had a LOT of kitchen fails in my life. Luckily I've never set the place on fire (yet).}

So once you've flipped it and it's beautifully golden brown on both sides, chuck it on a plate, sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar, a splash of lemon juice, golden syrup and then if you really want to be decadent...add a side serving of vanilla ice cream, edible glitter and chocolate sprinkles.

Kids and adults alike love these little rolls of heavenly delight. They are simple, use few ingredients and don't take long to make (or eat)...They aren't bad cold either so you can put them into lunch boxes (if there are any left over).

Enjoy.

_{The image is my own}