SOUTH AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RECIPES

Family is very important to me and my husband. The two of us have a wonderful loving relationship and both value the importance of family and making an effort to have family get-togethers on a regular basis with our children. Being in a second marriage we are very blessed that our children get along very well. Our family consist of 1 son and 4 daughters - now with their extended families being 3 sons, 5 daughters,1 granddaughter, 2 grandsons and another baby on the way (we will know in a few weeks time whether it is going to be a little boy or girl). Except for our youngest daughter and her husband who live in the UK, the rest of us all live in the Gauteng province in South Africa.

The most important part of our week --- dinner at our home Wednesday evenings with all the children as far as possible making an effort to attend, the only sad exception being our daughter and her husband in the UK. These dinners tend to be very busy - with everyone trying to talk at the same time and three very energetic toddlers in between, but ........a blessing to all, knowing that we are a very special family with a very special love. We are not at all a perfect family, we have some little normal misunderstandings at times and some small differences as we can never ever all think the same being God's special individual creations but ....... with the help of God our family has decided to make an effort to never give up on our special family bonds.

For many years I have spoken of putting together a book with all my favourite recipes which have used through the years at our family dinners.

My youngest daughter started her own blog and suggested a blog with all my recipes.

I decided to start with a pudding (dessert) recipe - although the final part of dinner a very important part of our dinners. Most of us in the family have a sweet tooth. I usually get teased that I will only make an effort with a warm pudding if my son attends - that is the daughters being just a little bit jealous.

The recipe is "SOUSKLUITJIES", actually a sweet dumpling served topped with cinamon sugar - a traditional South African dessert. The specific recipe is a family recipe given to me by my mom and I can vouch always a success and a favourite of all. A very easy and quick recipe and can be made just before guests arrive.



“SOUSKLUITJIES" (CINNAMON DUMPLINGS)
Serves 8 -10 people

3 cups Cake Flour
4 extra-large eggs
5 teaspoons Baking Powder
4 tablespoons Butter (melted in 125 ml hot water)
1 teaspoon Salt
Milk - if needed for correct consistency
1 tablespoon Sugar
Cinnamon-sugar mixture

1. Bring to boil 3 liters of water in large saucepan with a lid.
2. Beat the eggs until fluffy.
3. Sift together the dry ingredients.
4. Mix dry ingredients, eggs and melted butter together. If needed add milk as to have a soft batter-like dough. It is very important not to mix the batter for a too long period.
5. Put spoonfuls of the mixture into the boiling water.
6. Boil for plus-minus 5 minutes with the lid on. DO NOT open the lid before 5 minutes.
7. Spread some cinnamon-sugar on the base of a dish. Put spoonfuls of the dumplings in layers into the dish. Spread some cinnamon-sugar mixture over each layer. End with cinnamon-sugar.
8. Serve hot and enjoy.

Hint - dip the spoon in the boiling water beforehand on putting the batter spoonfuls in the boiling water.
-------------------------------------------------------

AFRIKAANSE WEERGAWE:

SOUSKLUITJIES

3 koppies Koekmeel
4 ekstra groot Eiers
5 teelepels Bakpoeier
4 eetlepels botter (gesmelt in 125 ml kookwater)
Melk – as benodig
1 teelepel suiker
Kaneelsuiker mengsel

1. Kook 3 liters water in ‘n groot kastrol met ‘n deksel.
2. Klits die eiers baie goed – tot lig en romerig.
3. Sif droeë bestandele saam.
4. Meng droeë bestandele in die eiermengsel tesame met die gesmelte botter.
5. Voeg melk by indien nodig vir ‘n slapperige deeg. Dit is baie belangrik om nie die mengsel te lank te meng nie.
6. Sit die deeg lepelsgewys in die kokekende water. Plaas die deksel op en kook vir 5 minute waarin die deksel dan glad nie opgelig mag word nie.
7. Strooi kaneelsuiker in ‘n opskepbak en wanneer gaar skep die kluitjies lepelsgewys in die bak in lae met van die sous oor die lae. Strooi kaneelsuiker oor elke laag.
8. Dien warm op en geniet.

Wenk – Dit help om eers die lepel in die kookwater te doop voordat die deeg geskep word.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------