I remember my grandmother’s Sunday breakfast table from when I was a child so well. Plaatkoekies were always the star of the show. She would spoil us with these delicious sweet cakes and a variety of toppings, not the least of which included golden syrup, honey, butter, and fresh fruit. For us kids, she would take it up that extra notch and make them into shapes of little men – raisins for eyes, smarties (similar to M&Ms) for buttons and a cheese curl to make a smile. It was my favorite part of our weekend visits to their house in Potchefstroom and made up some of my earliest memories and impressions as it pertains to the impact of sharing joy through food. The excitement and contentment that a simple person-shaped plaatkoekie om my plate could evoke is still burned into my heart more than 30 years later. And it has inspired me to perfect my own sweet pancake recipe here in the States so I’m able to continue the tradition with my own family.
What make these different from American pancakes:
- They are sweet – in my opinion, this makes them more versatile as you don’t need syrup or honey if it’s not really your thing. Fresh fruit and unsweet whipped cream or just a smear of butter by itself are great ways to enjoy these.
- They are smaller – only about 3-4 inches in diameter, which (again) makes them more versatile as you can top each of them with something different if you’d like. It also makes them perfect to serve at a brunch event – just stack two or three of them, add a blueberry on top and stick a little toothpick through to hold it all together.
I hope these bring as much joy to your Sunday table as it did to ours. Enjoy!
Plaatkoekies (Sweet Pancakes)
Ingredients
- 2 Large Eggs
- ½ cup Sugar
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 4 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
Instructions
- Beat eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add ½ of the milk and the oil and mix until just combined.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the egg mixture. Mix well until thick, smooth batter forms.
- Gradually add the remaining milk until incorporated fully. Don't overmix.
- Pre-heat your pan to medium heat or griddle to 350℉ and spray with cooking spray.
- Scoop dollops of the batter onto your pan/griddle and cook until air bubbles form and the bottom is light brown in color.
- Flip over and cook until the other side is light brown and the inside is cooked through.
- Serve immediately with toppings of your choice.
