Souskluitjies, to most Afrikaans children, are the supreme comfort dumplings and memories of the cinnamon sweet smoothness are bound to bring on bouts of nostalgia.  My own mother made souskluitjies often when we were little but when we were grew up, they were seldom made. The word, literally, means sauce dumplings. Inherited from the German settlers of the Cape Colony days, souskluitjies were probably derived from Dampfnudel, which were made when small balls of yeast raised batter were boiled in a pot of milk. Cinnamon is, traditionally, the dominant spice but grated lemon is a delicious alternative.

Ingredients

• 200 ml white flour
• 50 ml cornflour (Maizena )
• 25ml baking powder
• 25g butter (softened)
• 3 eggs
• 125 ml milk
• Pinch of salt

Sauce

• 750ml sugar
• 25ml butter (melted)
• 25ml ground cinnamon

Method

• Sift the dry ingredients together and rub the butter into flour and the spices with fingers to breadcrumb stage;
• Whisk eggs and milk well adding slowly to the dry ingredients to form a glossy batter;
• Boil the water and salt in a large pot to simmering stage;
• Using a dessert spoon dipped in steadily simmering water (a reasonable bubble) and put spoonfuls of the batter into the water;
• Put a well-fitting lid and on the saucepan and cook over medium heat for about10 minutes without lifting the lid at any time;
• Remove from stove, spoon them into the serving dish, cover with cinnamon sugar, dot generously with butter (not margarine) and keep warm;
• Continue doing this until you have used the batter;
• Cover the top layer with generously with butter and cinnamon sugar (this will create the sauce for the pudding) and keep warm in the oven;
• It’s preferable to make souskluitjies right before a meal and serve it right after – warmed up kluitjies just aren’t the same.