It's Pancake Day and today’s recipe is based on my mother-in-law’s recipe for a crêpes-type pancake, also known as South African pancakes. In South Africa, pancakes are a popular treat which you will find at any fete, festival or supermarket. They are prepared on the spot and served warm with cinnamon sugar.  I've adjusted this recipe slightly by using non-dairy milk and spelt flour but you can use just plain flour if you wish. This recipe makes about 20 pancakes and can also be used for savoury fillings.

3 1/2 cups Spelt flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups / 500ml non-dairy milk

2 cups / 500ml water

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla essence (leave out for savoury pancakes)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Topping:

1/2 cup coconut sugar (optional)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine.  Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well with a whisk.  Make a well in the center and slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking all the time, to form a pancake batter that’s smooth and runny but will still coat the back of a spoon.  If you’re using plain flour, adjust the quantity of the flour to get the right consistency.

Heat a little coconut oil in a medium frying pan using a soup ladle, pour the batter into the pan.  You can add more or less batter depending of the size of your pan.  Immediately swirl the mixture around until it completely covers the base of the pan in a thin even layer.  The pancake will take about 30 seconds to cook, then flip over and cook for another 30 seconds.  The first one or two are always a trial, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be flipping through the rest of the pancakes in no time!

Combine the coconut sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.  Sprinkle each pancake with cinnamon sugar while still warm and roll up.