South African Melkkos
Melkkos! Just the name itself conjures up fond childhood memories for many of us older South Africans, and indeed people in many other countries too if the internet is to be believed, even as far afield as Russia. It is one of those classic, traditional dishes that most moms and grandmothers made for their families in days gone by. I have read that some served it as a dessert many years ago but to me and most people it is enjoyed for breakfast on cold winter mornings or as a light meal in the evenings if the main meal is eaten in the middle of the day. Ideal for Sunday evenings! And if the winter viruses have caught you and you need a bit of nursing like I do right now. Dressed with a knob of butter and some cinnamon sugar, honey or apricot jam it fills hungry tummies. Today it is not as popular as it used to be but it is a wonderfully filling and reasonably cheap, easy meal to make on those days when you just don’t have the time or inclination to spend too much time in the kitchen. Warming in the dead of winter, melkkos brightens up the dreariest cold dull wet day. A steaming bowl of comfort at its best!
Melkkos can be made in different ways, either as frummeltjies (where butter is rubbed into flour until it resembles rough breadcrumbs then stirred into boiling milk, see photo below) or snysels (where the flour and butter is kneaded into a pasta like dough, rolled out and cut into flat noodles then dolloped into the boiling milk). Both are popular but I prefer the frummeltjies method….less work and less mess while eating. An apron or big bib is essential when enjoying a bowl of snysels.
Translated into English as Milk Food it is one of those wonderful dishes that you can rustle up on a lazy evening then curl up under a duvet in your pjs and slippers in front of the tv with a steaming sweet bowl of bliss, relaxed and happy. Like koeksisters, melktert and pannekoek, Melkkos belongs in your family’s recipe file. Traditionally the milk for melkkos is infused with cinnamon or cassia bark but I chose to pimp my recipe, ever so slightly you understand, by adding some of my favourite spice and fruit flavours into the milk.
SOUTH AFRICAN MELKKOS
Serves 4
Ingredients:
l litre Milk
1 Cinnamon quill
2 Cardamom Pods – bashed so the flavours from the seeds will be released
1 Star Anise
½ Vanilla Pod – split and the seeds scraped out
A twirl of dried naartjie or orange peel
65 ml Granulated White Sugar
250 ml Flour
2,5 ml Salt
65 g Butter, ice cold
A little ice cold water if needed
Cinnamon Sugar for serving
Butter for serving
Method:
- In a large saucepan heat the milk with the spices, peel and sugar just until it starts to boil.
- Turn off the heat and allow to infuse for about 15 minutes or so while you prepare the flour
- Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl
- Using the rough side of a box grater grate the cold butter onto the flour then, using your fingertips, mix it in until you have the texture of rough bread crumbs. If it is a bit too dry you can sprinkle over a few drops of cold water at a time and continue mixing until you have the correct consistency. See photo above.
- Strain then reheat the milk over a gentle heat while whisking or stirring in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon, a bit at a time, until it is all incorporated and reasonably smooth. Small lumps are acceptable.
- Bring to a gentle boil while stirring continuously then pop the lid on and allow it to bubble, over a very low heat, for about 10 -15 minutes, giving it a stir every now and then.
- Remove from heat, give the melkkos a final stir and then serve up in soup bowls or pretty cups, sprinkled liberally with cinnamon flavoured sugar and topped with a little knob of butter. Comfort for the soul in a steaming bowl!
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