PANCAKE STACK WITH PEARS IN RED WINE

Put a spin on South African favourites with recipes from Boere Chic: A Fresh Take on Traditional Food, a cookbook by Nicky Brecher. We especially love this pancake cake with pears

INGREDIENTS

For the pancake batter:

• 2 eggs
• 500ml water
• 125ml oil
• 30ml vinegar
• 500ml flour
• 3ml salt
• 10ml baking powder
• For the pears:
• 750ml red wine
• 375ml sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 10 pears, peeled and cored

For the cream filling:

• 300ml cream
• 40ml castor sugar
• 5ml vanilla essence

METHOD

Pancake batter:

1. Beat the eggs with 250ml water.
   2. Add the oil and vinegar and beat again.
   3. Add the flour and salt alternately with the rest of the water, beating continuously.
   4. Add the baking powder and mix.
   5. Set the mixture aside for 15 minutes and preheat an easy to handle pan on the stove until very hot.
   6. Pour a little oil into the pan – just enough to grease it.
   7. Spoon a soup ladle full of the batter into the pan.
   8. Turn the pancake as soon as the edge starts to recede from the pan.
   9. Fry for about 30 seconds on the other side and turn out onto a plate.
   10. Spoon half a teaspoon of oil into the pan after every second or third oancake made.

Pears in red wine:

1. Heat the wine and sugar in a large saucepan until the sugar dissolves.
2. Add the cinnamon stick and heat to boiling point.
3. Place the pears in the liquid and heat over low heat until they are tender.
4. Remove using a slotted spoon and boil the liquid until syrupy and shiny.
5. Pureè 6 of the pears and 60ml of the cooking liquid until smooth.

Cream filling:

1. Beat all the ingredients together until stiff peaks form.
Stack the pancake layers alternately with the pear mixture and the cream until all the filling has been used.
Cut the remaining 4 pears into equal sized slices and use as a topping.

This recipe makes one large cake.