I love baking but when it comes to cooking I get really bored making the same 5 meals my family will actually eat over and over again.
So, although I can make most of the meals from scratch, I’ve discovered a love for what I call ” cheat meals”.
What is a cheat meal?
For me a cheat meal is honestly anything that requires the least amount of my time in the kitchen.
You know ready made mixes, pre-cooked meals and to be very honest and if my budget allowed it more anything Woolworths have precut.
But how do you cheat vetkoek?
My family love vetkoek but I usually decide 20 minutes before making them that it would be a great idea to have vetkoek for supper. ( yip, I’m not strong in the meal prep or planning game either ….I love to open my fridge and be just as suprised as everyone else as to what we are eating)
Because of this, making them from scratch or from a pre mix packet and allowing the dough to rise is not really an option.
So, I pop down to our local Checkers bakery and just buy 2kgs of pre-made dough.
It costs me under R30 and with absolutely no fuss or pre-mixing I’m ready for my spontaneous need of vetkoek.
How to work with the dough
I usually lay down some flour on my working surface, remove the dough from the packet and roll it out with the rolling pin.
Then I use a large cookie cutter ( about the size of my hand) or a large rim glass to cut out my vetkoek.
Why you may ask? Because the odd shapes of my vetkoek give my OCD anxiety and besides who doesn’t want to eat a vetkoek flower?
Variation
Over the years I’ve also used the same dough packets to make :
- Coconut balls – make small ball shapes, deep dry and roll in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar
- Cinnamon buns – roll into large circles and dust with cinnamon and sugar before baking.
- Chelsea buns – mix in sugar , cinnamon and raisins before rolling into large circles and baking. Mix up icing glace and drizzle over once baked
- Jam donuts – nake circles with the dough, poke a hole in the centre and push in a little jam. Close up the hole and deep dry. You can dust with icing sugar
- Bread rolls – roll in to circles and bake
- Savory or cheese rolls – make as for rolls but add cheese, onion, feta, garlic or herbs before baking
