First things first, let's get that pumpkin cooked. Chop it up, pop it in your pot and cover with water. Bring it to the boil and let it cook until soft, usually around 20 minutes.
Once cooked, drain your pumpkin well and let it cool down a bit.
In your mixing bowl, mash up the pumpkin, then crack in the eggs and give it a good stir.
Now add in the self-raising flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and sugar. Give it another good mix until everything is well combined.
Next up, let's make the syrup. In a pot, combine the sugar, water, cinnamon stick, and vanilla essence. Stir it over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let it simmer for another 10 minutes, then take it off the heat.
Back to our pumpkin mixture, heat up a generous amount of vegetable oil in your frying pan. You'll want enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan and then some.
Now, carefully spoon dollops of the pumpkin mixture into the hot oil. Fry them until they're golden brown on each side, then scoop them out with a slotted spoon and let them drain on your lined plate.
Last but not least, drizzle your pampoenkoekies with the cinnamon syrup you made earlier.
