Mark Doe of ‘Just Cooking’ in Firies has some great pancake recipes for this Shrove Tuesday…
Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday.
Lent – the 40 days leading up to Easter – was traditionally a time of fasting and Shrove Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast and pancakes are the perfect way of using up these ingredients.
Continued below…
Top tips for making the perfect pancake
• Use a good quality non stick pan (pref Teflon coated)
• Don’t have too much oil in the pan, you could burn yourself whilst flipping the pancake
• Don’t make the batter to thick
• Only flip the pancake if you are confident enough, you can turn it with a spatula
• Have the pan hot before adding the batter
• Let the batter rest for 10 minutes before cooking, this enables the flour to fully absorb all the liquid
Pancake recipe
Makes approx 16 pancakes
• 250g plain flour
• 4 Large eggs
• 600ml milk
• Pinch of salt
• Sunflower oil for cooking
Method
• Place the flour, eggs and egg yolks in a bowl. Mix to a lumpy paste.
• Gradually whisk in the milk until you have a smooth batter, an electric whisk is good for this.
• Leave the batter to stand for 10 minutes to rest before cooking.
• Heat a non stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add a teaspoon of sunflower oil to the pan.
• Ladle in enough batter just to coat the base if the pan. Tip the pan to allow the batter to run evenly over the pan.
• Cook until the top appears dry (approx 45-60 seconds). Flip the pancake over. And cook for 45 seconds more.
• Turn onto a plate and sprinkle with caster sugar.
Pancake ideas
Butterscotch sauce and bananas
Ingredients
• 30g butter
• 100g light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
•140ml double cream
• 2 bananas sliced
Method
• Place the brown sugar, golden syrup, cream and butter into a saucepan.
• Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute. Add the cream and bring back to the boil, simmer for 3 minutes until smooth and golden.
• Pour over the pancakes and top with the sliced bananas
Caramelised Apple pancakes
Ingredients
• 2 eating apples peeled, core removed and cut into wedges (8 per apple)
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 50g caster Sugar
Method
• Place the butter and sugar in a frying pan and cook until golden.
• Add the apples and cook for 3-4 minutes on a low heat, then turn and cook for a further 3-4 minutes
• Malteser cream and chocolate sauce
For the Malteser cream
• 200ml cream, whipped to firm peaks 1 bag of Maltesers
• 1 flake chocolate bar
Method
• Crush the Maltesers in their bag using a rolling pin.
• Add them to the whipped cream.
• Crumble the flake bar in to the cream and mix well.
• You can also add some Baileys to taste if you wish
For the chocolate sauce
• 100g good quality dark chocolate broken into small pieces
• 200ml cream
Method
• Place the cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
• Once boiled, remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate until smooth.
• Drizzle over the pancakes, top with the slice banana and serve with the Malteser cream.
Berries and vanilla cream
Whip some cream and add a little vanilla extract (not essence).
Fold through fresh strawberries, blue berries and raspberries.
Spoon on to a pancake and enjoy.
Boozy pancakes
Try these adult versions!
Gently melt a jar of your favourite jam in a small pan and add a splash of liqueur.
Try brandy with apricot jam, or kirsch with cherry or blackcurrant jam. Stir and serve with the pancakes.
Add some Baileys to the malteser cream.
Lemon meringue pancakes
Fill pancakes with lemon curd and lightly crushed meringue.
A twist on the classic lemon meringue pie.
American style pancakes with blueberries
Makes approx 10 pancakes
• 200g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 300ml milk
• knob butter
• 150g pack blueberrie
•sunflower oil or a little butter for cooking
•golden or maple syrup
Method
• Mix together the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.
• Beat the egg with the milk, make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and whisk in the milk to make a thick smooth batter.
•Beat in the melted butter, and gently stir in half the blueberries.
• Heat a teaspoon of oil or small knob of butter in a large non-stick frying pan.
• Drop a large tablespoonful of the batter per pancake into the pan to make pancakes about 7.5cm across.
• Make three or four pancakes at a time. Cook for about 3 minutes over a medium heat until small bubbles appear on the surface of each pancake, then turn and cook another 2-3 minutes until golden.
• Cover with kitchen paper to keep warm while you use up the rest of the batter.
• Serve with golden syrup and the rest of the blueberries.
Gluten free pancakes
This recipe ensures people who are gluten intolerant can still enjoy tasty pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.
Ingredients
• 4oz rice flour
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• half pint milk
Method
• Place the rice flour and eggs in a bowl.
• Mix to a lumpy paste
• Gradually whisk in the milk until you have a smooth batter, am electric whisk is good for this
• If the batter seems a little thick add a little more milk.
• Leave the batter to stand for 10 minutes to rest before cooking.
• Heat a non stick frying pan over a medium heat.
• Add a teaspoon of sunflower oil to the pan.
• Ladle in enough batter just to coat the base if the pan.
• Tip the pan to allow the batter to run evenly over the pan.
• Cook until the top appears dry (approx 45-60 seconds). Flip the pancake over. And cook for 45 seconds more.
• Turn onto a plate and sprinkle with caster sugar.
Savoury Pancakes
Try these tasty savoury fillings
• White sauce with cheese and ham
• White sauce with chicken and mushroom
• Smoked salmon and cream cheese
• Bacon, spinach and pine nuts
• Roasted pepper, basil pesto and tomato