Do you like making pancakes? They can feel a bit daunting – especially if you only make them once a year!
Today is the day to give it a go – Shrove Tuesday or ‘Pancake Day’ is the day before ‘Ash Wednesday’, which marks the beginning of Lent, the 47 days before Easter. It is the day where we eat up all the fatty and rich foods which are traditionally given up for Lent.
Mini Pancakes
If the idea of tossing a pancake makes you quake in your boots then why not start with a smaller ‘scotch style’ pancake? The amount of sugar in recipe below can be reduced, if you like, or you can balance the sweetness with with a ‘less sweet’ topping.
4oz Self Raising Flour
2oz Fairtrade Caster Sugar
One large free range egg
Milk to taste
Selection of Fairtrade jams, honey, nut butter or chocolate spread to serve
Weigh out the sugar and flour and mix to combine. Whisk in the egg, this will leave you with a thick, lumpy looking mixture. Now slowly add the milk whisking all the time until you have a smooth thick mixture. I like my batter on the thick side, as I think it makes it easier to make small fat pancakes, but it is completely adjustable to your taste.
Heat a large, oiled, flat frying pan or griddle pan to a high heat and then half fill a ladle and carefully spoon the batter into the pan making a pancake roughly the size of a jar lid. You should be able to fit about four pancakes in the pan.
The pancakes will rise up immediately, wait for bubbles to appear on the top of the pancakes and then using a spatula, gently turn them over. Wait another minute and then they should be done. Serve immediately spread with your topping of choice.
Traditional (crepe style) pancakes
A more challenging pancake if only for the obligatory ‘flip’ – the key to success here is a hot, flat frying pan and a bit of confidence! Make the first pancake your test pancake as it takes a little while for the pan to get warmed up so it is unlikely to be perfect anyway and practice flipping it a few times. Don’t be tempted to turn it over with a fish-slice as this will probably end in it tearing or only half of it being turned over.
Ingredients
100g plain flour
2 large free range eggs
300ml milk
Pinch Salt
Sunflower or vegetable oil to fry in
Lemon Juice and Fairtrade caster sugar to serve
Put the flour, eggs, milk and a pinch of salt into a bowl or large jug, then whisk to a smooth batter. Set aside for 30 minutes to rest if you have time, or start cooking straight away.
Set a medium frying pan or crêpe pan over a medium heat and carefully wipe it with some oiled kitchen paper. When hot, pour just enough batter into the pan to completely but thinly cover the bottom of the pan. Cook your pancake for 1 minute then take off the heat and give the pan a little shake to loosen the pancake and then carefully toss the pancake over onto the other side. Cook for another minute on the other side, then serve immediately with lots of lemon juice and a sprinkling of fair trade sugar. Divine!