Pancake Day is upon us – and hasn’t it crepe’d up? This Tuesday 28th February is the time to get your frying pans out and get flipping that batter. Pancakes are simple and inexpensive to make, and can be pulled together using ingredients you are likely to have in the house already. All you need to make the mix (for 12 pancakes) is:
- 100g plain flour
- Two large eggs
- 300ml milk
- 1 tablespoon of sunflower/vegetable oil (plus a little extra for frying)
The recipe is as easy as whisking the flour, eggs and milk in a bowl until the mixture is smooth, then heating your oil in a frying pan and cooking the pancakes on each side for one minute until golden (flamboyant flip optional!) Of course this is absolutely delicious served with the traditional sugar and lemon juice – but this year, why not push the boat out and try some of our delicious suggestions below?
Fluffy American Pancakes
We know our friends across the pond are pretty serious about their pancakes, with the versatile food viewed as a breakfast staple, and restaurants dedicated entirely to the stackable treat. The main difference is that while we usually enjoy thin crepe-like pancakes, in the US, they go for thicker fluffier versions – why not try making your own this Pancake Day? The only main difference is that the batter needs a teaspoon of baking powder, and the eggs and milk need to be whipped together separately before combining with the rest of the ingredients. The full recipe can be found here, and why not add a handful of fresh blueberries or raspberries to the batter for a healthy sweet treat?
Already sweet enough
It doesn’t have to be all about sweet toppings when it comes to pancakes, if you want to take Pancake Day to the next level – why not have a pancake feast, with pancakes dinner and for pudding! Why not try filling your savoury pancakes with cream cheese, bacon and spinach? Alternatively, in the spirit of using ingredients you already have in the house, try using left over mashed potato in your batter to make the pancakes a more substantial meal. It’s a simple case of whisking the left over mash into ordinary pancake batter – perhaps you could add some herbs for extra flavour! Full recipe available here.
These pancakes are bananas
No….they are made from bananas! These are even simpler than a standard pancake mix – and have only two ingredients. All you need is two eggs, and one ripe banana – mash the banana with a fork until it’s in paste form, then crack the eggs, mix until combined, and then fry as you would normal pancakes. The benefit of this pancake recipe is that it makes healthy (gluten-free) pancakes, with natural sweetness coming from the banana that caramelises as it’s fried – you can even top with natural yoghurt and berries at breakfast!
Working flat out
If you’re feeling really creative, you could take it up a notch and design your own pancake shapes – all you need is a squeezy bottle and a steady hand to make your pancakes extra pretty. Once you’ve made your pancake batter, split it in half and add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to one portion. Now you have two colours to play with, the opportunities are endless! Fill two squeezy bottles with each of the mixtures and pipe into the frying pan – you could write your name, draw flowers, your favourite cartoon character – whatever takes your fancy! Full instructions, and more design ideas here.
