Pancake Day, also known as Shrove Tuesday, is a traditional Christian holiday celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of 'Lent'.
The holiday originates in the Medieval times when people used to eat pancakes as a way to use up ingredients like sugar, butter, and eggs that were traditionally avoided during the Lenten fast.
1. Kiddies American-style Pancakes with chopped fruit
Makes 6 | Total cooking time 30 mins
Ingredients
olive or sunflower oil and butter, for cooking
chopped berries and banana to serve (optional)
300g self-raising flour
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup or honey, plus extra to serve
1 tsp baking powder
300ml milk (nut milk optional)
2 medium eggs
Method:
1. Get a little helper to weigh out and tip the flour, baking powder and sugar into a large bowl with a small pinch of salt. Crack in the eggs and whisk until smooth. Add the maple syrup or honey and milk while whisking.
2. Heat a splash of oil and a small knob of butter in a non-stick frying pan until sizzling. Add spoonfuls of batter to make pancakes the size you like, cooking until bubbles start to form on the surface, then flip and cook the other side. Eat straight away or keep warm in an oven on a low heat while you cook another batch. Serve the pancakes with chopped fruit of your choice, drizzled with extra maple syrup.
Top tip: You can easily make these ahead, storing in the fridge and reheating as needed, or served cold.
2. Classic Nutella pancakes with fresh strawberries
Makes 6 | Total cooking time 30 mins
Ingredients:
280g plain flour
2 bananas
1 punnet of strawberries
2 medium eggs
480 ml buttermilk
50g caster sugar
1 tspn baking powder
1 tspn baking soda
1/2 tspn salt
15g Nutella ® per serving
Method:
1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2.Add the buttermilk and eggs, and mix until well combined.
3. Heat a large frying pan on a medium-high heat, and add a little olive oil or butter to make sure the mixture doesn't stick.
4. Pour a small ladel of batter mix 35g batter into hot skillet and cook for around 1 minute, or until small bubbles appear on the surface.
5. Turn over and cook for a further 30 seconds, or until golden and thoroughly cooked.
6. Spread the pancakes with around 1 tbsp. Nutella® and top with strawberries and banana.
3. Savoury smoked salmon and horseradish cream pancakes
Makes 6 | Total cooking time 30 mins
Ingredients
150g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cream of tartar
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 large free-range eggs, separated
284ml carton buttermilk
Knob of butter for frying
1 tbsp horseradish sauce
200g quality smoked salmon
Fresh dill sprigs and lemon wedges to serve
For the dill sauce:
1 large free-range egg yolk
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
3 tspns caster sugar
150ml sunflower or olive oil
Small bunch fresh dill, quite finely chopped
Juice ½ lemon (optional)
Method:
1. Mix the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, sugar and a large pinch of salt in a large bowl. Then, make a well in the centre, adding the egg yolks and horseradish before stirring. Slowly pour in the buttermilk, stirring constantly, to form a thick, smooth batter.
2. To make the dill sauce, add the egg yolk, vinegar, mustard, sugar and a large pinch of salt into a mixing bowl and whisk using an electric mixer until a foam is beginning to form. Slowly pour in the oil in a thin stream, whisking to thicken (it should have the consistency of hollandaise). Once you’ve added all the oil, stir in the chopped dill, then taste and season with lemon juice if desired. Set aside.
3. In a separate large and very clean bowl, whisk the egg whites using an electric mixer until they form soft, floppy peaks. Using a metal spoon or balloon whisk, gently fold the whites into the pancake batter, starting with a tablespoon, then adding the rest in 2 additions, for a very fluffy batter.
4. Heat a large frying pan and lightly grease with butter. Drop small ladlefuls of batter into the hot pan, spaced out, then smooth them down so they’re around 10cm wide and 1cm thick. Cook over a low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes until golden underneath, then flip and repeat until fluffy and cooked through.
5. Stack a few pancakes on top of each other once cooked, topping with ruffles of smoked salmon and drizzling with some dill sauce. Garnish with more fresh dill, lemon wedges and a good grind of black pepper.
4. American-style fluffy blueberry pancakes
Makes 6 | Total cooking time 30 mins
Ingredients
200g self-raising flour
1tspn baking powder
1 egg
300ml milk or nut milk
A knob of butter
150g pack blueberries
Butter or sunflower oil for frying
Honey or maple syrup
A pinch of salt
Method:
1. Mix the self-raising flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
2. Beat the egg together with the milk, make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and whisk in the milk to make a thick, smooth batter.
3. Mix in the butter, and gently stir in half of the blueberries.
4. Heat a teaspoon of oil or butter in a large non-stick frying pan.
5. Drop a large tablespoonful of the batter into the pan to make one pancake, and make three or four pancakes at a time.
6. Cook for approx 3 minutes over a medium heat until small bubbles appear on the surface of each pancake, turn, then cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden.
7. Serve with maple syrup or honey and add the rest of the blueberries.
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