It's Shrove Tuesday soon (Feb 25th in case you were wondering) so pancakes will be on the menu across the country! In my household, with 2 small children, it's all about the flipping and the sweet toppings...there's a look of horror if something savoury like cheese and ham is suggested. So, this is a post for those with a slightly sweet tooth.
The pancake recipe is below along with some of our family favourite topping ideas. But first, a few top tips!
1. I find that semi-skimmed milk makes better batter than whole milk. And a bit of butter is better for frying, rather than oil.
2. If you're feeding children make double what you think you need, and use a smaller frying pan. Smaller pancakes means they can have a few extra and have different toppings!
3. Once you've cooked them all, you can stack them on an oven proof plate, cover with foil and heat them in the oven at 180c for 5 mins.
4. Any excess pancakes can be frozen for about 4 weeks. Very useful for emergency breakfasts when you've run out of milk or bread!
5. Warn your children that the first two always go wrong, otherwise they'll accuse you of being the "worst pancake maker ever"!
Ingredients (makes approx 10-12 medium pancakes)
- 150g plain flour
- 2 free range eggs
- 300ml milk
- pinch of sea salt
Method
This is my no-nonsense approach! Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and use an electric whisk to blitz it into a batter. If it's a little thick, add a splash more milk.
Heat a non-stick frying pan on a medium to high heat, once it's hot add a blob of butter and fry your first pancake. Flip it after 1-2 mins when it starts to turn golden brown underneath. The 1st pancake will inevitably go wrong. Set it aside, turn the heat down a bit and give it another go. The second one is usually passable. The rest are hopefully a breeze!
Topping Ideas
- The classic lemon & sugar - although I read you can make a gin & tonic syrup by warming a G&T in a pan with lemon and sugar until it becomes syrupy. I'm tempted to give this a go!
- Sliced banana, toasted pecans & maple syrup (or honey) - it's vaguely healthy!
- Melted Mars Bar - just slice a mars bar, add a splash of milk or cream and gently heat, stirring until it all comes together as a sauce. The kids love this!
- Raspberries & Mascarpone - heat the raspberries with a sprinkle of sugar until they start to break down, then serve with mascarpone or creme fraiche.
- Salted Caramel & Vanilla Ice Cream - this is another winning combo with the kids!
