Shrove Tuesday

Via Wikipedia.org

I love Pancake Tuesday. Fortunately for me, my children don't like pancakes so I tend to eat them for dinner and then for dessert (with different fillings). Shrove Tuesday is always the day before Ash Wednesday, traditionally in order to use up indulgent foods which were forbidden during Lent. This year it's on Tues 21 February.

I am not fussy when it comes to pancakes. I like thin crepe and fluffy Americna style ones. Here are my favourite recipes for them.

I always let my batter sit for around 30 minutes. A decent saucepan is a must for pancakes. The best I have ever used is my Pampered Chef sautee pan, with a little melted butter. They never stick to this.

Crepes                                                                                

• 1 cup plain flour
• 2 eggs
• 125ml milk
• 125ml water (or 250ml milk if you are too lazy to measure twice)
• pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Method: whisk flour and eggs. Gradually add salt, milk & water, continuing to whisk. Mix in melted butter.

Crepes are can be either savoury or sweet or both, if you go the lemon juice and sugar route. I like to fill them with chicken and mushroom, or ham and cheese, and roll them up like a fajita. If eating them sweet then they are gorgeous served warm spread with Nutella and folded into triangles.

American pancakes (I use Nigella's recipe, more or less)

• 225g SR flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 30g butter, melted and cooled
• 300ml milk

Method: sift and mix dry ingredients, then mix in wet ingredients. You can also add extra ingredients to these pancakes, like chopped pecans, blueberries, or chocolate chips. I like mine plain with honey, or maple or golden syrup. I sometimes cook them for breakfast and serve them with raspberries, blackberries and blueberries (frozen are fine if defrosted) and sprinkled with sifted icing sugar.

Similar to, but smaller than, American pancakes are Scotch pancakes (or pikelets in Australia) and they are something I'd cook a lot more often if both of my kids ate them as they are quick easy and filling snacks, even just spread with butter.

Pikelets/Scotch Pancakes
200g plain flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 large egg
300ml milk
1 tsp cinnamon - optional

Method: Put dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Whisk in milk and egg to make batter. Heat oil in pan and spoon in a ladle full per pikelet. Cook both sides as per crepes & American Pancakes. Spread with your choice of topping such as butter, jam or golden syrup.