As it’s almost pancake day we thought we’d share the traditional pancake recipe as I always find myself looking for it when the day arrives. Pancake day or Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday which is the start of Lent and the day itself moves depending on when Easter falls each year. For a little history, pancake day was originally a pagan holiday and symbolises the fight between the arriving spring and departing winter. The pancakes represented the sun and were made and eaten during the holiday. You can find out more about Shrove Tuesday on wikipedia.
Here is the basic pancake recipe, and we’ll leave it to you to add the traditional sugar and lemon topping, or maybe you will go for jam or chocolate, apple and pear, or perhaps a savoury version.
Pancake Recipe
To make 8 thin pancakes.
Ingredients
- 100g plain flour
- 2 eggs
- 300ml semi-skimmed milk
- 1 tbsp of sunflower/vegetable oil plus extra for frying.
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Put the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the middle.
- Crack the eggs into the well in the middle of the flour, add the oil and only 50ml of the milk.
- Start mixing from the middle of the well and gradually draw in the flour from the edges. It will become a thick paste as you mix, keep mixing until all the flour is used and if the mixture becomes too thick to mix add a little more milk.
- Continue adding the rest of the milk slowly and keep mixing until you have a smooth batter. It should be the consistency of a thick cream.
- Heat a large flat pan or frying pan over a medium heat and grease with a thin layer of oil. (Use a piece of kitchen roll to spread the oil).
- Ladle some of the batter into the pan and swirl the pan to get an even covering of batter. Leave to cook untouched for 30 seconds. If the pan is a good temperature the pancake will turn golden on the bottom in 30 seconds.
- Flip the pancake over to cook on the other side for another 30 seconds. First loosen the pancake with a spatula and then lift and flip it over.
- Check the pancake is golden on the new side, and then tip it out onto a plate and serve, or leave to stack the others on top.
To serve
Pancakes can be served with many different toppings and it is a matter of your preference. Some of the best include chocolate sauce, maple syrup, honey, sugar and lemon, or slices of fruit.
Tools you may need
Here are a selection of tools that you may find useful in pancake making. We hope you enjoy your pancakes!
