A Flipping Irresistible Recipe for Pancake Day
By Katherine Weir
A whole day dedicated to the consumption of yummy food. Could it get any better? Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday is upon us again and I’ve made sure that this year, I have the perfect recipe to make sure I don’t end up with lumpy batter and a sorry looking batch of pancakes.The perfect pancake should be sumptuous, fluffy and delectable, and should leave you salivating as the ladle of mixture hits the frying pan for the next tasty treat. The basic batter recipe is quite simple, but getting it right is a skill. So here’s a fail-safe recipe and guide to get those taste buds excited.
Ingredients:
• 140g plain flour
• 200ml whole milk
• 100ml cold water
• 2 eggs
• 25g unsalted butter, melted, plus a little extra for greasing.
Preparation time:
• 10 minutes
Cooking time:
• 20 minutes plus resting
This recipe should make 12 mouth-watering pancakes and at 84 calories per serving, it won’t damage the diet (unless you eat all 12). Don’t worry if the first pancake doesn’t come out well, it’ll season the pan and they’re much easier from then on. A great tip that I’ve found in all baking is to have all your ingredients measured out and in separate bowls so you’re prepared to add each vital component as you follow the recipe. So, enough of the chatter, aprons at the ready!
Method:
1. Sift the flour with a pinch of salt (high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing) into a medium-sized bowl and make a well in the middle. Mix the milk and 100ml water together. Break the eggs into the well and start whisking slowly. Add the milk and water in a steady stream, whisking constantly and gradually incorporating the flour as you do so.
2. Whisk until the batter is smooth and all the flour has been incorporated. Set the batter aside to rest for 30 minutes, and then whisk the melted butter into the batter.
3. Heat the pan over a medium heat. Very lightly grease the pan with melted butter by using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it around before you make each pancake. Using a ladle, pour roughly 2 tbsp. of batter into the pan and swirl it around so the bottom of the pan is evenly coated. Using the ladle will give you an even pancake as the batter is heated at the same time.You want to use just enough batter to make a delicate, lacy pancake. Cook the pancake for about 45 seconds on one side until golden and then using a palette knife or fish slice, flip the pancake over and cook the other side for about 30 seconds until it freckles.
4. Slide the pancake out of the pan and either serve immediately or stack on a plate with baking parchment in between each one. Continue until all the batter is used up.
With a wide choice of toppings to get daring with, this day could be a taste experience for all. My personal belief is that lemon juice and sugar are the best toppings for the perfect pancake. But if you’re feeling a little bold then substitute the lemon juice for syrup! Maybe I’m a girl of simple tastes but I firmly believe that if it aint broke, why fix it?
However, there is a step too far when it comes to experimenting with pancake fillings and toppings and I think I have found it. Some strange individuals have decided to put ketchup and grated cheese on their pancakes to make a savoury ‘pizza-style’ pancake, and are actually proud enough to tellpeople about it. Why, oh why would you do that?!? And some take the over excited foodie route of making a gourmet pancake with fillings from feta cheese with preserved figs and rocket, to smoked wild Irish salmon with chive dressing. Why fluff and fancy up what is an honest and delicious classic recipe?
For a fun variation on the classic pancake recipe (that I fully agree with), replace 20g of the plain flour with sifted cocoa powder to make a delicious batch of chocolate pancakes. Try filling with thinly chopped bananas and melted fair trade chocolate, and dust with icing sugar for the ultimate in (ethically guilt free) decadence.
And for the men out there, this could be the most romantic thing you do by bringing your long-suffering girlfriend a delicious pancake, handmade with love, while she rests in bed. Then all that’s left is to purchase some Jimmy Choo shoes for you to be officially crowned the best boyfriend ever! Oh well, a girl can dream…
So that’s it. With this simple recipe and step by step instructions, you should have perfect pancakes to wow friends and family. It’s a crying shame that this wondrous day only comes around once a year. I vote that we make Pancake Day a weekly Tuesday tradition!
Katherine Weir is an avid blogger and loves writing about scrumptious food and the enjoyment of making it yourself. Follow her on Twitter @KatherineWeir