Flippin’ heck – it’s Pancake Day this week. This year Shrove Tuesday falls a bit later than usual, on March 1.
If you’re stumped for ideas on how to get a bit more creative, we’ve got you covered. Award-winning food writer Sue Quinn has selected the best recipes from her book, Posh Pancakes, for you to try.
Buttermilk pancakes
Ingredients :
■ 150g (5oz/1¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
■ 1 tsp baking powder
■ ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
■ ½ tsp sea salt
■ 1 heaped tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
■ 250ml (8½fl oz/1 cup) buttermilk
■ 1 large egg, lightly beaten
■ 1 tbsp melted butter or vegetable oil, for frying
Method:
1 In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and sugar, and make a well in the centre.
2 In a jug, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter.
3 Gradually pour the egg mixture into the well and whisk, incorporating the flour as you go, to make a smooth batter. Don’t overbeat or the pancakes will be tough, though some small lumps are fine.
4 Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and brush with melted butter or oil.
5 Pour 60ml (2fl oz/¼ cup) batter into the pan to make pancakes roughly 10cm (4in) in diameter.
6 Fry for 1–2 minutes, or until bubbling on top and golden underneath. You might need to adjust the heat to ensure the pancakes don’t overcook on the outside before they are cooked through.
7 Flip and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute more. Repeat with the remaining batter.
8 Serve straight from the pan or keep warm in a 150°C/300°F/gas 2 oven.
French crêpes
Ingredients :
■ 130g (4½oz/1 cup) plain (all-purpose) or wholemeal plain flour
■ 1 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar (omit for savoury recipes)
■ ½ tsp sea salt, 1 egg, lightly beaten
■ 300ml (10fl oz/1¼ cups) whole milk
■ 1 tbsp butter, melted and cooled melted butter or vegetable oil, for frying
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Image:
Getty Images/StockFood)
Method:
1 In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt, and make a well in the centre. In a jug, whisk together the egg, milk, and melted butter.
2 Gradually pour the egg mixture into the well and whisk, incorporating the flour as you go, to make a smooth batter. Don’t overbeat or the crêpes will be tough.
3 Leave to stand for at least 30 minutes. The batter will thicken over this time, so stir in 1–2 tbsp cold water before cooking.
4 Heat a non-stick frying pan or crêpe pan over a medium heat and when hot enough – a sprinkle of water should hiss and sizzle – brush with butter or oil.
5 Pour 60ml (2fl oz/¼ cup) batter into the pan, quickly swirling the pan to cover the base.
6 Cook for 1–2 minutes until the edges of the crêpe look dry and the underside is golden. Loosen the edges with a palette knife, flip, and cook for a further 1–2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter.
7 Serve the crêpes immediately or layer them between sheets of greaseproof paper and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Alternatively, keep warm for a few minutes – any longer and they may dry out – in a 100°C/225°F/gas ¼ oven, layered between sheets of greaseproof paper.
Almond pancakes with honey & berries
These are light and fluffy, yet full of lovely almond flavour. They work a treat with the runny honey and crunchy seeds – you’ll go nuts for them. Badum-tish!
Ingredients (makes 14):
■ 100g (3½oz/¾ cup) self-raising flour
■ 100g (3½oz) ground almonds
■ 1 tsp baking powder
■ 2 tbsp dark brown soft sugar
■ 2 eggs, separated
■ 180ml (6fl oz/¾ cup) whole milk
■ Melted butter or vegetable oil, for brushing
■ Almond butter, runny honey, handful berries, and handful mixed seeds, to serve
Method:
1 In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and sugar, breaking up any lumps of sugar with the back of a spoon. Make a well in the centre. In a jug, whisk together the egg yolks and milk.
2 Gradually pour the egg mixture into the well and whisk, incorporating the flour as you go, to make a smooth batter. Don’t overbeat or the pancakes will be tough.
3 Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Stir a large spoonful into the batter to loosen, then fold in the rest.
4 Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium–low heat and brush generously with butter or oil. Drop 60ml (2fl oz/¼ cup) batter into the pan and cook for about 1 minute until bubbles just begin to form on top and the bottom is golden. These burn quite easily so cook them slowly and reduce the heat if necessary.
5 Flip and cook for 30 seconds–1 minute more. Serve straight from the pan or keep warm in a 150°C/300°F/gas 2 oven while you cook the remaining batter.
6 To serve, stir the almond butter to loosen and spread some on to each pancake. Top with the berries, drizzle with honey, and scatter over some seeds.
Honeycomb buttermilk pancakes
Let’s face it – honeycomb butter ain’t no health food. This might be an indulgent way to start the day, but is glorious for a special occasion.
Ingredients (makes 16):
■ 100g (3½oz/ ½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
■ 2 tbsp golden syrup
■ 2 tbsp runny honey
■ 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
■ 250g (9oz) salted butter, softened
■ 1 quantity buttermilk pancake batter (see recipe above)
■ Maple syrup, to serve
Method:
1 Line a rimmed baking sheet with baking paper.
2 To make the honeycomb butter, combine the sugar, golden syrup, and 1 tablespoon of the honey in a pan and stir over a low heat, until the sugar dissolves.
3 Simmer gently until the temperature reaches 150°C on a confectionary thermometer, or until a little dropped into a glass of cold water cracks and turns hard.
4 Add the bicarbonate of soda, then remove the pan from the heat and whisk: the mixture will froth up dramatically.
5 Quickly pour on to the prepared baking sheet and leave to harden for about 1 hour.
6 Break half the honeycomb into pieces and place in a plastic food bag.
7 Bash the bag with a rolling pin until the honeycomb is finely crushed but still coarse enough to give the butter some crunch.
8 Whip the butter and the remaining honey until light and fluffy, then fold in the crushed honeycomb.
9 Spoon the butter on to a piece of clingfilm (plastic wrap), roll tightly into a sausage shape and chill. While this is happening, make the pancakes following the method above, transferring them to a warm oven to keep warm.
10 Serve the pancakes warm with slices of the honeycomb butter on top and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.
Granola and blueberry pancakes
These have a gorgeous flavour and some crunchy texture from the granola: it’s basically a selection of breakfast dishes tumbled into one batch of tasty pancake.
Ingredients (makes 10-12):
■ 1 quantity buttermilk pancake batter (see above)
■ 200g (7oz) Greek-style yoghurt
■ 60g (2oz) strawberry jam, stirred
■ 100g (3½oz) good-quality granola
■ 100g (3½oz) blueberries, cut in half if very large
■ Melted butter or vegetable oil, for brushing
Method:
1 Swirl the yoghurt and jam together in a bowl until almost combined – it’s nice to have some visible trails of pink. Chill until needed.
2 Tip the granola into a zip-lock bag and lightly bash with a rolling pin to break up any big clusters.
3 Fold into the pancake batter, along with the blueberries. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and brush with butter or oil.
4 Pour 60ml (2fl oz/ ¼ cup) batter into the pan to make pancakes roughly 10cm (4in) in diameter. Fry for 1–2 minutes, or until bubbling on top and golden underneath. Flip and cook for a further minute, pressing down gently with an egg slice.
5 Repeat until all the batter is used up. Serve straight from the pan or keep warm in a 150°C/300°F/gas 2 oven.
6 Serve warm, topped with the strawberry jam yoghurt.
Eggs and bacon with spring onion pancakes
Possibly the ideal breakfast for the morning after the night before, these require just a little effort for rolling – but are well worth it.
MAKES 4
Ingredients (makes 4):
■ 300g (10oz/2½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
■ ½ tsp sea salt flakes
■ About 300ml (10fl oz/1¼ cups) freshly boiled water
■ 60g (2oz) finely sliced spring onions (scallions), white and green parts
■ Toasted sesame oil, for brushing
■ 4 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying, plus extra if needed
■ 4 slices smoked back bacon (or your preference)
■ 4 eggs
■ Olive oil, for frying
Method:
1 Place the flour and salt in a mixing bowl and gradually pour in the boiling water, stirring as you go, to form a ball of sticky dough.
2 Tip out on to a lightly floured work surface and briefly knead until smooth. Place in a bowl, cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap), and set aside to rest for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll into balls.
3 Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out one of the balls into a 25cm (10in) circle. Keep the unused balls under a damp tea towel to prevent them drying out.
4 Brush generously with sesame oil and scatter over a quarter of the spring onions. Roll into a sausage and then curl around into a tight spiral.
5 Roll out the snail into a 20cm (8in) circle.
6 Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas 2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a non-stick frying pan, add one of the pancakes and cook for 2 minutes, pressing down with an egg slice to flatten a little.
7 The pancake should be sizzling in oil, so if the pan looks a bit dry, add a splash more. When the pancake is golden underneath, flip and cook for a further minute. Transfer to the oven while you cook the remaining pancakes.
8 Heat a chargrill pan over a high heat, add the bacon and cook without moving until the fat turns golden.
9 Turn over and cook until done to your liking. Keep warm in the oven with the pancakes. Using kitchen paper, wipe the pan used to cook the pancakes and fry the eggs in a little olive oil to your liking.
10 To serve, top a pancake with an egg and a bacon rasher and fold over.
Courgette and halloumi pancakes
A bright and lovely light meal, these pancakes are bursting with spring flavours, says Sue. Enjoy them with a hefty dose of sunshine if you can.
Ingredients (makes 12):
■ 2 medium courgettes (zucchini) (about 500g/1lb 2oz)
■ 1 tsp sea salt flakes
■ 1 quantity buttermilk pancake batter (see above)
■ 200g (7oz) halloumi, grated
■ Handful basil leaves, torn handful mint leaves, finely sliced
■ 3 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
■ Grated zest 1 lemon
■ Freshly ground black pepper garlic-infused olive oil (plain olive oil is fine), for frying
■ Pea shoots and lemon wedges, to serve
Method:
1 Grate the courgettes on the largest holes of a box grater. Transfer to a sieve set over a bowl and toss with the salt.
2 Set aside for 15 minutes to drain, then place in a clean tea towel and squeeze tightly to remove as much liquid as possible.
3 Loosen the courgettes – they’ll be tightly packed together – then add to the pancake batter along with all the remaining ingredients, except the oil, pea shoots, and lemon wedges. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and brush generously with the oil.
4 Add large spoonfuls of batter to the pan to make 10cm (4in) pancakes and cook.
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