9th february
EASY PANCAKES Makes 12 Celebrate PANCAKE Tuesday by turning out delicious pancakes Also known as crepes. INGREDIENTS 100g plain flour 2 large eggs 300ml milk 1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for cooking Lemon wedges / Strawberries Granulated Sugar, to Serve (Optional) Method Put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to a smooth batter. Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and wipe it with some oiled kitchen paper. Once hot, ladle in a thin layer of batter and cook for 1 minute on each side until golden, keeping them warm in a low heat oven as you go. Serve with lemon wedges/strawberries and sugar.
OTHER SERVING SUGGESTIONS IF YOU WANT TO BE MORE ADVENTUROUS THAN JUST SERVING YOUR PANCAKES WITH LEMON AND SUGAR, WHY NOT TRY SOME OF OUR DELICIOUS IDEAS BELOW. Nutella with Maple Syrup & toasted nuts Spread the Nutella over the warm pancakes and drizzle over a little maple syrup, then finish with a sprinkling of toasted chopped nuts. Raspberry syrup & ice cream Mix some raspberry jam or preserve with a splash of water in a small pan over a medium heat until smooth and syrupy. Drizzle over warm pancakes, then roll up and serve with scoops of your favourite ice cream. Spinach pancakes with cheese & ham Make the batter in a food processer or nutri bullet and add a good handful of baby spinach leaves for a vibrant green colour. Scatter grated cheese over each one and then top with some diced cooked ham (or use a diced red pepper as a good veggie alternative), then fold over and continue to cook in the frying pan for a couple of minutes on each side until the cheese is melted.
AMERICAN-STYLE PANCAKES THESE ARE A GREAT INSTANT PANCAKE THAT CHILDREN SEEM TO ADORE. THEY ARE QUICK AND EASY TO MAKE, WITH PERFECT RESULTS EVERY TIME. Makes 6 INGREDIENTS 100g self-raising flour 1 large egg about 6 tbsp buttermilk butter or sunflower oil, for cooking mixed berries and maple syrup, to serve (optional) Method Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Put the flour in a bowl and make a slight dip in the middle with a fork. Break in the egg and add a little of the buttermilk, then mix to combine. Add the rest of the buttermilk and beat to a smooth, thick consistency. Add a knob of butter to the heated frying pan or a little sunflower oil and then spoon in heaped tablespoons of the batter. Once bubbles begin to appear on the pancakes, turn them over using a metal spatula and cook for another minute or so until golden. Keep warm while you cook the remainder. Serve with the strawberries and maple syrup and finish with a light dusting of icing sugar.
OTHER SERVING SUGGESTIONS American-style pancakes lend themselves to all sorts of different toppings, sweet and savoury, which are often served for breakfast or brunch. Strawberries with salted caramel sauce Melt 25g of butter with 25g of brown sugar and a heaped tbsp of golden syrup in a small heavybased pan over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has melted. Stir in 4 tbsp of cream and a pinch of sea salt and allow to simmer for a minute. Serve the sauce warm or cold over the pancakes with some sliced strawberries, then finish with a dollop of creme fraiche. Citrus salad Peel a red or pink grapefruit and a couple mandarins and then cut into 1cm slices, then scatter over the pancakes with some sliced dates and a drizzle of honey. Maple glazed bacon Cook streaky bacon rashers on a baking sheet under the grill and once crisp, brush with maple syrup and place back under the grill to glaze. Arrange on the warm pancakes and finish with an extra drizzle of maple syrup.
OAT PANCAKES Makes 6 FOR A GLUTEN FREE ALTERNATIVE, USE GLUTEN FREE PORRIDGE OATS AND GLUTEN FREE BAKING POWDER. FOR A DAIRY FREE VERSION, USE OAT OR ALMOND MILK. INGREDIENTS 100g porridge oats pinch of salt 1 tsp baking powder 1 large egg 100ml milk sunflower oil, for cooking berries and honey, to serve (optional) Method Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Blitz the porridge oats in a food processor with the salt until fine. Stir in the baking powder. Make a well in the centre and whisk in the egg and milk until you have achieved a smooth, thick batter. Wipe the heated frying pan with oiled kitchen paper and then spoon in heaped tablespoons of the batter. Once bubbles begin to appear on the pancakes, turn them over using a metal spatula and cook for another minute or so until golden. Keep warm while you cook the remainder. Serve with the blueberries and honey.
OTHER SERVING SUGGESTIONS Fruit compote Almost any berry or soft fruit can be turned into a compote: just place it in a pan (chopped up if it s big) with some sugar and a splash of water and simmer over a medium heat until soft and syrupy. Serve warm or cold. Chocolate chip, peanut butter & banana Mix 6 tbsp of smooth peanut butter with 2 tbsp each of maple syrup or honey and milk, then spread over the warm pancakes. Scatter over slices of banana with chocolate chips. Smoked salmon with crème fraiche & chives Arrange smoked salmon strips on the pancakes and then add small spoonfuls of crème fraiche. Add some freshly ground black pepper and garnish with chives.
TOP TIPS FOR MAKING PERFECT PANCaKES The basic kit The batter The most important piece of kitchen Adding spices, vanilla extract, citrus equipment you ll need is a really zest or herbs to your batter will good, non-stick frying pan as it create another layer of flavour. makes flipping so much easier. Technique Leave the batter to settle for at least 30 minutes in the fridge, if time allows. Then give it a good stir and if you find it has thickened up a little then just loosen with a splash of milk. Make sure your frying pan is properly heated before you start cooking. You can test this by putting a small spoon of the batter into the frying pan. It should turn golden on the underside after about 30 seconds. Once the pancake is cooked underneath give it a little shake and it should move easily. Tip the pancake to the edge of the frying pan and three, two, one flip. Remember practice makes perfect, it s just about having a confident flick of the wrist (the same action as you would use when making a stir-fry in a wok). Storage If you d prefer to make the pancakes in advance, allow them to cool and then layer up between parchment or greaseproof paper and wrap in cling film. They will keep happily for 2 days in the fridge, then reheat later in a low oven or in the microwave.