Pancake Day is arguably the best day in February – who doesn’t love pancakes ahttps://dorsetfoodanddrink.org/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfecting-pancake-dayfter all? Pancakes are also hugely versatile, they can be sweet or savoury, you can have them in the American style or a thinner crepe style, you can top them with whatever you want… With so many variations, it’s no wonder that so many people love celebrating Shrove Tuesday!
Here are some tips and tricks to help you have the very best pancake day possible!
The recipe
Pancakes are super simple to make, whether you want them thin or thick, it’s as simple as:
100g plain flour
2 eggs
300ml milk.
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!
Did you know you can freeze both pancake batter and actual pancakes? If you make too many or want to prepare in advance, you can freeze the batter in a bag for up to a month and then defrost overnight in the fridge. Cooked pancakes can be stored in the freezer too and then eaten once defrosted!
Did you know that according to stats, more than 50% of people eat their pancakes with lemon and sugar? If you want to mix it up a bit, here are some flavour alternatives for you:
- Chocolate pancakes
Yes, you could spread chocolate spread or drop chocolate chips into your batter, but why not really mix it up by substituting 1 tbsp flour with cocoa powder and make chocolate batter!
Upgrade this recipe by frying banana slices in butter to caramalise them and drizzle the banana mixture over the top of your chocolate pancakes. - Pesto pancakes
Ok, hear me out – savoury pancakes are a thing, give it a try! Substitute 1 tbsp milk for 1tbsp pesto and see for yourself!
Upgrade this by filling them with chargrilled peppers and crumbled feta.
Work on your presentation
Yes, you can just make, flip and serve, but you can also do a little bit of art with your pancake batter. One of the easiest things to do is to make lacy pancakes, you can shape them however you want, why not make hearts to drag out Valentine’s Day?
All you need is the usual batter recipe and an icing bottle.
Make the batter as usual and then heat a frying pan over medium heat and drizzle oil, butter or light frying spray. Once it is heating up, fill the icing bottle with the mixture and drizzle the batter into the pan in whatever shape you like. Use swirling motions to create a lacy effect. Cook for a minute and then flip over carefully to cook on the other side.
Got allergies?
You can easily swap out ingredients to make pancakes suitable for a wide range of allergies including gluten-free and dairy-free. Swap dairy milk for a substitute and the flour for a gluten-free variety.
Alternatively, you can make pancakes vegan by swapping to plant-based milk and using 60g mashed banana or a drizzle of vegetable oil instead of eggs.
Now you have all the info – have a great pancake day!
