Pancake Day!

135g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp caster sugar

130ml oz milk

1 large egg

2 tbsp melted butter

In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt & sugar. In another bowl, lightly whisk the milk, egg and melted butter.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients & mix. Leave for 5 mins.

Heat a frying pan with some butter if it's non-stick, or butter and veg oil if it isn't over a medium heat/cool plate of the Aga.

Ladle some batter into the pan and leave for a couple of minutes until some bubbles/holes appear and the edges set, then flip. The underside should be golden brown- adjust the temperature as needed. It will be done when both sides are golden, and it's risen to about 1cm thick.

Build a proper American stack!

Fluffy American Pancakes

The Base...

Thin British Pancakes

110g plain flour, sifted

½ tsp salt

2 eggs

200ml milk

75ml/3fl oz water

2tbsp melted butter

In a large bowl mix the flour, salt & eggs.

Mix the water & milk together, then gradually add to the flour mixture whilst whisking continuously.

Add the melted butter & whisk. It should be a similar consistency to single cream.

Heat a frying pan with some butter if it's non-stick, or butter and veg oil if it isn't, over a high heat/hot plate of the Aga. Once hot, reduce the temperature to medium/switch to cool plate of the Aga, just before adding the batter.

Ladle some batter into the pan & immediately swill the pan around so that the batter evenly coats the bottom. Leave for a about 30 seconds, then lift an edge slightly to see if it's ready to flip. If it's golden brown it's ready! The other side will only need about 15 seconds.

Add fillings into the middle and roll!

Extra Thick & Fluffy Japanese Soufflé Pancakes

In a large bowl whisk the egg yolk & 1 tbsp sugar until pale and frothy. Add the milk & continue whisking. Add the flour & baking powder then continue whisking.

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites & cream of tartar, adding in 1½ tbsp sugar a bit at a time until it forms a soft and silky meringue that holds its peaks.

Take 1⁄3 of the yolk mixture, add to the white mixture & whisk until fully incorporated. Repeat with ½ the remaining yolk mixture.

Add the rest of the yolk mixture, but this time fold in rather than whisk so it doesn't deflate.

Heat a large frying pan with some butter if it's non-stick, or butter and veg oil if it isn't, over a very low heat.

Scoop some mixture and dollop onto the pan. Try and fit 3 in one go. Each pancake should be no bigger than the width of a crumpet. Go round and add another dollop on top of each one. Add a tablespoon of water to the bottom of the pan then cover.

Leave for 2 minutes, add another dollop to each pancake then cover again.

Leave for about 5 minutes, then lift one slightly to see if the bottom is golden brown. If it is, flip!

Add another tablespoon of water then cover.

After about 4 minutes the sides should be dry to touch, and the bottoms golden brown.

Make a stack & enjoy!

2 large eggs (1 yolk, 2 whites)

2½ tbsp caster sugar

2 tbsp milk

3 tbsp flour

1¼ tsp baking powder

pinch cream of tatar

Main...

Full English

Break open sausages of choice into a frying pan and fry whilst using a spatula to break the sausage down into little clumps.

Cook bacon.

Fry/poach an egg.

Cook whatever else you like in your full English- baked beans, black pudding, hash brown, tomato etc

Make a stack of pancakes, with a sprinkle of sausage meat, some bacon and your other breakfast items between each layer. Top it off with the egg.

Make American pancakes, but add ¼-½ tsp ground ginger & cinnamon to the flour.

Gingerbread

Caramelised Banana Pineapple Upside-down Pancakes

Chop up banana into the size/shape you want.

Sprinkle some soft brown sugar & a bit of butter into a frying pan. Once melted & combined place the pieces of banana on top. Leave then flip so that both sides are caramelised, then remove from the pan.

Spoon some American pancake batter into the pan so that it creates a pancake a bit wider than a tinned pineapple ring.

After about 15 seconds, add a pineapple ring on top, then continue as normal.

Create a stack, adding the caramelised banana, with a drizzle of maple syrup, or maybe some coconut cream.

Ham & Cheese

Make a British pancake, but after you flip it, start adding the fillings whilst it's still in the pan.

Add some grated cheese all over the pancake-gruyère works well- then when its started to melt, add some ham, along with anything else you fancy, such as chopped chives & black pepper.

Fold the pancake in half, then half again & slide onto your plate.

Smoked Salmon

Mix 4 tbsp crème fraîche with 1 finely chopped shallot & some lemon juice. Alternatively, just mix some cream cheese with lemon juice. Add any other flavourings you fancy eg chives, capers, sriracha.

Make which ever sort of pancakes you fancy, then add smoked salmon & the sauce you've made.

Make American pancakes, but add blueberries and lemon zest to the batter.

Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Lemon & Blueberry

Tiramisu

Make whichever pancakes you fancy, but add a teaspoon of espresso powder into the batter.

Mix 50g maple syrup with a flat tsp espresso powder and put in the microwave for a few seconds until the powder dissolves.

Mix 100g mascarpone with a couple of teaspoons of icing sugar, and a bit of vanilla extract. Adjust to taste, and add a splash of alcohol in if you fancy- I'd use Baileys.

Add a dollop of the mascarpone mixture to your pancakes, drizzle on the coffee maple syrup, then sprinkle a dusting of cocoa powder on top to finish it off.

Double Chocolate

Make whichever pancakes you fancy, but replace a tbsp flour with a tbsp cocoa powder.

Add whatever spread you fancy- I use Nutella or Biscoff.

Alternatively, make your own ganache with a 1:1 ratio. Heat up 50g double cream, then add 50g chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted.

Pudding...

BBQ Pulled Pork or Chicken

Buy or make some pulled pork or chicken.

To make pulled chicken, sear some boneless chicken thighs with salt & pepper for about 5 minutes, then add chicken stock. Cover and let boil for about 10 minutes, then remove and shred.

Add BBQ sauce to the pork/chicken and mix.

Make whichever pancakes you fancy.Add the pulled pork/chicken, then grate cheese on top. Bake in the oven, or grill to melt the cheese.

Forget Valentine's Day. Pancake Day is much more important.

I LOVE pancakes. My favourite birthday cake was a layered crepe cake my brother made for me, which had layers of chocolate ganache between the crepes. I'm not overly keen on sweet things- starter over pudding always- so I like that it's meant to be a sweet dish, but you can determine just how sweet it is with the fillings/toppings.

I have always hoped that one day Shrove Tuesday will land on my birthday- 6th March- but apparently this isn't going to happen until 2057. This year is pretty close though on the 4th, which means cafes will have pancake specials on around my birthday and I can't wait!

Don't forget to use British ingredients! Look out for the red tractor when buying flour, eggs and milk so you know you've got the best, and that whatever you've got is traceable, safe and farmed with care.