Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent – the 40 days leading up to Easter – was traditionally a time of fasting and in more recent times you’ll have probably heard people say they are ‘giving up’ something for the period of Lent.
Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year and falls between February 3 and March 9. In 2020 Shrove Tuesday will fall on February 25th.
Traditionally, Shrove Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the fast and pancakes are the perfect way of using up these ingredients. These days, although not everyone takes part in Lent, families up and down the country will be flipping and enjoying pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.
You can buy pancake mix in most supermarkets, but it’s just as easy (honestly!) to make your own batter and often works out much cheaper if you’re planning on having a Pancake feast! Get the kids involved too, they will love whisking the batter and helping to flip, not to mention decorating/adding their own choice of fillings.
Here’s basic recipe for 12 Pancakes.
Ingredients
100g Plain Flour
2 Large Eggs
300ml of Milk
1 Tbsp of vegetable/sunflower oil plus a little extra for frying
Method
Whisk all of the ingredients together in a large jug or mixing bowl until the batter is smooth.
Let the batter rest for 15-30 minutes of you have time, although you can start cooking straight away if you don’t.
Put a medium sized frying pan over a medium heat and use a little oil on some litchen wiper to carefully grease the pan.
Once the pan is hot, pour some batter into the pan – enough to form a thin layer. (Tip – pour into the middle and tilt the pan around to spread the batter out). Cook for one minute each side. How you flip it? Play it safe with a spatula or show off your skills and toss it in the pan?
Toppings
Traditionally a bit of caster sugar and a squeeze of lemon was all that was used. These days, people get really creative.
Here are some ideas for you to mix, match and create!
Bananas
Raspberries
Strawberries
Blueberries
Chocolate Spread
Ice Cream
Cream/Squirty Cream
Maple Syrup
Golden Syrup
Honey
Peanut Butter
Or if you fancy a more savoury pancake these ingredients work well too.
Bacon/Sausages
Eggs
Cheese
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Onions
Peppers
Chicken
Have fun flipping!
