How to Make All Sorts of Lovely Pancakes

Lots of different pancakes for Pancake Day and the rest of the year.

French Style Crèpes

As we think of them now – they used to be the “normal” pancakes my Mummy used to make on Pancake Day! This makes approx. 6 depending on the size of your pan.

100g plain flour
pinch of salt
1 egg
300ml milk
50g butter – melted

~   Stir together the salt and the flour and make a well in the middle.
~   Break the egg into the well and start whisking it in gradually adding the milk till a batter the consistency of single cream is achieved.
~   Stir in the melted butter.
~   Lightly grease a frying pan, bring to good heat and ladle in about 2 tablespoons of batter.
~   Roll the pan to spread the batter thinly and cook till the underside is golden.
~   Turn with a deft flip of the wrist or more carefully with an implement.

Traditionally, of course, these are served sprinkled with sugar and lemon juice on Pancake Day but are good filled with all sorts of sweet or savoury fillings such as this one filled with sugary sautéed apples.

Absolutely Lovely Alternative (gluten free – bonus!) Pancakes

These are a great alternative to the above crépes; they are crisp and nutty and good for you! Make them the same way as above replacing the flour with 100g buckwheat flour.  Here is the complete recipe for Galettes de Sarrasin Buckwheat Pancakes as they are known.

Thick Fluffy American Style Pancakes
and some good ideas

– makes about five 3″ pancakes.

120g plain flour
pinch salt
1 tbsp sugar
a rounded teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
100ml milk
a little vegetable oil

~   Stir together the first 4 ingredients.
~   Male a well in the middle of the flour mixture.
~   Break the egg into the well.
~   Gently whisk the egg into the flour and, as it thickens, gradually add the milk, still whisking, till you have a thick but pourable batter.  This may or may not take all the milk, or might even need a tad more, depending on the make and age of the flour.
~   Heat a non stick frying pan and carefully, using a piece of paper towel, smear the surface with a little cooking oil.
~   When the pan is hot and greasy pour a 3″ circle of batter in the pan and cook till the surface is pitted with burst bubble holes.
~   Flip or turn the pancake and cook till the other side is golden.

Serve immediately or keep in a warm oven till all are done so everyone can eat together. 

Very often these are served with smoked bacon, maple syrup and butter but are good with all sorts of things.

How to make Crunchy edged Pancakes

If, like me, you enjoy a crunchy contrast cook each pancake in a spoonful of hot oil (rather than in a lightly greased pan) and you will end up with crisp frazzled edges like these.

Panko Crusted Pancakes

Do this for a gorgeous crunchy butter and syrup catching surfact. Sprinkle the uncooked top of the pancakes with panko crumbs.  Once flipped and cooked on both sides this makes for a lovely crunchy pancake and is probably the way I shall cook pancakes for the rest of my life.

How to Add Additions

When adding things such as fruit or nuts or chocolate do it this way …

~   Pour the pancake batter into the pan.
~ Immediately sprinkle your addition evenly sprinkle over the surface. This means that whatever you have added won’t burn as the first side cooks.
~   Drizzle a little more batter over the additional ingredient.
~   Continue as usual.  

Possibly Strange Pancake Variations

~   I have made this style of pancake with leftover porridge and they are very good indeed which is helpful for me as I dislike the texture of porridge and this helps me get my oats. 
~   Different liquid can be used instead of milk as in this Tomato Soup Pancake!

Flourless Banana Pancakes 

I haven’t tried these as I am bananaphobic but they sound like a good idea, this is what I understand you do.  

~   Mash up a large ripe banana.
~   Beat together 2 eggs.
~   Stir the eggs into the banana and make pancakes with the result.

If I did like bananas I would add a drop of vanilla extract.

Chinese Spring Onion Pancakes

These are really a kind of bread but I thought I’d just mention them as they have the “P” word in their title.  They are also known as Tsung yu Ping.

I make the dough in my stand mixer as it is very hot and hurty to do it by hand.

200g plain flour
salt to taste
25ml boiling water.
Approx 2 teaspoons of sesame oil
1 bunch of spring onions – coarsely chopped
oil for frying

~   Stir together the flour and salt.
~   Gradually mix in the hot water and knead till you have a soft dough but one that is no longer sticky. 
~   Cover the dough with a damp cloth and leave for half an hour.
~   Divide into eight balls and roll each ball into a thin pancake, brush each with sesame oil and sprinkle with the spring onions.
~   Roll each pancake from one edge to form eight little snakes.  Coil up each snake and then re-roll into pancakes.  This creates layers as with puff pastry.
~   Heat about 10mm depth of oil in a frying pan and fry the pancakes till crisp and golden on each side. 
~   Drain on kitchen towel and eat them!

Leftover Pancakes and Batter

If you have a little leftover batter when pancakes drizzle it into the pan and make yourself a Cook’s Treat.

Leftover Pancakes can be gently reheated in the pan you cooked them in.

This idea was inspired by something I ate in France – Oreillettes which I thought meant small ears but apparently means headset, ear flap, ear phone!  Not so whimsical and poetic and also a strange name for a traditional dish, but c’est la vie. This is what they looked like in France …

I took them to be deep fried pancakes which they are not. Mine are though!

Here’s the recipe for real Oreillettes, which are an orange flower and citrus scented dough rolled thin and fried. I might give the real things a go sometime.

My fried leftover pancakes, however, worked out really well, I just cut them into quarters, fried in a little oil till crisp and sprinkled with sugar.

Delicious pancake topping ideas here.

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