Kitchen Diary

Today is Shrove Tuesday or FAT Tuesday as it is also known, in other words the day before Ash Wednesday which begins the time of Lent…. so traditionally that means its pancake day people…….Pancake is something that we often make in the brownie household and both Tyler and Jay, my grandsons, have been making these beauties with me since they were very small. Of course we usually make them on a Friday when they sleep over but you cannot miss out on a mid week opportunity for pancakes can you? The beauty about my pancakes is that you can mix up the batter, pop it into an empty soda bottle and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days…for those times when you just feel like a freshly made, hot pancake, dripping in syrup and melting butter, or all crunchy with cinnamon sugar and some face crinkling fresh lemon juice! As I like them!

So since it is Shrove Tuesday get those pans out and lets have some fun in the kitchen…..

My Petit Chef Tyler

Little Jay’s cute hands – grating nutmeg

This is my ancient recipe, handed down in my family for generations and pimped, of course, by me!

MOM’S EASY PANCAKE RECIPE

Ingredients:

500ml Flour

4 Eggs

400ml Water

300 – 400ml Milk  – I like to use half milk and half Buttermilk *see notes below re the amount of liquid to use!

Salt to taste – start with about 2,5ml or ½ tsp then add more later to taste

A good grating of Nutmeg  – I use about 1,5 mls or 1/4 tsp

10ml  Brown Vinegar

Method:

· Sift flour, salt & nutmeg into a bowl & make a well in the centre

· Break in all the eggs then mix up slightly with a wooden spoon

· Add most of the water at once & beat well – I use my mixer for this but you can use the wooden spoon if you have the stamina  – add the rest of the water and continue beating until no lumps remain. At this stage the mixture should look like thick cream

· Add the milk mixture bit by bit until the mixture looks like thin cream – I find that I use it all and maybe even a bit more

· Stir in the vinegar

· Taste the mixture (ugghh but this is an important step!!) and add more salt if it tastes too bland. I find that salted pancake batter makes much tastier pancakes

· If the mixture is lumpy you can pour it through a strainer into a clean bottle · Let it rest for about 15minutes in the fridge before you make the pancakes

To make the pancakes:

Have your dry pan smoking hot over a medium heat or flame

Pour in a tiny amount of peanut oil – just to coat the pan

Pour in about 30ml or so of batter into the hot pan & swirl it around immediately to coat the base of the frying pan

Watch carefully & as soon as it starts to bubble and turn light brown around the edges start shaking the pan to loosen the pancake. Use a silicon spatula to help loosen the sides

Once the pancake is loose you can either flip it over using just a light flick of your wrist or using the spatula

Cook briefly on the second side before sliding it into a waiting dish or plate

Repeat until you have as many pancakes as you want

Keep warm until ready to eat

Sprinkle warm pancakes with cinnamon sugar, a little knob of butter and a squeeze of lemon juice

Or enjoy them with savoury or sweet fillings….

Brownie Notes

I bottle my batter in any clean 1 litre cool drink bottle and keep it, sealed, in the fridge for up to 4 days – Just give it a little shake then pour whenever your pan is smoking hot 

The bottle makes for easy, clean, controlled pouring into the pan

You can double or treble the recipe quite happily if you need to make a lot of pancakes. Always use the ratio of 2 eggs to 1 Cup flour and increase the other ingredients proportionately

I like to use half buttermilk but you can use only milk if you prefer

I find that Peanut Oil handles the high heat the best of all the oils and it has no flavour to taint the pancakes. I keep a little squeezie bottle for my pancake oil. I use the one that you get in some home hair colour kits 

Pancakes can be successfully frozen. Interleave dry plain pancakes with wax paper and freeze flat on a tray for a couple of hours then place in an airtight container or freezer bag. Just remove as many as you need each time and thaw at room temperature or microwave very briefly

Pancakes make wonderful wraps with savoury fillings as well as sweet ones. They also replace cannelloni tubes or lasagna sheets very successfully in pasta dishes

Most importantly….have fun & ENJOY!!!

browniegirl xx

Here are some more “pancake/flapjack” recipes from my archives

Stack o’ Jacks

 Buttermilk Oat Flapjacks with Caramelized Banana (& maple bacon)

Savory Pancakes with Chicken Fricassee 

Folded Pancakes with Rum Flambeed Caramelized Banana

This is a re-post of the original pancake entry here

PS My surgery went well for those who are following. I have been in a lot of pain and am badly bruised, cannot eat anything but liquids and very soft foods right now. But all positive and a start to healing. Thank you for all the love, support and prayers and good wishes xx

PS Dont forget to pass a little blog love my way if you would…..vote for me browniegirl in the EatIn DStv FoodNetwork best local blog awards  :) xx