The forty days before Easter (not counting Sundays) is known as Lent. Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, the first of day of Lent. Traditionally, families would use up their luxury foods like milk, sugar, eggs and butter, before the 40 days of fasting began. The word shrove comes from the ritual of shriving. People would go to church and confess their sins to a priest, who would grant them absolution. The shriven individual would then be in a pure state, ready for the Lenten period of fasting and abstinence.
Did you know Shrove Tuesday – or Pancake Tuesday – is known as Fasnacht in Germany (night of the fast) In Italy it is called Carnivale (from the Latin for ‘goodbye to the flesh’) and Mardi Gras (literally ‘Fat Tuesday’) is celebrated in places as diverse as New Orleans, Brazil and Australia.
Now down to business… My pancakes are thin like crêpe and are very versatile.
Pancakes
4ozs plain flour
1 egg
½ pint (10 fl ozs) milk
Pinch salt.
Blend all the ingredients together to make a smooth batter, which should be the consistency of double cream & leave to stand for at least 1 hour.This lets the batter relax and the starch molecules have time to expand.
Melt a little butter or oil in a hot frying/omelette pan then put 2 tablespoons of the mixture on the pan and roll it about to cover the surface. Cook the pancakes until bubbles appear on the surface, if you don’t want to toss your pancakes, just slip a plate over the pan and upend the pan quickly over the plate. Slide the pancake back in the pan to brown the uncooked side. Ideally the pan should be non stick.
When Elly was little I prepared the mixture and left it to stand overnight then we had pancakes for breakfast.
Good things to put on Pancakes
- Traditionalists sprinkle lemon juice and sugar before rolling them into a tube shape.
- For a change why not try one of the following: golden syrup, cinnamon, maple syrup, jam, fruit, yoghurt or even Ice cream.
Now on the savoury side the opportunities are endless:
- Marmite!
- Grilled bacon & maple syrup
- Cheese, ham and mushroom
- Cream cheese and spinach.
- Tomato Salsa
- Bacon & Mushroom in a cheese sauce – when filled place the pancakes in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with brown breadcrumbs and grated cheese pop under a heated grill for 5/6 minutes.Serve with a salad.
What is your favourite way to indulge in pancake fever?
Woo-hoo! Does this mean that as you are staying with me now that we get to have Mammy’s pancakes for dinner tomorrow???? It’s been years since I had them!
Elly,
If you are a good girl and work hard…. I might! 😉
I don’t suppose you know if there’s a gluten free recipe for pancakes….my other half is a coeliac and this is his first gluten free pancake tuesday.
PS lovely to see you again this weekend. Glad to hear you had a good time.
Maz,
It was great to meet you again and the weekend was wonderful.
Alas I don’t have a gluten free version of pancakes. Maybe some of the regular visitors might have one and add it here.
Mmm, pancakes – thanks for reminding me to make the batter tonight so it can stand!
I usually go with the traditional option, with a whopping great dollop of vanilla ice cream on the side, but Himself is a fan of a chocolate (Nutella/Buttons) + banana slices version. It’s quite disgusting looking and messy to eat but I’m told that it’s deelish.
Lovely to meet you over the weekend.
I prefer waffles, but those sound delicious!
Hello Gm,
Hope you had a great time in Cork..
Here is my MIL’s recipe for German Pfannekuchen. She used to make it as a treat for my kids. They loved to go to Grandmoms for FANNAKOOKA as they called it.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
Directions
1 Mix eggs & milk.
2 Add salt & flour – mix well.
3 Fry on medium heat until top is dry & edges pull away from pan.
4 Flip and cook on the other side for a few seconds.
5 Serve with sugar or syrup and fruit.
How do I like to celebrate?……Just sitting and eating them if someone else is making them….in a variety of ways…golden syrup is good…but I love the idea of big thick ones full of ham and things…
Maz….what grains can your other half eat? Rice? you could experiment with rice flour…no guarantees here….corn?…corn flour..rye? is there such a thing as rye flour? there must be because yo can get ryebread.
How about a variation on a Spanish Tortilla?
Gluten free flour mix
Ingredients
2 Measures White Rice Flour
1-1 /2 Measures Potato Starch
1 Measure Cornflour
1/3 Measure Potato Flour
Instructions
1. Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until well blended. For faster mixing use an electric whisk.
Store in an airtight container and re-mix well before using.
or
Ingredients
2 Measures Sweet Rice Flour
1-1 /2 Measures Potato Starch
1 Measure Tapioca Starch
1/3 Measure Potato Flour
Just remembered…..Injera….Ethiopian pancakes! they use a different flour…a colleague had an Ethiopian partner and I once taught a boy whose dad is Ethiopian….. and my oldest friend has adopted two Ethiopian children….there must be a recipe on the net somewhere.
@Lynnie – It was great to meet you too at the weekend. Enjoy the pancakes whatever the filling.
@Judy – It is ages since I tried Waffles. I must try them again soon.
@Nancy – The name FANNAKOOKA sounds wonderful…. I can see Elly adopting it! 😀
@Magpie – A mine of information as usual. Thanks for the recipes for alternate flour.
Wow, thanks Magpie those are brilliant suggestions, will definitely try those!! 🙂 He’ll be delighted
What I do also, GM, is get out the wax or grease proof paper and put the crepes on it, one by one like an accordion.
They freeze amazingly well and I often freeze some filler also, there was a great one my mother used to make with marrowfats, mince and a bit of potato and onion. I must dig it out.
Insta-dinner, or brekkie or lunch.
XO
WWW
PS How was my Cork anyways? did it rain?
WWW,
I too freeze the pancakes as you suggest. They are a great standby to have for unexpected visitors.
Cork was wonderful although I only saw the International Airport Hotel. The craic was mighty and so were the people.
I use the same recipe as you. I made them this evening and this is the first time in years. I just had them with a little sugar and lots of lemon juice.
That is just how we had them. I really enjoyed making them for Elly & George.