This quick and easy pancake recipe by Delia Smith has been tried and tested by yours truly day after day, as for a couple of years (a long while back) my daughter insisted on pancakes for breakfast before school. Crazy? Maybe, but on the other hand anything that makes life easy in the morning is wonderful, you can make the batter the night before, it only takes a few minutes, and now I can whip up Crepes Suzettes (when required) in a flash with just a few additions.
With Shrove Tuesday almost here you just need two things in order to make simple pancakes with which you can do what you like once you have a warm stack;
A really simple pancake recipe,
and a flat, preferably non-stick pancake pan.
Don’t think you can use any old pan, the essential thing is to have a flat non-stick pan which simplifies the whole business and makes tossing easy. Yes you can turn them with a spatula, but so much more fun to toss them. Or watch others toss them. You can use a non stick pan and use more butter but I have always found that non stick works best.
Delia Smith has the recipe for pancakes that I always used (and I made the batter the night before although you don’t have to). You can click through here. Watch her Cookery School Video on how to make pancakes here if you’re a newbie.
The mixtures simply requires
4 oz plain flour
2 eggs
pinch of salt
7 fl oz of milk and 3 of water, mixed together.
Best made with an electric hand mixer unless you’re making hundreds in which a large electric mixer such as a Kenwood Chef is perfect, just put the sifted flour and salt into a bowl, beat the eggs in with your mixer and then the liquid gradually, making sure you have no lumps.
I have to admit using butter (as Delia does) if I’m making pancakes, and melting a tiny bit before adding the mix for each pancake, wiping the pan with kitchen towel to spread it around properly. A good palette knife is also very helpful.
Lots of people will tell you how to toss pancakes, however, here's my way:
Melt a small nut of butter in your pancake pan, I usually use some kitchen towel to spread it over the base as you don’t need very much. Then having put your pancake mixture into a jug to make pouring easy, pour just enough into your pan to cover the bottom, swirling the pan around to spread the mixture.
Once your pancake is cooked on one side and slipping in the pan (use the spatula to loosen an edge if necessary or shake it in the pan) sharply jerk the pan away from you forwards and up slightly. Your pancake should flip to order. It may take a few tries but if you have kids there it’s fun. If you have dogs they’ll eat up the ones that land on the floor before you can blink. Trust me, I kno
w these things.Alternatively, of course, you can just turn it with your palette knife.
Then you can do so many things with your pancakes, from the simple traditional way, serving them with lemon and sugar, or raspberry jam and lemon juice, to a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped off with delicious chocolate sauce. Or my kids favourite, crispy bacon and maple syrup. In any case they'll be gone in a flash. Happy Shrove Tuesday....
Recipe for Crepe Suzette – this is an excellent one although I always make the pancakes first. Then toss in the orange butter and finally set alight.
