Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day

Peter making Pancakes....the British version. 

Today is Shrove Tuesday here in England. Every year at this time we have "pancakes for tea". Tea as in the evening meal, not the drink. It's the last day before Lent and is the English version of Mardi Gras. Only without all the partying in the streets and no beads. For Christians' Lent is a time to give something up, so this is the last day that you can stuff yourself silly until Easter.

The pancake mix

It's traditional to make pancakes and serve them up with syrup and lemon juice, though there are many other ways to serve them up as well. This is what Peter cooked for us tonight for our supper. It's not pancakes as most of my American family and friends know it, but is a flat almost tortilla looking thing.

In the pan

I took these photos of Peter making his pancakes with him continuously running me out of the kitchen. He didn't want me taking photos of him at work in the kitchen. So these aren't my best photos, but quick snaps while dodging the frying pan. ;-)

The Flip! 

Yes he flipped the pancakes! Wish I'd been ready for that flip, I barely captured it!

Perfect landing

Fresh squeezed lemon juice for the pancakes

Two pancakes

We took the pancakes and spread some Lyle's Golden Syrup on them, squeezed on a bit of lemon on top, then rolled them up and ate them with a knife and fork.

British Pancakes

Our tin of Lyle's Golden Syrup was a bit old and had crystallized a bit. Was still good though, I had three. :-)

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Here's a link to my American Pancakes recipe (Not the recipe for the above pancakes) -> http://tammylynnblogs.blogspot.com/2010/06/pancakes.html

Pancakes!

I make pancakes most weekends. Back in the States I used to buy a mix, couldn't find mix here in the UK so started experimenting and making my own from scratch. Don't care much for the mix now! :-D

Here's how I make my pancakes:
First I gather all the ingredients.

These are my ingredients for breakfast for two...three pancakes each. (Depending on size)

• 1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour (I like to sift mine, makes fluffier pancakes.)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt ( A little more if using unsalted butter)
• 1 egg, large
• 2 tablespoons melted butter (can use vegetable oil as well)
• 150 - 175 ml milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• blueberries (optional) (Can be added to the batter or served on the side/top)

I mix all the dry ingredients in the bowl and all the wet ingredients in the large measuring cup (or small bowl) with a whisk. Then I pour the wet mix in with the dry mix and blend until all is wet, being careful not to over mix.

TIP: Letting mixture sit for a while will give you fluffier and lighter pancakes. 

Then I use a ladle to spoon mix onto a hot nonstick pan sprayed with Pam non stick spray. (Until recently I was using a cast iron pan which was great, but required more oil) I start off at medium high heat then turn down to medium after the first batch is in the pan. You want it hot but you don't want to cook them too fast.

UPDATE: I now use a ceramic coated frying pan with a little vegetable oil drizzled in pan between each batch.  

I then quickly poke blueberries into the batter in the pan. If these had been small blueberries I'd added them to the mix, but as these were great big juicy ones I added them in the pan.

NOTE: This is really tasty but does make a mess when the blueberries burst with the heat. I now prefer to add the blueberries to the plate, I find this quite refreshing actually. 

When they start to bubble is when it's time to flip them over. You'll have to watch closely to see when they are done. Won't take long after you flip.

They should be a lovely light golden brown underneath when you flip. Mine here are a bit darker than that but are fine. I was too busy trying to photograph them. :-D

After they are done I put them in a warm oven to keep them warm while the others are cooking. When all is done we like to pour a bit of pure Maple Syrup from Canada on them. Yummy!

TIP: You can heat up the syrup to help keep the pancakes warmer longer. 

I really enjoyed photographing food today, think I might do this again. :-)