River Cottage

I tend to use melted butter in the mix, and a knob of melted butter in the pan - the first one comes out rich and thick but I call it the 'allbutter' and my dearest will prostrate himself for it! Aside from the all time fave lemon and sugar, I'm loving maple syrup with blueberry jam (made with a touch of desert wine). Nom nom nom (burp)!

Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) was one of the big days of the year when I was a kid (in England). It still love pancakes (crepe style) and this recipe and video catches things perfectly. Better get some batter made up and into the fridge for tonight. Also interesting that the "Scottish Drop Scones" look to be the same as North American pancakes (which are also great ... especially with Maple Syrup you made yourself :-).

second one is always the best - first one always too thick and rubbery - no idea why.

i leave my batter for around 2 hours - as you say, seems it is crucial for some reason.

great idea for savoury pancakes (which i used to detest) - add chives to the batter mix and a tiny bit of grated horseradish.... when cool smear creme fraiche mixed with horseraddish over it and lie smoke salmon on it. roll it into a long pinwheel, and slice into little rounds - really pretty for nibbles too

yum.

For that lovely, thin, crepe style pancake, go for 50% milk and 50% water - that is the mix they use in the Paris crepe vans. Also, add a table spoon of oil to the mixture. Ideally leave it around 2 hours and then just add a table spoon of cold water and beat again just before you start using it.

Rather than swirl oil around, which might mean you end up with too much oil, use a paper kitchen towel that has been wetted with oil. Just wipe it around the hot pan - but watch your fingers!

If the first pancake fails, it is because the pan is not quite up to heat - leave it a couple of minutes.

This is nearly exactly the recipe I came up with - though I whisk just eggs and flour first to ensure a smooth lump free batter.

The 'leaving it alone for 30 minutes' step seems quite critical to success. Is it something along the lines of bread in which something (gluten?) in the flour changes the chemical composition of the mix from simply 'flour + eggs + milk' to 'glutinous homogeneous batter'? On a related point - is it possible to 'ferment' a batter mix, to makes something along the lines of sour-dough-pancakes?

Also it is only me that finds the second pancake worse than the first?

Happy Shrove Tuesday everyone :)

We had pancakes for dinner. Tonnes of pancakes with lots of fresh homemade fruit salad and fresh cream, maple syrup, chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce and the old favourite sugar and lemon and anything else that the kid's thought might be nice on a pancake.<BR><BR>Everyone had a great time making their own individual treats, they were even competing to see who could eat the most

Last night I served up 100 pancakes to a very appreciative crowd of our parishioners.
I did make them in advance at home so as not to set off the smoke alarm in our Church Hall kitchen as I didn't have enough to share with Fire Brigade.

we had pancakes with fresh bananas crispie bacon and maple syrup we had these in New Zealand

Just made the batter so waiting 30 mins before we get the party started. Chocolate spread, Golden syrup and good old Lemon & Sugar ready and waiting!!!!

Scrummy :)

We have had pancakes forestiere with scrummy herby mushrooms bon appetit !brianne