PANCAKE DAY!

 Hi everyone

How could I not enjoy a few pancakes on Shrove Tuesday 2023!! Of course I couldn't, so I have prepared a few little videos and bits of info for you to enjoy while you're munching your way through your own yummy pancakes later.

For today's recipe I have chosen to cook American-Style Pancakes which are my favourite and very simple to make.  I thought I would share with you my recipe and show you how to make your own, I am really happy to be using my Thermomix this year which I will be blogging about in a few weeks time, don't worry though you can still follow my recipe with a normal food mixer or hand whisk and the results will be just as delicious 😋

Menopause Tip:  If like me, you are powering your way through the Menopause, then any opportunity to add a measure of collagen to my diet is a great benefit, so I replace a small amount of the flour with my Correxiko Marine Collagen (unflavoured) and you would never know!

Also - There is a fabulous offer of the Lisa Snowdon Glow Box available at Correxiko sponsored by their brand ambassador Lisa Snowdon, still running at the moment, so be quick if you are interested in trying out the Correxiko Marine Collagen, as the Glow Box is filled with loads of products, information and a fantastic recipe book all for the incredible price of £59.00 (Usually priced at £120.00).

Lisa Snowdon Glow Box - Correxiko

Recipe and Method - American-Style Pancakes

Ingredients:

50g Unsalted Butter, plus extra for frying.

300g Milk

2 Medium Eggs

30g Sugar

200g Plain Flour

1 Tbsp Baking Powder (15g)

1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt

Preparation:

(If using your own mixer or whisk just replace Thermo Instructions with your own method of whisking till light and airy)

1.  Place butter in mixing bowl and melt (2 min/70℃/speed 1).

2.  Add milk, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt then mix (10 sec/speed 5).

3.  To cook pancakes, heat 1/2 tsp butter in a frying pan over a medium heat.  For each pancake, pour in a ladle of batter and cook for 1-2 minutes or until bubbles appear on surface.  Flip pancake over and cook for a further 1 minute.  Transfer pancake to a serving plate and cover to keep warm.  Repeat with remaining batter.  Serve hot.

Utensils:

Measuring cup, hob, frying pan, fish slice, ladle.

Serving suggestion:

Lemon and Sugar, Maple Syrup, Honey, whipped cream, chocolate, caramel sauce, fruit/berries!! 😋

A brief history of Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day)

Traditionally the feast day before the start of Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday.  Lent lasts for 40 days and finishes at Easter.  The name Shrove Tuesday originates from the Anglo-Saxon Christian tradition of going to confession and were "Shriven" (absolved of their sins). The ringing of a bell called the "Pancake Bell" was rung to call the people to confession and is still rung today.

The need to use up ingredients such as eggs and fats before beginning Lent was probably why the delicious pancakes, that we still make today, were derived.  A pancake being a thin, flat cake made of butter, eggs and flour and fried in a pan.  The traditional English pancake is very thin and served immediately with syrup or lemon juice and caster sugar or any other fruits and toppings that wet your appetite. 

The tradition of "tossing/flipping" the pancakes was begun at the same time to prevent the cake burning. 

"and every man and maide doe take their turne, and tosse their Pancakes for feare they burne." (Pasquil's Palin, 1619)

The ingredients for the traditional Pancake are symbolic and of significance to represent this time of year:

EGGS - Creation | FLOUR - The Staff of Life | SALT - Wholesomeness | MILK - Purity

In the UK we love a pancake race and this forms an important part of our  Shrove Tuesday Fun!  Generally, gatherings are organised, often in fancy dress, to race each other up and down the streets while tossing their pancakes.  The idea is to cross the finish line first with your pan and pancake in tact!!

Well I hope you have enjoyed the blog, it would great to hear your comments, recipes and pancake race news below or just say hello, thanks for joining me.

All the best

Nicky 😋