Have you ever wondered why we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday? As the day preceding Lent, traditionally it was a way to use up all the rich food - milk, eggs and sugar - before the fasting season began.
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We like the idea that children would head out the night before to knock on neighbourhood doors singing:
We be come a-shroving
For a piece of pancake
Or a bite of bacon
Or a little truckle of cheese
Of your own making
So just in case that tradition starts up again, you better whip some pancakes up to have ready. A recipe couldn't really be any simpler: milk, eggs, flour, a dash of bi-carb soda, caster sugar, a little butter to fry them up.
It's often the first recipe that many of us learn to make.
It's almost criminal to pick up one of those shake and bake bottles from the supermarket. I stopped doing that years ago when I discovered Nigella Lawson's Homemade Instant Pancake Mix.
The domestic goddess says it's her lifesaver. The dry ingredients are ready to go in a container in your pantry and when you get the urge you just add in the wet.
You can find it at nigella.com
For those moments when you just couldn't be bothered, try Marcel's range of pancakes which have recently been released in Australia. I found them in the local IGA supermarket, and they quelled the hunger of a growing boy on the way to sports training. He gave them high praise.
There's a great range, from plain, apple-cinnamon and blueberry flavoured pancakes and plain in regular, crepe and blini sized.
Worth seeking out.
In the meantime, here are some recipes that take pancakes to the next level.
Peanut butter pancakes
Ingredients
1 large ripe banana, mashed
2 tbsp Mayver's dark roasted peanut butter
2 extra large free range eggs
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Method
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the mashed banana, eggs and peanut butter. Mix well to combine.
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan. Spoon mixture on to pan into small pancake shapes. Cook for approximately two minutes on both sides, or until cooked through.
Tips: To make monkey pancakes like the image, cook different sizes of pancakes to assemble your monkey face. Use 1/4 banana cut into rounds, peanut butter and dried fruit to decorate.
Serves 2.
Recipe from Mayver's via @livelovenourishaus
Falafel pancakes
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 medium-packed cup coriander
1 medium-packed cup parsley
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cups chickpea flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Lemon tahini dressing:
3 tbsp Mayver's tahini
1 cup fresh basil or herb of choice
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp sweetener of choice (eg, honey/maple/coconut sugar/stevia)
Method
1. In a blender, blend the water, coriander, parsley, cumin and sea salt until smooth.
2. Sift the chickpea flour, baking powder and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. Add in the chopped onion, minced garlic and herby liquid mixture. Lastly add in the apple cider vinegar. Stir until combined.
3. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, drop the batter by 1/4 cup increments and use the back of the measuring cup to spread the mixture into a pancake-shaped circle. Cook for a minute or two, or until bubbles appear around the edge. Then flip the pancake over to allow the other side to cook for another minute or two. Continue this process until all the batter has been used.
4. Serve warm with sautéed mushrooms, fresh tomato, hummus and the lemon tahini dressing.
Serves 2.
Recipe from Mayver's via @theconscientiouseater.com
Chocolate pancakes with caramel and peanut butter sauce
Ingredients
1 cup wholemeal spelt flour
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
3 medjool dates, pitted
3 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 very ripe banana
Sauce:
1/3 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp Mayver's smooth peanut butter
3 medjool dates
Method
1. Blend the dates and the almond milk until they are well combined and there are no chunks.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour with the cacao powder, date/almond milk from the blender and the banana. Mash the banana through the mixture with a fork.
3. In a non-stick frypan over medium heat, cook the pancakes for approx. 2 minutes either side.
4. Blend the sauce ingredients until smooth and creamy. Pour over pancakes when they're ready.
Serves 2.
Recipe from Mayver's via @young_rebecca
Merry blueberry and mascarpone pancake stack
Ingredients
2 packs Marcel's Merry Blueberry Pancakes
400g mascarpone cream
100g icing sugar
200ml mixed berry coulis
50g cacao nibs
200g fresh blueberries
Method
1. Whip mascarpone and icing sugar till firm peaks.
2. On a plate, spread berry coulis and sprinkle cacao nibs on top.
3. Assemble pancake stack with mascarpone and blueberries layers.
4. Place blueberries on top of stack.
Serves 4.
Recipe from Marcel's Pancakes
Fresh fruit and chocolate mousse party pancakes
Ingredients
2 packs Marcel's Petite Pancakes
400g chocolate mousse
200g mango mascarpone
200g mixed berry compote
200g coconut chips
400g fresh fruit of your choice
50g dehydrated raspberries
Method
1. To assemble, quenelle chocolate mousse on Petite Pancakes, sprinkle with raspberry powder and top with chocolate decoration
2. Spread mango mascarpone on Petite Pancakes and assemble on top with fresh fruits of your choice
3. Spread berry coulis on Petite Pancakes, top with coconut chips.
Serves 6.
Recipe from Marcel's Pancakes
Fresh fruit, mango and mascarpone pancake stack
Ingredients
2 packs Marcel's Happy Pancakes
300g mascarpone cream
200g fresh fruit of your choice
300ml passionfruit sauce
100g trail mix or nuts
50g chocolate chips
50g dried raspberries (optional)
Method
1. Whisk mascarpone till firm
2. Slice fresh fruit of your choice (dragon fruit, kiwi, peaches, apricots, plums etc.)
3. Place pancake on a plate and spread mascarpone on pancake. Top with fresh fruit and passionfruit sauce
4. Repeat this for the second layer of pancake
5. For the top layer of pancake, spread mascarpone and top with passionfruit sauce, chocolate chips and raspberries
6. Sprinkle with trail mix or toasted nuts.
Serves 4.
Recipe from Marcel's Pancakes