Pancake roundup!

Happy Pancake Day!! Or Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras...whichever title you use I hope you've enjoyed your day!

I have a quick recipe below, but first a little pancake feast roundup for you!

strawberry cream pancakes with chia jam

my favourite super-cute buckwheat blini kebab!

stuffed savoury pancakes

lemon and poppy seed pancakes

PB and jam white spelt pancakes

carrot cake pancakes

I love pancakes, thought I have them all too rarely. That is the thin and crepe like kind with the crispy edges. I often have fat and fluffy American style breakfast pancakes but the traditional English pancakes all to often go overlooked. Not today...today I will revel in all their glory.

Such a simple pancake and today my pancake mix will be no different to previous years, though I have provided it again below for quick reference. Unfortunately I still have not mastered the art of a gluten free pancake of this kind, I have used spelt flour but for gluten free pancakes of other types take your pick from these oaty stacks in either sweet or savoury options and these almost-too-cute-to-eat buckwheat blinis... assemble your own blini buffet to make the perfect for playtime with the kids or as a pancake-turns-Valentines-dessert with your loved one! 

My pancake of choice for today's celebrations are my spelt pancakes, but this time using wholemeal flour all wrapped up with an apple date and cinnamon saucy compote ( also also had banana and maple syrup in one of the pancakes as you can see peeking out). I apologise for the slightly lacking photography...I had to use artificial spot lights which I always struggle with compared with natural light (horrible shadows), plus the fact that I had a telephone appointment scheduled so was pushed for time...oh well :-)

What is your favourite type of pancake...and most importantly your favourite topping?

 

Recipe: English spelt pancakes with apple compote

Makes 3 medium pancakes (serves one for a large portion!)

Ingredients- pancakes

½ cup wholemeal spelt flour (or white for a lighter pancake if that is important to you)

1 tsp ground flax or chia seed

1 tsp agave syrup

1 tsp baking powder

tiny pinch salt

2/3 cup soy milk (reduce to half if you prefer a thicker pancake)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbs melted coconut oil/vegetable oil

Ingredients- topping

1 large apple- cubed (peel first if preferred)

2-3 tbs date syrup, handful finely chopped dates, or 1 tbs date sugar (I used finely chopped dates)

½ tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup apple puree
1 tbs lemon juice
a little water to achieve desired consistency

Handful raisins or sultanas- optional

Method

For the topping, cup the apple it smallish 1cm sized cubes, place in a small sauce pan and mix with the date paste/sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Cook on a medium heat on the stove for approx 5 minutes, add the apple puree and water and then simmer for another 5 minutes whilst the pancakes cook until the apple softens and creates a saucy consistency.

For the pancakes, mix dry ingredients and then add wet ingredients. Mix well until you have a smooth batter with no lumps.

Meanwhile heat a medium sized frying pan with very light covering of oil (I used rapeseed oil lightly rubbed over the surface with kitchen roll). Once the pan is hot add a large spoonful of batter to the pan and move the pan in circular motions to spread the batter into a larger circle. Cook for approx. 2 minutes and then carefully flip to cook the reverse for approx. 1 minute until both sides are lightly brown. Run a little more oil over the surface of the pan and then repeat for two more pancakes. 

Serve hot with the apple compote or other toppings of your choice.

* for further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Pancake Day

Yesterday was Pancake Day... Shrove Tuesday... Mardi Gras...

....whatever you like to call it!  I hope you had a good one.

We celebrated with pancakes at work. This type of a special day for pancakes seems to be a more British phenomenon with other cultures and countries more into pancakes of all types all year round. Don’t get me wrong we eat pancakes at other times too, it’s just that Pancake Day is that little bit more special and the supermarkets fill their ‘seasonal’ shelves with pancake mixes, eggs, lemons, sugar, maple syrup and sauces of all descriptions. Basically an opportunity to entice people with an array of sugary treats!

On Friday I tested out my first successful vegan classic pancake recipe, so check it out! I was so happy with the success I replicated it today at pancake lunch with my colleagues.  

They made up their traditional batter with eggs and milk and I made up my own egg-free batter with soy milk.  I used a little baking powder so my pancakes were ever so slightly fluffy and had more bubbles compared to theirs. I made a few extra as I knew people would be too curious not to want a taste. 

Check out their big stack and my little stack!

Vegan vs Non-vegan....the verdict?   Well, they looked and tasted pretty much identical.  I think any non-vegan would be hard pushed to tell the difference.

Digging in......

Almost as critical as the pancake itself are the toppings! Some had savoury pancakes but most of us opted for the sweet versions... we kept it simple with the classic lemon and sugar, maple syrup, blueberries, banana and cinnamon, plus there were a few lashing of nutella for some of my colleagues.

 (I know, I know....blasphemy to this blog, but I still couldn't resist a pic!)

Did I have more pancakes when I got home in the evening... um, maybe!  Pancake Day only comes round once a year after all and I had to make sure I’d ‘fully tested’ my recipe, right?

 

Plus, I really wanted to test out a gluten free version since these pancakes contain spelt. I used almond flour and potato starch instead but alas it just wasn’t happening for me and so as not disappoint others I resorted to another batch of spelt pancakes at short notice.  I will continue my GF trials for a thin pancake and let you know how I get on. I think the almond flour version may have worked out for a thick style pancake.

Mmmmm…maybe you are feeling a little peckish? Pancakes of all kinds are great all year round, particularly as a quick ans easy healthy style brunch. Maybe these fat pancakes will take you fancy?

Spiced apple panakes with date and walnut

Sweet chestnut pancakes

Blueberry banana pancakes

or how about my newest most craveable creation....the choc chunk breakfast cookie....(looks like a pancake and only takes 2 minutes!)

A finally a little something to make you smile....what to do with the last remaining dribbles of batter from the big bowl of mixture? A little love heart of course courtesy of my lovely colleagues Kasia and Piotr.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.