FOOD // Pancake Day


It would be no exaggeration to say that pancake day is one of my favourite days of the year.
(Admittedly, anything food-related tends to get my vote!)

This year we celebrated early (just yesterday) because my dad left at stupid o'clock this morning and we didn't want him missing out. It's traditional in our household to have thin, crepe-style pancakes with sugar and lemon juice, but I fancied trying something different this time around.

And so it was that we found ourselves munching on platefuls of thick, fluffy American-style pancakes, covered in apple pie filling (straight out a tin because we're classy like that) and homemade salted caramel sauce. 


The sauce was made according to THIS recipe which took an absolute age to make, doubled over a super hot stove waiting for a pan full of sugar to melt, but it was so very worth it for all that salty sweet goodness.

  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 6 Tablespoons (90g) butter
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) double cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Method
  • Heat granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. 
  • Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.
  • Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.
  • Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Very slowly, drizzle in 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when added.
  • Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.
  • Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to cool down before using.



The pancakes were made according to Nigella Lawson's 'American Breakfast Pancake' recipe which, by complete contrast to the sauce, was really simple and speedy to whip up but tasted equally good.

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 2 large eggs (beaten)
  • 30 grams butter (melted and cooled)
  • 300 ml milk
  • 225 grams plain flour
  • butter for frying

    Method
  • The easiest way to make these is to put all the ingredients into a blender and blitz. But if you do mix up the batter by hand in a bowl, make a well in the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, beat in the eggs, melted butter and milk, and transfer to a jug: it's much easier to pour the batter into the pan than to spoon it.
  • Heat a smooth griddle or pan on the stove.
  • When you cook the pancakes, all you need to remember is that when the upper side of the pancake is blistering and bubbling it's time to cook the second side, and this needs only about 1 minute, if that.

Best of all, we ended up making loads so I had pancakes for breakfast this morning too!

It's been a pretty good (couple of) pancake day(s) over here. I hope it's been suitably delicious for you.

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