The ultimate Christmas-inspired pancake recipe

The day we’ve all been waiting for is finally here… (Apart from Christmas of course) Pancake Day!

If you are anything like us, you will be helping yourself to a pancake or two to celebrate. From savoury toppings like bacon, cheese and salmon to sweet delights like sugar, lemon, syrup and Nutella, there really is plenty of choice for today!

But where did this tasty tradition come from?

Shrove Tuesday is celebrated by Christians as traditional feast day, or the last day to indulge and use up ingredients before the beginning of Lent. From Ash Wednesday onwards, followers of the religion traditionally abstain from things like sugar, fats and eggs for the 40 days leading up to Easter.

Although this was originally celebrated only for religious purposes, people of all ages, faiths and nationalities take part in Pancake Day. It’s a great opportunity to spend time with your family, especially if you have kids as making, topping and decorating is a fun activity.

Now onto the good stuff! As always, we try to keep things festive which is why we have found a pancake inspired by this, even if it is only February!

Here is the ultimate Christmas-inspired pancake recipe that you need to try this Shrove Tuesday.

Ingredients for the pancakes:

• 150g of self-raising flour
• 1 medium egg – beaten
• ½ teaspoon of baking powder
• ½ teaspoon of ginger
• ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons of soft brown sugar (dark)
• ½ a tablespoon of maple syrup
• 200ml of semi-skimmed milk
• Sunflower or vegetable oil, or cooking spray alternative – for frying

Topping suggestions:

• Maple syrup
• Honey
• Sugar
• Crème fraîche
• Natural yoghurt
• Whipped cream
• Butter
• Fruit – orange segments and berries are perfect!
• Nuts – pecans are a great choice.
• Ice cream – caramel flavour pairs very well.

Method:

• Add all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl or jug and mix well.
• In a separate jug, combine the syrup, milk and beaten egg before adding the self-raising flour and whisking. You will know the batter is ready when it has a smooth, lump-free consistency.
• Add a small amount of oil to a frying pan and heat gently.
• Two generous spoons of the batter can then be added to the pan to cook for around 3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pancake.
• It’s time to flip the pancake when you see bubbles forming on the surface of the batter.
• Once flipped, you will only need to further cook it for around one minute.
• Remove from heat and then finish with your favourite toppings.
• If you are making more than one pancake, you will need to repeat steps 4-7 each time.
• Sit back, relax and enjoy!

What is your favourite pancake recipe and which topping are a must-have for your Shrove Tuesday? Let us know in the comments on this post or by heading over to our social media pages!