Next Level Pancakes

By Zoe (they/her) who is usually all about the lemon and sugar when it comes to pancakes.

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Ahead of Pancake Day on Tuesday, here’s a few recipes to take your pancakes to the next level. All American, Vietnamese, Vegan, Gluten-free, Traditional British…. they’re all flipping delicious (pun intended!).

Pancake Day (AKA Shrove Tuesday) always falls on the day before the start of Lent, which is traditionally a time when Christians start to fast. So, they’d try and finish off lots of ingredients before it began — and making pancakes was a good way to use up eggs and butter. While Shrove Tuesday is still a religious event for many, for others it’s simply a time to get into deep and meaningful conversations about which topping really is the best. For me that’s lemon and sugar — but I wouldn’t say no to banana and maple syrup — how about you?

All American

Ingredients - the pancakes
100g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
2 large eggs, separated
285ml buttermilk
25g melted butter, plus a little extra 

Ingredients - the topping
3 apples (Golden Delicious or Pink Lady work well)
25g butter
85g pecan halves, halved lengthways
175ml maple syrup

Method

STEP 1
First, make the topping. Peel, core and slice the apples into 2cm chunks. Heat the butter in a large frying pan, then add the apples and cook them until golden, but still firm. Stir in the pecans and maple syrup. Heat gently for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

STEP 2
For the pancakes, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb, sugar and a pinch of salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. In a third bowl, mix the egg yolks, buttermilk and melted butter — then whisk this into the flour mixture until you’ve got a batter that’s thick and smooth. Now carefully fold the egg whites into the batter until evenly mixed.

STEP 3
Heat a large non-stick frying pan and brush it lightly with melted butter. Drop in 2 or 3 large spoonfuls of batter, to make pancakes which are about 10cm in diameter. You’ll notice bubbles starting to appear, and after about 3-4 minutes carefully flip the pancakes and cook on the other side until golden.

STEP 4
To serve, make a stack of pancakes with a spoonful of the apple mixture between each one, and then spoon over more of the topping. 

 

Vietnamese Pancakes

Ingredients - the pancakes
100g rice flour 
1 heaped tsp ground turmeric
200ml coconut milk
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
½ tsp sea salt flakes
a pinch caster sugar

Ingredients - the filling 
Vegetable or coconut oil, for frying
2 round shallots, thinly sliced
200g shelled king prawns, de-veined and halved (optional)
100g bean sprouts
50g chives or coriander

Ingredients - the garnish 
Lettuce leaves (a large handful)
3 spring onions, cut into short lengths
Fresh coriander, Thai sweet basil, garden mint (a handful)

Ingredients - the dipping sauce 
2 bird’s-eye chillies, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp fish sauce

Method

STEP 1
Mix all of the pancake ingredients together with 200ml of water until it’s smooth, free of lumps, and has the consistency of single cream.

STEP 2
Now, make the filling. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a non-stick frying pan on  a medium-high heat, and fry a few pieces of sliced shallots until golden. If you’re using prawns, season them with salt and pepper, and add a couple of them to the pan. Stir for 1 minute.

STEP 3
Take a ladle of the batter and pour a thin layer into the frying pan. Swirl the pan around to get the batter all around the edges. Add a handful of the bean sprouts and chives, then cover the pan with its lid. Leave to cook for 2 minutes with the lid on.

STEP 4
Remove the lid and cook for a further minute, making sure the pancake is crisp and golden. Fold the pancake in half, and it’s ready to serve. Repeat this process for each of the rest of the pancakes.

STEP 5
To make the dipping sauce, mix together all of the ingredients with 80ml of water. Serve alongside the pancakes, with the lettuce, spring onions and herbs.

 

Vegan

Ingredients - the pancakes
300g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar (any kind)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
400ml plant-based milk (such as oat, almond or soya)
1 tbsp vegetable oil for cooking

Ingredients - the filling
Banana slices
Maple syrup
Vegan chocolate chips

Method

STEP 1
Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt in a bowl until it’s all mixed together. Slowly pour in the milk until you get a smooth, thick batter.

STEP 2
Heat a little of the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat, and add 2 tbsp batter into the pan to make a small, round pancake. You can make 2 or 3 pancakes in the pan at the same time. Cook for 3-4 mins until the edges are set, and you can see bubbles appearing on the surface. Then flip the pancakes over and cook for another 2-3 mins until golden on both sides. 

STEP 3
Stack the pancakes up with all the toppings of your choice, and enjoy!

Gluten-free

Ingredients - the pancakes
125g gluten-free plain flour
1 egg
250ml milk
Butter, for frying

Ingredients - the filling
Agave syrup
Orange juice

Method

STEP 1
Put the flour in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Crack the egg in the middle and pour in a quarter of the milk, then use an electric whisk to mix it all together. Once you have a paste, mix in another quarter of the milk and whisk it until it’s free from lumps. Then mix in the remaining milk. 

STEP 2
Leave to rest for 20 mins. Just enough time for a short power nap.

STEP 3
Heat a knob of butter in a small non-stick frying pan. When the butter starts to foam, pour in a small amount of the batter and swirl it around to coat the base of the pan – you want a thin layer. Cook for a few mins until golden brown on the bottom, then turn over and cook until golden on both sides. 

STEP 4
For each new pancake, stir the batter so it’s nice and smooth before you pour it into the pan. Adding more butter for frying as necessary.

STEP 5
Serve with agave syrup and a squeeze of orange juice, or your pancake filling of choice.
 

Traditional British

Ingredients - the pancakes
100g plain flour
2 large eggs
300ml milk
1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus a little extra for frying

Ingredients - the topping
Lemon wedges 
Caster sugar 

Method

STEP 1
Put the flour, eggs, milk and oil, plus a little pinch of salt into a bowl and whisk into a smooth batter.

STEP 2
Let the batter rest for 30 mins. Remember: patience is a virtue, and it also makes your pancakes more delicious.

STEP 3
Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, and wipe it with some oiled kitchen paper (if you drizzle the oil directly into the pan you’ll probably end up using too much).

STEP 4
Once the pan is hot, pour in just enough batter to coat the pan.

STEP 5
Cook the pancake for 1 min, then flip it. Cook for another minute until golden on both sides.

STEP 6
Serve the pancakes with lemon wedges and caster sugar, or your favourite filling.