Pancake day, you’re automatically thinking a lovely activity with the children, very excited children I may add. What could possibly go wrong?
Here’s when I will tell you.
- Pancake shape moulds- avoid at all costs, the expectations vs reality of these working as perfectly as the packet says is just ridiculous. DO NOT prepare your 4 years olds mind for a spectacular pancake in the shape of buzz light year or their favourite paw patrol character and expect it to go to plan because I can guarantee you it will end in tears. From the child and then yourself when you’ve got a blazing headache and mum guilt for letting your child so horrifically down. I mean, how dare you for failing to turn some batter into a perfectly shaped character.
- Do not show the kids how to flip a pancake, you are setting yourself up for a meltdown when they cannot quite grasp it or worse, they burn themselves and whilst you’re cooling their throbbing fingertips down you are also burning the pancake or your worktop, wherever you manage to chuck the pan in a state of panic!
- Don’t attempt to sneakily add some fruit or veg if you have a fussy eater. Pancake day or not that child will sniff out the hidden foods weather it’s blended up or not! You will leave yourself short of mixture that they will actually eat and end up with more waste than needed. Give them all the sugar and Nutella instead. One night won’t hurt…until they’re bouncing the walls gone 10 pm!
My most famous pancake failure, every single time is the pan temperature. I will without fail always burn the first pancake or it will just profusely stick to the pan which then results in having to scrape the pan for dear life and rewashing it before perfecting the second pancake!
Pushing all the failures to the side these are my top tips and my favourite pancake recipe to keep your pancake day fail free!
- Always use fresh ingredients- scrap that baking powder and flour that’s been sat stale for the last year.
-The bigger the pan, the better! More room for bigger pancakes or more room to make lots of minis and it’s so much easier to flip them!
- Always freshen the pan between pancakes. This helps avoid any burnt bits from the previous pancake.
- Perfect the temperature! I find I need to play around and watch how quickly the pancakes are cooking and will sometimes have to adjust the temperature, slightly higher or lower.
- Have ALL the toppings. Spoil yourselves! It’s only pancake day once a year and you most definitely need to take advantage of that.
- Enjoy!
My favourite and simple recipe for pancakes without the faff of getting out the measuring scales is as simple as 1,2,3,4.
1) One cup of flour
2) One cup of milk
3) One egg
4) 3 spoonfuls of sugar
It really is that simple!
Good luck with your pancakes, I pray it goes smoother than it has done in the previous years in our home!
