Top tips for perfect pancakes - advice from a Warwick Gates cook

Anne Marie Lambert is a cook from Warwick Gates who runs the award-winning Get Cooking! She has written a blog on how to make perfect pancakes for Shrove Tuesday - known to many as Pancake Day - today (Tuesday February 16).

First top tip for making traditional pancakes is don’t over mix, just enough to bring it together (avoids the batter going tough).

Allow it to rest preferably for at least 20 minutes on the worktop (allows the gluten to relax and makes a lighter dough).

Even heat across the base of the pan – an old fashioned Welsh/Scottish cast iron stone works a treat. This is the reason first pancake not usually great as the pan is not evenly hot enough yet.

Add a little melted butter for a richer taste.

RECIPE

The easiest pancake recipe which involves no scales is:

1 mug of plain flour

1 mug of milk (dairy,plant based or powdered (1 tbsp per 100ml water)

1 egg (or 4 tbsp aquafaba – chickpea water)

Add a splash of water if want to make thinner pancakes

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Want to make American style pancakes?

Reduce the amount of milk by half

Add a 1 tsp of baking powder (or use self raising flour)

Add 1 tsp of lemon juice to replicate buttermilk

Add 1 tsp of sugar

(GLUTEN FREE RECIPE Dove flour recipe 125g flour, 250ml milk and 1 egg)

TOPPINGS

Lemon and sugar, maple syrup, sliced cooked fruit, chocolate spread

Why not go savoury? Spinach and soft cheese, ham and cheese sauce or try leftover bolognese mix, a great way to use up leftovers.

FIND OUT MORE

Visit https://www.get-cooking.co.uk