Drop Pancakes

Pancakes, a simple mixture of a few ingredients whisked together into a batter and poured into a saucepan to flip and top. Simple little delights really with endless possibilities. But like so many, I have only ever really ventured into the pancake world on shrove Tuesday.

But this got me thinking, I remember a little café I use to take the children to when they were small, they would do you usualy, but they also use to have a Crepe menu. Here you could have an absolute mixture of fillings from savoury cheese, salami and olive to sweet chocolate strawberries and cream. The boys use to love the endless possibilities of making their own main and dessert crepe.

This got me thinking, what is the difference between a crepe and a pancake?

The difference is indeed the batter, the batter for a pancake has a leavening agent or raising agent in it such as baking powder or baking soda. They tend to be thicker and fluffier than crepes, which are simply eggs, flour and milk. – this is a revelation to me, all this time whilst growing up shrove Tuesday has been known as pancake day, But actually by definition what we have actually been eating is a crepe!

So after this revelation I was now in need of some baking rectification, I was off to make pancakes, not these crepe pancakes I have been making most of my life, but real pancakes!

I quickly grabbed my whisk and bowl and decided this morning that pancakes were on the menu. I grabbed the fruits and yogurts, drizzles and honey from the cupboard and I was set to go.

the batter is much thicker than the usual mixture which means it doesn’t actually go as far, but they where fluffy.

Dropping the mixture into the greased saucepans I was away, watching them puff up like little cushions of yumminess. And I must say a lot easier to flip. Although I would suggest flipping these little drop pancakes as you will probably end up with a face full of boiling butter. No instead flip them with a palette knife or fish slice.

The family very much enjoyed being able to put their own toppings on and making them the way they wanted. Personalising them to each of their own tastes and scalding the others for their terrible choice of topping.

Ah but at last a pancake, not a crepe, a light fluffy delicious pancake cloud.

Ingredients

1. 135g Plain flour

2. 1 tsp baking powder

3. 2 tbsp. caster sugar

4. 130ml milk

5. 1 large egg

6. 2 tbsp. butter (melted and slightly cooled)

7. 1 tsp vanilla essence

8. Little extra butter or oil for lining the pan.

9. Your choice of topping

You will need:

1. Bowl

2. Whisk

3. Saucepan

4. spatula/fish slice

Will produce 6 pancakes

Method

1. Melt the butter, and leave to slightly cool. This can be done in a microwave.

2. In your bowl add the flour and the baking powder and mix for that it is evenly distributed.

3. Add the milk, egg and vanilla essence into the mixture and mix well.

4. Now add the cooled butter and mix all the ingredients together into a batter.

5. Leave the batter to rest for a few minutes whilst you prepare the saucepans.

6. In the sauce pan heat a small knob of butter or a small amount of oil list to coast the pan to prevent your pancakes from sticking.

7. Now with a large spoon drop the mixture into the saucepan.

8. Allow the pancakes to seal, do not try to move them or they will break. You will know when they have sealed as you will start to see bubbles rising through the pancake.

9. When you can see the bubbles forming, using a spatula or fish slice gently flip the pancakes over.

10. Once they are cooked on both sides, serve into a bowl and top with whatever you choose.

you can now top with whatever topping you choose. fresh fruit and Greek yogurt, grated chocolate and cream, or simply lemon and sugar.

Much love always