Recipes, WinterVanessa GerbrandyFebruary 28, 2017pancake day, Shrove Tuesday, eggs, flour, milk, fun foodComment

Pretty Cute Bear Pancakes!

Recipes, WinterVanessa GerbrandyFebruary 28, 2017pancake day, Shrove Tuesday, eggs, flour, milk, fun foodComment

We love making pancakes. In fact, I can't believe we haven't shared our recipe for pancakes as one our first posts! It was infact the very first recipe Helena learned by heart. I remember she woke us up one morning when we lived in America, she was about four, and she asked us what we wanted on top of our pancakes. I actually thought she was joking until we walked into the kitchen and discovered a perfectly unlumpy batter - we were stunned!

Pancakes and the love of them, have always been in our family. When Helena was teeny tiny I found this super cute bear pancake pan in Cape Town and fell immediately in love with him. He's travelled the world with us and I'd like to think one day my grand-children will eat from him - you never know!

We have so many toppings and filling for our recipes from simple sprinklings of caster sugar and fresh lemon juice, to bacon and maple syrup and then on Sunday Helena came up with a smoked pancetta version which was so good!

So for the basic recipe here's what you'll need.

Ingredients (makes 6 depending on the size of your pan)

125g plain flour
a pinch of salt
2 eggs
250ml milk (if you want a lighter mix then go with 200ml + 50ml water)
1 tbsp softened butter

Combine the flour and the salt in a large bowl and mix together. Make a well using a fork and add the eggs once at a time. It will become a lumpy batter but that's what you're looking for. Gradually add the milk and whisk until smooth. Leave the batter to stand for a while as this will allow the flour to absorb the milk and the consistency will be perfect.

Melt the butter in a non-stick pan. (I take over from the girls at this point just to be on the safe side.) Pour a ladle of batter into the pan and swirl it around until the pan is covered in a fine layering of batter. As soon as the pancake is starting to brown around the edges flip it over with a spatula and allow it to cook for another minute or so. If you're making a batch of pancakes keep them warm in a low oven.

Continue to bake pancakes until the mixture is finished. Even if you think you've eaten enough they are so good rolled up and wrapped in foil popped into the children's lunchboxes the next day.

You can also replace the plain flour with a mix of self-raising flour and wholemeal. This makes a more filling pancake which is equally delicious and perfect with a savoury filling.

I managed to find a link to the teddy bear pan we have which is so well loved in our home. We also love this pancake pan for larger pancakes.

On Sunday Helena experimented by giving us the idea of pan-frying smoked pancetta in the pan for a few minutes before layering the batter on. We ate it with maple syrup and it was so so good! Next time she said she's going to try it with the pancetta and mushrooms for a Saturday night supper. I think she's onto something! Florence decorated hers with fruit and made a Mr and Mrs Bear - aren't they so cute!