Recipe for English Pancake Day

Today is pancake day in England! The tradition comes from fasting and praying for 40 days before Easter — many people made pancakes to use up their butter and eggs which were often forbidden during lent (which starts on Ash Wednesday: tomorrow). I didn’t know this, but they celebrate Shrove Tuesday around the world–in Brazil with Carnival, and in New Orleans with Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”). I mean, I knew about the holidays, but I didn’t know they were all celebrated on the same day! So basically the world are all out having wild parties today, while the English are staying home eating stacks of delicious pancakes! I like their style… {those kind of parties scare me!}

If there is one thing I have a really hard time making–it’s pancakes! But I really want my half-English kiddos growing up with good, traditional English food, and being a little aware of the holidays and traditions we celebrate. (They don’t ever need to know about Carnival on the other hand!) Haha. Today I found the BEST English pancake recipe ever. Totally and utterly fool-proof, and as traditional as it gets! Growing up we always served the pancakes with traditional sugar and lemon, but today I decided to try raspberries and nutella–and both are equally as amazing! So here are the recipes for English pancakes so you can join in celebrating with the world {in the good way} today!

Ingredients:
1 cup AP flour
2 eggs
1 Tbsp melted butter
pinch of salt
1 3/4 cups milk
Lemon and Granulated (not powdered) sugar  to serve (traditional)
or nutella and raspberries/strawberries

Directions:
Whisk the flour, eggs, butter, salt  and milk together in a mixing bowl until you have a runny batter. Lightly grease a small, flat frying pan and place over medium-high heat. When it’s too hot to hold your hand close to, pour about a 3/4 cupful onto the pan.

Immediately tilt the pan and turn it, so the batter spreads evenly across the surface. When you see the edges start to curl up, gently lift and flip with a spatula. Cook for a further 5 to 10 seconds on the other side, just long enough to brown, and remove to a plate. Re-grease the pan, if needed, and repeat until all of your batter is gone.

Turn the pancake ‘ugly’ side up. (The side with the spots as opposed to the marbling). Sprinkle each pancake with about a teaspoon of sugar, then a squeeze of lemon juice, then gently roll it up and add more lemon and sugar on top if desired.

Another traditional thing to do, is flip the pancakes… which I didn’t even dare attempt. When I was little, my sister was born on pancake day, and our babysitter made us pancakes, and flipped one so high it actually stuck to the ceiling… and i’m pretty sure it was still there when my Mum got home! Haha! See…. English people can have fun celebrating Ash Tuesday too!

HAPPY PANCAKE DAY!  Enjoy this recipe guys!
<3 Sarah