Pancakes!

Who doesn't love pancake day?! 3 very excitable charges today, not least because the day started with pancakes and consequently a shedload of sugar! Although to my slight horror I discovered that these pancakes had been produced from *GASP* ready made batter!  Pancakes are little C's favourite things ever to make, and so that no-one else (Penny O'dwyer) stoops to store-bought pancakes again, here is our twist on scotch pancakes for you. (Variations suggested by C, F and P - they know their flavours!)

Basic Pancake Ingredients:

• 175g / 6oz self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 40g / 1.5 oz caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 200ml / 7 fl oz milk.

For blueberry pancakes - add as many blueberries (preferably frozen) as you can fit in the mix! 1 punnet should work.

For vanilla and rasberry pancakes - add 2tsp vanilla essence and a punnet of raspberries (frozen if poss.)

For apple and cinnamon pancakes - add one large apple coarsely grated (skin on), and 2 tsp ground cinnamon.

Simplest recipe - just mix everything together well, adding the milk just a little at a time, whisk till frothy and leave to stand for 5 mins. Heat a heavy-based pan and lightly grease with butter. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the hot pan (however large you like). When bubbles and holes appear flip over and cook for 30 secs. DONE!!

Little C being a superb sous-chef.

Not quite ready to turn over.

C, F and P's pancakes - a light (cough cough) dusting of icing sugar, natural yoghurt and sprinkles!

Little ones for the little ones, larger ones for the lovely people at my glee club.

Apple and cinnamon

Blueberry

Vanilla and Raspberry

Experiments! I've added bananas and pear before. A favourite is blueberry and raspberry , banana and chocolate chips, you name it we've tried it!