Pancakes

It is quite easy to make pancakes from scratch. If you get lumps in your batter just blitz it with a blender until smooth.

Ingredients (makes 4 pancakes)

• 150g plain flour
• pinch salt (optional)
• 300ml any kind of milk (or ½ milk and ½ water for a lighter pancake)
• 2 large eggs
• butter/oil for frying

Fillings (see below)

Steps

1. Measure flour into bowl and make a dip in the middle.
2. Crack eggs in a cup, whisk with a little milk and pour into the dip.
3. Stir carefully, keeping your fork/spoon in the liquid, gradually bringing in flour from the edge of the crater. 
4. As the mixture thickens, slowly add milk whilst stirring all the time. If it gets too runny the lumps will be able to run away from your wooden spoon so add the milk slowly.  If you get into lumpy trouble, blitz the mixture with a blender until smooth.
5. Once you have achieved the consistency of double cream put the batter in the fridge for round about 20 minutes.
6. Take the mixture out of the fridge and begin heating a pan. 
7. Once the pan is hot (medium heat is OK, just wait for pan to be evenly hot all over), add a knob of butter and spread it evenly around the pan.
8. If the batter has thickened, stir in a splash of water until it’s pourable double cream consistency.
9. Pour in a large spoonful of batter on one side of pan. Tip pan to spread batter. Add more batter if required to fill the pan.
10. Once you see bubbles building up under the pancake, you know the first side is cooked. Run round the edges with your spatula. Once the pancake is loose it’s not too difficult to grab the pan handle in both hands and…flip!
11. After 2 or 3 minutes, once second side is cooked, slide the pancake from pan to plate and add your fillings like lemon and sugar or cream cheese and smoked fish.
12. Or while the pancake is still in the pan, just after you turn it over sprinkle cheese (plus other stuff – see ideas below) over the cooked, facing-up side and then fold the pancake in half in the pan to help the cheese melt.

Recipe inspired by: bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/how_to_make_pancakes_02824

Filling suggestions:

The Sour Susan: lemon/lime and sugar
The Lumberjack: any of the following – grated cheese, cooked bacon/ham, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, mixed herbs, finely diced onion/spring onion 
The Artist: cream cheese, smoked trout/salmon and lemon juice
The Deserter: any combination of banana, nutella, cocoa powder, with a squeeze of lemon juice
The Romantic: nutella & raspberry (if you are using frozen or tinned raspberries strain off excess liquid first)
Autumn warmer: apples and raisins