Pancake Recipe Round-up

The world feels so heavy at the moment, but I know - and am constantly humbled by the fact - that this newsletter is a source of calm and creativity for many of you, as it is for me too when it comes to writing it. I feel compelled to create pockets of calm in real life and online, finding comfort in creativity. There is such a lovely community growing around Sow, Grow, Harvest, Rest; I hope that my words bring you some solace and act as a reminder of the grounding power of the seasons and small daily moments of peace and warmth.

Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday and after I mentioned pancakes in my Instagram Stories I was overwhelmed by the reaction. We all love pancakes! I’ll be going live there tomorrow at 11 a.m. to make traditional Scotch pancakes, as voted by my followers, so I thought I’d share the recipe below so you can join in and make brunch with me - as well as some other favourite pancake recipes I’ve enjoyed making over the years.

The Fluffy Ones:

Dutch baby pancakes are a type of fluffy, baked pancake from America. I first tried them at Edinburgh favourite, now sadly gone, Earthy Foods. They’re great for feeding a crowd as you just pop them in the oven. I’ve shared two recipes before – this one with orange curd and caramelised clementines and another with blueberry and cardamom.

The Vegan Ones:

For vegan readers, or those who don’t like eggs, Anna Jones’ ten minute vegan pancakes hit the spot. They also happen to be gluten free, made with almonds, apple and banana. I also like her vegan banana, blueberry and pecan pancakes served with copious amounts of maple syrup and caramelised bananas. Yum!

The Fruity Ones:

These blackberry, saffron & honey drop scones are by one of my favourite food writers, Gill Meller, and combine sharp berries, earthy saffron and aromatic honey in a light, moreish pancake. At this time of year you could use a handful of frozen berries instead for some fresh, fruity flavour - frozen blueberries would also be lovely.

The Sour Ones:

Sourdough pancakes are a great way of using up sourdough starter discard. It seems such a waste to me, and I love to think up different ways to repurpose it in my bakes. These pancakes have a slightly tangy flavour and are a bit of a cross between a crepe and a Scotch pancake in texture. If you’re still nursing your starter after 2020 then first of all, well done - and I strongly encourage you to give these a go!

The Traditional Ones:

And now, here’s my go-to recipe for Scotch pancakes or drop scones that I’ll be making in my Live tomorrow. They’re the thicker style of pancake and the kind I had growing up – such nostalgia and comfort all rolled into one, handed down from my Mum and Gran and adapted from the trusty Bero book. To make them, you will need:

100g self-raising flour
50g caster sugar
One free-range egg
4 tbsp milk

Mix the flour, sugar and egg, then gradually beat in the milk to make the batter. It will be a thick, dropping consistency.

Heat a greased pan over a medium heat, then drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the surface and cook through for about 3 minutes – until bubbles begin to appear on the surface and the underside is golden brown.

Turn and cook on the other side until equally golden brown. Keep warm in a low oven while you cook the rest. Serve with your desired toppings.

I also tried making these with chocolate too - the recipe will be on my blog tomorrow morning. Here’s a preview pic…

Hope you join me to make some pancakes together on Instagram tomorrow. Head to my profile at 11 a.m. and tap my profile picture to join!