Shrove Tuesday, or as it is more affectionately known, Pancake Day, is this week.

The English pancake is larger and thinner than its Scottish or American cousins, and is more in line with French Crêpe. There are a multitude of topping ideas other than the traditional sugar and lemon juice, or golden syrup.

If you are looking for topping ideas, here are a few suggestions:

• Nutella & Hazlenuts – Spread the pancake with nutella, and sprinkle with some chopped hazlenuts and fold. Dust with a little icing sugar to serve.
• Caramelised Banana – Melt 50g of butter in a frying pan, add in 2 sliced bananas and sprinkle with brown sugar. Fry until the sugar has melted and caramelised.
• Blueberry & Maple Syrup – Place 150g fresh blueberries in a saucepan with 50ml of maple syrup. Stir over medium heat until the blueberries have burst and the liquid starts to boil. Pour over the pancakes.
• Honey & Cashew – Drizzle the pancakes with honey, sprinkle chopped unsalted cashew nuts and fold. Dust with a little icing sugar to serve
• Salted Caramel Sauce – Heat sugar in a saucepan. Once sugar has dissolved and turned a golden honey colour, add butter and double cream, and a pinch of sea salt. Full recipe here.
• Suzette sauce – Heat sugar in a pan, and allow to caramelise, then add orange zest, lemon juice and Grand Marnier. Add the pancakes to the pan and allow to heat through.
• Chantilly Cream & Raspberries – Whisk double cream until thickened and then stir in some vanilla extract and a little icing sugar. Mix in some fresh raspberries and then spoon onto a pancake and fold. Dust with more icing sugar to serve.
• Chocolate, Peanut Butter, & Banana – Mix 3 tbsp peanut butter with 1 tbsp milk and 1 tbsp icing sugar and 25g chocolate chips. Spread over the pancake and top with sliced banana. Fold and dust with a little icing sugar.
• Rocky Road – Drizzle golden syrup over the pancake, then sprinkle with dark chocolate chips and mini marshmallow
• Tropical Fruit – Mix together some papaya and pineapple chunks with honeyed greek yoghurt.
• Lemon Meringue – Fluff marshmallow spread and lemon curd. Roll the drizzle over some lemon juice
• Strawberry Cheesecake – Mix mascarpone with icing sugar, then add fresh sliced strawberries
• Toffee Apple – Melt 25g butter, and add 50g brown sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Cook until sugar has melted then ½ apple, sliced. Cook until apple is soft

Basic Pancake Recipe

Print recipe

Serves

5-6

Ingredients

• 120g Plain Flour
• pinch Salt
• 2 Large Free-range Eggs
• 250ml Milk
• 50g Unsalted Butter

Directions

1.	Sift the flour into a bowl and stir in the salt, then form a well in the centre
2.	Measure the milk in a jug then break in the two eggs and whisk together lightly until combined
3.	Pour half of the eggy milk into the flour and whisk into a thick batter and no lumps remain
4.	Whisk in the rest of the eggy milk
5.	Melt the butter in a 18cm / 7" frying pan. Add two tablespoons into the pancake batter and stir in
6.	Pour the rest of the melted butter into a small bowl and, using wadded up kitchen towel, use it to lubricate the pan for each pancake
7.	Plate an oven-proof plate over a pan of simmering water
8.	Turn the heat up high, then once hot, lower to medium. Using a lable, pour about 2-3 tablespoons into the pan
9.	Swirl and tilt the pan immediately to evenly coat the entire base
10.	After about 30 seconds, the top should look firm. Using a knife or fish slice, flip the pancake over and cook the other side
11.	Place on the warm plate. Repeat the process, stacking the cooked pancakes between sheets of greaseproof paper until the mixture is used up
12.	Serve with the topping of your choice