Pancake Day
Yesterday was Pancake Day... Shrove Tuesday... Mardi Gras...
....whatever you like to call it! I hope you had a good one.
We celebrated with pancakes at work. This type of a special day for pancakes seems to be a more British phenomenon with other cultures and countries more into pancakes of all types all year round. Don’t get me wrong we eat pancakes at other times too, it’s just that Pancake Day is that little bit more special and the supermarkets fill their ‘seasonal’ shelves with pancake mixes, eggs, lemons, sugar, maple syrup and sauces of all descriptions. Basically an opportunity to entice people with an array of sugary treats!
On Friday I tested out my first successful vegan classic pancake recipe, so check it out! I was so happy with the success I replicated it today at pancake lunch with my colleagues.
They made up their traditional batter with eggs and milk and I made up my own egg-free batter with soy milk. I used a little baking powder so my pancakes were ever so slightly fluffy and had more bubbles compared to theirs. I made a few extra as I knew people would be too curious not to want a taste.
Check out their big stack and my little stack!
Vegan vs Non-vegan....the verdict? Well, they looked and tasted pretty much identical. I think any non-vegan would be hard pushed to tell the difference.
Digging in......
Almost as critical as the pancake itself are the toppings! Some had savoury pancakes but most of us opted for the sweet versions... we kept it simple with the classic lemon and sugar, maple syrup, blueberries, banana and cinnamon, plus there were a few lashing of nutella for some of my colleagues.
(I know, I know....blasphemy to this blog, but I still couldn't resist a pic!)
Did I have more pancakes when I got home in the evening... um, maybe! Pancake Day only comes round once a year after all and I had to make sure I’d ‘fully tested’ my recipe, right?
Plus, I really wanted to test out a gluten free version since these pancakes contain spelt. I used almond flour and potato starch instead but alas it just wasn’t happening for me and so as not disappoint others I resorted to another batch of spelt pancakes at short notice. I will continue my GF trials for a thin pancake and let you know how I get on. I think the almond flour version may have worked out for a thick style pancake.
Mmmmm…maybe you are feeling a little peckish? Pancakes of all kinds are great all year round, particularly as a quick ans easy healthy style brunch. Maybe these fat pancakes will take you fancy?
Spiced apple panakes with date and walnut
or how about my newest most craveable creation....the choc chunk breakfast cookie.
...(looks like a pancake and only takes 2 minutes!)
A finally a little something to make you smile....what to do with the last remaining dribbles of batter from the big bowl of mixture? A little love heart of course courtesy of my lovely colleagues Kasia and Piotr.
For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.