Batter the Pancake you know

Image: Jonathan Beard

Finally, it is that day we’ve all been waiting for. Unless you have a flour, egg or milk intolerance, in which case you probably have some coping mechanism or alternative vegan recipe down by now.

Shrove Tuesday is here and everyone’s a pancake expert. Come on, it might be hard to successfully flip a pancake but it’s pretty hard to actually ruin a pancake so comprehensively it’s inedible (unless you flip it onto the floor and don’t make the 3 second rule). So we all know how to mix together some eggs, flour and milk the only danger with pancakes is that you might get stuck at the old lemon and sugar filling. 

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Image: Squeamish Kate

I struggle to branch out, if I’m eating a proper pancake then it’s got to be lemon (that’s real lemon juice, not Jif) and sugar but if you feel ready here are some ideas for branching out this Pancake Day.

My sister and I take Pancake Day pretty seriously, when we say we are having pancakes for tea, we are having pancakes for tea.  Squeamish Louise is so serious about pancakes she usually holds an annual Pancake Day party. With all these pancakes you will need some savoury ideas and here are ours…

• Tuna and cheese - This is incredibly filling, even though it is just some tuna and grated cheddar cheese rolled up in a pancake.

• Garlic Mushrooms - Cook up some mushrooms with garlic, mixed herbs and tomato puree in a pan and roll it all up in a fresh pancake

• Goats cheese and spinach – use cooked or fresh spinach and tomatoes with some goats cheese… yes put it in a pancake. 

• Roast squash with spinach and nutmeg – roast some squash, cook some spinach and grate a little nutmeg. In the pancake please. 
  

Now you have finished your savoury you can have your pudding.

• Dark chocolate and wasabi – This is Squeamish Louise’s favourite. You can use chopped dark chocolate, or if you want it sweeter, Nutella or a different dark chocolate spread. Add wasabi and fold your pancake in a fancy fashion. Because this is a fancy pancake. Unless you went with Nutella. Then roll it up because that’s not fancy. 

• Peanut butter and banana – I’m tempted to instruct you to peel it then leave the banana whole but really chop it up and place it over the peanut butter you spread on your pancake. Which you will then roll and eat. Fact.  

• Stewed apple with cream or ice cream – Cream and ice-cream can make me feel a little ill; I suggest you sprinkle cinnamon on this to help balance out the sweetness. For some reason NOT eating the cream or ice cream is not an option. You better be rolling this up in a pancake. 

But some of you will refuse to stray. Some of you will say ‘but Squeamish Kate, I was just half way through chopping and de-pipping and juicing lemons. I want to be different, I just don’t know how.’ This is fine. I have thought about it, and I think I have come up with a great way for you to make your pancakes pretty adventurous.

Dye them.

Separate your batter into different bowls and add in a couple of drops of different food dye to the bowls. Pile them high and pour on as much lemon juice and sugar as you wish.

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Image: Squeamish Kate

They might be a little plain tasting but rainbow pancakes will brighten anyone’s day. I poured my batter into a star shape too, for that extra flare, you know. If you’re hoping to surprise that special someone on this special day, well, everybody likes their pancakes garish. 

What do you think? Send us your pancake filling ideas… 



Squeamish Kate 

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