Pancake Day – from Isabelle
The day I most look forward to, a day which encompasses all my favourite things, maple syrup, sugar, Nutella, and all things sweet. If you’re anything like me, you’ll have a sweet tooth that is constantly calling. Savoury really takes a back seat in my life, and pancake day allows my sugar cravings to go wild.
Either way, whether you’re more of a classic lemon and sugar lover or you’ve taken more of an American stance of bacon and maple syrup, at Wild Cornwall we believe you can put almost anything on a pancake and it will still taste good.
Firstly, what is Shrove Tuesday? Funnily, it’s the day before Ash Wednesday. Shrove Tuesday was traditionally a feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday, a day where you begin to fast for 40 days leading up to Easter.
The joy of pancakes is that they’re so easy to whip up. All you need to make 4 delicious, fluffy pancakes are:
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 135g plain flower
- ½ tsp of salt
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 130ml milk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp melted butter
If you want to make more than 4, then add to the ingredients accordingly. Math isn’t my strong point so I will leave that to you.
Once made, or probably throughout the making process, you will be deciding what you want on top.
The Traditional
You know what they say, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Lemon and sugar is a absolute classic in our eyes. A staple in many households, this bitter and sweet combination work perfectly together. Whether you eat your pancakes in the morning or evening, these are guaranteed to hit the spot.
Syrup
Whether that’s the classic golden syrup, or Canadian style maple syrup, this sweet and sugary sauce is the perfect addition to pancakes. Cheaper than maple syrup, golden syrup provides a thicker consistency, often associated to treacle, but it as just as yummy.
Adopting America’s style of maple syrup with bacon, us Brits have taken it under our wing quite nicely, and it’s now a popular breakfast dish in many cafes & restaurants. The combination of salty bacon and sweet maple syrup fit hand in hand.
Bacon & Sweet Chilli Sauce
Straying from the American classic of bacon and maple syrup, at Wild Cornwall we’ve drizzled our own Sweet Chilli Sauce over the bacon on our pancake stack. This created a sweet, but slightly fiery pancake.
Although you’d think this would be an entirely savoury option, the blend of bacon and the sweetness from the sauce combine together to make a pancake that satisfies both your savoury and sweet needs.
Creamy Mushroom with Nomad’s BBQ Rub
Maybe savoury is more your thing, or at least one savoury before you tuck into something more sugary. This year, Alfie, Wild Cornwall’s cook, has whipped some creamy, tarragon mushrooms with Wild Cornwall’s Nomad’s BBQ Rub.
Mushrooms aren’t everybody’s favourite, but give it a go!
Fry a punnet of chopped mushrooms and then sprinkle 1 tsp of Nomad’s BBQ Rub over them. After that is all stirred in, add your chopped tarragon to the pan, approx 6 sprigs. Let this all cook off together for a few minutes before adding 100ml of double cream. Allow for this to simmer for 5 minutes and then pour over your pancake/crepe.
Wild Pine Needle Syrup
A very easy syrup to make by yourself, Anna, our chief wilder, has created a syrup which not only can be used to dress pancakes, but used as a cordial or to add a wild twist to a classic lemon drizzle.
What do you need?
- 4 cups of fresh pine spruce needles
- 8 cups of water
- 2 cups of sugar
Heat the water and sugar together and stir until dissolved. Remove the syrup from the heat and simply add your pine needles. Then allow to cool.
Try something different this pancake day!