Shrove Tuesday ...

... aka Pancake Day fell on 8th March this year. It is always 47 days before Easter Sunday and traditionally pancakes are made on this day to use up any butter and eggs in the kitchen before the beginning of Lent, a period of abstinence symbolising Jesus' 40 days of fasting in the wilderness, which starts on Ash Wednesday. Shrove comes from the word shrive which means to confess, as this was also the day to confess your sins before Lent. Nowadays Pancake Day is more of a tradition with only a nod towards Christianity, but many people still choose to give up something for Lent - for example my Auntie S always gives up chocolate! That is rather telling Auntie! :)

I prefer to make my pancakes before the meal time and reheat them for a minute in the microwave when we are ready to eat them. A mug of coffee is de rigueur! ;)

The batter is a very simple mix of :-

4oz/100g plain flour

pinch of salt

2 medium eggs, lightly beaten

200ml/7fl oz milk

75ml/3 fl oz water

50g/2oz unsalted butter, melted

plus a small amount of butter to grease the pan

Whisk all of the above-mentioned ingredients together until there are no lumps.

Lightly grease a small frying-pan or crepe pan and heat. Pan must be hot before adding the batter.

Add a ladleful of batter to the pan and swirl batter around to make sure it is evenly distributed.

I think the trick to making a good pancake is not to turn it too soon. When the edges start to look golden carefully lift with a spatula to loosen pancake from pan before flipping and cooking the other side.

When both sides are cooked, slide onto a plate, sprinkle with sugar and roll up.

Repeat with remaining batter. This recipe will make 8 or 9 pancakes.
Cover plate of pancakes and reheat for 1 minute on high in a microwave.

Traditionally pancakes are eaten with a sprinkle of sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. This year I also made a bittersweet chocolate sauce:-

100g dark 70% chocolate
60g unsalted butter
50ml single cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
50ml water
splash of rum, optional

Melt chocolate and butter with the cream and water over a low heat until the butter and chocolate have melted. Continue to cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar to taste and an optional splash of rum. Pour into a jug and leave to cool. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Very yummy, but I think I will need to swim a few extra lengths of the pool today after eating two pancakes last night!