Fun with the Grandkids: Make Pancakes this Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday is the day just before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday according to the Christian calendar. It is both a day for self-examination and one for rejoicing and feasting. The word “shrive” means absolve, or to be forgiven. So celebrants are recognizing the sins of the past as they enter into Lent in which they will sacrifice something during the weeks leading up to Easter.
Shrove Tuesday is carnival day in some cultures and a time for great celebration and rejoicing. Many people eat special foods on Shrove Tuesday such as various sweet rolls and sometimes soups or meats. The day is known as Pancake Day to many and special pancake breakfasts are held. Shrove Tuesday is exactly forty-seven days before Easter and thus is February 21st this year.
We grandparents are always looking for a special activity to do with the grandkids and making pancakes, (even heart shaped pancakes) is both easy and fun to do. In some places small coins or tokens are baked into the pancakes and lucky children find them. Take a look at the following recipes, get those grandkids invited to your place and make some yummy pancakes on Shrove Tuesday or as near to the 21st as they are available.
Mary Berry’s Pancakes
Ingredients:
125 grams (1/2 cup) plain flour
One egg plus one yolk
300 ml (about 1 1/3 cups) milk
Preparation:
Sift flour into bowl, making a well in the middle. Add beaten egg plus yolk with a little milk. Mix.
Whisk the rest of the milk into batter.
Heat frying pan and brush with oil.
Ladle two to three tablespoons of batter into hot pan and tilt the pan to spread the batter evenly.
Cook 45-60 seconds until small bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook for 30 seconds more.
Slide pancake out of pan. Heat and regrease the pan for the next pancake. Reheat cakes before serving.
Top pancakes with lemon juice and sugar, or with syrup and chocolate sauce.
Traditional British Pancakes
American pancakes are usually light and fluffy and eaten with syrup on top while British pancakes look more like crepes.
Ingredients:
¾ cup plus 2 T. flour
1/8 t. salt
one egg, beaten
8 oz milk
2 T. liqueur or water
butter
lemon wedges and sugar for serving
Directions:
Sift flour and make a well in the middle.
Add beaten egg. Stir in half of the milk, beat well and then add rest of milk.
Let batter rest for fifteen minutes.
Heat pan, add butter, pour in batter and swirl pan to spread the batter.
Cook one minute, flip and cook 30 seconds more.
Roll or fold pancakes.
Serve with lemon and sugar.
American Flapjacks:
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 T butter, melted
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1 ½ t. baking powder
3 T. sugar
¼ t. salt
Preparation:
Sift flour, add other dry ingredients and add the egg. Mix.
Add milk and mix.
Add melted butter. Mix.
Cook on a griddle, turning when small bubbles appear on the tops. Flip and cook another 30 seconds.
Serve with fruit and syrup.
Have fun with the grandkids, and whichever recipe you choose to make with your grandkids in celebration of Shrove Tuesday, you’re sure to have some happy mixers and flippers and satisfied tummies.
