Pancakes are wonderful because they are so simple to make. You can add whatever you want and it will always be tasty. I must confess I'm addicted to pancakes. Specially at breakfast...
I used to eat sandwiches all the time, when getting ready for school. After a while I got tired of it and, in the last month, I have only drank my coffee before leaving home. Everybody says that skipping breakfast is the worst thing you can do. I believe it, but there was just no time to eat!
Now, on holidays, it is different. Not that I'm entirely on holidays (I still have to do the exams...), but at least I have time to have a calm breakfast (I've decided that, no matter how stressed I am, from now on I will only have calm breakfasts). And when I get into college, I'll have to eat left overs - anything but the sandwiches. The problem is that those tasty and simple things like pancakes take forever when done before leaving home in a rush. My advice is simple: enjoy holiday breakfasts while you can ;)
Here is a wonderful recipe I've found:
Basic pancakes with suggar and lemon
Ingredients:
110g/4oz plain flour, sifted
pinch of salt
2 eggs
200ml/7fl oz milk mixed with 75ml/3fl oz water
50g/2oz butter
To serve:
caster sugar
lemon juice
lemon wedges
Preparation method:
Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with a sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs - any sort of whisk or even a fork will do - incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do so.
Next gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking (don't worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk). When all the liquid has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape any elusive bits of flour from around the edge into the centre, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream. Now melt the 50g/2oz of butter in a pan. Spoon 2 tbsp of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it to lubricate the pan, using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it round before you make each pancake.
Now get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, to start with, do a test pancake to see if you're using the correct amount of batter. I find 2 tbsp is about right for an 18cm/7in pan. It's also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. It should take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it's tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife - the other side will need a few seconds only - then simply slide it out of the pan onto a plate.
Stack the pancakes as you make them between sheets of greaseproof paper on a plate fitted over simmering water, to keep them warm while you make the rest.To serve, sprinkle each pancake with freshly squeezed lemon juice and caster sugar, fold in half, then in half again to form triangles, or else simply roll them up. Serve sprinkled with a little more sugar and lemon juice and extra sections of lemon.
(I personally prefer to put all the ingredients in a blender instead of mixing them mannually. I think it is much quicker, but it's up to you...)
