Pancake Tuesday

Pancake Tuesday is definitely my most favourite food day of the year. It really should be a monthly occurrence.
I can only have them with some lemon and golden syrup… anything else just doesn’t feel right. Pancake Tuesday was always a big deal in our home and i always represent it as a real family occasion even though we weren’t preparing for Lent the next day we still went along for the pancake ride.  I know that my sister who lives in America will be bringing out the golden syrup and lemon today and I’m hoping my brother will be following tradition too and making an extra small pancake for his little boy’s first pancake Tuesday.
I care quite a lot for these sweet crispy lovelies, so this evening I sat with a pancake or 2 and a perfect glass of milk like old times.

Ingredients
300ml of milk
2 medium sized eggs
125g plain flour
25g butter, melted
Extra melted butter or vegetable oil for frying

Method
Put the milk and eggs into a jug and whisk together until fully incorporated. Sieve the flour into a large bowl, and make a hallow in the centre. Bit by bit pour the milk mixture into the centre, whisking as you pour. Continue whisking until you have a smooth batter, then whisk in the melted butter. If the batter seems too thick to pour, add a little more milk.

Alternatively put all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and whizz until smooth.

Cook on a hot, greased pan, using about a ladle full of batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbly, a little dry around the edges, and lightly browned on the bottom, turn and brown the other side. Recipe makes 8 medium sized pancakes.

Also, there is only one way to sufficiently makes pancakes and that is to listen to this clip while doing so. Dontcha’ think??

These little puffy fellas are quite similar to pancakes except obviously their iddy biddy sized but also because they are made with yeast and sometimes buckwheat.
You can usually find them being freshly made and sold at markets or outside stalls in certain cities, which is a nice treat in these colder days. They’re typically served with loads of icing sugar and a knob of butter but i’ve also seen them with whipped cream and warm cherries.

Ingredients
100g plain flour
Salt
30g of caster sugar
1/2  package (approx 1 Tbsp) of dried yeast
1 egg
150ml of lukewarm milk
Extra melted butter or vegetable oil for frying

Method
Sieve the flour, a pinch of salt and sugar into a mixing bowl. Add in the yeast and stir the dried mixture. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add the egg and gradually add the warm milk while stirring. When you have a smooth batter cover with cling-film and let sit in a draft free area for around 1 & 1/2 hours so the yeast can do it’s business.

Preferably you will need a poffertjespan to make the job a lot easier and also an empty squeezey bottle. If not, it’s still doable…accept the challenge.

Heat the pan over a medium-high heat and then brush some melted butter over the whole of the pan. Squeeze out enough mixture to fill each of the dimples or indents in the pan. Let cook for maybe 2 mins and turn to cook on the other side. When both sides are nicely browned keep on a warmed plate until all are done. Serve with some icing sugar and a knob of butter or some traditional Dutch Stroop for an extra taste.

What other toppings are great with poffertjes??