How to create pancake art - fun ideas for Pancake Day

 Have you come across pancake art before? It's a great way to have fun on Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) or indeed any time! Pancake art is simply creating a picture in pancake form, by using a squeezy bottle to draw with the batter in your pan. As the batter cooks, add more details, then finally fill in the gaps, to get different shades on your 'picture'. 

Hop on over to my other blog, Mini Moo Life, to see the unicorn pancake I made for my daughter and also my attempt at her favourite cartoon character Bluey!

Kinder and Oreo Chocolate Pancakes

Inspired by my recent visit toMy Old Dutch where Kinder and Oreo pancakes were on the menu, I decided to recreate something similar at home when my parents were visiting, for an easy but indulgent dessert. My husband enjoyed it so much, he requested the same thing the next night, made in exactly the same way!

When I had the Kinder dessert, I had a thick stack of pancakes, but it was really too much and I only managed to eat about a quarter of the pancakes. I decided it would work well with one thin crepe, and as I was making several, and wanted the pancakes to be really thin, I decided to buy ready-made crepes and warm them through.

Here’s everything else I did and what you need – but really you can have fun decorating the pancake however you want!

Serves 4

4 ready-made crepes

60g milk chocolate, melted

4 Kinder surprise eggs

Handful of mini marshmallows

2 packets Kinder Bueno (with 2 sticks in each)

8 small scoops vanilla ice cream

4 dollops of cream or can of squirty cream

 

 

Melt the chocolate either in the microwave or a bain marie and spread over each pancake. Open out a Kinder surprise egg (you can give the toy on the side as you serve the pancakes!) and place the two halves on the pancake. Take one stick of Kinder Bueno, break in half and place in between the Kinder eggs. I then gave the pancakes a 20 second blast in the microwave at full power to slightly melt the chocolates.

Place a scoop of ice cream into each Kinder shell, sprinkle the mini marshmallows in the gaps, squirt some cream in the middle and voila! Everyone enjoyed these pancakes though I couldn’t finish mine – there probably is such a thing as too much chocolate!

 

When my husband requested a repeat performance I decided to make a pancake using Oreos – in the spirit of the Kinder vs Oreo challenge that My Old Dutch is running. I ended up making something quite similar to my Kinder pancake, with melted chocolate spread on the bottom, a sprinkling of mini marshmallows and some broken up chocolate Oreo biscuits, with a whole Oreo in the middle and a squirt of cream sitting on top.

I preferred the Kinder version because the Oreo biscuits were a bit too hard and crunchy for this kind of dessert – but if you’re feeling inspired, why not experiment with your favourite chocolates or sweets and share a picture of how you’ve decorated your pancake?

 

Nutella and Frangelico Pancake Bake

This Shrove Tuesday we invited my husband's mum over to dinner, and while I considered making savoury pancakes as the main course I knew I really wanted to do them as dessert. It would have involved me making several pancakes one at a time and keeping them warm and I wondered if there was an easier option - something where I could layer the pancakes together as a dessert.

This recipe for Nutella pancakes from Nigella was just the thing! I decided to make life even easier for myself and buy ready-made crepes, which I spread with Nutella and folded up and poured over some melted butter and Frangelico hazelnut liqueur. My husband doesn't like nuts (pieces of nut, anyway) so I left off the chopped hazelnuts that Nigella recommends sprinkling over the top.

They only needed ten minutes baked in the oven; serve with whipped cream for a delicious decadent dessert!

This is Frangelico, if you haven't tried it before. It's a liqueur made with Italian hazelnuts and its origins are thought to date back 300 years when hazelnuts were distilled by monks (hence the design of the label!). It tastes really nice in cocktails.

Spread the crepes with Nutella and fold and layer in a serving dish

Pour over the cream and Frangelico

Bake in the oven for ten minutes

Serve with whipped cream

Leftovers.... yum!

I'm sending this to CookBlogShare, hosted this week by Hijacked by Twins.

Eight Great Pancake Recipes: Sweet, Savoury, Gluten-Free, Vegan

 

 

It's almost Shrove Tuesday, otherwise known as Pancake Day - so here are 8 easy and delicious pancake recipes, from sweet to savoury and even vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free!

 

 

First up, because it's not all about being indulgent, are these buckwheat pancakes. These are gluten-free and don't contain any refined sugar. Delicious with smoked salmon and goat's cheese.

These sugar-free coconut milk pancakes are also great for people cutting out sugar who still want to enjoy some pancakes. They are made from a combination of coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut flour, shredded coconut and buckwheat flour - great served with apple sauce.

Now for something a bit more indulgent. This crepe cake or thousand layer cake takes a bit of time to make, though there are not really a thousand layers of course. The layers are sweet pancakes sandwiched together with crème patissiere and you slice it like a cake.

Savoury pancakes are great as a main course. Don't be put off by these Spam and mushroom filled pancakes - you can use any kind of tinned or chopped ham, and they taste really good.

When it comes to breakfast, how about these buttermilk pancakes with sausage gravy? I first had sausage gravy in America - it's basically diced sausage in a white sauce which makes a great alternative to a fried breakfast.

Who remembers Findus crispy pancakes? I used to love them when I was a kid so figured out a way to make my own ham and cheese crispy pancakes! The pancakes are coated in breadcrumbs and fried until they turn golden brown; cut into them and the ham and cheese filling oozes out. I'd forgotten how good these were!

 

 

But there's no need to complicate things and sometimes you want something simple. These American-style banana pancakes work for breakfast or dessert. I don't even like bananas and thought these were really good! The buttermilk makes them extra fluffy.

 

 And finally, here's a recipe for vegan pancakes - just because you don't eat eggs or milk doesn't mean you can't enjoy pancake day! These are really good and there are all sorts of toppings you could try, from fruit to the traditional lemon and sugar.

 

 What's your favourite pancake topping and what are you planning to make for Pancake Day? Let me know in the comments!

5 Sugar-Free Breakfast Recipes - Sugar Free September

People have differing views on breakfast: some say it is the most important meal of the day, others say 'breakfast like a king, dine like a pauper', others say if you skip breakfast entirely your body burns more of its fat reserves, and others still say you need something small (protein according to some, lemon juice and hot water according to others) to kick-start your metabolism.

It's really confusing and I've tried several approaches over the years, all with very little difference to my weight. What I am sure about though is that the 'traditional' breakfast foods in the UK of cereals and toast are the least good things to be eating. Sugar and simple carbs are not what you need first thing in the morning.

I've previously reviewed a breakfast cereal that I think has good health benefits but since I've started #SugarFreeSeptember I thought I'd give five breakfast ideas that are healthy and largely sugar-free. Some people say you can still eat fruit on a sugar-free diet but others disagree, since fruit is high in natural sugars. So none of my suggestions below include fruit, but you can add it if you like eg to the yogurt, or have some grapes with the cheese.

#1 Eggs - a great way to start the day and also sugar-free (just don't dip any soldiers in your boiled egg!). My favourite is poached egg with smoked salmon for an indulgent way to start the day. Omlettes are also a good idea, and if you have a bit more time to cook, try poached eggs on wilted spinach sauteed with olive oil, salt and pepper.

 

#2 Greek yogurt (unflavoured) sprinkled with chia seeds. Chia seeds are a good source of vitamins and minerals. They are not that cheap but I bought a big tub from the supermarket for only about £4 and it goes a long way.

 

#3 Cheese: good if you want to eat protein in the mornings and not as strange as it sounds- think continental breakfasts where you have ham and cheese on bread. The ham and cheese together make a good healthy and very quick breakfast if you are on the go - without the bread.

#4 Buckwheat pancakes: these are just like regular pancakes in method; the taste is a little different but I barely noticed, though of course my fussy husband did - but he still liked them! Using buckwheat flour instead of plain flour makes these gluten-free, so as well as not including any refined or natural sugar, these pancakes won't raise your blood sugar like gluten will.

I used 150g buckwheat flour to 250ml milk and one egg to make four pancakes; whisk the egg and milk together and make a well in the flour, and pour in, whisking well. Heat a little oil or butter or coconut oil in a frying pan, pour in enough mixture to just cover the base of the pan and cook until browned on both sides. My husband had his filled with grated cheese, while I spread mine with goat's cheese (I had a bit left over in the fridge from another recipe) and smoked salmon. Delicious!

 

 

#5 Homemade granola - I used this recipe from 'I quit sugar' by Sarah Wilson. I have to be honest and say it really wasn't my favourite thing to eat, but it wasn't that bad and I felt very virtuous eating it. You can make up a big tub at the beginning of the week and take it into work or portion it out as you need. I had a lot of the ingredients already, including the chia seeds which I bought on a whim and hadn't used yet; the coconut flakes came from Ocado, the mixed nuts from Lidl and the coconut oil from Amazon.

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl (along with some cinnamon and I used a tiny bit of agave nectar which is a natural sugar but very high in sugar - the recipe advises rice malt syrup as being optional and I wasn't sure where to buy that (health food shops perhaps?) but as I had agave nectar decided to use a little of that - I don't think it would have been very palatable without.

Baking in the oven:

And then a little tub to take to work with some Greek yogurt.

 

 

Sugar-Free Coconut Milk Pancakes

My last-ditch attempt to lose weight before my wedding involves cutting out as much sugar as possible. A friend who has done this, and seen great results, recommended a book called I Quit Sugar by Sarah Wilson.  Sarah cut sugar out of her diet and says she has seen improvements in her weight, energy, skin and so on, and has published a book that is part explanation, part cookbook.

I liked the sound of these 'coconut fluff' coconut milk pancakes so I made them one day recently for lunch, and served them with stewed apple.

You need:
2 eggs, whisked
400ml can coconut milk
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted, plus extra for frying
30g coconut flour
100g buckwheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
50g shredded coconut

The coconut flour was expensive (£5 for a bag in Sainsbury's) but I plan to find lots of other recipes I can use it in.

These are easy to make: beat the eggs with the coconut milk and the oil, then fold in the other ingredients. I found the mixture thickened quickly, as the coconut soaked up the liquid, so added some milk. I'd recommend not leaving the mixture to stand and making the pancakes immediately.

Heat a little coconut oil in a frying pan and spoon or pour in enough of the mixture to fill the pan with a thin layer of pancake mixture. Cook until you can see the consistency has changed and the pancake has firmed enough to turn - you can either use a fish slice utensil or toss the pancake in the pan! Put to one side and cover with foil to keep warm and repeat.

I served these with stewed apple but all sorts of toppings would work. They tasted really good.

National Spam Appreciation Week - Spam and Mushroom Filled Pancakes

Spam, spam, spammity spam - I'm not really a Monty Python fan and I wasn't sure I remembered ever having eaten Spam either, though according to my mother we had it a lot when I was a child!

March 3rd sees the start of National Spam Appreciation Week and it seemed a good time to reintroduce my tastebuds to the chopped pork and ham that is Spam. The name apparently comes from the description of spiced pork and ham. Did you know that it was invented during a meat crisis- but rather than when meat was scarce, it was when there was too much meat? There was an excess of pork which would not keep for long, and the head of Hormel Food Company in Minnesota had the idea of grinding up the pork, mixing it with ham and cooking it to create a long-life meat product. This was all the way back in 1937 and Spam has been around ever since. It is widely associated with war time when meat was more scarce - and also famous due to the Monty Python sketch and Spamalot musical.


I think people who turn their nose up at canned meat should also ask themselves whether they have ever eaten corned beef, as that's not much different  - and that was another staple of my childhood. I buy tinned ham occasionally as I think it works really well in pasta bakes, and I found that the Spam had a similar taste and texture.

I was sent three packs of Spam to try out - it's also interesting that it now comes in plastic tubs, so you don't need a tin opener - making it ideal to take on camping trips or picnics. I had a look at the Spam website where there are loads of recipes, and chose to make these Spam and Mushroom Filled Pancakes (or "Spamcakes"!). I made them for lunch with my parents and we all really enjoyed them. I made it slightly differently to the directions, as time was ticking on and I didn't want to wait the extra 20 minutes to cook the pancakes in the oven at the end, and so rather than sprinkle the cheese over the top I incorporated it into the sauce, which was delicious. I also doubled the quantity of the pancake mixture given, but I did make quite large, thick pancakes, so that part is up to you!

To serve three/four, you need:

For the pancakes:
200g plain flour
pinch of salt
3 eggs
500ml milk
Oil or Fry Light for frying

For the filling:
340g can of Spam chopped pork and ham, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
115g mushrooms, sliced
50g butter
40g plain flour
300ml milk
100ml single cream
60g grated cheddar

I started on the filling first, as it took a little longer and the pancakes were quite quick,though I would also recommend making the pancake batter and allowing it to stand while you make the filling.

Fry the onion and mushrooms in a small frying pan. Meanwhile melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the flour to make a roux. Beat in a little of the milk and then gradually add the rest of the milk and the single cream. Stir in the grated cheddar and heat the sauce until melted then stir in the onion, mushrooms and diced Spam. Heat until the sauce has thickened.

For the pancakes, make a well in the flour in a bowl and break in the eggs; beat in a little of the milk to make a paste then the rest of the milk and the salt. Heat some oil or Fry Light in a frying pan, pour in a thin layer of pancake batter and cook on both sides until browned. Keep the pancakes warm either in the oven or under a layer of foil.

When the filling has thickened, spoon onto each pancake.

I rolled the pancakes but I think they would have looked nicer folded in half to make a semicircle. Either way, they tasted delicious!

Crepe Cake or Thousand Layer Cake

If you are wondering how to jazz up your pancakes for Shrove Tuesday how about making a pancake cake? This kind of cake is also known as a crepe cake, or a thousand layer cake - it's not literally a thousand layers but the picture above shows why it has that name! This is essentially a stack of pancakes sandwiched together with creme patissiere between each layer, and you slice it as you would a normal cake.

I made this for my local Clandestine Cake Club meeting in February. The organisers, Hayley and Maureen, chose an unusual theme: the Tudor period. The title was "queen of hearts" but rather than relating to Valentine's day, it actually meant King Henry VIII and his many queens. We were asked to make a cake using ingredients that would have been available in the Tudor era, such as fruit, nuts, spices etc. We had fruit cake, ginger cake, apple cake - and a passionfruit cake which I think slightly missed the point but was still very nice!

I had an idea right away which I decided to go with - pancakes! Pancakes were popular in Tudor times particularly on Shrove Tuesday when people would use up richer foods such as eggs, sugar and milk before Lent. I also thought that the origin of the pancake race dated back to Tudor times, but it turns out (according to Wikipedia anyway) that it was just a couple of decades before that. The story goes that a housewive was making pancakes when the bells started ringing for the church service; she didn't want to be late so she ran to church with her frying pan, tossing her pancake as she went! However what I also discovered was that it was on Shrove Tuesday that Henry VIII publicly declared his love for Anne Bolyn, at a joust in 1526. So I think a pancake cake does fit the Tudor theme!

 For the pancakes, you need: (Makes about 12-15 pancakes depending on size and thickness)
6 cups milk
12 eggs
3 cups plain flour
2/3 cup caster sugar
large pinch of salt
oil or Fry Light for frying

For the creme patissiere:
1 egg
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla flavouring
2 tbsp double cream, whipped

For the filling:
2 cups double cream
2 tbsp caster sugar

It's best to make the creme patissiere the day before; you can also make the pancake batter in advance but return to room temperature before using.

To make the creme patissiere, beat the egg, flour, sugar and cornflour until smooth.

In a saucepan bring the milk to the boil then immediately remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the egg mixture.

Return to the heat, stirring continually for about five minutes until thickened then remove from the heat. Add the vanilla and set aside to cool until firm. When the creme has cooled, fold in the whipped cream and refrigerate overnight.

To make the pancakes, beat the eggs, flour and milk and add the sugar and salt.

Heat a little oil or Fry Light in a frying pan, pour in enough of the pancake mixture so you have a thin layer and cook on both sides until browned.

 The pancakes need to cool, so I laid them all out on a long strip of greaseproof paper along my kitchen worktop. 

When the pancakes are cooled, beat the creme patissiere into the whipped cream with the caster sugar.

Spread a thin layer of the filling on each pancake and layer them up. It's best to do this on a cake board or whatever you want to serve the cake on as it isn't very easy to move afterwards!
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Here you can see the cake starting to take shape

And here's the whole cake. I had a sort of half-pancake made from the last bit of mixture which I used on top and then sprinkled it with icing sugar.

I love seeing all the layers!

When you slice the cake, you get a normal cake-slice shape but you can see all the layers and the cream in the middle.

To an extent, yes this is a pile of pancakes... but it does actually taste like cake and is an unusual alternative either to a sponge cake or if you want to make something different on Shrove Tuesday!