Food
KITCHEN PLANNING
Making pancakes isn't exactly rocket science (that's the beauty of a pancake party). But it still helps to be organised in the kitchen department.
Who will cook?
Appoint one pancake chef who will oversee the cooking on the night. But remember to let your guests have a go, too! That's half the fun of the party. We suggest having two frying pans on the go at once - that way you can keep up with the demand for pancakes. Kids will obviously need adult supervision.
All the fun of the fillings
A couple of weeks before your party, brainstorm which fillings you want for your event. Beyond the basic lemon and sugar, there are hundreds of ways you can get creative! Pay particular attention to any allergies people might have.
From whipped cream to whisks
It's a good idea to appoint one person to be in charge of pulling all the necessary ingredients and equipment together - even if this person delegates certain items to other people. Download our handy Kitchen Checklist to make sure you have all the essentials.
BASIC PANCAKE RECIPE
Also known as a crepe, the basic pancake is quick, easy and terribly more-ish! Make a stack and see how quickly they disappear...
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Ingredients (makes 12)• 124g plain flour • pinch salt • 1 egg • 200ml milk + 100ml water, mixed • Sunflower or vegetable oil
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Making the pancake batter1. Put flour and pinch salt in bowl and make well in the centre in which to break the egg. 2. Add half the liquid and beat into the flour slowly until reasonably smooth. 3. Add rest of liquid. Beat until well mixed and the surface is covered with tiny bubbles.
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Cooking the pancakes1. Grease a medium size frying pan and place over a medium/high heat. Sunflower or vegetable oil will do. 2. Once hot, add small amount of batter - around 1 small ladleful. This should be just enough to cover the bottom of the frying pan. 3. Cook pancake until golden on underside and then turn (or toss!) the pancake to cook on other side. 4. Once cooked, remove pancake to a serving plate. Grease the pan again before cooking the next pancake.
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Freezing pancakesPancakes freeze amazingly well in small stacks. When required, simply deforest and warm through in the microwave. Take care not to burn them by cooking them for too long or on too high high a power level. Having a stack of pancakes ready-made can really help get the party going and ensure there isn't a queue of customers forming by the cooker!
Tips
GREASING
An easy way to grease your frying pan is to crunch up a good bit of greaseproof paper in to a ball. Dip it into a small bowl of oil and then rub the paper all over the frying pan.
LITTLE LUMPS
It doesn't matter if there are some little lumps of flour in batter mix as they seem to disappear when cooking.
STORING BATTER
This pancake batter can kept covered in the fridge for a number of hours (even day or so) until you want to use it. If it's been left for a long time, you may have to add a little more liquid to get it back to the same consistency.
AMERICAN PANCAKE RECIPE
Add some Stateside razzle-dazzle with thick and fluffy American pancakes!
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Ingredients (makes 12)• 124g plain flour • pinch salt • 1 egg • 200ml milk + 100ml water, mixed • Sunflower or vegetable oil
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Making the pancake batter1. Put flour and pinch salt in bowl and make well in the centre in which to break the egg. 2. Add half the liquid and beat into the flour slowly until reasonably smooth. 3. Add rest of liquid. Beat until well mixed and the surface is covered with tiny bubbles.
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Cooking the pancakes1. Grease a medium size frying pan and place over a medium/high heat. Sunflower or vegetable oil will do. 2. Once hot, add small amount of batter - around 1 small ladleful. This should be just enough to cover the bottom of the frying pan. 3. Cook pancake until golden on underside and then turn (or toss!) the pancake to cook on other side. 4. Once cooked, remove pancake to a serving plate. Grease the pan again before cooking the next pancake.
-
Freezing pancakesPancakes freeze amazingly well in small stacks. When required, simply deforest and warm through in the microwave. Take care not to burn them by cooking them for too long or on too high high a power level. Having a stack of pancakes ready-made can really help get the party going and ensure there isn't a queue of customers forming by the cooker!
Tips
BLUEBERRY BLISS
To make American pancakes really special, try adding a small handful of fresh blueberries to the batter before cooking.
MASS PRODUCTION
American pancakes do not spread out in the same way as crepes, so using a large frying pan will enable you to cook a number at the same time
SERVE 'EM HOT
Put the pancakes in a low oven to keep warm. If you can stop people gobbling them up straight from the pan!