Pancakes Anybody?

[dickymint]

Well as it's Shrove Tuesday in 2 weeks time.

I love them and make them maybe half a dozen times a year but find them a bit of a chore timewise and mess wise. When we have them it's not just a couple each but at least six each and basically a main meal. So I'm looking for a decent electric pancake maker at whatever price! Proper Crepe's not to fussed on the thick type from across the pond.

Anybody use one? Or do you just stick to a pan on the hob? Anything related to Pancakes, recipes, method, serving suggestions most welcome

[Mont Blanc]

Absolutely love pancakes.

We have them about once a month or so. We cook them fairly thin in a non-stick pan on the hob. They usually come out great.

Usually have them sweet with either jam, sugar, lemon juice, Nutella, Golden Syrup, or sometimes go the other way and have grated cheese on them.

One tip I would give, is to put a few drops of vanilla food flavouring in the pancake mix, as well as a pinch of salt, and it just adds a really nice hint of sweetness to the pancake.

[fat80b]

dickymint said:

Anybody use one? Or do you just stick to a pan on the hob? Anything related to Pancakes, recipes, method, serving suggestions most welcome

I do pancakes for the kids most weekends for breakfast.

For me the recipe is 1,2,3 - i.e. 100 plain flour, 2 eggs, 300ml semi skimmed milk. And a non stick pan with a bit of butter in it. Gas on 2/3. Make and serve whilst the kids are waiting.

The first one often gets given to the pancake gods - something about the reaction to the pan, then after that they come out near perfect every 60 seconds or so.

[Bill]

I can't see what a pancake machine would do that a frying pan won't?

[ARFBY]

This is all the 'specialist' equipment you need: A low edge pan, powder sugar and pancake syrup.

I lived in the Netherlands for a while. Literally everyone has this in the kitchen. Pancakes are a national favorite.
Savoury is an absolute must to try; Ham and grated cheese is a top choice (I flip them over to get the cheese nice and crispy)

Bacon and the syrup in the picture (a bit like maple syrup) is always on the menu.

For dessert, grated or thinly sliced apple with cinnamon sugar. Topped with powder sugar when served.

I aways have a mix in the fridge ready to go for breakfast or weekend lunch. (I do a thick mix for waffles, add extra milk to thin it out for pancakes)

The Internet will give you lots of recipes, but the basic mix is the same as you've probably been using (I agree with post above, adding a little salt. But not vanilla if you want savoury.

[ben5575]

Used to do crepes for pancake day using a crepe pan.

For some reason I did some american pancakes one Saturday morning and it has now become a tradition most weekends.

For four proper portions (2 x adult, 2 x teenager):

380g of self raising flour
380ml milk
dash of table salt
3tsp (level) baking powder
five eggs
5tbs (heaped) of brown caster sugar

Whisk all the dry together then add the milk & eggs. Whisk gently and less than you think - some lumps is fine. Whisking too much stops them from rising.

Leave to stand and it'll start to rise (like angel delight)
Add blueberries to mix and stir gently and slowly
Add nob of butter to sizzling hot paella pan
Spoon/dollop mix into pan (say eight pancakes a batch) - again, less is more - smaller pancakes work/cook better
Serve with maple syrup

Nobody wants crepes anymore!

Edited by ben5575 on Monday 29th January 16:42

[HTP99]

Bloody awful things, they are a faff, make a mess and just aren't that nice, I just do not get the fuss.

[Radec]

I don't know if you consider it lazy or cheating but I'm a fan of Tesco's choc chip pancake mix for a quid.

Pour some water in a bottle, shake to mix and pour batter into pan.

Comes out perfect and tasty every time.

[Mont Blanc]

HTP99 said:

Bloody awful things, they are a faff, make a mess and just aren't that nice, I just do not get the fuss.

Taste is clearly subjective, you don’t enjoy them, but millions do, including me. Happy to agree to disagree and all that.

But… to say they are a faff and make a mess? You cannot be serious?

Eggs, flour and milk. That’s it. Three ingredients mixed together in amounts that don’t even have to be accurate.

They require one bowl, one whisk, and one pan. All of which you chuck in the dishwasher. They cook in seconds.

You would struggle to make any meal that was quicker, simpler, or made less mess?

[M5-911]

Your starter, and main "crêpes" or generally called "Galettes" should be made with buckwheat flour and water. Your dessert crêpes with plain flour, egg, milk, sugar, butter and very often a little bit of beer. Having the two styles really makes a lovely meal. Eat it with a glass of cider.

Crepes pan is a bonus to your cooking.

[FiF]

M5-911 said:

Your starter, and main "crêpes" or generally called "Galettes" should be made with buckwheat flour and water. Your dessert crêpes with plain flour, egg, milk, sugar, butter and very often a little bit of beer. Having the two styles really makes a lovely meal. Eat it with a glass of cider.

Crepes pan is a bonus to your cooking.

Was going to post something vaguely similar to this, though perhaps not a two course pancake meal.

Galettes ham, cheese, egg.

[vaud]

Mont Blanc said:

Taste is clearly subjective, you don’t enjoy them, but millions do, including me. Happy to agree to disagree and all that.

But… to say they are a faff and make a mess? You cannot be serious?

Eggs, flour and milk. That’s it. Three ingredients mixed together in amounts that don’t even have to be accurate.

They require one bowl, one whisk, and one pan. All of which you chuck in the dishwasher. They cook in seconds.

You would struggle to make any meal that was quicker, simpler, or made less mess?

That was my feeling. Recipes don't get much simpler. Maybe 2 pans would help with the speed of production. Or getting everyone to make their own.

[dickymint]

Thanks all for the tips and suggestions. After hours of Youtube and Googling and the above I've made a "U" turn on buying another gadget that takes up worktop space! We have a powerful and controllable Neff induction hob so going to keep it 'old school' and buy a decent cast iron Crepe pan and tools.

I've not run this past the War Department yet but I'm guessing She'll be happy if it carries the name Le Creuset and is a shade of red

I need to brush up on my work flow as like I said we enjoy a plateful each to gorge on which means doing them in one batch and popping them in the oven to keep warm.

[ARFBY]

FiF said:

Was going to post something vaguely similar to this, though perhaps not a two course pancake meal.

Galettes ham, cheese, egg.

I used to order a savory one when at a Dutch pancake house, I'd cut the outside edge that had no extra ingredients on, then pour syrup and powder sugar on it for dessert.

[Silvanus]

Mont Blanc said:

HTP99 said:

Bloody awful things, they are a faff, make a mess and just aren't that nice, I just do not get the fuss.

Taste is clearly subjective, you don’t enjoy them, but millions do, including me. Happy to agree to disagree and all that.

But… to say they are a faff and make a mess? You cannot be serious?

Eggs, flour and milk. That’s it. Three ingredients mixed together in amounts that don’t even have to be accurate.

They require one bowl, one whisk, and one pan. All of which you chuck in the dishwasher. They cook in seconds.

You would struggle to make any meal that was quicker, simpler, or made less mess?

I made some toast earlier, bloody crumbs everywhere and now I've got butter on my favourite knife. Absolute ball ache, won't be making that again.

[blueg33]

We often have galettes for a meal. No special kit required, just time to cook them and keep warm if you want to eat together

Not a fan of thick pancakes , my dad taught me to cook pancakes when I was 7. His stock phrase “if a pancake is thick enough to toss, toss it in the dustbin “

[StreetDragster]

Radec said:

I don't know if you consider it lazy or cheating but I'm a fan of Tesco's choc chip pancake mix for a quid.

Pour some water in a bottle, shake to mix and pour batter into pan.

Comes out perfect and tasty every time.

This. Cheap, fast, tasty, easy.
I use the none chocolate chip one all the time, kids love it.

[blueg33]

It’s always amazed me that people buy a pancake mix. Flour, egg, milk isn’t hard.

The mix is just flour, dried eggs and dried milk. You still have to add a liquid and mix it up.

Edited by blueg33 on Tuesday 30th January 07:51

[Radec]

blueg33 said:

It’s always amazed me that people buy a pancake mix. Flour, egg, milk isn’t hard.

The mix is just flour, dried eggs and dried milk. You still have to add a liquid and mix it up.

Edited by blueg33 on Tuesday 30th January 07:51

Although the ingredients are easy, for me it's a case of saving the milk and eggs for other dishes. Plus no mess as it's all done in the bottle, so less washing up and pans/bowls used.
When you got hungry kids screaming for pancakes the quickness with a mix saves a bunch of time too.

[StreetDragster]

Plus its not like you are missing out on tonnes of flavour with the bottled stuff, and you can have pancake mix ready by the time the pans heated up.