Pancake Day is for memories, mess and eating pancakes all day long!

Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday is the one day of the year when it’s totally acceptable to eat pancakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner and nobody bats an eyelid! In fact it’s encouraged. If anything, people look at you oddly if you don’t join in. I love it and I always have. For me Pancake Day isn’t just about the pancakes, it’s about the memories, the smells and the flipping disasters.

Some of my earliest Pancake Day memories involve standing on a chair at the kitchen counter, watching my Grandad make our pancakes. I watched the pan like a hawk while he told me not to touch it. The smell of the batter hitting a hot pan is one of those smells that instantly takes me back, that and the lemon juice. Sharp, zingy and eye watering if you sniff it too closely! It was always so exciting with plates at the ready and my grandad cooking pancakes until we had our fill!

For a long time I bought ready-made pancakes, straight out of the packet, they had a quick blast in the microwave and that was it. It was easier when the kids were little. Then I levelled up to the pre-mixed pancake mix. Add milk, shake the bottle and pour it into the pan. I felt very fancy, there was still minimal effort involved but it felt closer to proper pancakes. Now, I make the batter from scratch with flour, eggs, milk and a bit of hope that it all works out. I don’t measure perfectly. I go by look and feel. If it pours nicely and doesn’t look like wallpaper paste, we’re good and if it does, I add more milk in and we pretend it was supposed to happen like that.

I think the only reason I can make pancakes as well as I do is because of the pan I use. I got it a few years ago from Iceland. (The shop not the country). They had an offer on in the run-up to pancake day with the pan, some toppings and ready mix for £5. The next year I bought another pan and they are the best frying pans I've ever had. They never stick and are the perfect size for pancakes!

Lemon juice and sugar is the classic topping for pancakes. Fresh lemon juice, a sprinkle of sugar rolled up while still warm. Sweet, sharp and simple. There’s something about that first bite where the sugar crunches slightly and the lemon makes your mouth water but pancakes with lemon juice and golden syrup are my favourite, they always feel a little indulgent. Sticky fingers, syrup dripping down the sides, plates that need a proper soak afterwards and it's totally worth it!

A simple pancake recipe!

This is my go-to recipe but I usually double it, so there's enough for the 4 of us.

You’ll need:

100g plain flour

2 large eggs

300ml milk

A pinch of salt

A little oil or butter for the pan

How I make them:

Pop the flour and salt into a bowl.

Crack in the eggs and add a splash of the milk.

Whisk until smooth, then gradually add the rest of the milk.

Keep whisking until you’ve got a thin batter, similar to single cream.

Let it rest for 10 to15 minutes in the fridge if you have time and remember.

Heat your pan, wipe with a bit of oil and pour in a ladle of batter.

Swirl the pan to spread it thin.

Cook for about a minute, flip, then cook the other side.

Repeat until you’re full or out of batter.

While lemon juice and golden syrup will always be my top topping Pancake Day is the perfect excuse to branch out a bit. Here are some of my families favourites:

Nutella - melted slightly so it spreads easily.

Fresh strawberries - especially with a dusting of sugar.

Bananas and honey - simple and sweet.

Biscoff spread - because it’s amazing.

Maple syrup - not traditional, but still delicious.

Chocolate chips - sprinkled onto the pancake while cooking.

I like doing a little toppings table so everyone can build their own. It gets messy but it is fun with everyone putting their own toppings on.

Pancake Day is a little moment in the year when we stop, gather in the kitchen and do something simple together. It doesn’t matter if the pancakes are misshapen or the first pancake I cook is rubbish because it always is. That’s all part of it. It’s the laughter, the shared plates and then I’ll just have one more that turns into three. Hehehe

Will you be having pancakes today?