Pancakes

Pancake with Nutella, topped with chopped nuts

& toasted mini marshmallows

I know, I know, I'm a day early for Shrove Tuesday but I thought you might like to plan ahead for tomorrows flipping feast.  Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.  Lent, is traditionally a period of sacrifice in the forty days leading up to Easter Sunday.  Prior to this period of sacrifice a feast of pancakes would be consumed on Shrove Tuesday to enjoy foods such as sugar, eggs and butter which would be restricted during the Lenten season.  While the tradition of sacrifice during Lent is not as prevalent today, Shrove or Pancake Tuesday as it is more commonly known now has not waned in it's popularity. 

Pancake with peanut butter, topped with banana

& a drizzle of honey

When I was younger my mam would make the customary pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.  I don't remember ever having them at any other time throughout the year.  She made the traditional Irish style pancakes, thin and crepe like.  Despite my propensity to consume vast quantities of chocolate and rich desserts in a single sitting these pancakes always lay a little heavy on my tummy and I stopped eating them quite young.  My mam would still make them for herself and my sisters though (my dad doesn't like them either).  She would flip them expertly and when they were ready she would smear them with butter, sprinkle with sugar and roll them up before slicing. 

Pancake with salted caramel sauce,

topped with sliced apple

The next day we would go to church to have our foreheads marked with black ash and start into the annual period of sacrifice.  Every year it was the same for me, chocolate and sweets.  We received a special dispensation every Sunday and of course on St. Patrick's Day, you know the unwritten rule about being allowed to break your fast on a holy day.  It's been a while now since I have given anything up for Lent, I think it is the same for a lot of people.  I don't really see how depriving myself of chocolate, that I will naturally eat on the sly when there is no one around to see me, will make a big difference to the world at large.  Instead I try to make a bigger effort to be a slightly better person, grumble less, lift my head to say hello how are you to that neighbour that I really don't like, help someone out.  This year will be the same, I'm not sure it makes a huge difference to the world at large either but it's got to be better than a grumpy chocolate deprived me, right?

As I have said, I'm not a fan of crepe style pancakes, preferring thicker and fluffier American style ones.  I have tried a few recipes over the years, some I didn't like, some that just didn't work and through trial and error have created the recipe that works best for my tastes.  It produces thick, fluffy panckes that provide the ideal base for any number of delicious toppings.  Enjoy!

Pancakes
(makes 8+ depending on how many tablespoons of batter you use for each pancake)

150g/5.5oz Self Raising Flour
3tbsp Caster Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 Large Egg
150ml Buttermilk
2tbsp Vanilla Extract

1.  Place the flour, sugar and salt into a bowl and mix to combine.
2.  Place the egg, milk and vanilla extract into a separate bowl and whisk lightly.
3.  Make a well in the centre of the dry mix and pour in the wet ingredients.  Whisk just until all of the ingredients are combined.  Do not overmix as your pancakes will be tough instead of light and fluffy.

4.  Place the mixture into the fridge to rest for half an hour.
5.  Set a pan over a medium heat and allow to heat for 4-5 minutes.  Add in 2tsp of oil and allow the oil to heat.
6.  Drop 2tbsp of the pancake batter into the pan and cook until bubbles appear around the edge.  Flip the pancake and cook on the other side until golden brown on both sides and the centre feels firm.  Repeat with the remaining batter.  (If you are making these for children you could drop 1tbsp of the batter onto the pan instead to give smaller pancakes.)

7.  Dress the pancakes with toppings of your choice, traditional ones are butter and sugar or lemon juice.  I topped mine with nutella, mini marshmallows and chopped nuts.  I popped them under the grill until the marshmallows were golden brown and toasted.  I topped others with peanut butter, chopped banana and honey; or salted caramel sauce and sliced apple for my husband. 

Scones

In my mam's last few weeks of feeling well she became rather fond of high tea in the Westbury Hotel.  I'm not sure how we ended up there the first time but she liked it enough that we found ourselves back there every Friday morning.  I was lucky in that I was in college at the time and would return home an hour after leaving the house to say that my classes had been cancelled or that the pipes had frozen or that a dog had eaten the college and I had been sent home for the day.  I'm sure she knew that no such thing had happened but she would happily declare that sure wasn't it great that I could come for tea and scones with her. 

Friday had always been her morning to meet her sisters in town anyway so they would meet us too and more often than not a couple of friends and my sisters, if they could wangle some time off work.  We sat in the same place each week, at the window overlooking Harry St., and my mam would make herself comfortable in a big armchair.  The small table would heave with plates of scones, clotted cream, jam, pots of tea and a pot of hot chocolate just for me.  We were never in a rush; sitting, chatting, laughing and of course eating.  Sometimes we sat so long we had to order another round of scones or sandwiches before we had the energy to leave. 

They were wonderful mornings, all the girls together doing what girls do best, gossiping and laughing.  One of my favourite treats now is to indulge in afternoon tea in the Westbury (or anywhere for that matter).  If that same table is free I will sit there and savour the atmosphere, and the sweet treats, luxuriating in the decadence of those couple of hours.  While I don't treat myself to that often, I can treat myself to those lovely scones in the comfort of my own home.  I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.  Sit down in your most comfortable chair, fill a mug with steaming tea and dollop on some extra cream.  Why?  Well, why not?

Scones

(makes 12+)

450g/1lb Self Raising Flour, plus extra for dusting
1/4tsp Salt
100g/4oz Cold Unsalted Butter, diced
85g/3oz Caster Sugar, plus extra for dusting
280ml Buttermilk
2tsp Vanilla Extract
30ml Milk

1.  Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and dust lightly with flour.
2.  Pulse the flour, salt, butter and sugar in a food processor until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Alternatively grate the butter into the dry ingredients and cut in with a knife until there are no lumps of butter left.

Apologies for the poor picture quality but I don't have natural light in this part of my kitchen.

3.  Place the buttermilk and vanilla into a small saucepan and warm gently.  (Be careful no to heat the milk too much as it will separate)
4.  Place a third of the flour mix into a large bowl with a third of the buttermilk.  Mix with a knife and repeat in two more stages, but be careful not to over mix. 
5.  Dust a work surface with flour and turn the mixture out onto it.  Lightly flour your hands and gently bring the mixture together to form a dough.  (If you find the mixture is very wet at this stage gradually add a little flour at a time until the consistency becomes manageable)

6.  Wrap the dough in some clingfilm and refrigerate for 15 minutes - half an hour.  Place back onto a lightly floured work surface and flatten with your hands to a depth of approx 4cm.
7.  Using a floured scone cutter stamp out rounds and place on the prepared baking sheets.

  Brush with milk and dust with some caster sugar.

8.  Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until golden and risen.
9.  Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Irish Foodies January 2011 Cookalong

I'm back!  I know I have been missing in action since the Christmas period so apologies.  I hope you all enjoyed the festive season.  I had a lovely(and tiring) time with family and friends and more food than one person should consume in such a condensed time frame.  I am still feeling the effects of it now but am going to make a big effort to get back into my blogging mojo over the next few days.

As it is the 1st Friday of the month it is time for the Irish Foodies cookalong.  The theme this month is budget or leftover cooking following the excesses of Christmas.  I stocked up on dried fruit before Christmas, I think I was expecting armageddon or something the amount of it I bought so I decided to put it to good use.  As I have a penchant for baking I also have oodles of flour knocking about the presses so I settled for a nice fruit soda bread.  I thought this fitted the bill perfectly for January as it is easy to mix up, is not too naughty but has a hint of sweetness to make the transition from Christmas treats back to healthy eating a little more bearable.

Fruit Soda Bread
This recipe yields 2 x 1lb loaves

450g/1lb Wholemeal Flour
450g/1lb Plain Flour
1.5tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1tsp Salt
50g/2oz Candied Peel
50g/2oz Crystallised Ginger
50g/2oz Currants
50g/2oz Golden Raisins
50g/2oz Sultanas
600ml/1pint Buttermilk

1.  Grease to 1lb loaf tins and preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7.
2.  Sieve the flours, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl.  Add the dried fruits and toss in the flour mix until evenly distributed.
3.  Make a well in the centre and gradually pour in the buttermilk and mix to form a dough.
4.  Divide the dough between the two loaf tins, flour a large knife and cut a line down the centre.  Place into the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
5.  Turn upside down and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes.  To test if it is cooked tap the base, if it sounds hollow it is ready.
6.  Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Note:
The Irish tradition is to form the dough into a round loaf, cut a cross in the top and then stab each quarter with a knife to kill the fairies within.  I would like to assure you all that no fairies were harmed in the making of these loaves.  Sure why would you want to kill some lovely little fairies, wah?!