Don't worry, it's a national holiday so it's perfectly acceptable to gorge on the lovely buttery goodness of pancakes.

You're going to do it anyway, so why not take a gander of these handy little recipes and do it properly.

We promise not to tell if you won't...

 

CLASSIC AMERICAN PANCAKES

Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser:

If you don't want to get too fancy, here is a great way to make simple fluffy pancakes to then top with a variety of favourite additions.

Ingredients

  • 3 large free-range eggs
  • 115 g plain flour
  • 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
  • 140 ml milk
  • 1 pinch salt

Method

1. Separate the eggs, putting the whites into one bowl and the yolks into another.

2. Add the flour, baking powder and milk to the yolks and mix to a smooth thick batter.

3. Whisk the whites with the salt until they form stiff peaks. Fold into the batter – it is now ready to use.

4. Heat a good non-stick pan on a medium heat. Pour some of your batter into the pan and fry for a couple of minutes until it starts to look golden and firm. 

5. Sprinkle your chosen flavouring on to the uncooked side before loosening with a spatula and flipping the pancake over.

6. Continue frying until both sides are golden.

 

CREPES, THE HUNGARIAN WAY

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Delicious and thin pancakes, you can fill them with a range of things like coca-powder or a jam of your choice.

Ingredients (for about 15 portions, depending on the pan's diameter)

  • 200g all purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 3dl milk
  • 3dl carbonated water
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of sugar
  • 1/2dl neutral oil

Method

  1. Put the flour, eggs, oil, salt, sugar and milk into a bowl. Stir them with mixer until smooth.
  2.  Add the carbonated water and mix them again. The dough should be liquid. Let it stand for 30 minutes.
  3. Find a heavy pan, sprinkle with oil and heat it. Pan's diameter should be about 18-20 cm.
  4. Pour one ladle full of dough in the pan, do circular motions with your hand so the dough covers the whole pan. Hungarian pancakes are very thin.
  5. Bake the pancake for about 1-2 minutes, turn it around to other side and bake that for 1-2 minutes again. Put the pancake on a plate and bake another one step by step.
  6. Fill and roll them.

 

GUNDEL PANCAKES

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Arguably the most famous Hungarian dessert, this pancake was invented by top chef Károly Gundel between the two wars. This recipe uses crêpes, the thin Hungarian pancakes (see recipe above) and walnuts for filling.

Ingredients

  • 5 pieces of crêpes

Filling

  • 100g ground walnuts
  • 100g coarsely chopped walnuts
  • 2dl double cream
  • 50g raisins
  • 100g icing sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
  • 3 tablespoon rum

Chocolate sauce

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 50g bitter chocolate
  • 1 heaped tablespoon coca powder
  • 120g sugar
  • 20g cold unsalted butter
  • 2dl milk
  • vanilla extract or a 10cm vanilla rod
  • 3 tablespoon rum

Method

  1. Bake the crêpes (see above)
  2. Start preparing the filling by soaking the raisins in lukewarm water. Add and mix the chopped nuts and the ground nuts in a little bowl. Add icing sugar, cinnamon, grated orange peel and raisins.
  3. Make the double cream tepid and pour it into bowl. Mix them and heat the mixture until thick and creamy. Let it cool.
  4. Add the rum to the filling. If it is too thick, add some more double cream – your filling is now ready.
  5. Make the chocolate sauce by slicing the vanilla rod and putting the seeds (or extract) into the milk.
  6. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together, then add the milk and stir.
  7. Heat the mixture until thick, but do not boil. (around 70-80 Celsius is perfect)
  8. Add the cocoa-powder and the chocolate and stir. Then add the butter and stir the sauce until it is melted.
  9. Let it cool and add the rum. The sauce should be thick, but fluent.
  10. Put some filling on the centre of the crêpes, fold them in half and then in quarter. 
     

For serving: Heat the pancakes in the microwave for 30 second or in the oven for 3-5 minutes, heat the sauce too. Sprinkle the crêpes with icing sugar and pour the sauce on them.