This Tuesday will be Shrove Tuesday, also called Pancake Day, Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras (which is French for “Fat Tuesday”). It’s the last day of feasting before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.
Shrove Tuesday is observed mainly in English speaking countries, especially Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, but also in the Philippines and Germany. Like Easter, the date of Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent varies each year because Easter is based on the lunar calendar, which falls on the Sunday that follows the full moon on or after March 21, also known as the Spring Solstice. This changing date is a remnant of pagan times.
Today’s recipes include a basic buttermilk pancake, a wonderful strawberry crepe, a European baked pancake and lastly a sweet and delicious buttermilk pancake with a butter, brown sugar and cinnamon swirl filling. Pancakes are easy to make: just don’t overmix the batter. Give one of these a try.
Buttermilk Pancakes
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, milk, eggs and melted butter. Keep the two mixtures separate until you are ready to cook.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. You can flick water across the surface and if it beads up and sizzles, it’s ready!
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, using a wooden spoon or fork to blend. Stir until it’s just blended together. Do not over-stir! Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/2 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.
Creamy Strawberry Crepes
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1-1/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
4 cups sliced strawberries
Place the eggs, milk, water, melted butter, flour and salt in the pitcher of a blender; blend until smooth.
Blend the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 2-3 tablespoons for each crepe. Tip and rotate pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Flip over when the batter is set and the edges are beginning to brown. Cook until the other side begins to brown. Stack finished crepes on a plate, cover with a damp towel and set aside. To serve, fill each crepe with 1/4 cup sliced strawberries and 1/3 cup of the cream cheese filling, roll up and top with a small dollop of the cream cheese filling and more sliced strawberries. Delicious!
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
3/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons white distilled vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cinnamon Swirl Filling:
5-1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Icing:
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray
Stir milk and vinegar together in a bowl; set aside until milk “sours,” about 5 minutes.
Mix flour, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a separate bowl.
Whisk egg, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract into milk mixture. Slowly pour milk mixture into flour mixture while whisking constantly until batter is just moistened and evenly mixed. Lumps are fine.
Combine brown sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter and cinnamon in a small bowl. Place a 1-quart resealable bag into a glass or cup. Pour cinnamon mixture into the bag; refrigerate until filling is as thick as toothpaste, about 10 minutes.
Mix 1/4 cup softened butter and cream cheese together in a microwave-safe bowl; heat in microwave for 40 seconds. Stir mixture with a whisk or fork until smooth. Continue heating in microwave and stirring until mixture is completely melted. Stir confectioners’ sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract into cream cheese mixture until icing is smooth.
Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Pour about 2/3 cup batter into the center of griddle. Cook pancake until bubbles start to appear, 2 to 3 minutes. Cut 1 corner off the centre of the bag with filling. Swirl filling over pancake, leaving enough space around edges that filling doesn’t touch the griddle. Flip pancake and cook until other side is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Drizzle icing over pancake. Repeat with remaining ingredients, spraying the griddle with cooking spray between each pancake.
Note: It is very important to wipe the pan/griddle with a damp clean cloth in between each pancake to remove excess cinnamon mixture. Doing this will prevent the residual mixture from scorching and ruining the next batch of pancakes.
Cathi Litzenberger is The Morning Star’s longtime food columnist, appearing every other Wednesday and one Sunday per month.
