This year of all years it is wonderful to have a reason to celebrate and make a super stack of crêpes to enjoy this Pancake Day.
As the traditional feast day before the start of Lent – the 40 days leading up to Easter – Shrove Tuesday is the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast and pancakes are the perfect and delicious way to use up those ingredients.
Coinciding with half-term and a welcome break from home schooling, have fun with all the family mixing, pouring, flipping and eating lovely, moreish crepes in your own at home Pancake Day party. Go wild and let everyone pick their favourite flavours and colours – or even make and eat a rainbow!
Traditional English pancakes – or in French, ‘crêpes’ - are very thin and have a long history, having featured in cookery books as far back as 1439. The tradition of tossing or flipping them is almost as old;
“And every man and maide doe take their turne, And tosse their pancakes up for feare they burne”. Pasquil’s Palin, 1619
Perhaps bring the classic lemon and sugar combination up to date with new, luscious Bonne Maman Lemon Curd. Mixed with a little crème fraîche and lots of fresh raspberries – these are delicieux!!!
It’s an occasion for everyone to join in, so if looking to cook gluten-free use Buckwheat flour – the traditional flour from Brittany – in the batter. It gives a slightly nuttier taste and texture to the crêpes so works particularly well in savoury combinations – like this lovely Crêpes Traditionelle
Or try this fully vegan recipe that also delivers a very thin, lacy and crisp crêpe – and mix and match your toppings. This lovely concoction uses Bonne Maman Apricot Intense with dairy-free yoghurt sprinkled with toasted seeds and nuts. Flippin fantastic!