Blueberry & Lemon Sheet Pan Pancake

 

 Pancakes were not something we had very often when I was growing up. We had them once a year, for supper, on Shrove Tuesday.  They were a real treat.  My mother had a huge round griddle pan tha she had gotten with her Wear Ever Aluminium Cookware set. 

 

She would stand there ladling pancakes onto it a few at a time, until they were all cooked.  I imagine it was a bit of a chore as the griddle pan was bowed in the middle and I can remember it turning around on the burner whenever I used it.  I am sure she found it quite annoying. I know I did.

 

The only other pan she had for frying in was a small 10-inch frying pan that came from the same set. The set of pots and pans was bought the first year they got married, in 1954.  It was still being used when she passed away last year. 64 years.

That's an incredibly long time in the life of any pan I'd say.  My parents would have celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary this year.  That makes me sad to think about. 

 

They got divorced when I was in my 30's, but remained good friends for the rest of my mother's life. Admittedly it was a bit touch and go at the start, but once the dust all settled things were good.  That was the greatest gift my parents could have ever given us. It enabled us to be able to love our parents equally without having to feel like we needed to divide our loyalties. Not everyone is so blessed.

 

My father still calls the house when he knows my sister isn't there, just so he can hear the telephone message that my mother recorded a while back.  He loves to hear her voice. He says he always leaves a message. He misses her.  The greatest gift a father can give his children is to love their mother. I know my father loved my mother.  He was just not the saying marryied kind of man.

 

Anyways, pancakes! When my own children were growing up, I made pancakes on Shrove Tuesday for supper of course, and thenm anytime they had a friend stay over or on special occasions (like Birthdays) I would make them for breakfast.

 

My oldest son makes them for his boys every Saturday morning.  They are a tradition.  And I think a very tasty one. 

 

If I had had a recipe as simple as this sheet pan pancake I think I might have made pancakes even more often, although I would have had to double the with my crew!  My two oldest boys would have gobbled this up all by themselves!

 

You can of course just bake it plain  . . .  but then again, why not make things a little bit more special with just a few additions . . .

  

I totally adore lemon curd and blueberries.  It seemed only natural to combine the two in this fabulously tasty pancake!

 

Each quarter of the pancake was drizzled with some lemon curd and then topped with a few blueberries prior to baking in a very hot oven.  After only 15 minutes bake time it is ready to serve . . .

 

Cut into quarters and served hot with a few extra berries and a drizzle of your favourite pancake syrup. In our case, pure maple syrup  . . .

 

I did dust them with some icing sugar to brighten them up a bit for the camera, but its not necessary if you are just making them for your family.

  

I think if mom could have made pancakes as easy as these we might have been treated to them a lot more often!

Blueberry & Lemon Sheet Pan Pancake

Yield: 4

Author: Marie Rayner

This delicious pancake bakes in the oven. It bakes in 15 minutes and is hands free rather than standing over the stove cooking individual pancakes, leaving you to get on with other things. Simply cut into four squares when done.  Serve with additional berries and your favourite pancake syrup.

Ingredients:

• 175g plain flour (1 cup + 4 1/2 TBS)
• 2 TBS sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large free range egg
• 240ml buttermilk (1 cup)
• 2 TBS butter melted
• 4 TBS lemon curd, thinned with a bit of lemon juice
• 20 blueberries, plus more to serve
• your favourite pancake syrup to serve

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 230*C/450*F/ gas mark 7.  Line a small rimmed baking sheet with foil, leaving an overhang to lift it out and then spray it generously with some canola oil spray. (Mine is 10 inches square)
2. Whisk the flour, soda, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a bowl.  Whisk together the egg, buttermilk and melted butter.  Add all at once to the flour mixture and stir together just to combine.  Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it out evenly.
3.  Whisk your lemon curd and a bit of lemon juice together until it is thin enough to drizzle comfortably. (Depending on your lemon curd, you may not need any.)  Dividing the pancake into quarters, drizzle some of the lemon curd decoratively into each quarter.  Place five blueberries into each quarter, spacing them out evenly.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes, until golden brown and the edges have started to pull away from the side of the pan.  Remove from the oven.  Lift out onto a cutting board and cut into squares to serve.
5. Serve hot with some additional berries and your favourite pancake syrup to drizzle over top.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #EnglishKitchen

Created using The Recipes Generator

 

I love the mix of just a few cooked berries and the some fresh berries scattered over top when you go to eat them.  The lemon curd isn't overpowering, but adds  a subtle touch of sweet moreish lemon. In all truth these are excellent even without any syrup.  Truth. 

 

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Ma's Pancake Men for Pancake Day

 

It hard to believe that tomorrow, the 25th of February, it is Pancake Day. This was a day that we used to really look forward to when I was a child because it was the only day my mom would make us pancakes, so it was a once a year treat for us! I am sure my mom's arms got tired standing at the stove cooking them for us!  We ate our fill!  She had an old wearever aluminium griddle pan that she used.  

 

It looked just like this and after many, many years of use, it was bowed in the middle and no longer sat flat on the burners.  My mom never ever had any other set of pots and pans and these were all she used until the day she passed away.  I am not sure what my sister did with them.  I suspect she gave or threw them away.  They had no real value except for nostalgia's sake.

 

As a food blogger it can be somewhat of a challenge to show you something different each year  when it comes to days like pancake day.  This year I am sharing my Sweet Milk Pancakes,  their shape being inspired by Ma Ingalls from the Little House books. 

This comes from the Little House in the Big Woods.

"For breakfast there were pancakes, and Ma made a pancake man for each one of the children.  Ma called each one in turn to bring her plate, and each could stand by the stove and watch, while with the spoonful of batter Ma put on arms and the legs and head."

 

"It was exciting to watch her turn the whole little man over, quickly and carefully on a hot griddle. When it was done, she put it smoking hot on the plate."

 

I cannot for the life of me think of any kind of pancake that might taste better to a child than a  pancake man!   Some of mine turned out not too bad . . .

 

Some turned out a little bit on the wonky side, which only added to their mystery and deliciousness . . .  I think this was the most unsual of all of my efforts!

 

I took little squares of sweet butter and carved them into hearts to put onto the men.  I thought it would be quite cute!  I think it was . . .

 

No matter how wonky or unsual the men were, the butter heart told a story.  It was the story of "I love you."

  

Look at them sitting there, just waiting to be gobbled up!  Oh how I wish I had some grandchildren close by to feed these delights to!

 

Delicious, light and fluffy, served up piping hot with plenty of  pure Maple Syrup to drizzle over top.

  

The big child in this house gobbled them right up, while Mitzie watched in anticipation.  She always hopes for a tiny taste at the end.

 

Yes she is rather spoiled and truth be told, she doesn't care what shape her treats are that we share with her.  She's just happy to have them, and I will tell you now, that I allow for a certain amount of treats in her alloted food for the day so that she isn't overfed.

 

This is a really lovely pancake recipe, wether you bake them as men, or as rounds.  Light and fluffy  . . .  not too sweet.  There is plenty of sweet with the syrup.

 

If you are not making Pancake Men, you can bake these in rounds, and even drop on bits of fruit while they are baking on the griddle.  Chopped peaches, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, even chocolate chips and bananas . . .  all are very good.

 

When my own children were growing up we usually had pancakes on Saturdays, and of course any time they had a friend to stay over night . . .  and yes also on Pancake Day.

  

Like my mother, my arms would get tired standing at the stove cooking their fill.  With five hungry children you can imagine that took quite a while.  Like my mother, it was always a true labor of love.

Sweet Milk Pancakes

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 pancake men, or 20 - 24 round pancakes

Author: Marie Rayner

Light and fluffy.  Serve hot with butter, maple syrup and fresh fruit if desired.

ingredients:

• 75g butter, plus extra for buttering the griddle pan (1/3 cup)
• 300ml milk (1 1/4 cup)
• 2 large free range eggs
• 180g plain flour (1 1/3 cups)
• 1 TBS caster sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• maple syrup, butter and fresh fruit to serve

instructions:

How to cook Sweet Milk Pancakes

1. Put the butter and milk into a small saucepan.  Heat gently to melt the butter. Set aside to cool.
2. Lightly beat the eggs and then whisk in the milk and butter mixture, combining well. 
3. Measure the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl.  Add the wet ingredients all at once.  Stir together to combine just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.  The mixture doesn't need to be completely smooth, and in fact is better if you don't overmix it.
4. Heat a large griddle pan and butter it lightly by rubbing the surface carefully with a piece of kitchen paper towelling that has been dipped in softened butter.
5. To make pancake men (and I suggest you do these one at a time) ladle a circle of batter into the centre with a smaller circle on top for the head and four appendages at the sides for the arms and legs. Cook until bubbles break on the surface, then carefully flip over and cook on the underside for a further minute, or until golden brown.  Scoop off and keep warm in a low oven while you cook the rest.
6. To make regular pancakes, ladle spoonfuls of the mixture onto the pan for each pancake, up to 5 or so at a time.  Cook as above.
7. Serve warm with plenty of syrup for pouring, butter for spreading and, if desired, fresh fruit.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #EnglishKitchen

Created using The Recipes Generator

  

If you are interested in exploring all of the varieties of pancake recipe that  I have posted on here through the years, I did a post back in 2016 listing all of them.  You can find that post here.  There is something there to suit every taste!  Happy Pancake Day! 

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Apple Puff Pancake

 

A  lot of us are going to be entertaining people in our home over the next month or so.  Some of them may even be staying overnight.  When I have people overnight, one thing I like to do is to serve them a special breakfast in the morning when everyone is up and about. 

 

I don't think you can get much nicer than a beautiful Apple Puff Pancake.  It cooks in one pan and will feed six, and you don't have to stand over top of it while it is cooking like you do regular pancakes.

 

You can throw it together, pop it into an oven and then sit down and enjoy a hot drink or a glass of juice with your guests.

 

Its really very simple to do.  If you are thinking ahead, you can take the milk and eggs out of the refrigerator as soon as you get up so that they are at room temperature, but no worries if you haven't had the forethought to do that.  I give you instructions on how to do that very quickly in the notes of the recipe.

 

I like to use Granny Smith apples for this. They have a lovely sweet/tart flavour and they hold their shape well when cooking.

 

You don't want apples to settle into mush . . .  you want to see the pieces in there!

 

I like to use my iron skillet as it moves very well from oven to table top.  Its oven proof and is quite attractive.

 

It also holds the heat well, so your pancake won't cool off too quickly if you have stragglers who take their time getting to the table.

 

Just make sure you warn your guests not to touch the handle as it will be very hot.  Even better, wrap the handle in an attractive tea towel or get one of those handle shaped pot holders.  Better safe than sorry.

 

You butter the skillet really well with real butter.  I don't like butter substitutes if I can help it.  There is no substitute for the flavour of real butter  . . .

 

The apples are peeled, sliced and tossed together with some sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.  These get dumped into the buttered pan.  Its okay if they look lopsided and some end up sticking out of the batter.

 

These bits will get a bit caramelised and add not only to the beauty of the finished dish, but also to the flavour.

 

Other than that all you need to do then is to beat together the pancake batter and pour it over the apples in the skillet. It won't cover them all as I said, that's okay.

 

Gently shake the pan back and forth with the handle to help the pancake batter settle into the pan and then just bang the whole thing into the oven.

 

Now put out some rashers of streaky bacon on a lined baking sheet, and set it aside until about 15 minutes before the pancake is  done and go have a sit down with your company for a few.

 

Pop the pan of bacon into the oven about 15 minutes before the pancake is done and set the table. Fill a pouring jug with some pure Maple Syrup.

   

Let the pancake sit for about 10 minutes before you serve it. It looks really pretty dusted with some icing sugar.  Cut it into wedges to serve along with some crisp bacon and a drizzle of maple syrup. Oh boy, some good!

Yield: 6

Author: Marie Rayner

Apple Puff Pancake

In a French Kitchen, this would be called a clafoutis. Clafoutis, Pancake, apple flan, no matter what you call it, this is one heavenly breakfast dish!

ingredients:

• 2 tsp softened butter to butter the pan
• 150g white sugar, divided (3/4 cup)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 140g plain flour (1 cup)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large free range eggs, at room temperature
• 240ml whole milk, at room temperature (1 cup)
• icing sugar to dust and maple syrup for pouring

instructions:

How to cook Apple Puff Pancake

1. Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Butter a heavy 10-inch oven proof skillet with the softened butter and set aside.
2. Take 2 TBS of the sugar and mix with the cinnamon and nutmeg.  Add the apples and toss well together.  Transfer to the buttered skillet.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt along with the remaining sugar, until well blended.
4. Whisk together the egg and milk.  Add all at once to the flour mixture.  Whisk together until smooth and well blended.
5. Pour the batter over the apples in the skillet.  Give the skillet a bit of a shake back and forth so that the filling settles.  Its okay if some apples are sticking out of the batter as they will slightly caramelise.
6. Place the whole skillet into the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
7. Let sit for 10 minutes, then dust with icing sugar and serve.  Cut into wedges to serve and serve with some bacon and maple syrup if desired.

NOTES:

To bring milk and eggs to room temperature, heat the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds and place the eggs into a measure of hot tap water and leave them to sit while you get all the other ingredients together, at which time they will be perfectly at room temperature.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #EnglishKitchen

Created using The Recipes Generator

 

If you really wanted to be festive you could add some fresh or dried cranberries to the apples before you pour the batter over top, but trust me when I tell you it is pretty perfect just as it is!

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