As you must all be aware.. it is Shrove Tuesday today and houses up and down the land will be busy whisking batter and flipping perfectly formed pancakes to dust with sugar and lemon and consume with relish..
Not in this household... alas......
My flips have flopped this year and I am still scratching my head as to why? Last year I produced a yummy stack of pancake perfections for my son who is rather partial to these annual delicacies..This year I used the same Delia recipe and the same non stick griddle and the same wrist technique and I have not produced the same results... far from it!
The panic set in at 5.00p.m as I attempted my first flip... pouring the golden batter onto a smoking hot griddle ... seconds later scraping it off in dismay and throwing the mangled mess into the bin. Attempt No: 2 was equally pathetic and on the third attempt I consulted Delia's instructions to see if I had missed out any vital ingredients..i.e eggs..flour.. milk..
This reminds me of my Domestic Science O level... many years ago now... my best friend Heather who was not entirely successful in the kitchen dept.. decided to make a pineapple upside down cake (all the rage in those days) for one of her exam dishes.. . She went to retrieve her cake from the oven .. only to discover to her horror and my mirth.. that she had forgotten to put the flour in the mix.. the pineapple rings were floating in a sea of buttery treacle...Poor girl.. now I know what the contestants on MasterChef feel like..!
Well my ravenous son will not miss out this year as Mr Cowboys & Custard has gone over to his mother's this evening where she can cook a very decent pancake.. 86 years of experience helps. I am assured that a special delivery of pancakes will arrive some time this evening.. thanks mother in law .. you have saved the day!
These are ones I made earlier... no I can't lie.. they are domestic goddess Delia's!
Well at least Pickles thought it was amusing.. as long as he doesn't miss out on his fish supper!
Enjoy your Pancake feast this evening and may they all flip successfully. Bon appetit !
Tuesday, 5 February 2008
Flip Flops!
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22 comments:
You must have only just posted this, as it is still only 7.29 on my computer! I must go and get on with making pancakes, we are having savoury ones, with mushrooms and stuff! Your mother-in-law's ones look very enticing, maybe we will have sweet ones as well...
Vanessa
Hi Vanessa
Yes it is hot of the press or frying pan!
I forgot to add that the photo of the plate of perfect pancakes are in fact Delia's.. I have now amended this.
Enjoy your savoury ones... sound yummy!
Michele
I use Delia too, just opened the book, and there are your perfect pancakes! I really should know how to make pancakes without a recipe by now, I make them a lot for guests, but I still have to check the recipe. Vanessa
We've just had ours with trad lemon and sugar and maple syrup yum!Did you put a knob of butter in the pan like Delia says?Never mind you'll be eating the Mo in laws.Don't worry you can have another go next year!
Awww Michele, I know how you feel....I hope you enjoy your Mother-in-laws pancakes though.
I usually leave the job to my middle daughter, who insists on adding chopped pears, brown sugar and brandy to her perfectly formed pancakes....I oblige by eating plenty of them of course!
Niki x
Hi Michele, well at least you tried, I didn't, no pancakes in this household today. Bless your ma-in-law for saving the day!
Lucy x
Well at least you remembered! With the confusion of parents evening tonight I completely forgot. Hope its not a bad thing to have them on Ash Wednesday because I love them - sadly I'm the only one in this house but who cares!
Stephx - Saint Delia's halo does occassionally slip (remember that appearance on the football pitch?) Perhaps she was having one of those days when she wrote that one!
I know what you mean! I threw the first one that I made, down the waste disposal! Then I called for my hubby who is a great cook and he told me the secret..a very very very hot pan! He then took over and cooked some perfect pancakes..Grrrr! ;-)Sal
Hi Michele,
Our pancakes were far from perfect but after the first 2 disasters the pan finally got into the idea it was cooking pancakes and stopped sticking. I followed Hugh FW recipe and instructions from The Family Cookbook.(a great book) My pancakes looked nothing like Delias or Hughs but as my man usually does them i was pleased with my attempt. Hope you get to enjoy your m in l's later.
ginny
x
Oh dear!!! M is pancake king in this house but on pancake day I covet the crown and have a go! I use Nigella for pancakes, she's always a bit hit and miss, but it works. Of course I never do the flipping, the frying pan is too heavy to lift let alone toss in the air! Hope you enjoyed your mother in law's and Pickles enjoyed his supper - he does look a lot like the cat who got the cream in that photo.
KImx
Your cat picture cracks me up! Silly kitty. He looks like he's laughing.
I just want you to know that I think you are an amazing woman. I know we've never met, but you have blessed my life in ways you don't know. I am so glad that you and I found each other (probably through Kath!). I sincerely appreciate your heart-felt comments on my blog and your friendship. All of your words of encouragement have not fallen on blind eyes. I have taken everything you have said to heart and thought. Sometimes you say the exact thing I need to hear, and I appreciate that more than I can say. You are a very sweet, compassionate, hilarious, loving woman. My world is a better place having you in it, even though we are oceans away. Your blogs are an absolute delight, and I love looking at all of your pictures of creativity come to life.
I hope you got to eat at least some yummy pancakes. ;)
Love and hugs,
Michelle
We regularly make pancakes here as I quite often get a text from my son on his way home from work asking for pancakes for tea 'pleeeease Mum?!' D S lessons, oh fond memories! I remember once being heavy handed with the green food colouring and making a bright green blancmange which looked revolting. However someone was sufficiently starving enough to devour it on the school bus home!
Look at the SMILE on your kittykat's face! I LOVE it!!! I'd forgotten it was Shrove Tuesday, as we don't celebrate it here (we should though -- my hubby makes a pretty darn good pancake, so I would have had the evening off from cooking)! =) Sometimes he puts a little orange juice into the batter. I just put a dab of butter on mine when it's done, but my kids soak theirs in maple syrup!
Well done for effort! Maybe your pan was a little too hot if they stuck, did you put enough oil in?
We had pancakes last night too and reading this has made me hungry for more, not good for the waistline!
Hugs,
Carol x
I had to laugh, my first two came out like that and I've got a non stick pan ! Still ate them though,standing up at the cooker!
They miraculously improved after that...although I burnt Nicks 4 whilst trying to cook them AND check blogs..
p.s- bizarrely the recipe I used had vegetable oil in- not sure if that is standard (was Mary Berrys) but seemed to work. I did have to seive the mixture though as had big lumps of congealed flour in the bottom...bleurrgh..
I was interested to see you cooking pancakes on the aga. I have not succesfuly done it on the rayburn solid fuel or oil. I just can't get the pan (the same as yours) hot enough. So last night I resorted to the electric. If I was going to cook it in the rayburn I think I might try the base of the oven this works a treat for pizza
Your cat is smiling!
I'm so ashamed... I completely forgot! I had liver n onions instead, I tossed it in the pan too but not on purpose!
I am ROFL looking a your poor pancake attempt and Pickle's photo! LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!! Ahhh, ya got me on this post! I am curious as to the pancake ritual. You'll have to fill me in. I am a bit unschooled on the English traditions. I have a great pancake recipe it you ever want it....tried and true a hundred times over.
Thanks for the laughs!
Becky
xo
Flipping 'eck I missed it!
Hi Michele. After every Shrove Tuesday, I always say I am going to make pancakes more often, but do I ever. I am surprised that your pancakes were a failure, although the first one in the pan is always dodgy. I made pineapple upside-down pudding at school too, my mum and day always looked forward to the days I would be taking home spoils. It looks like those pancakes were laying heavy on poor Pickles stomach! x
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