I know that I am a chef and its easy for me, but I really can not believe some people do not know how to make pancakes, they have obviously not been taught the most basic cooking techniques. The most popular recipe in The Real Food for kids cookbook is the simple recipe for how to make pancakes. I think it is a shame that we are losing the ability to cook and people don’t know how easy it is to make pancakes, clever marketing by food companies has told us that we are too busy, that the packet/jar they are selling will save you time and packaged pancake and cake mixes are a really good example of how this really isn’t the case, and people purchase them regularly as they don’t know any different. Most cakes and pancake recipes are just a base of a few simple ingredients that need to be mixed together such as: self raising flour, eggs, butter, milk & flavouring such as cocoa or vanilla. That is it.. When you buy a mix you still need to add butter and eggs. So what is left to be in the mix that you purchased, in yet another package to toss out? Self raising flour, sugar, milk powders and flavouring. Yes, packet mixes are handy if its something you will only cook once and you don’t want all the different ingredients in the pantry but they are not going to save you any time, and the packets are not economical to purchase.
Pancakes are a popular regular weekend treat in our house, I serve them with a homemade berry coulis, fresh berries when in season and a lower in sugar full fat natural or fruit yogurt, we like Jalna Brand if we haven’t made our own yogurt. So for a special breakfast they are not all that high in sugar or fat at all! The girls chose pancakes at a popular fast-food restaurant a while back, and the girls actually said that the pancakes were too sweet, and they are, it was like eating a lolly.
One day (soon hopefully) I’ll get around to doing a full comparison fat content and sugar content on home-made verses fast food and packaged food. We all know home-made tastes much better, and have you seen how much sugar is in a jar of a tomato pasta sauce? Is it really that hard to chop a garlic clove, some onion whack them in a pan and add some tomatoes and herbs?? You need to be organised but it is not hard or time consuming!! I have no qualifications in nutrition but I am thinking that surely, pizza that is a thin home-made base and lots of toppings, including plenty of vegetables and a sprinkle of cheese, as it should be made must be a better choice than the pizza you find at a fast-food shops that is a thick base soaked in fat, topped with lots of cheap fatty meat and lots of cheap tasteless cheese! I would consider a lean homemade burger with lots of salad and a small wholemeal bun a healthy family meal, but the reputation of burgers has been destroyed by fast food chains and burgers are now thought of as “sometimes food”. The Real Food for Kids Cookbook is full of simple recipes to encourage families to eat less processed food.
Anyway I am sharing my Pancake recipe from the book, as the Pancake making conversation recently came up again with some parents, and I think everyone needs to know how easy it is to make pancakes!!
Pancakes
2 cups self-raising flour
¼ cup castor sugar
2 eggs
2 cups of milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon butter
Sift the flour into a bowl. Add salt and sugar. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs and whisk. Next add the milk and vanilla essence, combine and then whisk until smooth. The mixture should have the consistency of a silky smooth batter (or consistency of double cream) without any lumps. If lumpy continue whisking until the batter is lump free. Allow the batter to stand for 10 minutes before using.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Brush the pan with a small amount of butter. Using ¼ cup of mixture per pancake and making two pancakes at a time, pour two ¼ cups of batter into the frying pan (if you prefer to cook one pancake at a time use a smaller non stick frying pan). Cook the pancakes for 2-3 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface.
To flip, gently push a fish slice under each pancake, then with one swift movement, flip the pancakes over. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter. To keep pancakes warm stack on a plate in a low temperature oven (approx 50°C)
Serve with seasonal berries and honey or banana and maple syrup with a generous helping of yoghurt or cream.
My kids love helping in the kitchen making their own lunch box food such as scrolls, yogurt muffins, chocolate balls, kiss biscuits and pizzas and helping roll out pasta for dinner and making Nuggets, all these recipes and more in The Real Food for Kids Cookbook!
You can now get your copy of The Real Food for Kids Cookbook for $19 or buy both my books for $50 (includes post in AUS) If you like the recipe please share it so your friends can enjoy it too! Thanks Eloise Xx
Eloise Emmett 