Top 10 pancake tips to make your Pancake Day extra enjoyable

The foodies at Taste.com.au have shared their must-try tips for creating perfect pancakes - just in time for Pancake Day (is there a more delicious day?).

February 13 is Shrove Tuesday - also known as Pancake Day. The day always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday (a feast that is determined by the cycles of the moon), so the date changes slightly each year. The word ‘shrove’ originates from the English word ‘shrive’, which is the act of confessing one’s sins and doing penance. Making pancakes is a tradition that was developed as a means of using up rich foods such as eggs, milk and sugar before the 40-days of fasting.

Whip up a batch of fluffy, crispy pancakes with these top tips.

• Instead of using self-raising flour, add baking powder to plain flour. This lets you control the raising agents in your batter for thicker pancakes.
• Don’t forget the 1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda. It reacts with the acid in the buttermilk, creating bubbles of air, making the pancakes light and fluffy.
• Using buttermilk in the batter instead of plain milk adds a subtle tangy flavour which pairs deliciously with maple syrup.
• Don’t over-mix the batter, or you’ll end up with rubbery pancakes! This is the one time lumps in the batter are allowed.

• Greasing the pan with butter gives pancakes a nice crisp edge. Place a 50g piece of butter in the centre of a sheet of paper towel. Gather up the sides and twist to make a bag. Rub the bag over the pan while it’s hot to release the right amount of butter.
• Make sure the pancakes are cooked evenly before flipping them in the pan – wait until lots of bubbles form on the surface and start to pop, then flip them.
• Use a medium-low heat to allow the pancakes to cook slowly, so they cook through to the centre and don’t burn.

• Once you’ve mastered plain pancakes, try adding a little fruit for natural sweetness. When the batter is in the pan, place or scatter a few pieces of fruit on top before flipping. Blueberries, sliced banana or raspberries are delicious choices for breakfast.
• To make perfect whipped butter, make sure the butter is at room temperature before you start beating it.
• For variety, try adding new flavours to your whipped butter, such as lemon rind, crushed raspberries or chopped candied pecans.

For more recipe ideas, go to taste.com.au or check out the Taste Test Kitchen now.

Originally published as Top 10 pancake tips to make your Pancake Day extra enjoyable