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Edinburgh Live

National

Abbie Meehan

Pancake Day 2023: Shrove Tuesday recipes and the meaning behind special celebration

Oil Blue Cross

As we all look forward to consuming large quantities of pancakes, not many people step back to think about the meaning of Shrove Tuesday.

Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent – the 40 days leading up to Easter – was traditionally a time of fasting and on Shrove Tuesday, Anglo-Saxon Christians went to confession and were absolved from their sins.

Most people give up their favourite treats for Lent, like chocolate, crisps and carb-loaded fast food - and more traditional celebrators fast from certain meats for the 40 days instead.

On Shrove Tuesday itself, people are given a chance to enjoy rich and fatty foods as a last celebration before fasting begins.

Pancakes are traditionally eaten because they were a way to use up the rich foods people have – such as eggs and milk – before they went bad during the long fast.

According to religious texts, the ingredients are also said to represent the four pillars of the Christian faith. Eggs represent creation, flour as the mainstay of the human diet, salt for wholesomeness, and milk represents purity.

So, which pancakes will you be making this year? Fluffy, American-style ones, traditional butter and syrup, or even some for your pets?

Simple and Easy Pancakes - BBC Good Food

Ingredients:

100g plain flour
Two large eggs
300ml milk
One tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil, plus a little extra for frying
Lemon wedges and caster sugar to serve (optional)

Method:

Step One - Put 100g plain flour, 2 large eggs, 300ml milk, 1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil and a pinch of salt into a bowl or large jug, then whisk to a smooth batter.

Step Two - Set aside for 30 mins to rest if you have time, or start cooking straight away.

Step Three - Set a medium frying pan or crêpe pan over a medium heat and carefully wipe it with some oiled kitchen paper.

Step Four - When hot, cook your pancakes for 1 min on each side until golden, keeping them warm in a low oven as you go.

Step Five - Serve with lemon wedges and caster sugar, or your favourite filling. Once cold, you can layer the pancakes between baking parchment, then wrap in cling film and freeze for up to 2 months.

Dog-friendly Pancakes - The Blue Cross

Ingredients:

One medium egg
180ml buttermilk
Two tablespoons peanut butter (with no xylitol)
64g buckwheat flour
Two tablespoons quick-cook polenta
Half a teaspoon baking powder
Two to three tablespoons of water
Coconut oil

Peanut butter drizzle ingredients:

Two tablespoons peanut butter (with no xylitol)
One tablespoon warm water
Strawberries with stalks removed (optional)

Method:

Step One - Mix the egg, buckwheat flour, polenta and baking powder together in a mixing bowl until you get a thick batter. Add water if needed.

Step Two - Let the batter stand for 10 minutes

Step Three - Heat your frying pan on a medium heat with a little splash of coconut oil

Step Four - Add a ladle of batter to the frying pan and cook for around two minutes, before flipping your pancake and cooking for a further one minute on the other side

Step Five - Pop the pancake on a plate and use your bone cookie cutter to create fun bone shaped pancakes

Step Six - Next up is the peanut butter drizzle – mix two tablespoons of peanut butter with one tablespoon of warm water until it’s a nice smooth, runny texture

Step Seven - Drizzle your peanut butter sauce over your dog’s pancakes and add some fresh strawberries with the stalks removed

American-style Pancakes - BBC Good Food

Ingredients:

One and a half teaspoon baking powder
One tablespoon of golden caster sugar
Three large eggs
25g melted butter, plus extra for cooking
200ml milk
Vegetable oil, for cooking
Maple syrup
Toppings like bacon, chocolate chips and strawberries

Method:

Step One - Mix 200g self-raising flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp golden caster sugar and a pinch of salt together in a large bowl.

Step Two - Create a well in the centre with the back of your spoon then add 3 large eggs, 25g melted butter and 200ml milk.

Step Three - Whisk together either with a balloon whisk or electric hand beaters until smooth then pour into a jug.

Step Four - Heat a small knob of butter and 1 tsp of oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter looks frothy, pour in rounds of the batter, approximately 8cm wide. Make sure you don’t put the pancakes too close together as they will spread during cooking.

Step Five - Cook the pancakes on one side for about 1-2 mins or until lots of tiny bubbles start to appear and pop on the surface. Flip the pancakes over and cook for a further minute on the other side. Repeat until all the batter is used up.

Step Six - Serve your pancakes stacked up on a plate with a drizzle of maple syrup and any of your favourite toppings.