Pancakes – Pure and Simple!

When the weather starts cooling down and you wake up to a brisk morning, it seems to demand that the scent of pancakes should be permeating your home. A side of bacon and eggs wouldn’t go amiss, either. Colder weather demands a heartier breakfast. It is also time to start thinking about holiday breakfasts and company being in the house. I like my pancakes simple: maple syrup and butter.

Easy Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 (perhaps a bit more) cup whole milk
1 large egg
4 tablespoons melted butter

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the rest of the listed ingredients and mix until smooth. If the batter is too thick, thin it with a little milk.

Heat the frying pan, add a bit of butter or favorite oil, and pour in 1/4 cups of batter for each pancake. When the surface bubbles, it is time to turn it over. Cook to desired golden brown and serve immediately.

Ideas:
My husband likes to add 1/4 cup of cooked rice to the batter.

Make the batter a bit thinner and then you can roll the pancakes up around stewed apples, chunky jam, cinnamon,brown sugar, and butter.

Adding bacon crumbles to the pancake and serving with warm maple syrup is good, too.

Shrove Tuesday Greetings!

Lent begins tomorrow with Ash Wednesday. You enter church on Ash Wednesday and there is a more solemn feeling with the flowers removed and the readings and Gospels beginning our path to Holy Week, the Crucifixion, and, ultimately the Resurrection which begins the Easter Season.

For many, however, the day before Ash Wednesday (as in TODAY!), is a day to have a last fling with treats and celebration before we put aside our party mood to follow the way of the Cross once more.

To many, today is called Shrove Tuesday. Shrove comes from the word ‘shrive’ which means a time to take some time for self-examination and consideration of what wrongs or bad habits in our lives can be resolved or stopped in the next six weeks of Lent. It should be a time of pursuing spiritual growth, asking for God’s help, and undoing wrongs that may have hurt others. Given some of the celebration of Mardi Gras, I’m thinking many people will be adding to the ‘need to shrive’ list by the end of the evening!

Today can be also called Pancake Tuesday. Many people use Lent to offer sacrifices in their daily lives as in things they like to do or things they enjoy eating. Pancake Tuesday represents our last taste of rich foods as pancakes (if they are made well!), are comprised of whole milk, good flour, butter, and eggs not to forget the rivers of syrup and mountains of melting butter on top.

Long before the Christian Era came into play, the ancient Slavs thought of the change of seasons as a struggle between Jarilo, the God of fertility, vegetation, and spring time and the evil spirits found in the cold and darkness of winter. Naturally, the people decided that Jarilo could use some help in overcoming the gloominess of the spirit-ridden winter months and decided that pancakes was the way to go! The round pancakes coming hot out of the pan were symbolic of the sun and it’s warmth. By consuming the pancakes, it was believed it gave off the light, power, and heat of the sun. I guess, the more that were made and eaten, the sooner the dismal winter times were banished.

Naturally, every country has a treat that is enjoyed the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The English go with the with the pancakes. The Polish people have special jelly donuts called Paczki. In Germany, housewives fry up doughnuts called fashnachts which it German for ‘Eve of the Fast.

The English made pancakes, the Poles jelly doughnuts called paczki. In Germany, women bustled about frying up doughnuts called fastnachts (German for “Eve of the Fast”). In researching, I discovered that just about every country has a special pancake primarily reserved for this day! Some differ by topping, others include special ingredients in the batter. At our house, we prefer waffles so I guess that in our neck of the woods, we started our own little tradition. No matter how you observe the vigil of Lent, if it bring family together, it is a good thing.

O kind Creator, bow Thine ear

To Mark the cry, to know the tear

Before Thy throne of mercy spent

In this Thy holy fast of Lent.

Roman Breviary, Hymn audi benigne Conditor for Vespers.

Falling Leaves and Apple Pancakes – Longing for Cooler Weather!

All it takes are a few days where the temperatures around here go below 100 degrees to get me wishfully thinking about the cooler weather of Fall and baking up tasty things like fresh, hot pancakes in the morning. This is a good one and different from the usual and goes great with a few strips of bacon on the side.

Cinnamon Apple Pancakes

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash of ground cloves
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 beaten egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup softened butter
1 cup peeled and finely chopped tart apple

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, spices and sugar. In another bowl combine the egg milk, vanilla, butter, and apples. Stir into the flour mixture until just combined and there are no floury bits in the batter. Bake the pancake in a hot, greased griddle or frying pan.

The size you want to make your pancakes is up to you but I like using about a quarter of a cup for each one. The recipe is easily doubled to make sure everyone gets their fill!