Homemade crispy pancakes

Urgh, don't you just hate it when household appliances go wrong? I've had a split hose on my vacuum and a leaky washing machine. Luckily both have been an easy (and cheap) fix, but it is frustrating when things like this happen. Especially with a family of 5 as the washing mountain soon became huge while we waited for the new part.

Anyway, in the world of crafting I've been having lots of fun gaining inspiration from Instagram and  a new blog I found: the barefoot crafter. In her most recent blog post she has made the cutest little clutch bag and now I'm planning on something similar but to hold the basics for little miss. As she's almost 2 now (where did that go??) we don't always need a full change of clothes and numerous clean nappies etc. but my handbag is simply not big enough to carry the extra couple of bits I need some days.  I want to make something that suits all purposes but isn't as big as a changing bag, as bulky as a rucksack or as easy to tip out as a tote. My main issue at the moment though seems to be a severe lack of time to craft now that little miss has decided she no longer needs a midday nap.

One thing I remembered after clicking post last week was that I'd been a little more adventurous this year for Shrove Tuesday. Instead of sticking with my old staples of syrup and lemon and sugar as toppings, where I keep pancakes just for pudding, I decided to give my very own crispy pancakes a whirl. I remember eating these as a kid and while they are still available, I haven't been able to source my all time favourite cheese filled ones in my local supermarkets.

Picture credit - Google images

I've made crispy pancakes once before so I knew what I was up to, and yet I still found it took me ages (that may have been because I had some *help* or it may just have been my very old and temperamental oven). I think with a little more preparation beforehand though such as making a large batch of bolognese/cottage pie/cheese sauce or whatever your chosen filling is would cut down the length of time it takes. According to the husband it would also be easier with ready made pancakes but for me that's cheating (no shame though if that's how you roll).



So, in case you fancy it, here's the how to...

Ingredients:
100g plain flour
2 eggs
300 ml milk
oil
egg wash (I used 2 eggs)
breadcrumbs
your chosen fillings

1) Put your flour in a bowl and make a small well in the centre. Add your eggs and about half the milk and whisk until smooth. Then add in the rest of your milk and whisk again until you have a smooth consistency reminiscent of double cream.

2) Make your pancakes by frying in a little oil, turning once the pancake batter starts to bubble or the mixture appears to have 'set'. You should be able to lift the edge with a fish slice and can check how golden brown the pancake is. You can toss your pancake to turn it or play it safe with a fish slice. Cook as many pancakes as you need and reserve any extra mix for pudding pancakes if you wish.

Picture credit - BBC Good Food

3) To fill your pancakes, spoon your chosen filling (you can literally choose anything and I'm sat here now thinking about making some ratatouille ones) onto one half of the pancake, fold the pancake and then using a little of the egg wash, seal the edge. You can then dip in the egg wash making sure top and bottom are coated and then do the same in the breadcrumbs. Place onto a baking tray.

4) Once all your pancakes are filled and coated,  bake them in a preheated oven (190C/ Gas5) for 15 mins and voila, scrummy crispy pancakes just like Findus used to make. We had ours with chips and beans, but salad and potatoes would work too, or potato waffles and peas, whatever you fancy 😁 These can be frozen too so you could make ahead of time, just be sure to follow food safety guidelines, particularly with your fillings.

I shook things up this time and used crushed nachos instead of breadcrumbs - OK this was born of necessity as I'm rubbish at making breadcrumbs and  Aldi didn't have any, but it worked really well  and added a nice crunch to the meal.

So there you have it, this weeks blog post. I have everything crossed that next week I will have a completed project to show you. But before I go, here is a pic of the card I made which I mentioned last week. It was for my lovely big brother who has been a VW camper van enthusiast for many years (although he hasn't as yet got round to owning one). I have another birthday card to share with you next week, but the recipient won't have opened it yet.

Until next time,

M x