You know you’re starting to reach adulthood when your friends start moving away. It doesn’t hit you until people start graduating from university, and you realise that the temporary exit they made from your life is becoming permanent. Last week, one of my good friends moved out of Southampton and into the capital, and I know I’m going to miss her a lot. However, I’m a big celebrator of taking new steps in life, expanding horizons and branching out, and what better way to celebrate her move into her (unfairly beautiful) new London home than with a road trip with some equally unfairly beautiful friends and a Sunday morning of fairly beautiful pancakes?
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| It’s kinda great having a pro barista as your host |
This pancake recipe is so simple that you could probably make it with your eyes closed. Don’t try that, though, because the gift of sight is a real treat when it comes to these huge, fluffy pancakes. I have used so many different pancake recipes in my time, and this is one that I always come back to because of its simplicity. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know I hate baking – and although by definition, pancakes aren’t baked goods, they’re close enough to inspire stress in me anyway. Because all you do is measure out the ingredients and mix them together (with no baking powder or bicarb of soda or whatever complicated little ingredients that most baking involves), you can focus completely on the cooking process and toppings. We used a range of different things – from m&ms to berries, maple syrup, lemon and icing sugar, as well as some homemade grapefruit jam (homemade by my friend’s mum, not me!) for a citrus-y edge.
Thick & Fluffy American Style Pancakes (Serves 4)
Ingredients
– 300g self-raising flour
– 100g sugar
– 4 eggs
– 375ml milk
– large pinch salt
1. Sift together dry ingredients.
2. Beat eggs in a bowl.
3. Add eggs and milk to dry ingredients and whisk together until a smooth batter is formed.
4. Heat a large non-stick pan and using a ladle, spoon in the mixture (one ladleful of batter per pancake). If you don’t have a non-stick pan, or if your non-stick doesn’t always live up to its name, use a small amount of butter in the bottom of the pan. Once bubbles start forming on the surface of the pancake, flip and cook for a further 30 seconds.
5. Stack your pancakes and serve with whichever toppings you like. Enjoy!
