Traditional Welsh Pancakes Recipes

CREMPOG

Steps:

• Gently warm the buttermilk in a saucepan.
• Stir in the butter and stir over a low heat until melted.
• Place the flour in a bowl.
• Gradually pour the milk and butter into the flour and beat well.
• Leave the mixture to stand for at least 30 minutes; a few hours would be even better.
• Beat the eggs in a separate bowl.
• Add the sugar, baking soda, salt and vinegar to the eggs and mix.
• Pour the egg mixture into the flour one and beat until a smooth batter is formed.
• Grease a frying pan and heat until hot but not smoking.
• Drop the batter, a tablespoon at a time, onto the frying pan, and cook over a moderate heat until golden brown on both sides.
• Keep the pancakes warm until you've used up all the batter.
• Traditionally, you're meant to slather butter on the crempog but you can enjoy it with any type of topping you fancy!

TRADITIONAL WELSH PANCAKES

Steps:

• Beat everything together to a thick batter except the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar.
• Heat a griddle or frying pan to smoking hot and then add the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to the batter.
• Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the surface and allow to turn golden on both sides. What size you make them is up to you.
• Spread each with lots of salted butter and stack in a pile before cutting in thick wedges to eat.
• Note: Vinegar helps bring lift and lightness to batter; it was used in Britain as a raising aid to Yorkshire pudding when eggs were rationed.

CLASSIC PANCAKES

Steps:

• Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre with the back of a spoon then break in the egg and pour in half the milk. Whisk together, gradually incorporating the flour to make a smooth thick batter. Beat thoroughly to remove any lumps, then stir in the rest of the milk.
• Heat a little oil or butter in a medium frying pan, then tip off the excess into a bowl. Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter into the pan, tilting the pan as you pour, until the batter thinly coats the base. Cook over a moderate heat for 30 seconds to one minute until golden brown on the underside.
• Flip over the pancake with a palette knife, and cook the other side until it is golden brown. Slide the pancake out of the pan on to a plate, heat a little more oil or butter and cook the remaining pancakes one at a time in the same way.
• If preparing in advance, cook and stack the pancakes. Reheat in the microwave on Medium (750W) for about 2 minutes. Alternatively, heat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C. Wrap the pancakes in foil and warm them through in the oven for 10 minutes.

PERFECT PANCAKES RECIPE

Steps:

• Put 100g plain flour and a pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl.
• Make a well in the centre and crack 2 eggs into the middle.
• Pour in about 50ml from the 300ml of semi-skimmed milk and 1 tbsp sunflower oil then start whisking from the centre, gradually drawing the flour into the eggs, milk and oil. Once all the flour is incorporated, beat until you have a smooth, thick paste. Add a little more milk if it is too stiff to beat.
• Add a good splash of milk and whisk to loosen the thick batter. While still whisking, pour in a steady stream of the remaining milk. Continue pouring and whisking until you have a batter that is the consistency of slightly thick single cream.
• Heat the pan over a moderate heat, then wipe it with oiled kitchen paper.
• Ladle some batter into the pan, tilting the pan to move the mixture around for a thin and even layer. Quickly pour any excess batter into the mixing bowl, return the pan to the heat.
• Leave to cook, undisturbed, for about 30 secs. If the pan is the right temperature, the pancake should turn golden underneath after about 30 secs and will be ready to turn.
• Hold the pan handle, ease a palette knife under the pancake, then quickly lift and flip it over. Make sure the pancake is lying flat against the base of the pan with no folds, then cook for another 30 secs before turning out onto a warm plate.
• Continue with the rest of the batter, serving them as you cook or stack onto a plate. You can freeze the pancakes for 1 month, wrapped in cling film or make them up to a day ahead.