There are two ways to do Pancake Day. The first is the 1-2-3 way: come in from school or work, mix 100g flour, two eggs and 300ml milk, and, hey presto, you’re good to go for pancake fun. The other approach – which is where I’m heading this year – is to concentrate on the part of Pancake Day that’s all about the last indulgent blow-out before the abstinence of Lent. Stack ’em high, prep ahead and enjoy a next-level Pancake Day feast.
Rum and raisin kaiserschmarrn with toasted almonds (pictured top)
This popular Austrian treat is made first by baking one big pancake, then breaking it into smaller pieces and cooking them in sugar and butter. The result – pillowy pieces of pancake with sweet, crisp edges – makes for a fun alternative to the traditional pancake. Make the compote up to a day ahead, or just buy a jar of cherry jam.
Prep 20 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 2
200g frozen cherries, defrosted
80g caster sugar
1 lemon, 4-5 wide strips of zest pared off with a peeler, then juiced, to get 4 tsp
40g raisins
45ml rum (or orange juice)
3 eggs, separated
90g plain flour
125ml whole milk
Fine sea salt
40g unsalted butter
20g flaked almonds, toasted
150g soured cream
1 tbsp icing sugar
Put the cherries, half the caster sugar and the lemon zest in a small saucepan on a high heat, and cook for nine minutes, until the cherries burst and the liquid turns thick and syrupy. Take off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, transfer to a small bowl, then pick out and discard the zest and put the compote in the fridge until needed.
Put the rum or juice, and the raisins, in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then take off the heat and leave to cool.
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Put the egg whites and a tablespoon of caster sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed for two to three minutes, until they form stiff peaks. Transfer to a bowl and set aside, then clean the bowl and whisk attachment.
Put the egg yolks and a tablespoon of caster sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer and whisk on high speed for three minutes, until pale and fluffy. Turn down the speed to medium, add the flour and milk in two batches, and beat in until combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl between batches. Add a half-teaspoon of salt and a quarter of the egg whites to loosen the mixture, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
Put a 28cm nonstick ovenproof frying pan on a medium-high heat. Once hot, melt 30g butter in the pan and pour in the batter mix. Leave to cook for a minute, then scatter over the raisins, reserving any rum (or orange juice) for later. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until risen and cooked through.
Remove and place on the hob on a medium-high heat. Using two wooden spoons, tear the pancake into roughly 5cm pieces, then move them to the edges of the pan. Put the remaining 10g butter and 20g caster sugar in the middle of the pan, cook for a minute, until the sugar has melted, then stir into the pieces of pancakeand take off the heat.
Transfer the pancakes to a serving plate, drizzle over the reserved rum (or orange juice), and spoon the cherry compote and soured cream into any gaps. Sprinkle the almonds on top, dust with the icing sugar and serve.
Lemon, poppyseed and hazelnut pancake cake
This Hungarian-inspired cake comes from my test kitchen colleague Katja Tausig, and is based on one she ate as a child. It’s called rakott palacsinta, and it’s traditionally made with pancakes layered with various combinations of nuts, apricot jam, poppy seeds and chocolate, though we’ve included lemon curd, which brings a welcome freshness. Get ahead by making the filling and the pancakes the night before, and assemble a few hours before serving.
Prep 10 min
Cook 45 min
Assembly 20 min
Serves 8-12
260g plain flour
Fine sea salt
4 eggs, beaten
660ml whole milk
60g unsalted butter
600ml double cream
150g soured cream
200g lemon curd (store-bought), plus 3 extra tbsp
30g poppy seeds, lightly toasted
200g hazelnuts, well toasted
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 lemons – 1 finely grated, to get 1 tbsp zest, then both cut into 4 wedges each
1-2 preserved lemons, halved, pulp and seeds removed and discarded, skin finely chopped (30g)
Sift the flour and a quarter-teaspoon of salt into a large bowl. Put the eggs and milk in a jug and whisk. Make a well in the centre of the flour, slowly pour in the egg mixture and whisk until it’s smooth and lump-free.
Set a 22cm nonstick frying pan on a medium heat, add 5g butter and, once it’s sizzling, pour in four tablespoons of the batter. Swirl around to coat the pan and cook for a minute on each side, until lightly golden. Remove from the pan and place on a tray to cool, then repeat with the remaining butter and batter (use two pans if you’d like to speed up the process) – you should end up with 14 pancakes. Leave to cool completely.
Pour the double cream and soured cream in a large bowl, whisk to soft peaks, then gently fold in the lemon curd.
Put the poppy seeds, hazelnuts, a tablespoon of sugar and the lemon zest in a food processor, pulse to a coarse crumble, then remove and set aside four tablespoons of the mixture.
To assemble the cake, put one pancake on a flat, round serving plate. Use a spatula to apply about four tablespoons of the cream mixture, and spread it evenly all the way to the edges. Sprinkle over two tablespoons of the nut mixture, then lay another pancake on top and repeat until everything but the reserved nut mix is used up. Using a spatula, spread the extra three tablespoons of curd on top, set aside for 30 minutes, then sprinkle the reserved nut mixture on top.
In a small bowl, mix the chopped preserved lemon skin with the remaining tablespoon of sugar, then scatter over the cake. Cut the cake into eight slices and serve with the lemon wedges to squeeze on top.
Qatayef with pistachio and orange syrup
These Levantine yeasted pancakes, which are typically served during Ramadan, cook a bit like thin crumpets. They’re stuffed with a cheese, folded, then doused in sweet syrup. They can be assembled ahead of time and baked just before serving.
Prep 15 min
Rest 50 min
Cook 2 hr
Makes 12
For the batter
110g plain flour
40g fine semolina
1 tsp fast-action dried yeast
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp caster sugar, plus ¼ tsp extra
20g unsalted butter, melted
Fine sea salt
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and lightly crushed in a mortar
20g pistachios, toasted and roughly crushed in a mortar
For the syrup
1 orange – zest finely grated, to get 1½ tsp, and juiced, to get 70ml
140g caster sugar
½ tbsp coriander seeds, lightly toasted
For the filling
50g ricotta
80g low-moisture mozzarella (AKA mozzarella cucina), roughly grated
¼ tsp caster sugar
1 lemon – zest finely grated, to get 1 tsp, then juiced, to get 1 tbsp 30p
First, make the batter. Put the first five ingredients (bar the extra quarter-teaspoon of sugar) and an eighth of a teaspoon of fine sea salt in a large bowl. Whisk in 250ml warm water to make a smooth, uniform batter, then cover and set aside for 50 minutes, until thick and bubbling.
Meanwhile, make the syrup. Put all the syrup ingredients and 70ml water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 90-120 seconds, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is glossy but not thickened.
In a medium bowl, whisk the cheeses, sugar, lemon, orange zest and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, then chill until needed.
Put a large nonstick frying pan on a medium heat and line a large oven tray with baking paper. Brush the pan with melted butter, then pour in two tablespoons of the batter, with the first spoonful in the centre of the pan and the other around it. Cook for 60-90 seconds, until the top is bubbling and set, then gently lift out, transfer bubbly side down to the lined tray, and cover with a tea towel. Repeat with the remaining batter and melted butter, then leave to cool for 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix the coriander seeds, pistachio, the remaining quarter-teaspoon of sugar and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, and set aside.
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Spoon half a tablespoon of the cheese filling on one half of the bubbly side of one pancake, then fold over to enclose in a half-moon shape. Tightly pinch together the edges to seal (go over the seam a few times to make sure), then repeat with the remaining pancakes and filling.
Arrange the folded qatayef in a large roasting tray (or in a concentric but not overlapping circle in a 30cm circular cake tin, if you have one), then bake for 20 minutes, until lightly golden and crisp. Remove, spoon over all the syrup, sprinkle the nut mix all over the top and serve warm directly from the pan.
