As Pancake Tuesday approaches, Siúcra are delighted to share some sweet and savoury pancake inspiration below with recipes including Black Forest Pancakes, Gingerbread Pancakes with Sticky Bananas and Spinach Pancakes with Caramelised Ham and Cheese.
Black Forest Pancakes
For the Cherry Compote
450g (1lb) Cherries, pitted and halved
25g (1oz) Siúcra Golden Granulated Sugar
2 tsp Arrowroot or Cornflour
For the Pancakes
25g (1oz) Butter, plus extra for cooking
175g (6oz) Self-Raising Flour
50g (2oz) Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Baking Powder
25g (1oz) Siúcra Caster Sugar
Pinch of Sea Salt flakes
300ml (1/2 pint) Milk
1 large Egg
Dash of Kirsch (cherry liqueur, optional)
For the Crème Chantilly
200ml (7fl oz) Cream
2 tbsp Siúcra Icing Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
To make the crème Chantilly, put the cream into a bowl with the Siúcra icing sugar and vanilla. Whisk by hand or with an electric beater until you have soft shiny peaks.
To make the pancakes, melt the butter in a small pan or in the microwave. Sieve the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a bowl and stir in the Siúcra caster sugar and salt. Whisk the milk, egg and melted butter in a jug with the kirsch, if using. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and whisk in the liquid ingredients until smooth.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add a knob of butter and then spoon in heaped tablespoons of the batter; you should fit in four at a time. Once bubbles begin to appear on the pancakes, then turn them over and cook for another minute or so until golden. Repeat – you should end up with 12 pancakes in total.
To serve, place a pancake on each serving plate and spoon over some of the cherry compote, then add a dollop of the crème Chantilly. Add another pancake and repeat the layers, finishing with a dollop of the crème Chantilly. Decorate each one with any remaining cherry compote and some grated plain chocolate to serve.
Gingerbread Pancakes with Sticky Bananas
Ingredients
For the Sticky Bananas
75g (3oz) Siúcra Rich Dark Sugar
½ tsp Vanilla Extract
4 Small Bananas
25g (1oz) Butter
For the Pancakes
225g (8oz) Self-Raising Flour
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 tsp Ground Ginger
Pinch of Salt
50g (2oz) Siúcra Light Golden Brown Sugar
Finely grated rind of 1 small Lemon
300ml (½ pint) Milk
1 Large Egg
Sunflower Oil, for cooking
Cinnamon Sticks, to decorate (optional)
Instructions
First make the syrup for the sticky bananas. Place the Siúcra rich dark sugar in a pan with the vanilla and three tablespoons of water and bring to a simmer, stirring. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes until a syrup has formed. Set aside.
To make the pancakes, sieve the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt into a bowl. Stir in the Siúcra light golden brown sugar and lemon rind. Put the milk, egg and vanilla into a jug and whisk to combine. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and whisk in the liquid ingredients to give a smooth batter.*
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add a little sunflower oil and smear all over the base with kitchen paper. Spoon in heaped tablespoons of the batter; you should fit in four at a time. Once bubbles begin to appear on the pancakes, then turn them over and cook for another minute or so until golden. Repeat. You should end up with 12 pancakes in total. Keep them warm in a low oven while you cook the remainder.
To make the sticky bananas, heat a large frying pan. Peel the bananas and cut into slices. Add the butter to the heated frying pan and sauté the bananas for a minute or two on each side until golden brown. Pour in the syrup and continue to cook until the bananas have become caramelised and sticky.
Layer up the gingerbread pancakes on plates with the sticky bananas and syrup. Add cinnamon sticks to decorate before serving if liked.
Spinach Pancakes with Caramelised Ham and Cheese
Ingredients
For the Pancakes
1 tbsp Unsalted Butter, plus extra for cooking
150g (5oz) Baby Spinach Leaves
300ml (½ pint) Milk
150g (5oz) Plain Flour
Pinch of Sea Salt flakes
2 Large Eggs
1 tsp Siúcra Caster Sugar
For the Caramelised Ham
50g (2oz) Siúcra Light Golden Brown Sugar
1 tsp Cider Vinegar
350g (12oz) Cooked Ham, shredded into small pieces
To Finish
225g (8oz) Gruyere or Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
Instructions
Melt the butter in a small pan or in the microwave. Place the spinach and milk in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the flour, salt and eggs and blend again to combine. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the melted butter with the Siúcra caster sugar. If time allows, leave the batter to settle for at least 30 minutes in the fridge or up to 24 hours is fine. Then give it a good stir and if you find it has thickened up a little, then just loosen with a splash of milk.
To caramelise the ham, put the Siúcra light golden brown sugar into a non-stick frying pan with the vinegar and two tablespoons of water and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to simmer until the mixture becomes thickened. Add the shredded ham and toss until combined and starting to caramelise. This can then be kept warm in a low oven if necessary.
To cook the pancakes, heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Carefully wipe the frying pan with sunflower oil using kitchen paper. Add a very small knob of butter to the frying pan and swirl to melt.
Once the butter is foamy, add a ladleful of the batter and swirl until it coats the base of the frying pan. Flip the pancakes once you see a ring of bubbles around the edges, about 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and top with some of the caramelized ham and sprinkle some of the cheese on top. Cook for another minute, then fold in half and then into quarters. Transfer to an ovenproof dish and keep warm in a low oven. Repeat until all of the batter and filling ingredients have been used up. Serve immediately.