Special Breakfast Pancakes

Ok, so its not dinner. I would, of course, eat this for dinner though.

For some people, this a special breakfast would not make. For some people like morning people, supermums, domestic gods and goddesses alike, pancakes on a weekday morning must be a breeze, a mere flick of the whisk. In this household however, breakfast is a sonambulist’s territory. Toast is made rubbing sleep out of eyes, coffee is perculated as we stumble around and the radio provides the only conversation of any meaning. Greedy boy, the only one even half awake, is not in the mood for much – and toast is not much of a culinary challenge. Besides, before long  it will be one he will take on for himself.

Back to the pancakes. They are a simple enough recipe. And they are not special in themselves (Although throw in a couple of blueberries to the batter and they might be, if blueberries float your boat). What makes them special in my view are: The best quality bacon, streaky and good quality canadian maple syrup. And in this house, the percieved effort for a special person’s birthday, makes them special.

First consume your caffeine beverage of choice, and turn on the radio.

• 200g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 scant tsp caster sugar
• 300ml buttermilk (or just go ahead with ordinary milk)
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• butter and vegetable oil for frying

Now, I just put all the ingredients except the melted butter in my blender goblet and whizzed to a batter, but if you don’t have a blender (or it isn’t 6am) you can simply put the dry ingredients into a bowl and make a well in the centre of it. Mix the egg and the milk in a jug and slowly, slowly pour into the well, stirring the flour in gradually. Mix in your melted butter. If adding fruit (and I would only really add berries, cut to garden pea size) do it now.

Put your bacon on.

Heat a dot of butter and a teaspoon of oil in a large nonstick pan. Drop a heaped tablespoon of batter into the pan, wait until it settles into a pancake and then put another tablespoon in, and then another, until you are cooking up to three pancakes in a batch. Cook on a low to medium heat for about 3 minutes until the mixture begins to bubble on top. At this point you can check to see whether the pancake has browned underneath by lifting up the side a bit. If browned, flip, and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the otherside. Slooooowwwwwly. Or you will get a burnt outside and an uncooked middle. And that doesn’t exactly say ‘Happy Birthday!’

I would keep the cooked ones under a clean tea towel on a warmed plate while you cook as many pancakes as you like. Serve with the bacon and a generous side of maple syrup.