How to Make the Perfect Pancake

Few of us are able to ignore the smell of a freshly made pancake or crêpe! Many people enjoy it as a sweet treat or dessert. If you haven’t tried it yet, it’s equally delicious as a light meal with a savoury filling.

Heleen prefers to use stoneground wholewheat flour, which is less processed or bleached than regular cake flour, making this a healthier recipe. Using this flour adds more fibre, texture and a lovely nutty flavour to the pancake batter.

As far as fillings go, the options are endless. You can’t go wrong with the simple perfection of cinnamon sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. Have you tried the comforting combination of mince and cheese as a meal? How about a warm pancake with tuna and cream cheese? See the tips in this recipe for some more filling ideas.

Here are Heleen’s TOP TIPS when it comes to frying the perfect pancake:

1. Use a pan with a heavy base for evenly distributed heat. A non-stick crêpe pan also works well, if you have one.
2. The temperature control is VERY important, too low and the pancake will absorb too much oil, which takes longer to fry and an oily pancake is really unappetising. Too high, then the pancake will burn or stick before it is cooked properly.
3. Don’t add too much oil to the pan, it will make the pancake too oily and soft. Rather, use this recipe, where the oil is added to the batter already. (Heleen has perfected this with her recipe.)
4. Fry a pancake until it sets on top before trying to turn it over. The pancake will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan when it is ready to turn. Fry for a short time on the other side until just cooked and golden brown.
5. Take care not to overcook the pancakes either, it will become dry, tough and difficult to handle.

Let’s make pancakes

Don’t shy away from this wholewheat pancake recipe – it’s really good! And yes, there are quite a few eggs in the batter, for only one cup of flour, as this tried and tested recipe is much closer to a typical crêpe. Just follow the method as explained, so that the batter is not lumpy at all. This batter makes it possible to fry paper-thin pancakes. It also sets quite quickly, so don’t be tempted to make these pancakes too thick.

Wholewheat pancakes

Recipe from Heleen Meyer, adapted from Kos is op die tafel!

Makes 12 – 15 pancakes

250 ml (1 cup) stoneground wholewheat flour

2 ml salt

3 extra large egg, beaten

50 ml oil

325 ml milk

75 ml (5 tbsp) cold water

oil for frying

1. Place the flour and salt in a glass mixing bowl. Beat the eggs and oil together and mix with the whisk into the dry ingredients to form a smooth paste.
2. Whisk the milk and water together and slowly add to the flour paste. Whisk thoroughly after each addition, but don’t add all of the milk mixture in one go, as this will result in lumps.
3. Heat a medium-sized (about 20 cm) frying pan over a medium heat. Add a thin layer of oil for the first pancake. Pour about 60 ml of the batter into the pan and swirl to spread evenly over the base of the pan.
4. Fry the pancake until it sets on the top, pulls away from the edges and is golden brown underneath. Turn it over and fry for another minute on the other side. Take care not to overcook it, as an overcooked pancake will be rubbery and tough.
5. Keep the pancakes warm (see tips) and repeat with the rest of the batter and add a little extra oil, if necessary.
6. Serve the pancakes with cinnamon sugar and lemon wedges or a savoury or sweet filling of your choice (see tips).

Tips:

1. To keep pancakes warm: Place pancakes on a large plate and cover with a lid or piece of foil. Keep the pancakes warm over a pot with lightly simmering water while baking the rest of the batter.
2. Tuna filling: Season cottage cheese with mild mustard and chopped fresh herbs like Italian parsley. Mix with a tin of tuna, drained, and spoon onto pancakes. Roll or fold up and enjoy with fresh salad ingredients.
3. Fresh seasonal fruit like berries, grapes, mango and peaches or nectarines are delicious in pancakes. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon and a spoonful of double cream yoghurt, if preferred. Sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds for crunch.
4. Pan-fry apple or pear wedges in a bit of butter and honey, season with ground cinnamon or all spice and enjoy in warm pancakes as a quick dessert. Add frozen blueberries for a special touch and serve with dollops of double cream yoghurt.

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   Visit Heleen’s website for more recipes like this.