Pancakes served warm, straight from the pan are a welcome treat for most of us at this time of year. However, according to the Irish Osteoporosis Society (IOS ) and the National Dairy Council (NDC ), pancakes are ideal all year round as they are a “perfect” example of the many versatile ways to include milk and dairy in a balanced diet, in order to try to achieve the recommended “three portions of dairy a day” for health and well-being.
Serving pancakes with delicious fresh fruit and berries is also an excellent way of contributing to the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. There are also many savoury ideas for pancakes using for example, grated cheese. And of course there are the old favourites of butter, lemon juice, and caster sugar… or cream and jam.
Ingredients: 100g of plain flour; one pint of milk; 12g of butter; one egg; teaspoon of salt and some oil for cooking.
Mixing the batter: sieve the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and drop in the unbeaten egg and half of the milk. Use a wooden spoon to beat until the batter is smooth and air bubbles collect on the surface. Then stir in the rest of the milk and melted butter and let it rest.
Cooking pancakes: some like to season the pan first with a little salt. Lightly coat the base of the pan with enough oil to make it look shiny all over. Allow the pan to get really hot. Pour enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan thinly— tilt the pan quickly so the bottom is evenly covered. Cook until underside is golden brown.
