American-style pancakes

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Shrove Tuesday, better known as Pancake Day, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent. Legend has it that pancakes were the meal of choice as they were a good way of using up butter and eggs before the period of abstinence began. Pancake Day was traditionally a community day – everyone got together to beat, fry and flip before sitting down to breakfast. Each year Uniting Care, with its sponsor Green’s, helps organise pancake mornings to raise money to support its work with the vulnerable in our community (see www.pancakeday.com.au).

American-style pancakes with strawberries, yoghurt and honey
Makes about 12

Greek-style yoghurt, thinly sliced strawberries and honey, to serve

Pancakes
13/4 cups (265g) self-raising flour
Large pinch of bicarbonate of soda
1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
2 eggs
11/3 cups (330ml) milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g butter, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 150C. For pancakes, sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and ¼ tsp salt into a bowl. In a jug, whisk eggs, milk and vanilla until combined.
2. Pour egg mixture over flour mixture and whisk just until smooth.
3. Melt a small piece of butter in a non-stick frying pan over low-medium heat. Add a scant ¼ cupful of pancake mixture and cook for 11/2 minutes or until bubbles appear on surface of pancake. 
4. Using a spatula, flip and cook for a further 11/2 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer to an oven tray and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining butter and pancake batter, wiping pan clean with kitchen paper after each pancake is cooked. 

To serve, divide pancakes among plates, top with spoonfuls of yoghurt, scatter with strawberries then drizzle with honey.

Tip: For lemon pancakes, add the finely grated rind of 1 lemon to the batter and serve pancakes with a small pat of butter, scattered with sugar and lemon wedges.

Recipe & styling: Sophia Young   Photography: Scott Hawkins   Food preparation: Lisa Featherby.