Apple breakfast pancakes (Serves: 3/4 – Preparation time: 30 minutes)

If you are having friends over for brunch, or if you are looking for something simple to cook with your kids for breakfast that is simple and tasty then this is a great little recipe!  Cooking pancakes should be straightforward and fun – if a little messy…

These pancakes are very similar to drop scones, they should be relatively small, about 10 cm in diameter making them very quick to cook.  I would highly recommend using a non-stick frying pan that has been lightly oiled when making this recipe.  If you use too much oil the pancakes will simply absorb the oil as they cook.  My tip for oiling the pan is to pour a little vegetable oil onto a piece of kitchen towel and then grease the pan all over, rather than pouring the oil directly into the pan.  Also it is always worth doing a small tester pancake to make sure that you pan is hot enough before starting to cooking the pancakes in batches.

The ‘filling’ of the pancakes is a classic combination of apple and cinnamon.  As they cook your kitchen will be filled with the a lovely fragrance that I always associate with autumn and crumbles.  The syrup adds a sweet and sharp element to the dish that makes the pancakes particularly moreish as they soak up the juices.  These pancakes are best served straight from the pan – if left too long they will start to dry out.

Apple breakfast pancakes
Serves: 3-4
Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 100g plain flour
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• pinch of salt
• 10g butter (melted)
• 100ml milk
• 1 egg
• 1 apple (cut into thin slices)
• juice of ½ a lemon
• ground cinnamon

For the syrup:

• juice of 1 lemon
• 1-2 tbsp honey

Steps:

• Place the flour, baking sugar and salt in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl whisk together the melted butter, egg and milk.
• Slowly pour the egg mixture into the dry mix whisking throughout. Once the batter is fully combined it should have the consistency of thick pouring cream. (If the batter is too thick add a little more milk, if it is too loose add a little more flour.)
• Prepare the apple slices by squeezing over the juice of ½ a lemon and dust with the ground cinnamon.
• Cook the pancakes in batches of 2-3 at a time: Lightly grease the frying pan and place on a high heat. Once the pan is hot place a slice of apple on the base of the pan then spoon over roughly 1 tablespoon of the batter at a time, cook until you see air bubbles appearing in the batter then flip them over and cook on the other side until golden brown.
• Whilst the pancakes are being cooked, prepare the syrup by heating the lemon juice and the honey in a pan until the honey has melted and the syrup has formed – pour into a small jug for serving
• Once the pancakes are cooked serve immediately – ideally straight out of the pan.

Serving suggestion: Serve with a few blackberries and a spoonful of Greek yogurt.