BEST! English Pancakes with Lemon & Sugar! Classic English Pancakes are soft buttery thin pancakes, traditionally served with a classic combination of lemon & sugar. You simply sprinkle some sugar and then squeeze fresh lemon juice (or vice versa) on the warm pancakes and then roll up with the filling inside. Easy to make a simple treat, best served warm with a cup of Sri Lankan (Ceylon) tea.
Classic English Pancakes
They are traditionally made once a year as a special treat on Pancake Day (aka Shrove Tuesday). But you can serve them any day of the year and they also go well with Nutella, jam, chocolate sauce, maple syrup, peanut and jelly, and with your favorite topping.
PANCAKE DAY! I’ve done a bit of Googling, here is what I found. British people have a special day in celebration of pancakes known as Pancake Day (or Shrove Tuesday)- the last day before the start of Lent traditionally pancakes are eaten so you can use up all the rich food in the house before the fast starts. In some other countries, this day is called Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday and historically this has a religious background – eating all milk, butter, and eggs before the beginning of 40-day fasting during Lent.
English pancakes, American pancakes,
French crepes; What is the difference?
English pancake is similar to French crepe but not to American pancake.
Crêpe is the French word for pancake. Both crepes and English pancakes are thin pancakes made without a raising agent/leavening agent (baking powder, baking soda, or yeast).
Crepes are typically thinner and crispier while English pancakes are a soft bit thicker but outside the UK, English pancakes would probably be called “Crepes”.
American pancakes are typically small, thick, and fluffy, and made with raising agents. In the UK, American-style pancakes are called Scotch pancakes or drop scones.
English pancake batter vs French crepe batter
They are similar but English pancake batter is typically made without adding melted butter and sugar, instead you fry the pancake with butter and eat it with sugar.
You can make both batters in a blender or in a mixing bowl with a whisk (or fork/spoon/electric hand mixer). I usually make my batter in a blender, just it is the easiest way-it takes only a few seconds, no hassle, no lump, and less clean up.
awesome crepe recipes to try!
Crazy easy crepes mixed in a blender,
Super easy crepes in a frying pan
Homemade & Simplified Crêpes Suzette
Useful Tips for Making
the Best English Pancakes
Make the batter ahead of time
You can make the batter ahead of time and then store it in a bowl, covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days for use as needed.
Be sure to bring the batter back to room temperature and stir it well before you cook crepes if it is refrigerated. The leftover batter can also be refrigerated and used as needed.
The thick paste is the secret to avoiding lumps
When you make the batter by hand, first, make a thick paste adding milk little by little, and then start thinning the thick paste gradually stirring in the remaining milk. when adding milk, be sure to whisk vigorously with the whisk to avoid any lumps.
Rest the batter
Let the batter rest for around 30 minutes on the counter. If resting for more than 30 minutes, be sure to store it in the refrigerator. Resting makes a difference in the texture giving more tender and good-tasting pancakes.
Make pancakes a bit thicker
Not like thin crispy French crepes, English pancakes taste so good when a bit thicker & soft, so make sure to pour enough batter to make a bit thicker layer.
More Wonderful Pancakes Around the World
Sri Lankan Coconut Pancakes (Panipol Pancakes),
Indonesian Coconut pancakes (Dadar Gulung)
English Pancakes with Lemon & Sugar
Printable RECIPE
English Pancakes with Lemon & Sugar
Ingredients
- 125 g plain flour or All-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 280 ml milk lukewarm
- Butter for frying
- Caster sugar for serving
- 1 lemon quartered (for serving)
Instructions
- Sift the flour with salt into a mixing bowl or use sifted flour.
- Make a well in the center of the flour and then break the eggs into it. Whisk the eggs with the wire whisk while gradually adding the flour surrounding.
- Add the milk, a little at time, whisking the flour surrounding into the liquid mixture until you have a thick paste. Thick paste is the secret to avoid lumps and be sure to whisk vigorously to avoid any lumps.
- Thin the paste adding the remaining milk while whisking vigorously until you have a smooth batter uniform in color and consistency. If there is any lump, strain the batter through a fine mesh sieve.
- Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes.
- Heat a crepe pan or nonstick frying pan over a medium heat and rub the end of a stick of butter on the cooking surface. You can also add a small knob of butter and then swirl the pan to coat the bottom.
- Stir the batter and pour the batter into the hot pan. Lift the pan and rotate it so that the batter covers the base.
- Cook the pancake for about one minute until it sets.
- As it sets, shake the pan to see if the pancake is loose, or loosen it with a butter knife, then flip it using a spatula or your fingers (fingers work best).
- Cook the second side just until it is specked with golden dots (about 30 seconds).
- Slide the pancake onto a plate. Sprinkle some sugar on the top of the pancake and squeeze the lemon juice from a fresh lemon (or vice versa). Gently roll it up or fold to form a triangle. Serve sprinkled with a little more sugar and drizzle with more lemon juice if desired. Serve immediately. ENJOY!
- Repeat with the remaining batter to make more pancakes, if desired, buttering the pan and stirring the batter before starting each one.
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