I remember so well my Mom making pancakes for us during the rather meagre times after World War 11. She would toss them up and often they would stick on the ceiling and we would find that so funny. There were always lots of eggs around as we would go to a nearby farm and get them and fresh milk and lots of herbs that me and my sisters would pick. We would lean over the side of the pig stys and watch with big eyes, what seemed like gigantic animals snorting in the mud! We ran after the chickens and were allowed into the coops to stick our fingers in and prise big brown eggs from under the nesting hens. Often the cock would frighten us off by screeching as we gathered the eggs!
My first cookbook was called ‘Round-the-Clock’ Cookery and was filled with awesome recipes for every meal, food and drink, and pictures describing how to truss chickens, make galettes and fill pies, baste eggs, the list of plates goes on and on. But as I love pancakes here is my favorite recipe. I often just squeeze lemon juice and a light coating of caster sugar on them.
Fruit Pancakes
Ingredients:
8 oz of flour
1/2 teaspoonful of salt
2 eggs, 1 pint of milk
A small quantity of butter
Castor sugar. Some stewed fruit
Sieve the flour and salt into a basin, make a hole in the centre and add the yolks of the eggs and half pint of whole milk. Gradually mix to a smooth batter, beating well, then add the rest of the milk and the whites of the two eggs, stiffly beaten.
Leave for an hour or so before using, then pour the batter into a jug.
Put a small quantity of butter into a frying-pan, and when very hot, pour in sufficient batter to form a thin layer over the bottom of the frying-pan. Cook till bubbles appear on the top and the underneath is brown, then turn the pancake over and cook the other side.
Place flat on a hot dish, standing over a pan of boiling water to keep hot, and spread with stewed fruit that is not too liquid. Place another pancake on the top and serve very hot sprinkled with castor sugar.
Use fresh butter for making each pancake.