Pancake Day is celebrated on Shrove Tuesday which is the day before Lent. Lent is generally a period of fasting or other form of self-denial. Shrove Tuesday is often referred to as "Pancake Day" because perishables like eggs and dairy products, which are generally prohibited during Lent, have to be used up.We always celebrated Pancake Day when we were kids, so, I guess it is a British thing. What kid wouldn't want to have pancakes for supper with loads of local maple syrup!!!! You don't have to be British, Catholic or follow Lent to have some delicious pancakes for supper on Shrove Tuesday!!
"In Great Britian, Northern Ireland and several other countries around the world, Pancake Day is celebrated with fun, games, and of course a lot of eating. However, the most well known activity on this day is the Pancake Day race at Olney in Buckinghamshire, England which has been held since 1445. It all began when a woman was cooking pancakes on Shrove Tuesday to use up all of her perishables before Lent. While she was still cooking she heard the chiming of the bells summoning her to church. Not wanting to be late, the woman ran to church with her apron on and the frying pan still in her hand. Little did she know that this would start a tradition that would be around for over 500 years!
Only women are allowed to participate in this race. They must run a designated path with a frying pan and end up at the church. They must have a hot pancake in the frying pan which they must flip at least three times before they complete the race. The first woman to complete the race and arrive at church with the pancake is declared the winner. She then serves the pancake to the bellringer and is rewarded with a kiss from the bellringer called the “Kiss of peace”. This race still occurs in England and in several other cities."
This pancake is not the traditional pancakes we had when we were kids, but I have been wanting to make this pancake for a while now since I saw Tyler Florence prepare it on the Food Network as his "ultimate pancake"!!!!! The Willows is a bed and breakfast inn in Hyde Park, New York. Visit their site here .
This pancake was so light and fluffy it cannot be considered a pancake in my books. If I were to make it again I think I would cook the grated apple in the butter before hand, cool and then add them to the batter. Practice makes perfect... so... I will try this again!! They said it was the ultimate, so , it needs a little tweaking... or , I did something wrong ..and we all know that is not possible...wink...wink...
Update ...news flash....I did do something wrong!!! In the original recipe I had it said to beat the eggs until frothy. I used a mixer...this is a no no...use a whisk as this recipe states..otherwise the pancakes are too frothy and have no substance. Back to the drawing board :)
**Willows Raised Apple Pancake**
4 jumbo eggs, separated
2 T sugar
4 oz. buttermilk
4 heaping T oat flour
2 T cake flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 large apple, peeled and grated (I use Golden Delicious)
2 T Lemon juice
2 T butter
cinnamon sugar
4 T walnuts, chopped
icing sugar for dusting
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Preheat oven to 375F. Separate eggs. Add flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Peel and grate apple in separate bowl. Add lemon juice to apple.Whisk egg yolks until foamy. Add buttermilk to the egg yolks and mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients to the yolk/buttermilk mixture. Mix the batter into the grated apple. Whip egg whites to stiff peaks like a meringue, adding the sugar to sweeten. Gently fold in the egg whites to your apple mixture. In a 10" non stick fry pan, melt the butter. Pour in your batter. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and dust with icing sugar. Cut into four wedges and serve immediately.
Serves 4
