Pancake Day!

Like millions across the UK, Mrs Doombreed and I marked pancake day today. Despite my several years here, this was the first time I'd made pancakes for She Who Is The Centre Of My World, and I was pleased with the reception.

Thus, for posterity and because it took me a while converting from real measurements to those strange American ones, here is the recipe:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
pinch of salt
2 eggs
A little more than 3/4 cup milk, mixed with 1/3 cup water
2 tbsp melted butter

1: Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and break the eggs into it. Whisk flour and eggs together.

2: Gradually add the milk/water mixture whilst whisking. When all the liquid has been added, scrape the bowl to ensure everything is mixed. Mixture should be the consistency of thin cream. Add the melted butter and whisk together.

3: Heat frying pan to medium-hot, and grease with whatever you use (butter works, but I found non-stick spray did just as well). Our frying pan is 10" across, smaller pans will require next mixture. Drop one ladlefull (about 3 1/2 tbsps) of the batter into the centre of the pan, swirling the pan to ensure the batter covers evenly.

4: Cook until the underside goes golden-brown (no more than two or three minutes) and then flip over by tossing the pancake in the air and catching it in the pan.

5: Scrape pancake off of ceiling, throw in garbage, and go back to step 3, this time remembering to toss with less force.

6: Scrape pancake off of floor, throw in garbage, and go back to step 3, remembering to toss more accurately.

7: Frantically beat out flames, scrape pancake off of burner, run to deactivate smoke alarm, open windows and doors to vent smoke, and go back to step 3, deciding to use a spatula to turn pancake instead of tossing it.

8: Second side of pancake will not need as long as first, When it, too, is golden-brown (actually, it's a kind of dark yellow with yellow-brown spots, but cookery books always say "golden brown'), slide out onto plate and move to decoration.

Decorating:

Pancakes can be eaten just about any way you choose. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar, splash on some lemon juice, throw some ice cream on, chuck on a handful of just about any type of fruit, chocolate syrup, jam, nuts, cream, bacon, golden or maple syrup, whatever (and all of the above for a seriously nauseating experience). My favourite is:

Doombreed's Big Boy Special

Wrap your pancake around a banana (of course it's peeled, silly boy) and place on a plate. Drizzle with golden syrup (or maple syrup if golden is not available) and decorate with whipped cream. You now have a phallic dessert which would make Freud choke on his cigar.