TWO WAYS

two ways pancakes

Two members of the Good Food team share their favourite pancake recipes

recipes LIBERTY MENDEZ and BARNEY DESMAZERY photographs MIKE ENGLISH

Stuff thick pancakes with a mix of soft brie and flavourful cheddar for the ultimate gooey centre.

liberty

‘Fluffy American-style pancakes are my favourite type of pancake, but I also can never resist those melty cheese-and-ham-stuffed crêpes you get at street-food markets. This got me thinking: what if American-style pancakes could be stuffed with cheese? Win, win! These delicious pancakes have an oozing brie and cheddar centre, and are served with optional crispy beef or turkey bacon instead of ham. They’re the best of both worlds, and sure to be a winner with cheese-lovers – the gooey cheese-pull you get when you break into them is bound to get you lots of social media attention, too.’ Liberty Mendez, recipe developer Brie-stuffed pancakes with crispy bacon

SERVES 5 (2 pancakes per serving) PREP 10 mins COOK 30 mins EASY

10 smoked turkey or beef streaky bacon rashers 300g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder pinch of caster sugar 2 medium eggs, lightly beaten 300ml semi-skimmed milk 2 tbsp sunflower oil 25g salted butter, plus extra to serve 150g brie, thinly sliced 50g grated cheddar

1 Heat the grill to high and grill the bacon for 5 mins until crisp, turning halfway through. Set aside and keep warm. Tip the flour, baking powder, sugar and a large pinch of salt into a large bowl, then gradually whisk in the eggs and milk until you have a smooth, thick batter. 2 Heat a splash of the oil and small knob of the butter in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat until sizzling. Spoon in 1 tbsp of the batter and spread out to a rough 10cm circle with the back of the spoon. Top with a few slices of the brie, a pinch of the grated cheddar, and 11/2 tbsp more of the pancake batter – the batter should cover all the cheese. Don’t worry if the batter starts to spread – you can shape it by pushing the cheese back toward the centre using a spatula. Cook for 2-3 mins until bubbles start to form on the surface, then carefully flip and cook for 2 mins more. Keep warm while repeating the process with the rest of the oil, butter, batter and cheese. Serve topped with some salted butter and the crispy bacon.

GOOD TO KNOW calcium PER SERVING 632 kcals • fat 36g • saturates 16g • carbs 49g • sugars 3g • fibre 3g • protein 29g • salt 3.3g

tip

THE PERFECT BRUNCH

Top these cheesy pancakes with a poached egg in addition to the bacon, and serve alongside some roasted cherry tomatoes, if you like.

Keep little hands busy – ask the kids to help spread sweet fillings over the cooked pancakes, then stack and slice.

barney

‘This pancake cake was born when trying to keep my kids busy on a wet, windy Tuesday a few years back. Give each child a jar of something sweet and spreadable, and as you cook the pancakes, let the kids spread and stack. If you time it right, it should keep them entertained (screen-free) for a good hour. You could also use mashed banana, or lemon curd and cream. One small tip on making the batter: I make mine in a blender or smoothie maker to save on the washing-up, as the batter can be poured from the jug.’ Barney Desmazery, shows & skills editor Build-your-own chocolate & peanut butter pancake cake

CUTS INTO 10-12 wedges PREP 1 hr COOK 1 hr EASY V

200g peanut butter 200g chocolate spread icing sugar and squirty cream, to serve For the pancakes 5 eggs 750ml milk 250g plain flour 50g butter

1 First, make the pancake batter. Tip the eggs, milk, flour and a pinch of salt into a blender and blitz until smooth. Alternatively, whisk the eggs and flour together until smooth, then slowly whisk in the milk and a pinch of salt, then tip into a large jug. 2 Heat a roughly 20cm frying or crêpe pan over a medium heat, and, using kitchen paper, carefully wipe a little of the butter around the pan. Pour in enough batter to make a thin pancake, and cook for about 1 min on each side until golden. Slide the pancake onto a serving plate, then immediately spread with some of the peanut butter, then chocolate spread. Repeat with a second pancake, then stack this on top of the first. Continue cooking, spreading and stacking until all the batter, peanut butter and chocolate spread is used. 3 When all the pancakes are stacked into a ‘cake’, dust the top with some icing sugar. Cut into wedges and serve topped with some squirty cream. Will keep at room temperature for up to a day.

PER SERVING (12) 380 kcals • fat 23g • saturates 8g • carbs 30g • sugars 13g • fibre 2g • protein 12g • salt 0.4g

tip

TWIST IT

You can adapt this recipe with other fillings, such as our grown-up twist using espresso (below). Make your own chantilly cream for stacking the pancakes by whisking 150ml double cream with 1 tbsp icing sugar and a drop of vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Then, try these suggestions:

● Lemon cream pancake cake

At the end of step 2, spread the pancakes with the chantilly cream, then add spoonfuls of lemon curd. ● Espresso pancake cake

Whip the chantilly cream with a shot of espresso before making the pancakes in step 1, then spread over the pancakes at the end of step 2, and dust with cocoa powder in step 3.