Today is Shrove Tuesday…
AKA Fat Tuesday…
AKA Mardi Gras…
Which means that today is the last day (for many people) to indulge in their favorite decadent dishes before having to give them up for the 40 days of Lent. Many people celebrate Shrove Tuesday by eating donuts, cake, and other yummy treats, but I am taking a page out of the UK’s book today and cooking up a big stack of pancakes.
Yes, pancakes!
The UK has a tradition of serving up pancakes to celebrate Shrove Tuesday and I am officially obsessed! Pancakes are perfectly decadent (sugar + fat + fun mix-ins), but they are also simple to make, can be easily customized to fit your family’s preferences, and they are delicious.
Plus, who DOESN’T love breakfast for dinner (or for lunch… or for snack…)?
For my Pancake Tuesday celebration, I decided to whip up a bunch of Apple Jack Flapjacks – pancakes topped with apples cooked in a whiskey-caramel sauce. If that doesn’t say decadent, I don’t know what does!
The pancakes start with my basic pancake batter.
First, assemble the dry ingredients.
Flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt all get added into a large bowl and are thoroughly whisked together. Simple, pantry staples.
Then gather the wet ingredients. I like combining my skim milk, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl to mix them up before adding them to the dry ingredients.
Then it takes less stirring to bring the pancake batter together, which means lighter, fluffier pancakes and a less tired mixing arm for me! (so everyone wins!)
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Gently mix the wet into the dry until just combined. The final ingredient gives the pancakes a bit of richness and helps them brown a bit more when they cook – some melted butter. I just microwave the butter in a small ramekin and then pour it right into the prepared batter. It seems a bit unnecessary but it really makes a difference!
And now, it’s time to cook the pancakes.
I set a pancake griddle over medium-low heat and sprayed it with cooking spray.
*Random Side Note* – if you have room in your kitchen, get one of these griddles. Seriously. It may be a bit costly but we personally use this griddle for more than just pancakes – French toast, toasted sandwiches, chicken kebabs, etc. etc. etc. Basically, this is probably one of my favorite (and versatile) cooking pans that we have in our kitchen and you should have one too! *end of random side note*
And back to pancake-land!
When the griddle was hot, I poured ¼ cup scoops of batter onto the griddle.
When the pancakes start to bubble, flip them over. Allow the pancakes to cook for an additional minute to set the other side and cook the pancake all the way through.
I usually pop the cooked pancakes onto a wire rack in my oven that has been heated to about 185°. The pancakes stay warm, but don’t dry out.
While you are cooking the pancakes, it is the perfect time to make the apple mixture to go on top.
In a small, non-stick skillet, combine apple slices, unsalted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Then turn on the heat to medium and stir the apples, sugar and butter together to combine. Stir the mixture occasionally so the sugar doesn’t burn and the apples become coated.
When the butter melts and the sugar begins to caramelize and bubble, turn OFF the heat and carefully pour in some whiskey. If you don’t want to cook with alcohol, you can definitely leave this out. Turn the heat back on and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes until the apples are soft and are completely coated in the whiskey-caramel sauce.
Perfection!
Now it’s time to plate everything up.
Grab a stack of as many pancakes as you would like to eat.
(hey, today is Mardi Gras!)
And then top with some of the apple mixture – make sure to get some of the sauce on the bottom of the pan!
Then pour on a touch of syrup and dig in!
What a fun (and delicious) way to celebrate Shrove Tuesday.
So, kiddos, what are you doing today for Mardi Gras? Let me know!
Your pancake lovin’ friend,
C
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1¼ cup skim milk
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- Cooking spray
- 2 medium-sized apples (I like gala), washed, peeled, and sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons whiskey, optional
- Preheat oven to 185 degrees. Place pancake griddle over medium-low heat.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- In a small bowl, combine eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
- Slowly pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently to combine – don’t over mix! Pour in the melted butter. Stir to combine.
- Grease preheated pancake griddle with cooking spray. Ladle batter onto the griddle in ¼ cup measures. When the pancake begins to bubble, flip over and cook for an additional minute until the underside is golden brown. Store cooked pancakes on a wire rack and place rack into the preheated oven.
- While the pancakes are cooking, combine apple slices, butter, and brown sugar in a non-stick skillet set over medium heat. Stir apple slices to coat them in the butter and sugar and then allow them to cook in the mixture for about 5 minutes. When the butter-sugar mixture begins to bubble and turn golden brown, turn OFF the heat and add in the whiskey. Turn the heat back on and stir the whiskey into the apples and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until the apples are soft and coated in the whiskey-caramel sauce.
- To serve, stack as many pancakes as you want on a plate and top with some of the apple mixture. Lightly drizzle with some syrup and enjoy!
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